good.”
“
Crapuleuse?
” She threw up her hands. “Loose crap?”
He shook his head. “No. It comes from
crapuleux
, which means crime.
Crapuleuse
is more, how would you say it? Villainous?”
“I think I’m getting it.”
“The Bad Boy Nap. What do you think happens during the midday break when the stores close? Everyone just goes home to eat lunch?”
She hated to admit it, but such a nap with Julien didn’t sound like a bad idea. If she really was going to be Mrs. Mansfield for the rest of her life, shouldn’t she have a
little
fun before sealing off all the exits?
Her birthday was tomorrow. She could ask the two German students to celebrate with her, but knew she’d end up going on about Nelson and missing him terribly. Or spend an evening with Liliane and her family and end up wishing she had what Liliane had with Simon but with Nelson. Perhaps she should consider Julien a present to herself. But that would lead to missing Nelson even more.
She threw her handbag over her shoulder. “I need to be going.”
Julien didn’t want her to leave. She stayed. Did she have anything better to do?
They shifted to the subject of his real mother, who drowned when he was 13. His stepmother-to-be zeroed in on his dad and never let go. She quickly became pregnant, they married, his cheating started.
“I feel more like a referee than a son.”
Alyce wondered what she would do if she married Nelson and found out he was unfaithful. Carmelita’s face popped into her head. Her only encounter with her was in the ladies’ room at the Manhattan mega-toy store F.A.O. Schwarz. Nelson was meeting her there to do a “switch-up” with Junior (after he plunked down $500 on various stuff she was sure the boy would have no interest in the following month).
Alyce recognized her from photos she’d seen at Nelson’s apartment. There was one of her and Junior done by a professional when his son was still a toddler. It was nicely framed and prominently displayed in his living room.
“I feel obligated to my son to keep it out,” he’d said.
She wished he’d put it away in between visits but said nothing. Wanting to come off as unthreatened, she said, “She’s pretty.”
He showed her another where she was more natural. She was grinning so much you could see a prominent gold tooth.
Sometimes Alyce put herself in Carmelita’s place. She wanted a better life and she took the only path she knew how to get it. Could Alyce blame her?
When Alyce saw her in the ladies’ room at the toy store that day, she put on a smile and introduced herself. Carmelita had the nerve to say, “I know you must be havin’ a good time with him because I taught him
everything.
”
Alyce refused to be intimidated. “Thank you. You did a great job.”
She kept coating her full lips with dark red lipstick. “That’s right, Annie.”
“Alyce.”
“What-evah. I stopped rememberin’ the names a long time ago.”
She flashed her metallic smile and turned on a spike heel, leaving Alyce holding her leather purse so tightly it was permanently damaged from sinking her nails into it.
“Al-
ees?
Are you listening?”
“Sorry, Julien. Lot on my mind.”
This time she got up to go for real.
“Julien, would you like to have dinner tomorrow night? It’s my birthday.”
“I would be honored to celebrate with you.”
“How about at my cottage? We can cook.” He brushed his hair out of his eyes to get a better look at his good fortune. “First, though, I have to see how Jean-Luc feels about it.”
“I will not be upset or surprised if he does not agree. I will take you out.”
“I’ll text you.” Flashing a smile, she said, “You’re so cute.”
“Dogs are cute. I am sexy.”
When she arrived home, she walked through Jean-Luc’s kitchen (no more walking all the way around the house through grass that hadn’t been cut in ages now that Isabella was gone) and spied dirty dishes on the counter. Better to get them out of the way
“
Crapuleuse?
” She threw up her hands. “Loose crap?”
He shook his head. “No. It comes from
crapuleux
, which means crime.
Crapuleuse
is more, how would you say it? Villainous?”
“I think I’m getting it.”
“The Bad Boy Nap. What do you think happens during the midday break when the stores close? Everyone just goes home to eat lunch?”
She hated to admit it, but such a nap with Julien didn’t sound like a bad idea. If she really was going to be Mrs. Mansfield for the rest of her life, shouldn’t she have a
little
fun before sealing off all the exits?
Her birthday was tomorrow. She could ask the two German students to celebrate with her, but knew she’d end up going on about Nelson and missing him terribly. Or spend an evening with Liliane and her family and end up wishing she had what Liliane had with Simon but with Nelson. Perhaps she should consider Julien a present to herself. But that would lead to missing Nelson even more.
She threw her handbag over her shoulder. “I need to be going.”
Julien didn’t want her to leave. She stayed. Did she have anything better to do?
They shifted to the subject of his real mother, who drowned when he was 13. His stepmother-to-be zeroed in on his dad and never let go. She quickly became pregnant, they married, his cheating started.
“I feel more like a referee than a son.”
Alyce wondered what she would do if she married Nelson and found out he was unfaithful. Carmelita’s face popped into her head. Her only encounter with her was in the ladies’ room at the Manhattan mega-toy store F.A.O. Schwarz. Nelson was meeting her there to do a “switch-up” with Junior (after he plunked down $500 on various stuff she was sure the boy would have no interest in the following month).
Alyce recognized her from photos she’d seen at Nelson’s apartment. There was one of her and Junior done by a professional when his son was still a toddler. It was nicely framed and prominently displayed in his living room.
“I feel obligated to my son to keep it out,” he’d said.
She wished he’d put it away in between visits but said nothing. Wanting to come off as unthreatened, she said, “She’s pretty.”
He showed her another where she was more natural. She was grinning so much you could see a prominent gold tooth.
Sometimes Alyce put herself in Carmelita’s place. She wanted a better life and she took the only path she knew how to get it. Could Alyce blame her?
When Alyce saw her in the ladies’ room at the toy store that day, she put on a smile and introduced herself. Carmelita had the nerve to say, “I know you must be havin’ a good time with him because I taught him
everything.
”
Alyce refused to be intimidated. “Thank you. You did a great job.”
She kept coating her full lips with dark red lipstick. “That’s right, Annie.”
“Alyce.”
“What-evah. I stopped rememberin’ the names a long time ago.”
She flashed her metallic smile and turned on a spike heel, leaving Alyce holding her leather purse so tightly it was permanently damaged from sinking her nails into it.
“Al-
ees?
Are you listening?”
“Sorry, Julien. Lot on my mind.”
This time she got up to go for real.
“Julien, would you like to have dinner tomorrow night? It’s my birthday.”
“I would be honored to celebrate with you.”
“How about at my cottage? We can cook.” He brushed his hair out of his eyes to get a better look at his good fortune. “First, though, I have to see how Jean-Luc feels about it.”
“I will not be upset or surprised if he does not agree. I will take you out.”
“I’ll text you.” Flashing a smile, she said, “You’re so cute.”
“Dogs are cute. I am sexy.”
When she arrived home, she walked through Jean-Luc’s kitchen (no more walking all the way around the house through grass that hadn’t been cut in ages now that Isabella was gone) and spied dirty dishes on the counter. Better to get them out of the way
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