The very next morning, the two woke snuggled in each other’s arms yet for Linda, It was the strangest morning she’s ever had. Her head pounded and she was in the arms of the man she had been looking for for how many days now yet strangely, being in his hold felt more like home than anywhere else she’s ever been before.
She watched as Jean slept peacefully, his arms wrapped securely around her petite frame and each time she would move, it seemed as though his arms would tighten around her, keeping her in place. It was a strange sensation yet she enjoyed it so, knowing that she belonged somewhere.
The sun was already high when Jean finally woke from his slumber. He rubbed his eyes and looked at his surroundings. It took a while before it finally dawned on him that this wasn’t his dorm and that he was in Linda’s apartment still. Instead of being startled though, he just flashed her a sleepy smile. “I hadn’t slept that peaceful in all my years here in Paris”
“It’s an honor to have provided you with quality sleep” Linda replied cheekily as she snuggled up more into his frame
“I missed work” his smile soon faded yet he didn’t bother getting up, he instead treaded his large digits through her hair, caressing the silken locks to which he was given a hum of approval.
“Tell them you got sick then, and just give yourself a break. It wouldn't hurt to go on one every now and then”
“Hm..but i won’t be able to afford my meals for the day if I don’t work.”
“I’ll get you food. As thanks for taking me home and…” She gazed up at him, a bashful expression on her features as she mumbled the last part of her sentence “For staying with me..”
Jean merely laughed it off before agreeing, pretending he didn’t hear what she had said to spare her from her own embarrassment.
The two continued to stay in bed until their stomachs finally spoke for their state of hunger
“I think it’s about time to get something to eat.” It was Jean who first made notice of the sounds but at that point, he was pretty sure that it wasn’t just his stomach that was audible now but hers as well
“There’s a small cafe just a few steps from here, they have excellent croissants and coffee” Linda sat up and stretched a bit before tugging Jean by the arm to help him sit up.
Neither bothered to fix their appearances nor even get properly dressed, they went as is and seated themselves by a large window in that cafe ‘cheap but delicious’ was how Linda described the food while on their way there. And he couldn’t agree more when he took the very first spoonful of cassoulet
“This tastes much better than the ones our chefs made when I was younger” a soft satisfied hum escaped her as she tore off a piece of the croissant and munched on it “All the foods here are delicious”
“Hmm… so the artist Linda who has a hard time getting bookings and selling pieces now was a snotty rich girl who used to have chefs and maids at her beck and call” He teased before picking up his cup of coffee, examining it before taking a small sip
“I wasn’t snotty. But my family was rich. They wanted to marry me off to some old pervert that would make the business grow since I’m not a man and all, can’t take over the business” She said on a bitter tone before popping a piece of the soft pastry into her mouth
“So what, you ran away? Where did the art come from then?”
She raised a brow then gazed out the window as she spoke “I was taught to. I was taught everything I needed to know about being the wife of a rich man but never how to live as my own or how to survive in the world. It was hard to survive in Paris alone”
“Feels like knowing something is better than knowing nothing. A country bumpkin like me had it harder than you probably ever will. I don’t even know if I have talents. But I wanted to write. I learned how to write when I got to Paris”
They continued to eat in silence but unlike before, this time it felt like they had a better understanding of each other. As if a wall had finally been broken
Once they finished, they decided to part ways for the meantime. Jean couldn’t always be at her house and he had hoped to at least make it to his job at the publishing house
“Linda, will you be at the pub tonight?”
“I will. I have to showcase some of my paintings as promised, remember?” and with that, she turned on her heel and headed back to her apartment, leaving Jean to wonder what she would be up to.
I'm glad they are getting along. I hope he sells his paintings.