You're the One: a Contemporary Romance Novella Set in Paris (Bistro La Bohème) Read Online Free PDF Page A

the waitress.
    It was raining,
but she was glad for it. Instead of wearing sunglasses in October like she did
last week, she could simply hide her face under the umbrella. From her vantage
point, she couldn’t see Fred inside the bistro, but she could see Adrien. He
wore a gray sweater today. His gaze shifted from his laptop screen to his watch
and to the entrance door, as though he were waiting for someone.
    At about
quarter past six, Fred and the waitress walked out, and Natalie followed them.
They headed in the direction of the Gare
du Nord , then stopped in front of a residential building and went in.
    Natalie waited
outside gradually sopping up rain water, her umbrella a paltry shield against
the autumn downpour. She wondered what Fred and the waitress were doing now.
Did they take their time to undress? Or did they rip the clothes off each
other? Or maybe they didn’t even bother removing them. Would Fred kiss the
waitress like he used to kiss her? Would he whisper the same scorching words he
whispered in Natalie’s ear during their first months?
    After
forty-five minutes of soaking and torturing herself, she called Marie. Thank
goodness her friend answered the phone.
    “Got any plans
for tonight?” Natalie asked.
    “Why? You feel
like seeing a movie?”
    “More like
crashing at your place. If it’s OK with you?”
    “Don’t be
silly. Are you all right?” Marie asked.
    Natalie
exhaled slowly. “I’ll tell you when I get there.”
    “I’m meeting
with a client in thirty minutes, so I won’t be home until nine thirty, maybe
ten. Should I cancel the meeting?”
    “No, I’ll come
over then,” Natalie said.
    She hung up
and looked at her watch. Would the bookshop at the Gare du Nord still be open? Or maybe she should just hole up in the
nearest café and try to get warm. If only Marie didn’t have an appointment
tonight! Natalie wouldn’t be able to resist picturing Fred with the waitress if
she spent the next couple of hours by herself. One thing was certain—she
had to clear the premises before Fred came out and saw her in her pathetic wig.
    Her phone rang
and she answered immediately without looking at the caller ID. It could only be
Marie phoning back to tell her she’d canceled her meeting after all. God bless
her heart.
    “Marie, you
really didn’t have to—”
    “Sounds like
you were expecting someone else,” a pleasant male voice said.
    “As a matter
of fact, I was . . .Who is this?”
    “Adrien. The
chess player from La Bohème ?”
    “Oh. Hi.”
    “I’m sorry if
I called at an inconvenient time. I was wondering if you’d like to hang out
with some cool people tonight.”
    Natalie didn’t
answer immediately. The offer had been so unexpected she needed a moment to
process it.
    “Just to be
clear, I wasn’t referring to myself when I said ‘cool people’. A friend of mine
just finished composing his new album. He’s testing it on a happy few tonight
at Luke’s,” Adrien said.
    “I know that
place. It’s in the Tenth, isn’t it?”
    Fate was
finally taking pity on her. No matter how bad the music turned out to be, she
wouldn’t have to be by herself tonight.
    “It’s a
five-minute walk from the Gare du Nord ,”
he said. “Shall I come and get you at the Metro station?
    “I’m sure I
can find it,” she said as she walked toward the café. “When does your friend
start?”
    “In half an
hour, but you can drop in later. It’s very informal.”
    “I’ll be there
in ten minutes. I happen to be in the neighborhood.”
    Luke’s was an
artsy basement club she’d been to a couple of times years ago. They used to
have jazz nights regularly back then. She carefully climbed down the wet
staircase and entered a candlelit room with a dozen tables and a small stage.
The place was run down but definitely cozy.
    “Natalie!”
Adrien strode to her from his spot at the bar. “You made it.”
    He was tall,
at least six feet. One mystery solved.
    “You sound
surprised,” she