Page 31 of Enemies to French Kisses
“What? No!”
“Because I would never! Guillaume has been nothing but top drawer with me since I arrived and I owe him a lot of loyalty.”
“I owe him more than you, and this has nothing to do with launching a parallel company.”
I’m going to blow a gasket if this boy doesn’t get it out, and fast. Then it hits me.
“Wait,” I say, backing away. “Is this even about work?”
His shoulders drop and he sucks in his lower lip. “Not directly.”
“Not directly?”
“Not at all.”
“You havegotto be kidding me!” That’s it. I’m out. I march back to the scooter, my heels nearly catching on the cobblestones but I’ve got to get out of here.
“Stop, Laura, wait!”
“No, no more waiting.” If I’m smart I’ll march right back to Valerie, take off, and not give him another thought before Monday.
But I’m not smart.
“No more anything! I’mdone, Marc, you hear me?” The question on his blank face tells me he doesn’t get it. “The way you treat me. The way you talk to me. How patronizing you are, like I’m some sort of exotic toy that you can just pick up and manipulate. I can’t stand the way you swagger through the room like you’re the best thing since sliced bread.”
“Slicedbread? Of all the things—”
“This is exactly what I mean!” My head is going to explode. “Your constant nit-picking about the way I pronounce French, my choice of canteen food, or the boots I wear. You are spoiled, chauvinistic, and self-important. You don’t care about anything else in the world except yourself, and I’m done! I’ll be civil, because I’m a professional, but you had better mind yourself, young man. I can’tstandyou. If you see me walking down the street, don’t even bother sayingbonjour.”
We’re drawing a small but interested crowd. I don’t care. This has been boiling in my blood for too long and it’s all coming out.
“Laura, I didn’t know—”
“No? Are you too accustomed to every woman bending over backwards, figuratively and literally, to your misogynistic, selfish, arrogant, and downright boorish manners?”
I jump on my Vespa. I’m going to have to ride around a while before meeting Nicolas or he’ll no doubt sense the mad hen energy running through my veins.
“Please, Laura.” I start Valerie up, but Marc is leaning on the handle, his shoulders pulled forward and his chin tucked into his chest. His voice rumbles low. “There’s been a misunderstanding.”
He’s all up in my space and I won’t stand for it. “The only misunderstanding is the one right here where I told you I amdone.”
“Laura, you have to give me a chance. Let me explain.”
I rev the engine and he finally removes his hand, but he won’t back off nor down.
“Let me explain!”
“No more! It’s amazing that people like you are even allowed toliveamong the rest of us hardworking, honest folk, and I won’t take another second of it!”
Leaning toward me or not, I’m outta here, I can’t give him another second of my time. He has ruined enough of my life since I got here and he won’t take tonight away from me. I rev Valerie and split.
But immediately, I know something is wrong. Fabric is stuck under my fingers on the handle bars and there’s too much tension holding me back. I should be going at least twenty miles an hour by now, but instead…
“Oh no.”
I’m rolling away, a scarf caught in my handle bar. In the rearview mirror, I catch sight of Marc—flying head first down the steps of Sacre Coeur.
CHAPTER12
