Page 85 of My French Love Affair

“Oh mygod,” I splutter, almost choking on the last of my drink.

“What?” he smirks.

“You didnotjust say that.”

He lifts a shoulder, completely unbothered. “Would you prefer I call it a coincidence?”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t talk,” I mutter.

“A tragedy,” he grins.

I inhale sharply, clenching my jaw.

Just before I can make the objectively smart decision to remove myself from this situation, Emma suddenly appears at my side, grinning like she’s just found treasure.

“Poppy,darling!” she smiles, before turning her attention over to my nemesis. “Oh,hi, Frederic,” she says, her voice suddenly much higher in pitch, her tone far too innocent.

He glances at her, amused, then back at me as I visibly stiffen.

“Ah. Your friends are much more polite than you.”

If I could get away with pushing this man overboard, then I honest-to-godwould.

“That’s because they’re not being actively tortured,” I seethe.

Emma nudges me harshly in the ribs, and I wince as she takes over.

“Oh, ignore her,” she laughs, the sound far too loud to be considered normal or natural in any way. “This is just Poppy’s way of having fun. And believe me - she’s havingsomuch fun. You should definitely keep bothering her.”

Frederic chuckles as I rub my palm over my sore ribs.

“That was the plan,” he comments as I glare daggers at Emma.

“Perfect,” she beams at him before turning to face me again. “Leah has gone to spend some more time with Jacques again, so I was just letting you know that Jas and I are just going to busy ourselves for a while.”

“Oh, no problem. I’ll come with -”

“No,” she interrupts, her voice a little too loud.

My eyes widen at her - silently pleading for hernotto do this to me - but she just smirks, her own eyes practicallytwinkling with mischief as she continues on.

“No, it’s fine. Jas and I are going to have a bit of one-on-one time,” she says. “I feel like I haven’t seen her properly in days.”

Bullshit.

“You know what?” I say, beginning to turn on my barstool and make my way far,faraway from Frederic. “I think I’ll just -”

"Where do you think you're going?" she interrupts, all innocent smiles and devious intent.

I frown at her.

"Literally anywhere that isn’t here,” I say through gritted teeth, keeping my voice low.

Emma gasps dramatically, and I can feel that asshole’s eyes burning into the side of my head.

"Poppy, you can’t wander off!” she says. “What if you get lost? Orworse- what if you fall overboard?”

I blink at her, waiting for whatever she has to come next.

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