Anna and the French Kiss

  “French.”

  “Not going well?”

  “Not going well.”

  He places the plum back on my tray and smiles. “You’ll get the hang of it.”

  “Easy for you to say, Monsieur Bilingual.”

  His smile fades. “Sorry.You’re right, that was unfair. I forget sometimes.”

  I stir my lentils aggressively. “Professeur Gillet always makes me feel stupid. I’m not stupid.”

  “Of course you aren’t. It’d be mad for anyone to expect fluency. It takes time to learn anything, especially a language.”

  “I’m just so tired of going out there”—I gesture at the windows—“and being helpless.”

  St. Clair is surprised at my suggestion. “You aren’t helpless. You go out every night, often on your own. That’s a far cry from when you arrived. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

  “Hmph.”

  “Hey.” He scoots closer. “Remember what Professeur Cole said when she was talking about the lack of translated novels in America? She said it’s important to expose ourselves to other cultures, other situations. And that’s exactly what you’re doing. You’re going out, and you’re testing the waters.You ought to be proud of yourself. Screw French class, that means sod-all.”

  I crack a smile at his Briticism. Speaking of translation. “Yeah, but Professeur Cole was talking about books, not real life. There’s a big difference.”

  “Is there? What about film? Aren’t you the one who’s always going on about cinema as a reflection of life? Or was that some other famous film critic I know?”

  “Shut up. That’s different.”

  St. Clair laughs, knowing he’s caught me. “See? You ought to spend less time worrying about French, and more time ...” He trails off, attention snagged by something behind me. His expression is of growing revulsion.

  I turn to find Dave, kneeling on the cafeteria floor behind us. His head is bowed, and he thrusts a small plate in the air before me. “Allow me to present this éclair with my humblest apologizes.”

  My face burns. “What are you doing?”

  Dave looks up and grins. “Sorry about the extra assignment. That was my fault.”

  I’m speechless. When I don’t take the dessert, he rises and delivers it in front of me with a grand flourish. Everyone is staring. He nabs a chair from the table behind us and wedges himself between St. Clair and me.

  St. Clair is incredulous. “Make yourself at home, David.”

  Dave doesn’t seem to hear him. He dips his finger in the sticky chocolate icing and licks it off. Are his hands clean? “So. Tonight. Texas Chain Saw Massacre. I’ll never believe you aren’t afraid of horror films if you don’t let me take you.”

  Oh my God. Dave is NOT asking me out in front of St. Clair. St. Clair hates Dave; I remember him saying it before we saw It Happened One Night. “Uh . . . sorry.” I grasp for an excuse. “But I’m not going. Anymore. Something came up.”

  “Come on. Nothing could be that important on a Friday night.” He pinches my arm, and I glance desperately at St. Clair.

  “Physics project,” he cuts in, glaring at Dave’s hand. “Last minute. Loads to do. We’re partners.”

  “You have all weekend to do homework. Loosen up, Oliphant. Live a little.”

  “Actually,” St. Clair says, “it sounds like Anna has quite a bit of additional work to do this weekend. Thanks to you.”

  Dave finally turns around to face St. Clair. They exchange scowls.

  “I’m sorry,” I say. And I mean it. I feel awful for turning him down, especially in front of everyone. He’s a nice guy, despite what St. Clair thinks.

  But Dave looks at St. Clair again. “It’s cool,” he says after a moment. “I get it.”

  “What?” I’m confused.

  “I didn’t realize ...” Dave motions between St. Clair and me.

  “No! No. There’s nothing. There. I mean it, we’ll see something soon. I’m just busy tonight. With the physics thing.”

  Dave looks annoyed, but he shrugs his shoulders. “No biggie. Hey, you going to the party tomorrow night?”

  Nate is throwing a Halloween bash for Résidence Lambert. I wasn’t planning to attend, but I lie to make him feel better. “Yeah, probably. I’ll see you there.”

  He stands up. “Cool. I’m holding you to that.”

  “Right. Sure. Thanks for the éclair!” I call after him.

  “You’re welcome, beautiful.”

  Beautiful. He called me beautiful! But wait. I don’t like Dave.

  Do I like Dave?

  “Wanker,” St. Clair says, the moment he’s out of earshot.

  “Don’t be rude.”

  He stares at me with an unfathomable expression. “You weren’t complaining when I made an excuse for you.”

  I push the éclair away. “He put me on the spot, that’s all.”

  “You ought to thank me.”

  “Thank you,” I say sarcastically. I’m aware of the others staring at us. Josh clears his throat and points at my finger-smudged dessert. “You gonna eat that?” he asks.

  “Be my guest.”

  St. Clair stands so suddenly that his chair clatters over.

  “Where are you going?” Mer asks.

  “Nowhere.” He stalks away, leaving us in surprised silence. After a moment, Rashmi leans forward. She raises her dark eyebrows. “You know, Josh and I saw them fighting a couple nights ago.”

  “Who? St. Clair and Dave?” Mer asks.

  “No, St. Clair and Ellie. That’s what this is about, you know.”

  “It is?” I ask.

  “Yeah, he’s been on edge all week,” Rashmi says.

  I think about it. “That’s true. I’ve heard him pacing his room. He never used to do that.” It’s not like I make a point of listening, but now that I know that St. Clair lives above me, I can’t help but notice his comings and goings.

  Josh gives me a weird look.

  “Where did you see them?” Mer asks Rashmi.

  “In front of the Cluny métro.We were gonna say hi, but when we saw their expressions, we went the other way. Definitely not a conversation I wanted to interrupt.”

  “What were they fighting about?” Mer asks.

  “Dunno. Couldn’t hear them.”

  “It’s her. She’s so different now.”

  Rashmi frowns. “She thinks she’s so much better than us, now that she’s at Parsons.”

  “And the way she dresses,” Mer says, with an unusual bitter streak. “Like she thinks she’s actually Parisian.”

  “She was always that way.” Rashmi huffs.

  Josh is still quiet. He polishes off the éclair, wipes the white fluff from his fingers, and pulls out his sketchbook. The way he focuses on it, deflecting Meredith and Rashmi’s conversation, is . . . purposeful. I get the feeling he knows more about St. Clair’s situation than he’s letting on. Do guys talk about things like that with each other? Could it be possible?

  Are St. Clair and Ellie breaking up?

  chapter fourteen

  Don’t y’all think it’s kind of a cliché to have a picnic in a graveyard on Halloween?”

  The five of us—Mer, Rashmi, Josh, St. Clair, and I—are traipsing through the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, located on a hillside overlooking Paris. It’s like a miniature city itself. Wide pathways act as roads through neighborhoods of elaborate tombs. They remind me of tiny Gothic mansions with their arched doorways and statuary and stained-glass windows. A stone wall with guardsmen and iron gates runs the perimeter. Mature chestnuts stretch their branches overhead and wave their last remaining golden leaves.

  It’s a quieter city than Paris, but no less impressive.

  “Hey, did y’all hear Anna say ‘y’all’?” Josh asks.

  “Oh my God, I so did not.”

  “You so did,” Rashmi says. She adjusts the pack on her shoulders and follows Mer down yet another path. I’m glad my friends know their way around, because I’m lost. “I told you y
ou’ve got an accent.”

  “It’s a cemetery, not a graveyard,” St. Clair says.

  “There’s a difference?” I ask, thankful for an opportunity to ignore The Couple.

  “A cemetery is a plot of land set specifically aside for burial, while a graveyard is always located in a churchyard. Of course, now the words are practically interchangeable, so it doesn’t really matter—”

  “You know more useless crap, St. Clair. Good thing you’re so darn cute,” Josh says.

  “I think it’s interesting,” Mer says.

  St. Clair smiles. “At least ‘cemetery’ sounds classier. And you must admit—this place is pretty classy. Or, I’m sorry.” He turns back to me. “Would you rather be at the Lambert bash? I hear Dave Higgenbottom is bringing his beer bong.”

  “Higgenbaum.”

  “That’s what I said. Higgenbum.”

  “Oh, leave him alone. Besides, by the time this place closes, we’ll still have plenty of time to party.” I roll my eyes at this last word. None of us have plans to attend, despite what I told Dave yesterday at lunch.

  St. Clair nudges me with a tall thermos. “Perhaps you’re upset because he won’t have the opportunity to woo you with his astonishing knowledge of urban street racing.”

  I laugh. “Cut it out.”

  “And I hear he has exquisite taste in film. Maybe he’ll take you to a midnight showing of Scooby-Doo 2.”

  I whack St. Clair with my bag, and he dodges aside, laughing.

  “Aha! Here it is!” Mer calls out, having located the appropriate patch of greenery. She unrolls a blanket onto the small lawn while Rashmi and I unpack tiny apples and prosciutto sandwiches and stinky cheeses from our backpacks. Josh and St. Clair chase each other around the nearby monuments. They remind me of the little French schoolboys I see in our neighborhood. All they need are the matching woolen sweaters.

  Mer pours everyone coffee from St. Clair’s thermos, and I sip happily, enjoying the pleasant warmth that spreads throughout my body. I used to think coffee was bitter and disgusting, but like everyone else, I’m up to several cups a day. We tear into the food and, like magic, the guys are back. Josh sits cross-legged next to Rashmi, while St. Clair scoots between Meredith and me.

  “You have leaves in your hair.” Mer giggles and pulls one of the brown skeletons from St. Clair’s locks. He takes it from her, crunches it to dust, and blows it into her curls. They laugh, and my gut twinges.

  “Maybe you should put on The Hat,” I say. He asked me to carry it before we left. I chuck my bag into his lap, perhaps a little too hard. St. Clair oofs and jerks forward.

  “Watch it.” Josh bites into a pink apple and talks through a full mouth. “He has parts down there you don’t have.”

  “Ooo, parts,” I say. “Intriguing. Tell me more.”

  Josh smiles sadly. “Sorry. Privileged information. Only people with parts can know about said parts.”

  St. Clair shakes the rest of the leaves from his hair and puts on The Hat. Rashmi makes a face at him. “Really? Today? In public?” she asks.

  “Every day,” he says. “As long as you’re with me.”

  She snorts. “So what’s Ellen doing tonight?”

  “Ugh. Ellie’s attending some terrible costume party.”

  “You don’t like costume parties?” Mer asks.

  “I don’t do costumes.”

  “Just hats,” Rashmi says.

  “I didn’t realize anyone outside of SOAP was celebrating Halloween,” I say.

  “Few people are,” Josh says. “The shopkeepers tried to turn it into a commercial thing years ago. It didn’t catch on. But give a college chick the chance to dress up like a slutty nurse, and she’s gonna take it.”

  St. Clair lobs a chunk of chèvre at Josh’s head, and it smacks his cheek. “Arse. She’s not going as a slutty nurse.”

  “Just a regular one?” I ask innocently. “With a low-cut dress and really big breasts?”

  Josh and Rashmi crack up, and St. Clair tugs The Hat down over his eyes. “Ughhh, I hate you all.”

  “Hey.” Meredith sounds hurt. “I didn’t say anything.”

  “Ughhh, I hate you all but Mer.”

  A small group of American tourists hovers behind us. They look confused. A bearded guy in his twenties opens his mouth to speak, but Rashmi interrupts him. “Jim Morrison is that way.” She points down the path. Bearded guy smiles in relief, thanks her, and they move on.

  “How’d you know what they wanted?” I ask.

  “It’s what they always want.”

  “When they should be looking for Victor Noir,” Josh says. Everyone else laughs.

  “Who?” It’s frustrating being in the dark.

  “Victor Noir. He was a journalist shot by Pierre Bonaparte,” St. Clair says, as if that explains anything. He pulls The Hat up off his eyes. “The statue on his grave is supposed to help . . . fertility.”

  “His wang is rubbed shiny,” Josh elaborates. “For luck.”

  “Why are we talking about parts again?” Mer asks. “Can’t we ever talk about anything else?”

  “Really?” I ask. “Shiny wang?”

  “Very,” St. Clair says.

  “Now that’s something I’ve gotta see.” I gulp my coffee dregs, wipe the bread crumbs from my mouth, and hop up. “Where’s Victor?”

  “Allow me.” St. Clair springs to his feet and takes off. I chase after him. He cuts through a stand of bare trees, and I crash through the twigs behind him. We’re both laughing when we hit the pathway and run smack into a guard. He frowns at us from underneath his military-style cap. St. Clair gives an angelic smile and a small shrug.The guard shakes his head but allows us to pass.

  St. Clair gets away with everything.

  We stroll with exaggerated calm, and he points out an area occupied with people snapping pictures. We hang back and wait our turn. A scrawny black cat darts out from behind an altar strewn with roses and wine bottles, and rushes into the bushes.

  “Well. That was sufficiently creepy. Happy Halloween.”

  “Did you know this place is home to three thousand cats?” St. Clair asks.

  “Sure. It’s filed away in my brain under ‘Felines, Paris.’”

  He laughs. The tourists move on to the next photo opportunity, and we’re both smiling as we approach Victor Noir. His statue is life-size and lying flat on the ground above his tomb. His eyes are closed, his top hat beside him. And despite the fact that his gray-green patina is clothed, his pants have a remarkable bulge that has, indeed, been stroked to a shiny bronze.

  “If I touch it, do I get another wish?” I ask, remembering Point Zéro.

  “Nope. Victor deals strictly in fertility.”

  “Go on. Rub it.”

  St. Clair backs into another grave. “No, thank you.” He laughs again. “I don’t need that kind of problem.” My own laughter catches in my throat as I get his meaning. Shake it off, Anna. That shouldn’t bother you. Don’t let him see how it bothers you.

  “Well. If you won’t touch him, I will. I’m not in any danger of that.” I lower my voice to a mock whisper. “You know, I’ve heard you actually have to have sex to get pregnant.”

  I see the question immediately pop into his head. Crap. Maybe I was too hasty with my joke. St. Clair looks half embarrassed, half curious. “So, er, you’re a virgin, then?”

  ARGH! ME AND MY BIG MOUTH.

  My overwhelming desire is to lie, but the truth comes out. “I’ve never met anyone I cared about that much. I mean, I’ve never dated anyone I cared about that much.” I blush and pet Victor. “I have a rule.”

  “Elaborate.”

  The statue is still warm from the previous visitors. “I ask myself, if the worst happened—if I did get knocked up—would I be embarrassed to tell my child who his father was? If the answer is anywhere even remotely close to yes, then there’s no way.”

  He nods slowly. “That’s a good rule.”

  I realize I’m resting my hand o
n Victor’s victor and yank it away.

  “Wait wait wait.” St. Clair pulls out his phone. “One more time, for posterity.”

  I stick out my tongue and hold the ridiculous pose. He takes a picture. “Brilliant, that’ll be what I see every time you call—” His cell rings, and he starts. “Spooky.”

  “It’s Victor’s ghost, wanting to know why you won’t touch him.”

  “Just me mum. Hold on.”

  “Woooooo, stroke me, St. Clair.”

  He answers, trying to keep a straight face, as Meredith and Rashmi and Josh trudge up behind us. They’re lugging the remains of our picnic.

  “Thanks for ditching us,” Rashmi says.

  “It’s not like we didn’t tell you where we were going,” I say.

  Josh grabs the statue’s privates. “I think this is seven years’ bad luck.”

  Mer sighs. “Joshua Wasserstein, what would your mother say?”

  “She’d be proud that the Fine Institute of Learning she’s sent me to is teaching me such refined manners.” He leans over and licks Victor.

  Mer and Rashmi and I squeal.

  “You are so getting oral herpes.” I whip out my hand sanitizer and squeeze a glob into my hands. “Seriously, you should put some of this on your lips.”

  Josh shakes his head. “You are so neurotic. Do you take that everywhere?”

  “You know,” Rashmi says. “I’ve heard if you use too much of that stuff, you can actually desensitize yourself to germs and get more sick.”

  I freeze. “What? No.”

  “HA!” Josh says.

  “Ohmygod, are you okay?”

  At the sound of Mer’s alarm, I quickly turn my head.

  St. Clair has fallen against a tomb. It’s the only thing keeping him from collapsing to the ground. The four of us rush to his side. He’s still holding the phone to his ear, but he’s not listening anymore. We talk over each other. “What happened? Are you okay? What is it?”

  He won’t answer us. He won’t look up.

  We exchange worried glances. No, terrified. Something is really wrong. Josh and I lower him to the ground before he falls. St. Clair looks up, surprised to find us holding on to him. His face is white.

  “My mum.”