When in Paris

bonjour

❝ Oh, but Paris isn't for changing planes, it's... it's for changing your outlook, for... for throwing open the windows and letting in... letting in la vie en rose.❞  

— Audrey Hepburn as Sabrina Fairchild, Sabrina (1954) .

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     The first time Cathreese set foot in a foreign country she was alone. The warm French air washed over her body as she exited the airport and dropped her bags to the sidewalk. She checked her watch again; her aunt and cousin were 45 minutes late to pick her up and she didn't know what to do. She had gotten her bags and had been waiting inside but there was a handsome man on the other side of the room who kept checking her out. Just thinking about it made her tug on her white tank top, trying to cover the sliver of tan flesh that was exposed above the waist of her shorts. It wasn't like he was ugly or anything, he was actually really cute, but she had just gone through a bad breakup and couldn't stand the thought of cute guys. Cathreese sighed and scanned the parking lot for a familiar face as she debated whether or not to call her aunt.

     "Bonjour Mademoiselle," a boy's voice said from behind her. She turned and saw the handsome man; oh god she was not in the mood for this right now. Her green eyes narrowed and she shot daggers at him. 

"What?" Cathreese snapped.

     He threw his head back and laughed, he actually laughed. Then he smiled at her and she felt herself being drawn in; wow he had a really nice smile. No, Cathreese shook her head to herself; she was not taking Phoebe's advice. She came here to enjoy herself and just relax; she didn't need any foreign boys messing that up. No matter how sexy their accents were.

"I'm Nathaniel," he held out his hand.

     Cathreese was normally a very nice, very polite girl. But she was alone in a foreign country with a man hitting on her and she was a little scared. If he came on to her, there was nothing she would be able to do to stop him. So she channeled the personality of Madison, the queen bee at her school back in Seattle. Cathreese was going to need Madison's thick skin and cold tantalizing eyes if she was going to dismiss this boy without scolding herself for hurting his feelings.

     She looked down at his hand, a smirk on her face, "And I'm out of here." Cathreese turned on her heel and stalked off, her head held high. She kept walking, not knowing where she was going but hoping that the man wouldn't follow her and her aunt would get her soon. So far her vacation was not going as planned.

"Hey girl who won't talk to me!" a shout came from behind and she heard feet approaching.

     Cathreese turned with an expression of deep distaste, not believing that the boy could be as thick as he appeared. Couldn't he tell she was being rude because she wanted him gone?

     He was standing there holding her bags, "Umm you left these on the sidewalk and I figured you might need them at some point." A smile crept over his lips, exposing a set of pearly white teeth. 

     Cathreese was a sucker for boys with a cute smile, and this boy was starting to grow on her slightly. But if you told her that was the moment that was going to change her life forever, she wouldn't have believed it. It was just a smile after all.

F R E N C H  L E X I C O N S :

• bonjour -  hello |  good day |