Letters to Audrine

23- Girl Time

As I wallow in my self pity for the next few days, I don't spend very much time talking to anybody other than the lawyer my dad helped me get in contact with, and Silas of course. The lawyer has put an offer on the table for the building next to Audrine and Silas's property, and he seems confident that the owners will accept.

It will take a big chunk of the inheritance my grandpa left me to outbid the men who want to turn it into a competing restaurant, but I know it's the right thing to do. I can't think of a better way to honor my grandpa than to make sure Audrine's dream restaurant stays safe. The plan now is to resell the property and if I do end up becoming the owner, I'll be able to control who buys it so I can make sure it's not a competing restaurant.

I don't tell Silas about this plan, as I want it to be a surprise like the studio was for me. I also don't tell him about the inner turmoil I'm going through about what I want to do with my future. Our conversations are light and mostly about our plans for the rest of the summer.

I didn't expect part of those plans to be going on a girls' trip with his friends until Edith calls me one morning inviting me to join them on a mall trip. I enjoyed spending time with them the first time, so I accept.

She tells me to meet them at the front entrance at noon and from there, we'll stop for lunch before we go shopping.

The mall is in Nice, where they all live, so I quickly get dressed in a casual blue and white romper and my comfortable Birkenstocks before I open my ride sharing app to get a ride to the city. Since this is strictly a girls' trip, I don't ask Silas to drive me as it sounds so rude to tell somebody you're going to hang out with his friends and then to ask if he can drive you there.

I've used the ride share a few times since I've been here to go shopping and explore my surroundings, so I'm used to the awkward silence as we drive through the countryside between Ladaux and Nice. Although my French has gotten pretty good, I don't feel confident enough yet to have a conversation with a stranger.

I see the other three girls standing at the entrance when I get there, so I quickly thank my driver before getting out and joining the group.

"Hi, Maisie," Blisse greets me with a smile. "We're so glad you could come with us today. We did not get enough time for girl talk the last time that we saw you."

"Thank you for inviting me to come with you," I respond as we all start walking into the crowded mall. I've never been here, so I just follow the other girls through the throngs of people.

"How are things with you and Silas?" Edith asks me.

"It's going really well," I assure her. "I'm starting to really freak out about leaving in a few weeks though."

"You guys can stay in touch, right?" Melanie adds. "Long distance isn't too bad."

"Yeah, I guess," I agree, even though long distance sounds really hard, especially when the distance is Nevada to France. I guess we do have the benefit of technology that our grandparents didn't have, so it's nice to think that even when/if I do leave, it's not like I'll never be able to talk to Silas again.

"You guess?" she questions me with her blonde eyebrows raised at me. "Are you thinking about staying?"

"I don't know," I admit to them.

"Silas told us that you're going to Brown University," Edith says as we're walking into a spacious food court that's crawling with other people. "That's a pretty huge deal, you would really give that up to stay here?"

"It's a great opportunity," I confirm, following them to a food stand that seems to serve deli meat sandwiches and some baked goods. Thankfully, they have a menu in French, and one in English so I don't have to work on my translation skills to get a good lunch. "And I got into a good program there too. I'm just not sure it's what I want."