Page 20 of The Paris Chapter

‘While we are alone,’ she said, signalling something to our waiter, ‘tell me what happened with your ex.’

I hesitated for a second, embarrassed to tell my sorry tale, but Juliette was looking at me with full attention like she really wanted to know. I took a breath. ‘Well, he cheated on me,’ I said in a rush. ‘It was with someone he worked with. He’d been with her the whole time we were a couple. I found out when I went to one of their work parties and saw them together,’ I confessed.

‘I can’t believe he did that to you,’ Juliette said, shaking her head. ‘You were heartbroken?’

‘I was. I suppose I’ve always been a romantic and I thought that I had found “The One”,’ I said, doing air-quotes around the word. ‘Now I don’t know how I’ll ever trust anyone again.’

Juliette sighed. ‘I wish he hadn’t made you feel that way. Is that why you’re in Paris? To try to get over him?’

‘Well, we were supposed to be here together. I thought this was going to be such a romantic trip. Then I found out about his other woman. My friends persuaded me to come here anyway. I’m here alone.’

Juliette shook her head. ‘Not alone. You have us. And you have Ethan.’

‘He’s Joe best friend though. My ex.’

Ethan and Oscar returned then and sat down opposite us.

Juliette turned to face Ethan. ‘You!’

‘What did I do?’ he asked in surprise at the venom in her voice.

‘Joe was the one who hurt Tessa?’

‘Ah.’ Ethan sighed. ‘Yeah, he did.’

‘That bastard! I’ve told you before – how can you still be friends with him?’ Juliette pointed at me. ‘And now you tell me your friend hurt my friend.’

I couldn’t help but smile at her calling me that.

‘I hate what he did to Tessa,’ Ethan said quietly.

I felt bad for Ethan being torn between the two of us.

‘Let’s not talk about it,’ I insisted. ‘I don’t want Joe ruining tonight. This has been so much fun.’

‘We drink to that,’ Oscar declared. ‘At my bar!’

We left the restaurant and walked the short distance to Oscar’s bar. It was down a long staircase and had a low ceiling, was dimly lit, with a polished wood bar. It was achingly cool. Somewhere I would never have gone by myself. Everyone greeted us like old friends and we soon had one of Oscar’s signature cocktails in our hands.

As we sat down at a round table, a band started playing on the small stage. A jazz band with a female singer who had a beautiful voice. The music was slow and sexy and I leaned back to listen and sipped my cocktail, thinking that I would never have expected to be spending the night like this. I was enjoying myself so much though.

As we applauded the first song, I leaned over to Ethan. ‘Thank you for tonight; this has cheered me up so much.’

Ethan smiled. ‘Good. No one can be miserable around Juliette.’

‘All of you are fun,’ I said.

Ethan had surprised me too tonight. He was quieter than his friends, like me, but he was easy to talk to and he was funny too. He’d had us in stitches doing an impression of the head chef at his work. He always seemed so relaxed and it had helped to relax me. That and the booze.

‘I really am grateful you included me. You didn’t have to.’

‘I wanted to,’ he insisted. His blue eyes pierced mine as we looked across at one another. He moved his leg and it brushed against mine. I wondered if he felt it too.

It suddenly felt a lot warmer in the bar. I opened my mouth to answer but the band started up again and the music swallowed my words. I tore my gaze from Ethan and looked back at the singer, but I could feel that he was still watching me. And I wasn’t sure why his gaze made me feel uncomfortable. It felt like he was really seeing me, and I had a sudden feeling that no other man had paid me that much attention before. Which didn’t make any sense, but the warm feeling in my body remained the whole time I sat next to him.

10

We didn’t stumble out of Oscar’s bar until 1a.m. I was decidedly tipsy.

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