Lady Friend

Twenty - Bon Appetit

Esmeralda had draped her coat around her arms. She looked to her date. He wasn't watching her, so she slipped out her phone. Quickly, before he realised who she was texting, she tapped a couple of words and hit send. It went back into her bag as swiftly as it had left. She linked her arm around German's and leaned her head on his shoulder. 

Gradually getting closer, she thought, soon I'll be close enough to seal the deal. 

The car pulled up at the restaurant. She tipped the driver twenty dollars. He was going to help her execute the seeds of her plan later. It would definitely come to fruition. The man linking her arm graciously swung open the French brasserie's door. She thanked him with a bat of her eyelashes. 

"Table for two?" The expectant receptionist asked. German replied with a nod. They were directed to their table. German sat down and Esmeralda's chair was pulled out. Like a swan, she glided to her chair. Almost instantaneously, the waiter pulled it in. Another waiter came within a chance of them breathing to place two menus and the cutlery by their sides. Thanks, by routine, and finally alone. 

When the champagne bottle lurked, she made sure it was opened. A satisfying pop filled the air around them. Their glasses were filled and they clinked them together. A classic gesture. For Esmeralda, it was a mark of the great fortune to come; literally and metaphorically.

Tension briefly surrounded the air. She raised her glass. "To us." said German's date, and to the great night ahead.

*   *   *

Studio On Beat was buzzing with activity. Their academic year was just over half way through and some of the students were already asking about the end of the year show.  It was only supposed to be a one-off thing, but when it is met with great success, then people expect it to be annual. 

To be honest, the teachers hadn't thought that far. They had waited a few months to see if the old students fitted in with the new ones. Luckily everyone seemed to like Diego. The only person who Pablo was suspicious of not liking Diego was Leon. Probably because he was paying attention to Violetta. Pablo knew. He took an interest in his students. He cared about them. He was also a fly on the wall to some of their situations sometimes. Much like Violetta and German for example. 

Breaking the silence in the room, the Studio's phone rang. Of course, Pablo picked it up being its director. They wanted to speak to Angie. You may, he replied. Just let me find her. Hold on a moment. 

He knew exactly where she was. He didn't even have to look at the teacher's timetables. She was teaching a singing class. The class was with her second year students. Violetta was one of those students. To tell the truth, Pablo hadn't memorized all of her teaching schedule, only the lessons with Violetta in. He knew how much keeping her safe meant to Angie, so if she was in the Studio, then he was her responsibility when Angie wasn't in. He knocked the door. 

She turned and told her class to talk amongst themselves. Pablo came to check in on the classes, but there was rarely ever a phone call for her. She wondered if it was German. No, he was on his fancy date. (Violetta had texted her all of the details after she had grilled her father. She did feel sorry for him. Occasionally.) If it wasn't German, then who was it? Angie didn't know whether to be curious or anxious. 

Pablo put his arm around the small of her back and guided her to the Teacher's Lounge. He said something into the phone about how she had finally arrived and how she was ready for their flattery. 

Angie picked up the phone. She chuckled as they made a joke about Pablo and how she could handle his jester-like behaviour. Casually she shrugged it off by saying she had known him for years and that she didn't even notice it anymore. It was just a part of the way he was. The man on the other end of the phone laughed and told her that they needed to talk business now. She nodded and looked at Pablo. He gave her an encouraging look. 

"I'd like to give you a job, Miss Saramego." said the person who was talking business. 

Angie was confused, "Thank you.." Shooting Pablo a look, she said hastily, "But I already have a job."

Although she could not see the man, she envisioned him throwing his head back and laughing. Like Santa Claus. She smiled at his hearty laugh. "We know that, Miss Angeles, but we would like to, how is it they say, promote you." 

Her eyebrows arched in curiosity, "'Promote' me?" 

"Yes!" He laughed again. It rang in her ears. "We would like you be a head music teacher here."

Where's - 

"In Paris."

Breath fell out of Angie. She didn't even realise she had been holding it. Did they even realise what they were asking? Didn't they know that Paris was in Europe? France? That she was in Argentina, South America, a few thousand miles away from the Disneyland that heralded the non-American tourists? Surely they knew she had a family. That secretly she was working two jobs, as her niece's tutor too - but they didn't need to know that. They knew that she had a life here, students that looked up to her. Again, a niece who she had worked so hard to find and now she was going to lose. Again. 

But what they didn't know was that she was in love... and that they had just given her a chance to escape.

"I'll take it." She said, before she had a second chance to think. All she knew was that she had to pack her bags. She was going to France.