Page 120 of Share with Me

Chapter Thirty-Nine

“The McMillans fallin love fast and deeply, I think.” Zoe was lying prone on the nineteenth-century settee that Mom had bought for her Paris apartment.

Across from her on the other side of the Persian carpet, Brinley wondered what Zoe had meant. She didn’t ask. Zoe was like Mom, and like Mom she would explain given the chance. So Brinley waited while she looked in Zoe’s direction. Behind Zoe, tall windows opened to the Parisian skyline. In the distance, the Eiffel Tower was changing into its night colors of glitter and lights.

“Otto and Yun met on a blind date, and were engaged a week later. Their daughter, Jade, had birthed three children by two different fathers by the time she was twenty-three. Quincy and I were an item two months after we met. You and Ivan… What’s going on between you two?”

“I don’t know, Zoe. We’re still getting to know each other.”

“And?”

“I think we’re close.”

“And?”

“I think we’re serious about each other. I didn’t think we’d last past Christmas, but here we are.”

“See what I mean? Quincy kissed me on our first date. He was very passionate.”

Ivan almost kissed me before we went on a date. What did that say about him?

“I think Quincy is bored with me now, Brin.” Zoe’s eyes turned red.

“Hush, Zoe. Watch out for those hormones.”

“Maybe that’s it. You might be right.”

Or I might be wrong.

“Quincy has been antsy. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he doesn’t like Paris.”

“Well, some people like to visit, some like to stay. It varies, as with any city.” Brinley folded her legs under her and leaned against one side of the wingback bergère.

“What a diplomatic answer.” Zoe sprang up. “Hold that thought!”

She ran past Brinley, heading in the direction of the bathroom. Seconds later, Brinley heard her retch.

Brinley felt sorry for her sister. This morning sickness had been why Zoe and Quincy had cancelled their trip to Vienna with the rest of the family. Mom and Dad had gone anyway, even though they didn’t get any tickets for the New Year’s Day concert by the Vienna Philharmonic. Brinley was sure they’d find their way into some other smaller orchestral celebrations, and maybe even throw in an opera or two.

Zoe returned to her settee, looking rather sick.

“May I get you something?” Brinley asked.

“I can hardly eat. I’m sorry we had to cancel lunch at Le Meurice twice.”

Brinley didn’t mind. She would rather eat at home. But Zoe loved that restaurant, where dinner for the two of them would have cost more than a thousand dollars. “How about some soup?”

“I’ll heat up something later if I get hungry. Right now nothing is staying down, you know. Don’t get pregnant. It’s miserable.”

Brinley laughed. “I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon.”

“Why not?”

“For one thing, I have to keep that vow with Grandpa. For another, Ivan… I mean, he’s a devout Christian.”

“And you became a Christian too, Dad said.”

Brinley nodded. “We’re going to have this sweet and clean relationship.”

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