Thank you for your patience; as always, please let me know if you have any feedback!
Sweat dripped from Laurent's furrowed brow as he struggled with the heavy parasol in the midday sun. In the absence of sun-seeking tourists, he was playing waiter again this afternoon and, despite the grey skies, the heat of the sun was unbearable. The denim jeans that formed part of his smart-casual uniform were beginning to cling to his legs in a deeply uncomfortable, muggy way and he knew he was sweating through his white shirt. The boss was sat inside, somewhere under an air conditioning unit, whilst the waitstaff moved the heavy dining furniture to powerwash the patio in preparation for the inevitable tourist season. As he worked, Laurent's thoughts continually returned to his date with Sylvie Saint-Clair: he hadn't heard from her since they parted company after their beach walk and was unsure if she had now dispensed with him entirely or was simply playing hard to get. Did she see her date with him as an act of rebellion never to be repeated or, like him, did she yet hope that their initial chemistry might develop into something more? At the end of their date, Sylvie had declined to give Laurent her number although she had taken his and he was unsure how to interpret this.
In preparation for the summer when costs would soar, and in preparation for the future he hoped to secure, Laurent was now working as many extra hours as possible although he had made plans to take another young woman to dinner the following night. Claudine Dubois had also recently begun working at Club 55 and, after hearing nothing further from Sylvie, Laurent had approached Claudine and invited her to dinner. Laurent quickly discovered that he had competition in his pursuit of Claudine as another bartender, Antoine Lombert, had also set his sights on Claudine. Club 55 seemed to make a point of only hiring attractive bar staff and Antoine was certainly a handsome, perhaps overly confident young woman; utterly convinced of his own power and charisma. Like many of his peers, Antoine hoped to make something of himself and had come all the way from Provence to St Tropez in the hopes of meeting a wealthy investor able to make his dreams come true. Laurent suspected that someone as blatantly ambitious as Antoine wouldn't hesitate to marry for money and for that reason he avoided and distrusted the man, especially since his date with Sylvie. Laurent also had plans for his future but he expected to work hard and achieve these on his own and, having been born and raised in St Tropez, had long since learned to avoid Antoine's kind.
The boss briefly emerged to bark criticism and further orders at the crew before retreating back inside the air-conditioned office and Laurent gritted his teeth against the inevitable frustration of poor leadership in service jobs. He promised himself, that if he succeeded in his ambitions, he would always treat his staff fairly. Lost in the physicality of his work, Laurent paid little attention to his surroundings until he heard the distinct sound of stiletto heels walking across the smooth flags. He immediately straightened and smoothed some stray hairs out of his face, wiping away the sweat that had accumulated at the tip of his nose and chin, a broad smile spreading across his face. A fashionable young woman with a tiny, outrageously expensive, bag across her body was standing in the middle of the patio but she was not Sylvie Saint-Clair and while Laurent struggled to contain his disappointment, Antoine had already introduced himself. Frustrated, Laurent returned to his work and pushed down his feelings until the end of his shift when he rushed home to shower and change before collecting Claudine.
They had a reservation at Tsar Folies but, as they sipped their initial cocktail, Laurent found himself burdened by the realisation that Claudine's company, while pleasant, lacked the chemistry and attraction present in his interractions with Sylvie. Determined not to ruin his evening, Laurent against suppressed his feelings and began to enjoy himself; Claudine was clearly very attracted to him and her company was easy to enjoy. They were able to make each other laugh and, as the couple prepared to finish their third glass of wine, Laurent was optimistic for the evening ahead.
"Laurent." His head snapped around upon hearing the familiar voice. Sylvie Saint-Clair was standing at the end of their table, one hand on her hip and the other holding a small clutch bag; an embarassed-looking man around their age was standing a few paces behind her. Laurent hastily came to his feet, wondering how to redeem the situation.
"I'm sorry Claudine, can you give me a moment? I'll be right back." Claudine was clearly unimpressed but reluctantly shrugged and Laurent smiled gratefully, gesturing to Sylvie to lead them back into the bar area. Sylvie ordered a glass of wine before Laurent could speak.
"It's good to see you, Sylvie, but I was surprised you didn't call me."
She looked uncomfortable and didn't reply.
"Well it was nice to see you but I'm actually here on a date." Laurent half-turned away but Sylvie caught his arm.
"I don't want you to be on a date, Laurent."
"You're also here with someone." He reasoned. "Is that not what you want?"
"I want you." Sylvie closed the gap between them and kissed him, cupping his face with one hand. Laurent felt uncomfortable kissing Sylvie just twenty foot away from Claudine but their attraction was undeniable and he placed one hand on her lower back, pulling her closer. The kiss lasted for almost a minute before Sylvie broke away. "You should return to your date and I'll return to mine. And then, tomorrow, I want to call me again and ask me out."
"I'm not doing that again, Sylvie." Laurent established firmly. "If you want to see me again…"
"Meet me at the Musee de L'Annonciade tomorrow morning at eleven." Sylvie interrupted him. Laurent had never heard of the museum but he wanted to see Sylvie again and did nothing to prevent her from sensuously kissing him again. The kiss was briefer than the first and left both flustered when they broke apart. Laurent returned, somewhat embarassed, to the table but Claudine had already disappeared. He paid the bill and ordered another drink at the bar, flirting with female patrons and ignoring Sylvie and her date for the remainder of the evening.
