Two Years In Paris

NATALIE smiled as she watched Sasha launch his boat into the water. He narrowed his eyes and studied the miniature craft for a few seconds.

Then, satisfied the wind was strong enough to steer it, he started running to wait for it at the other side of the pond.

His father, Adrien, heaved a sigh.

“Always he is in a hurry. Why can’t he walk sometimes?”

“Because he’s an eightyear-old boy and he’s excited.” Natalie chuckled as they set off to follow Sasha at a much slower pace. “I’m sure you were the same at that age.”

“How can you think that of me? I was a very sensible child.” Adrien laughed.

“Have you have finished your packing?” he asked a few minutes later, in a more serious tone.

They had been walking in silence, enjoying the tranquillity of their surroundings.

Natalie shook her head. “No, I’ve still got a lot to do. But I’m not in a rush to get back to the apartment.

It’s a gorgeous day and I don’t want to be cooped up indoors.”

Besides, she thought, where could possibly be better to spend her last day in Paris than right here, in the enchanting Luxembourg Gardens, with her best friend and his son?

As they fell into another companionable silence, Natalie glanced around.

The pond – known as the Grand Basin – was overlooked by the majestic Luxembourg Palace and surrounded by trees and shrubs, with winding paths leading to other parts of the gardens.

It was a popular spot for locals and visitors alike.

But no matter how many people milled about, the atmosphere was comforting and relaxing – a welcome relief from the busy city streets.

Natalie smiled as she recalled how shocked she’d been, two years ago, when her boyfriend, Jeff, had told her he was moving to Paris.

He worked as a software engineer and had been offered a job developing automotive entertainment systems for a company

Natalie had thought she was making a sacrifice, but it turned out to be the best decision of her life . . .

based in the French capital.

He’d broken the news to Natalie as they’d walked in the hills surrounding her parents’ farm in the Yorkshire Dales.

It was where she had lived all her life and she’d never envisaged living anywhere else – especially not abroad, so far away from what she knew.

She’d left home to go to university and had spent a gap year in Australia with friends.

Although she had enjoyed herself and was glad to have had the experience, when a teaching vacancy arose at her local village school, she’d jumped at the chance to return to Yorkshire.

“You do mean Paris, France?” she’d said eventually as a cold hand closed about her heart.

“Well, I don’t think there’s a town called Paris in Yorkshire,” Jeff teased.

They sat down on the grass, the wind whipping harshly at Natalie’s face, as if it were trying to force her to accept Jeff’s announcement.

She pulled a bottle of water from her backpack and took a sip.

“How long will you be gone?” she asked.

“The initial plan is for two years. But if the company’s impressed with my work, then it might become a permanent move.” Jeff grinned.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity, isn’t it? Can you imagine living in such a vibrant city? There’ll be so much to do!”

As Jeff raved about Paris, a feeling of despondency coursed down Natalie’s spine.

Trying to shake the awful word “permanent” out of her mind, she focused her attention on the view.

She loved the Dales with its stunning landscapes of windswept hills and lush valleys. The sheer wildness of it.

How could a city made up of crowds, concrete and noise compete with such natural beauty?

She glanced at Jeff. If there was one thing he wasn’t, it was an outdoor person. Normally, when they rambled in these hills, he looked uncomfortable and out of place.

But today, talking about Paris, his whole face was aglow with enthusiasm and his sea-green eyes were bright with excitement.

He couldn’t hide it if he tried.

She had no doubt he would be happy if he could make Paris his home.

He’d been brought up in a city and currently worked in London.

When he wasn’t working, his life revolved around restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

Natalie had met him while visiting her cousin in London and she’d been attracted to him straight away.

He was witty and attentive and possessed a rare sort of charm that instantly drew people to him.

They quickly discovered they had the same sense of humour, and were both fans of Charlie Chaplin movies and reading science fiction novels.

When Natalie returned to Yorkshire they had Skyped each other regularly and got together as often as they could.

Deep down, though, after the honeymoon period was over, she knew it was an almost impossible situation.

Jeff was a high-flyer. There was no way he would be able to settle in a village, or even a small town, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t picture herself in a city – let alone one as big as London.

So she pushed any thoughts of the future to the back of her mind and told herself that things would sort themselves out.

She’d hoped that would mean they could somehow be together – not that Jeff would leave the country!

“So what do you think?” Realising that Jeff was speaking to her, she forced a smile.

“Sorry,” she said. “I was miles away.”

“I said, why don’t you come with me?”

Natalie gasped.

“What? To Paris?”

“Why not? I know you don’t like cities and crowds,” he said, “but you’ve always had a good time in London when you’ve stayed with me, haven’t you?”

“Of course I have,” she said without hesitation.

Jeff had delighted in showing her the sights of London, taking her to theatres and art galleries and new restaurants.

“But it would be different actually living in a place. And two years is a long time, Jeff.”

She bit on her lip as another thought occurred to her.

“What about my job?” “You work in a village school, Nat.” He brushed her face with his fingers.

“Its days are probably numbered anyway.”

Natalie opened her mouth to protest, but she knew he was right.

The school had recently fought against closure and had been given a reprieve, but with falling pupil numbers it was only a matter of time before she would have to look for another job.

“With your qualifications you’ll have no problem getting a job in Paris,” Jeff continued.

“The company I’m going to work for needs someone to teach English to its employees, so that’s a start.”

He slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

“Come on, Nat. Where’s your sense of adventure?

“We’ve been going out for nearly a year and most of that time we’ve been in different parts of the country.

“This will give us the chance to be together.” Natalie remained silent. “From what I’ve been told, the company’s apartment is enormous,” he added after a short pause, “so if we can’t stand the sight of each other after a few weeks we can lead separate lives.”

Laughing along with him, Natalie rested her head against his chest.

She listened to the steady rhythm of his heart, gentle and soothing, and felt all her doubts drift away.

If she hated Paris or things didn’t work out between them – well, she could always come back.

A few months later, they were looking around the apartment that was to be their home for at least two years.

It was certainly large, with two en-suite

How could a city compete with such natural beauty?

bedrooms, a well-equipped kitchen-diner and a spacious lounge area.

It was also tastefully furnished and in a nice area of town, near the Opéra Garnier.

But, to Natalie’s dismay, it was on the ground floor and the small windows were frosted for privacy, so it was cool and dark and there were no breathtaking views over the city or spots where sunshine would pour through in the afternoons.

“It’s a bit grim, isn’t it?” Jeff said, reading her expression.

He took two mugs from a cupboard and switched on the coffee machine.

“It is dark. But it’s comfortable, Jeff. As you said, there’s plenty of room, so we won’t be falling over each other.”

Natalie smiled, hoping Jeff couldn’t detect any trace of disappointment in her voice.

“You really like it?” Jeff raised an eyebrow. “I thought you might find it a bit claustrophobic with having no outside space, or even windows.”

She gave him a peck on the cheek.

“It’s fine, honestly.”

“Well, hopefully we’ll be too busy to spend much time here anyway,” Jeff replied, returning her smile.

For several weeks, as Jeff had predicted,

life was hectic as they settled into their new jobs and acclimatised themselves.

They spent most evenings in restaurants and bars, eating, drinking and chatting with colleagues.

At first, Natalie was keen to socialise and introduce herself to people who might want to engage her as an English tutor.

After a while, however, she grew tired of the merry-go-round of working,

There was something else in his expression – hope

wining and dining.

So, on her days off, when Jeff was at the office, she walked to the Tuileries Garden, where she ate a picnic and read a book.

Or she sat in the Musée de l’Orangerie and studied Monet’s paintings of water lilies, relishing a few hours of peace and quiet.

Even when he wasn’t working, Jeff rarely accompanied her.

He thrived on the hustle and bustle of the city and preferred to spend his afternoons with workmates in a café or bar.

As the days wore on, although it saddened her, Natalie had to admit to herself that she and Jeff were drifting apart.

Then, one morning, as she was getting ready for work, Natalie broke the zip on her skirt.

Luckily, there was a small haberdashery which advertised sewing repairs only a few doors away from the apartment.

Natalie had often seen the owner on her way home from work and he always waved his hand in greeting.

According to her hairdresser, who gossiped about everyone in the neighbourhood, his name was Adrien, he was a widower with an eight-yearold son, and he was the best tailor in Paris.

“This is not a difficult job,” he told Natalie that evening, when she showed him the skirt. “I will do it now while you wait.”

“Thank you,” Natalie replied. “But please don’t stay open on my account. It’s not urgent.”

“It’s not a problem. My son is with friends. I don’t have to hurry home.”

As Adrien started unpicking the stitching on the broken zip, Natalie perched on a stool and looked around her.

Although small, the shop was well stocked with rolls of fabrics, ribbons, zips, buttons and threads, all in a variety of different colours and patterns.

A clothes rail at the rear of the shop held several garments, presumably awaiting collection.

While he worked, Adrien asked Natalie about her work as a tutor and was keen to hear about her home in England.

He smiled when she described the Yorkshire Dales.

“That sounds a very bleak place, but very beautiful.”

“Bleak but beautiful.” Natalie grinned. “That’s exactly how it is.”

“Here in Paris, we don’t have the landscape like Yorkshire, but we have lovely parks and gardens.” Natalie nodded.

“Yes, I often go to the Tuileries Garden for a walk, or just to sit and read.”

“Then you should visit the Luxembourg Gardens. They are wonderful, and good for children.

“There is a puppet theatre and a playground.

“Sasha, my son, likes the boating pond.” Adrien laughed. “Always, he chooses a boat with a red sail.”

Once he’d finished, he showed Natalie the new zip and handed the skirt to her.

“Why don’t you and your boyfriend come with us this weekend? We are going on Sunday afternoon.”

Later that evening, when she told Jeff about Adrien’s invitation, he wrinkled his nose.

“It’s kind of him, Nat, but I’m not keen on parks and gardens.

“I was going to work on Sunday morning and then go out for a meal with some people from the office.

“Why don’t you go to the gardens? It’s more your scene than sitting in a café, isn’t it?”

As Adrien had said, the Luxembourg Gardens were wonderful.

Natalie couldn’t fail to be impressed by their splendour as they strolled along lanes of deciduous trees and admired the rose garden, apple orchard and the stunning collection of orchids.

They studied some of the 100-plus sculptures, laughed at puppet antics in the theatre and hired boats to race on the pond.

By the time she arrived home that evening, Natalie realised she hadn’t enjoyed herself as much since she’d arrived in Paris.

So when Adrien asked her to accompany them the following weekend, she jumped at the chance.

During the next couple of months, Jeff seemed to grow increasingly restless and disheartened with his job.

Then, over breakfast one day, he told Natalie he was leaving the city.

She wasn’t surprised. She’d come to realise he was a man who would always be seeking new challenges and couldn’t stay in one place for long.

“The company’s offered me a job in its Milan office. It’s a promotion,” he explained.

“I care for you very much, Nat, and I’d ask you to come with me . . .”

“It’s OK, Jeff,” Natalie interrupted. She squeezed his arm.

“I’m fond of you, too. But there’s no future for us. We want different things out of life, that’s all.”

After Jeff had left, Natalie decided to remain in Paris until the lease on the apartment ran out.

Surprisingly, she found she was in no rush to get back to the England she’d been so reluctant to leave.

She had grown to love some aspects of the city – the green spaces, the people and the shops – and she didn’t want to let her students down.

But she also wanted to put off the day when she would have to leave Adrien.

Since Jeff’s departure, they had become very good friends – perhaps closer than friends – and Natalie thought the world of Sasha.

Like Natalie, Adrien was a home-lover and, although he was hard-working, he wasn’t particularly ambitious.

He was shy and unassuming, but he had a good sense of humour, and his kind hazel eyes always held a glint of mischief.

“What time does your plane leave tomorrow?”

Adrien’s voice pulled her back to the present and Natalie realised they had circled the pond and had caught up with Sasha.

“Not until three o’clock,” she replied. “So I have plenty of time to get organised.”

Sasha took his boat from the water and looked up at Natalie, his face creased with a frown.

“Why don’t you stay in Paris with us?” he asked.

“Sasha, that is very rude.” Adrien gave his son a stern look, but when he glanced at Natalie she realised, there was something else in his expression – hope.

It was all the encouragement she needed. She crouched down until her face was level with Sasha’s.

“I have to go back to England tomorrow, Sasha, to see my parents.

“But if I can find another apartment to rent, I think I would like to come back to Paris.”

She looked up at Adrien. There was a broad smile on his face.

Taking hold of her hand, he pulled her upright.

“Are you sure, Natalie? Paris is not like your home in England. It is . . .” He knitted his brows together as he searched for the right word.

“No. Paris isn’t anything like the Yorkshire Dales.” Natalie laughed, as he folded her into a hug.

“But right now, I can’t think of anywhere else I would rather be.”

The End.