"Bobby, I'm starting to get car sick," Brigitte complained as she sat, with her hand over her eyes, in the passenger seat of Bobby's car. The night before, when Bobby had dropped her off at home after their Fourth of July celebration, he had kissed her softly at the door and asked to see her again the next day. She'd agreed, but only because she knew she would need to devote the next two weeks to studying for, and then taking, her exams. It would be her last chance to see him until she was finished.
"It is just a little further," she heard Bobby reply in his accented French.
"I don't understand why I can't just look," Brigitte moaned as she felt her stomach churn.
"Because if you open your eyes you will know where we are going!"
Brigitte let out a long breath and leaned back. It was a beautiful day and Bobby had put the roof to the car down, allowing Brigitte to relish in the warm rays of the sun. She could almost feel her olive skin browning. With her hand still over her eyes, she awkwardly tried to roll up her sleeves.
Suddenly she felt the car slow and turn, bumping up and down as it started down a dirt path. She was about to start complaining again when they came to a halt. Brigitte started to remove her hand when Bobby exclaimed, "No! Not yet!"
Brigitte let out a loud sigh, to make sure Bobby heard, but continued to hold her hand over her eyes. She listened to him open and then close the trunk and walk away. "Bobby?" she called out. "I'm getting bored with this."
"Just a few moments more," she heard him say from a distance. She could also hear others crying out in laughter in the distance… and the splashing of water. We're at the lake.
Finally, she heard him approach again and open her door. Grabbing the hand that wasn't covering her eyes, he helped her out of the car. Once she was standing, she felt his hand on the small of her back as he guided her a few steps and then said, "Okay, open your eyes!"
Doing as commanded, Brigitte looked around. As she suspected, they were indeed at the lake. However, Bobby had chosen a relatively secluded area and had laid out a blanket with a picnic lunch…
… and a box wrapped with a bow.
"Is that for me?" Brigitte asked, a smile spreading across her face as she gestured towards the box.
She felt Bobby wrap his arms around her from behind and place a kiss on the base of her neck. "No, it is for the other girl I am bringing out to the lake today."
She turned in his arms and saw him grinning at her. Playfully batting at him, she rolled her eyes and asked, "Can I open it?"
"Yes."
Breaking their embrace, Brigitte walked over the blanket and knelt down. "You know, you should have just told me we were going to the lake," Brigitte started as she opened the gift. "It's such a nice day, we could have gone swimming if I had brought my swim-" She stopped mid-sentence as she pulled a brand new cream colored swimsuit with black trim out of the box. "Bobby! This is beautiful!" she exclaimed as her fingers trailed along it. "I've… I've actually never had a new swimsuit… I've always had Simone's old ones," Brigitte said.
"I am glad you like it," Bobby said, looking rather pleased with himself, as she stood and held the suit against her body.
"I even think it will fit. How did you know my size?"
"Oh, the woman at the shop knew who you were, and gave me this one."
"Bobby…" Brigitte trailed off, still eyeing the new suit. "Thank you so much. But you really shouldn't get me such frivolous things. You should save your money."
Bobby just shook his head. "It is nothing." When Brigitte eyed him, he exclaimed, "Really! Do not worry."
"Are you sure you aren't still confused by the exchange rate?" Brigitte smirked at him.
"I am sure. Anyway, if I had not gotten it for you, then I would have to swim alone. And that is no fun."
"You're right, that would be no fun. And it's not like I could have worn Simone's hand-me-down and impressed you," Brigitte retorted with a flirty grin.
"Exactly… do you want to try it on? There is not a changing room or anything…" Bobby trailed off, blushing slightly.
"Oh, it's fine. I can get this on without taking off my dress, anyway."
Later that afternoon, Brigitte was lying in Bobby's arms, running her fingers through the soft blond hair on his chest. After she had modeled her gift for him, they had headed out into the water. Their splashing and general mucking about had slowly turned into stolen kisses and caresses, which then lead to a rather more thorough exploration of each other's bodies than they had previously engaged in.
Now she was lying sated in his arms, enjoying the warmth generated by Bobby's body and by the sun.
"We should go to Cannes… or maybe Nice," Bobby said suddenly, out of nowhere.
"What?" Brigitte replied, suddenly brought out of her half-asleep state.
"We should go for a week or two. It only takes a day by train," Bobby said, a smile on his face.
Brigitte laughed. "Why do you want to go there?"
"Because it is beautiful! We could just lay on the beach, enjoy some wine… and each other," he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Smacking him playfully, Brigitte got up on her elbow to look down at him and realized he sounded like he was speaking from experience. "Wait, you've been there?"
"Yes, we sailed into Marseilles. My dad had business there, but we were only there a few days. And we sail out of La Rochelle after a week in Paris, so I will not get a chance to see it again." He traced a finger up her thigh. "Unless you wanted to accompany me."
Brigitte laughed, and then her face fell a little as she realized that Bobby was waiting for her to reply. "Wait, Bobby, are you serious?"
"Yes, of course! I can arrange it, if you want to go."
A moment of silence passed before Brigitte erupted in a torrent of French. "Bobby! I can't afford to go there! Do you have any idea how much things cost? Not to mention the fact that I have to work! It's going to be hard enough as it is on my parents with me leaving in the autumn without me gallivanting to the south of France for a couple weeks with you! And what would people say!? The two of us going to the coast without a chaperone!"
Bobby looked a bit hurt, and maybe slightly lost, as she had spoken rather quickly. But she was sure that her 'no' had come across quite clearly. She put her hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes. "I would love to go with you, but it's not possible," she said, slowly and clearly.
He smiled slightly at that and put his hand over hers. "Maybe next year?"
Smiling coquettishly, she replied, "You presume we will still be together next summer? I am going off to university where I'm sure all the boys will want the attentions of a bookish engineer."
Bobby surged up to roll her onto her back. The weight of his body now on top of her, he grinned down at Brigitte. "Then I better show you I am worth the wait," he said before kissing her, full on the lips. "And anyway, aren't you going to a women's university?"
"There are plenty of men in Paris, Bobby…" she teased, grinning as she returned the kiss.
Hearing the front door open, Maria Bernard glanced from her chopping board to see her daughter waltz into the house. Brigitte's dark wavy hair was in a complete state of disarray and she could see a swimsuit peeking out from underneath her dress. Assuming her daughter had been swimming at the lake, Maria called out, "Brigitte, dinner will be in about forty-five minutes, so go…" she trailed off as her eyes met a large red mark on her little girl's neck.
"What's wrong?" she heard Brigitte's innocent voice waft through the air as she stared at it. Maria had been ignoring the fact that things were escalating between Brigitte and Bobby. She had hoped that he would just leave and that would be that.
But that damn red mark seemed to indicate otherwise.
"My God, what's that on your neck?" Maria demanded in Spanish and advanced towards Brigitte.
"My neck?" Brigitte responded, also in Spanish, as she automatically reaching up to feel the area in question.
"Bobby did that to you, didn't he?" Maria said in a harsh whisper as she yanked Brigitte's hand away.
Pulling back from her mother, Brigitte went to the mirror in the living room. Maria knew from the expression on her daughter's face that she was right. As Brigitte continued to examine the mark, Maria came up behind her and took a deep breath to calm herself. She wasn't mad at her daughter… but she was afraid for her. Trying to control her voice as much as possible, she asked, "What else have the two of you done?"
A panicked look flashed across Brigitte's face, "Nothing Mama, I swear!"
Maria knew it was a lie, or at the very best a half-truth. The guilty way her hand rubbed at the bruise and her failure to meet Maria's eyes told her as much. They had done other things.
Maria cursed herself for letting this go on so long without talking with Brigitte. When Bobby had first asked Brigitte out, Maria had been reluctant to allow her daughter to date, un-chaperoned. But then Philippe pointed out that Brigitte would be leaving for Paris in just a few months… He suggested that they should allow her some freedom, while they were still there to make sure things didn't go too far.
Maria really hoped things had not gone too far.
Grabbing Brigitte by the hand, she pulled her into the kitchen. "Sit down." Maria pointed to a chair at the kitchen table. "It's past time we had a talk."
She watched as Brigitte flopped down. Stalling for time and trying to collect her thoughts, Maria slowly poured herself a cup of coffee before joining her daughter at the table. Her daughter who had just been alone at a lake with an American boy.
Might as well just get to it, Maria thought as she took a sip of the lukewarm coffee. Setting the cup down, she took a deep breath. "Has he asked to put it in you?"
Brigitte snapped her head up. Her look of shock told Maria all she needed to know. The boy had not asked.
"No…" Brigitte replied.
Maria nodded her head, glad this conversation was not too late after all, "Good. You know that's how you get pregnant, right?"
Brigitte rolled her eyes slightly. "Yes Mama, I am familiar with…" she paused and then finished in French, "the biological process of reproduction."
Also switching to French, Maria snapped, "Do not get smart with me, Brigitte. You…" Maria paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "You have the intelligence to do just about anything. But a baby… you would not be able to go to university if he gets you pregnant."
"Mama, I know… but I swear, he hasn't asked."
"He will ask, Brigitte. He will say lots of nice things about you and he will buy you nice things and make you all the promises you want to hear just so you will let him. It is what men do."
Brigitte shook her head. "Mama, Bobby… Bobby's not like that-"
Maria cut her daughter off with a wave of her hand. "All men are like that. Even the good ones."
Brigitte shook her head again slightly and looked away. Maria reached out across the table and grabbed her daughter's hand, squeezing it to get her daughter's attention. "Brigitte... I know you are an adult and I cannot tell you what to do or protect you from the world anymore. But you need to focus on what matters to you. If you want to go to school, you cannot get pregnant. But if you do not want that anymore… if you want to settle down with Bobby, that is okay. No one will judge you if you want that, Brigitte."
"No! That's not what I want, Mama. I'm keeping up with my studying! And Bobby's been very supportive of that. And as for the other thing… we aren't doing that."
When Brigitte fell silent, Maria knew that the conversation, such as it was, had ended. She could only trust now that Brigitte would heed her words and not get herself into a situation she would later regret.
"Okay, go cleanup." Maria rose to return to chopping vegetables but then said, in a tone that indicated the matter was not up for discussion, "I think it is time Papa and I got to know Bobby better. Invite him for dinner, the Sunday after your exams. Until then, you should not see him. There is only a week left and if university is what you want, you need to spend this time studying. Not with Bobby."
"Okay, if I let 'u' equal '5 plus x-squared', then 'du' is '2x dx' and that gets rid of that 'x'… which means I can integrate this mess," Brigitte mumbled to herself, hunched over her notebook. She had moved her studying to the park, desperate to get some fresh air after hours of being stuck inside the library studying history.
Tomorrow, Monday morning, the grueling week of exams would commence. Up first was history, but the lives of kings and queens and a lot of people named Henry were far from Brigitte's mind as she manipulated equations in her mind. She found it almost soothing and rhythmic, a pleasant counterpoint to the light breeze and chirping of birds.
"You did not tell me there was a castle."
Brigitte jumped, startled at the voice that had come from directly behind her shoulder. Turning, she saw Bobby standing there, his arms crossed, blond hair stirring in the wind.
Several questions flooded Brigitte's mind, among them what was he doing here, but the one that crossed her lips was a simple, "What?"
"There is a castle on the hill outside of town. Why did you not tell me?"
Brigitte was truly confused. "Why would I?"
"So we can go see it!" Bobby said, sitting.
Putting her pencil down, Brigitte replied, "Why would you want to see it? It's just some old stones."
"Because it is a castle!"
Feeling like they were going in a circle, Brigitte sighed. "We can go after the exams." Bobby looked delighted and sat next to her, giving her a kiss on the cheek before she continued, "But I really need to study now."
"I know. I was walking along the river and then I saw you. I had to say hello. And I saw the castle yesterday when I was driving around."
Brigitte smiled. "You seem to be getting out a lot without me."
"I have to…" he paused and searched for the word, "entertain myself. But I am much happier when we are together."
"Bobby, you know I have to study…"
"I know," he said, obviously trying to hide the sadness in his voice. He moved towards her and she was sure he was going to kiss her, but then he caught a look at her math papers. "Wow, that is Greek to me."
Brigitte pointed to the π written on her page. "This is Greek."
He laughed. "Is that not a saying in French?"
"No…"
"It means, 'I don't understand this.' It's Greek to me," he repeated the last part in English.
"Ah! We say 'it's Chinese,'" Brigitte said, having made the connection.
"Well, Chinese or Greek or math. I do not understand any of them."
Brigitte chuckled. "The test will be Chinese if I don't get back to studying."
Bobby reluctantly nodded and leaned towards her, his lips softly meeting hers for a moment. Remaining just inches from her he whispered, "I will go, so your exams will be in French. But when you are finished, let me take you out. Somewhere nice. We should celebrate your accomplishments. Saturday?"
Brigitte smiled. "That sounds really nice."
"Then it is a date. Wear your nicest dress. I will wear…" Bobby paused. "I do not know how it is called. With the pants and a jacket?"
"A suit?" Brigitte offered.
Bobby giggled, as the word sounded like 'costume' in English. "Maybe. They are my best clothes."
Brigitte spoke, her face still mere inches from his. "I'll figure something out." She then pressed her lips against his. It was long and sweet and she didn't want it to end. Finally, when she did pull back, Bobby reluctantly stood.
"Break a leg next week," Bobby said in English.
"Say again?" she replied, thinking she had misunderstood.
"It just means 'good luck.'"
Brigitte shook her head at another one of Bobby's bizarre, American idioms and chuckled as he left.
It had been no accident that Bobby ran into Brigitte in the park. He had been a bit lost without her the last week or so. Bobby was a naturally outgoing person, so making friends had never been an issue for him, but he had been so wrapped up with Brigitte from almost his first day in France that he just hadn't had the time to make other friends. He didn't really interact with anyone his age at work, not to mention that he was 'the boss's son.' Brigitte had introduced him to some of her friends, but he had not gotten to know them very well. Not to mention the fact that they were all busy studying too. So Bobby had taken to a combination of long walks and even longer drives, anything to get out of the house.
While he did enjoy the exhilaration of taking curves just a little too fast, he disliked having no one around to share it with. It turned out that a drawback to being a naturally outgoing person was that these times alone were, well, lonely. Left alone with his thoughts, he just got caught in a circle of getting upset over memories of things his father said and missing Brigitte.
So that Sunday he had gone to the park, specifically to the place he knew Brigitte liked to study. They had been there together several times in the last month and a half, as he helped her prepare for her exams. He had gone with the slim hope that she would be there and he could say hello and wish her luck… but if she wasn't, it was a pleasant place to sit and read.
Feeling cheerful after having actually seen Brigitte, Bobby returned home. It was nearly dinnertime and Bobby was sure that he could spend the time until then reading in the garden.
His steps felt light as he crossed the foyer, headed for the stairs. He barely noticed his father standing there until his voice rang out. "You seem to be in a good mood. Did you finally get over that girl?"
Bobby halted at the sound of the voice. "Get over her?" he questioned. What in the world was his father talking about?
"Yes. I'm glad to see you've moved on. Now you can focus on your work and we can find you a more proper woman back home."
Bobby stood there, dumbfounded. It took a moment for him to process what his father was saying and formulate a response. "Brigitte and I didn't break up."
"They why in the hell have you been out of sorts and moping around the house?" Robert asked, his voice harsh.
"I haven't been 'moping'," Bobby countered.
Robert waved his hand dismissively. "You most certainly have been. Something's been bothering you. Did you have an argument?"
Bobby shook his head. "No, everything is fine. Brigitte has been busy studying for her end of school exams. So I haven't been able to see her as much."
There was a moment of silence. "So you've been moping and being unproductive at work because she's busy studying?" Robert asked, the disbelief evident in his voice. "God, Bobby. Sometimes I wonder if I have three daughters."
Bobby bristled, and struggled not to take the bait. He knew it wasn't worth arguing against his father's cheap shots. But he had to say something. "I haven't— I just…"
Robert continued, seeming to ignore that Bobby had even spoke. "You know what the funny part is? She's the one with a work ethic! If you could focus like that, you could be so successful, Bobby! But unlike her, your work this summer really matters."
Bobby was aghast. "What do you mean her work doesn't 'matter'? Of course her work matters! She's studied really hard to go to university! She's going to be a engineer!"
It was silent for a moment. Then Robert started laughing. It started off as a soft chuckle, but soon transformed into a roar. Bobby stood there, unsure of how anything he just said was in the least bit humorous. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Robert looked back at Bobby, catching the expression on his face. "You're serious, aren't you?"
"Of course I am! She's brilliant!" Bobby had always known his father was pigheaded, but he couldn't believe what was happening. Both his sisters had attended university. Why should it be so funny that Brigitte was too?
Bobby was trying to think of additional ways to explain why school was important to Brigitte when his father interrupted his thoughts. "Bobby, what I don't understand is why you persist in dating this unsuitable woman. If you say she's smart, fine, she's smart. But what you need to do is find a woman who will take care of your home and your children, so that you can be free to focus on work. This… mechanic is not that person."
Bobby chewed on his father's words for a moment. "I'll have staff to take care of the house and kids. My wife can do whatever she wants. And if she loves engineering, that's what she should do."
"You won't have the money for a staff if you continue not to take your work seriously!"
"I have been taking it seriously!" Bobby protested.
"No, you've been wasting your time with this silly romance! If you are going to carry on with her, it better not affect your work any longer. You need to focus." The last words almost felt like pleading to Bobby's ears.
"I am… I will. But please, try to understand, Brigitte is special."
His father shook his head. "When you're eighteen, they're all special."
Brigitte walked out of the English exam feeling like she had just been kicked by an angry donkey. Here she was, dating a native English speaker, and she still could not make heads or tails of it most of the time. It seemed like every rule had five exceptions… and what exactly was the difference between ran and run? Was it 'I have run' or 'I have ran'?
Her school bag slung over her shoulder, she walked down the street to Simone's apartment. Tomorrow was the last day of exams, with only physics and Latin left to go. Climbing the stairs to the second floor walkup, Brigitte mused that at least she thought most of her other subjects had gone well, particularly math and chemistry.
When Brigitte opened the door she heard Simone call out, "Salve. Quo modo in exem hodie?"
"Oh please, can we not speak in a foreign language right now?"
"Latina hic es?"
"Yes, I'm here to practice Latin, but can we have lunch in French? I need to wipe all this stupid English from my mind."
"Alright," Simone said, rising from the couch to head into the kitchen. "I didn't make anything today, I wasn't feeling that well this morning. So we will just have some cold meats, bread, and salad."
"That's fine with me. I'm not too hungry after that terrible exam." Then Brigitte remembered what her cousin had said. "Are you feeling better now?" she inquired.
"I am. It passed, and then I was just lazy. There really is nothing in the house to make; I still need to go to the market. So, we are just having a cold lunch." Simone spoke as she put the meats on to a plate. "I didn't even make it to the bakery, so sorry, the bread is a day old."
Brigitte scrunched her nose slightly at that. "Maybe we can just run down and get a fresh loaf?"
Simone paused putting the salad into a bowl. "What, my day-old bread isn't good enough for you?" she joked.
Brigitte smirked in return. "I take my bread very seriously."
Simone laughed. "When you have to run your own house, day-old bread will be plenty good."
"Well, I'm not there yet, so let's go buy a baguette."
Simone quickly put the plates of food back into the icebox before following Brigitte out the door. "Okay, but you are treating me. And I personally think this is a stalling tactic. You just don't want to practice Latin."
Brigitte chuckled. "Added benefit." There was a pause as the two hurried down the stairs and out to the street. "I can't wait for the end of tomorrow! Look at how beautiful the weather is!" Brigitte exclaimed.
"I know, it's criminal that you're trapped inside taking those exams."
"Not to mention that I haven't been able to see Bobby. But at least he is taking me out on Saturday. Speaking of which, I need a dress."
"Oh?" Simone asked as they entered the bakery.
"Yes, he said he's wearing a suit and is going to take me somewhere nice." Turning to the woman behind the counter, Brigitte said, "Good afternoon, Madame Fournier. How are things?"
"Good, good, thank you. And how are you girls today? Is the bac over, Brigitte?"
"Tomorrow is the last day. I'm just taking a break for lunch."
"Ah," the baker replied. "Well, what can I get you two?"
"A baguette… Simone, do you need a second for dinner?"
Simone laughed. "How much bread are you going to eat?"
"I don't know… okay, just one." Brigitte fished around in her purse for the money.
"Anything else?" Madame Fournier asked as she handed the bread to Simone.
"No, that's it, thank you." Brigitte said, handing over the required amount of money.
The older woman took the coins and then placed two cookies in a small paper bag. "Well, have a madeleine, my treat, to wish you luck." She handed the small sack to Brigitte, who smiled in return.
"Oh, thank you very much. That's very kind of you."
"Well, good luck and let me know how it goes."
As they walked out the door Brigitte called back, "Thank you. I will."
Making their way back to the apartment, Simone prompted, "So, you need a dress?"
"Yes, I don't really have anything. Just church stuff. Do you have anything more…" Brigitte trailed off.
"Sexy?"
Brigitte smiled. "Yes. Something sexy."
"I just might. We can go through my stuff Saturday morning. But for now lunch and Latin."
With that pronouncement, Brigitte let out a groan. "I can't wait for tomorrow to be over."
Brigitte put her hands on her hips, turning this way, then that, as she evaluated her appearance in the mirror.
"I don't know." She turned around and looked at her reflection over her shoulder. "Don't you think it's a little… revealing?" The dress plunged dramatically in the back, leaving her completely bare almost all the way down to the small of her back. "And what kind of bra am I supposed to wear with this?"
"Didn't you want something sexy?" Simone grinned at her cousin. Brigitte glared in return. "And with your boobs, you don't need a bra yet. You look fabulous, Brigitte." Simone assured her. "Bobby will love it."
Brigitte sighed. "I don't know. I just feel a little… naked. Besides, I don't think it's a good color for me."
Now it was Simone's turn to sigh resignedly. "Fine. I'll see what else I have." Simone disappeared into her closet. Brigitte was trying to unzip Simone's dress when her cousin's voice wafted from the closet. "So… I heard Mama and Auntie talking about you and Bobby." Her voice had an amused tone that Brigitte didn't like at all. Simone then popped out of the closet, clutching an emerald dress.
"I'm sure I have no idea what they were talking about."
Simone looked at her skeptically, and handed her the dress. "Here, try this one. It's a little small on me, so it might be perfect for you." As Brigitte pulled off the first dress and began putting on the new one, Simone continued. "So you don't remember coming home from the lake? With a hickey on your neck?"
Brigitte flushed, the events at the lake replaying in her mind. How she'd put her hand down Bobby's swimsuit, and how hard he'd felt when she'd touched him. How he'd clutched her, bucking his hips against her as she grasped him, groaning her name and mumbling in English. And how warm she'd felt as he kissed her neck and explored her body with his fingers under the water. How she'd finally curled around him, her cries of pleasure muffled against his neck.
"It wasn't a big deal, Simone. I came home, Mama saw the bruise. She overreacted a little. It happens." As she spoke, she avoided Simone's eyes, hoping that Simone would just drop the subject.
"It's okay, Brigitte! Mama caught Jean and me once before we were married. I thought I would die, right then and there! And if I didn't die of embarrassment, I was sure Mama would kill me!"
Brigitte finally looked up at her cousin, dress half on, curious despite herself. "What were you doing?"
"Well Mama and Papa were supposed to be gone all evening. But they came back early and Jean and I were kissing on the couch. He had his hand up my shirt. And my hand down his pants. Mama didn't stop shouting for so long, I thought she was going to have a heart attack!" Simone suddenly looked a little unsure. "That's when she first started pushing us to get engaged. I guess she thought if it was going to happen, she wanted to get us married as soon as possible."
"Can you zip me up?" Simone walked over to Brigitte and helped her the rest of the way into the dress. "Wait, so your mama pushed you into marrying Jean? That's not how I remember it."
Simone sat down on the edge of her bed. "No, of course I wanted to. Mama just may have… sped things along a bit." She smiled, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "I mean, sometimes I wonder about other paths I could have chosen, like university. But in the end, I'm happy where I am." Simone looked back up at Brigitte. "But, enough about that. We are here to get you ready for your big date! And Brigitte, you look amazing."
Finally looking at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but agree. The emerald color looked great against her olive skin and the dress did fit her perfectly. "It is nice."
"Well, I think we found a winner. Now come sit down with me. Tell me about this adventure at the lake."
"Okay, fine," Brigitte sighed. "But help me out of this dress first." Once Simone had her out of the dress, Brigitte pulled her clothes back on and sat down on the bed next to Simone, who was watching her expectantly. "I guess it was over two weeks ago now. Bobby took me out to the lake." Brigitte shook her head with a bit of a laugh. "But of course, he made a big fuss about it. He wanted it to be a secret, so I covered my eyes the whole way there. By the time we got there, I'd figured out where we were, of course. But… it was sweet. He had everything all planned out. He'd even bought me a new swimsuit."
"It sounds romantic!"
"I guess so." Brigitte bit down on her lip thinking about it. "Anyway, once we got out into the lake, we… went further. Than we had before."
Simone's eyes grew wide. "Oh Brigitte, tell me you didn't."
"No! We didn't do that. I'm not dumb enough to risk getting pregnant."
A moment of silence passed between the two women before Simone asked conspiratorially, "Do you want to?"
"Want to what?" Brigitte asked, not quite sure what Simone was referring to.
"Have sex with Bobby!"
Brigitte felt herself flushing again. She nearly voiced the automatic denial that she would have given her mother, but found herself pausing, actually considering Simone's question. "I… don't know. Maybe, at some point. But, not just yet."
Simone smiled. "Okay. Fair enough. So what did you do?"
"Well, we were… touching each other."
"Did he…?"
"Orgasm?" Brigitte took pleasure in making Simone blush for once. After a pause, though, she did answer her question. "He did. And…" Brigitte paused again, remembering directing Bobby's fingers between her legs. "So did I. You know… after I showed him what to do a little."
Simone laughed. "Well, at least he takes direction well. I'd keep him around, if I were you."
Brigitte flushed a little. "He's pretty nice, I guess."
Simone paused, then continued. "Brigitte… if things do get more serious with Bobby, and you want to go further, there are other things you can do. Things that won't get you pregnant."
"I… what you do mean?" Brigitte was intrigued, but hesitant to admit it.
Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. "Well, there are other ways to have sex." Simone continued and Brigitte's blush increased as her cousin described her other options.
When Simone was finished, Brigitte just stared at her, slack-jawed. "I'm supposed to put my mouth where?!"
"Brigitte, Bobby's here."
Brigitte looked up from applying her lipstick to see her mother standing in her doorway.
"Aye, Brigitte, that color does not go with the dress. Let me see what I have." Brigitte tried to protest that it was fine but her mother was already gone. Shrugging, she headed to the living room, where Bobby was waiting, tugging at the cuffs of his jacket. He looked up, having heard her approach, and smiled. "You look beautiful," he told her. "And congratulations. I…" he paused, and then said in English. "I've had my fingers crossed for days for you. For luck."
Brigitte smiled. "I'll need all the luck I can get. Especially with that English exam."
"I am sure you did great."
She smiled and leaned up to give him a peck on the lips. Running her hands along his lapels, and recalling their conversation in the park, she said, "This is a 'suit', by the way."
Bobby chuckled. "Another word to remember. I feel like this is smaller than the last time I wore it." He tugged at the sleeves yet again.
"Maybe you grew?"
"Maybe-"
Bobby's words were cut off by a blast of Spanish. "Brigitte! I told you to wait for me! I have a better lipstick!"
Sighing, Brigitte squeezed Bobby's hand. "My lipstick consultation has arrived, I'll be out in just one minute."
She turned and started down the hall when Bobby called after her in English. "Brigitte, does you mom speak English?"
"No. Why?"
A devilish grin passed over Bobby's face. "Because I wanted to tell you that your ass is fantastic in that dress."
Brigitte let out a laugh. "Later I should drop something and make you pick it up. Then I can look at your ass."
"I look forward to it."
Still laughing, Brigitte walked back into her room, where her mother was waiting. She immediately grabbed Brigitte by the jaw, tissue in hand. Brigitte automatically struggled. "Mama, I can put it on-"
"Do not argue. Relax."
Not wishing to get into it with her mother right now, Brigitte did as she was told and allowed her mother to apply the makeup. "So pretty," her mother mumbled in Spanish when she was done.
Turning to examine herself, Brigitte smiled. "You're right, this shade is better."
"Of course I am right."
Rather than taking offense, as she normally would, Brigitte just chuckled. "Of course."
"Come, let's go. Although you have already ruined the surprise." Maria headed back out into the living room, Brigitte on her heels.
"Are you ready?" Brigitte asked Bobby as she reentered the living room.
"I am," he said before turning to Maria. "Madame Bernard, it is nice to see you. I hope you have a nice evening."
"Thank you, Bobby. And you are coming to dinner tomorrow, no?"
Brigitte stomach dropped at Bobby's startled expression. She had completely forgotten to extend her mother's invitation to dinner. "Mama, I completely forgot with the exams and everything." Turning back to Bobby she continued, "Mama wanted me to invite you to Sunday dinner after my exams were done. Which would have been this Sunday if you are still available. It's okay if you're not since I forgot to ask…" Brigitte trailed off when she realized she was rambling.
She watched as Bobby decoded what she had just said in his head, the look of comprehension finally arriving. "Dinner tomorrow? Here?" he asked.
"Yes, we would like for you to come to Sunday dinner. Around eight," Maria confirmed.
"But if you're not-" Brigitte began again, but Bobby cut in.
"No, I am free. Madame Bernard, I am happy to…" Bobby paused. "To accept the invitation."
"Good." Maria said with finality. "Have fun. Don't be out too late." Kissing first Bobby, then Brigitte, goodbye on the cheek, Maria paused momentarily to whisper in Brigitte's ear in Spanish, "Don't get yourself in trouble." When she pulled back, she gave Brigitte a look that left no doubt in her mind what 'trouble' she spoke of.
"I won't," she whispered back in Spanish before turning to Bobby. "Okay, ready?"
Bobby smiled and offered his arm. "Yes. Let's go."
Brigitte opened the box yet again and stared inside. She had done so at least five times since she got home.
Bobby had taken her to Le Coeur de Lion and had treated her to what she considered a decadent dinner. Five courses, wine, coffee… everything. Brigitte had never had such a meal at a restaurant. But Bobby… other than not knowing all the French words, he had seemed perfectly at home. The owner, Katrine, had come to their table to greet them, and asked what they were celebrating… perhaps an engagement? Bobby had flushed and stammered, so Brigitte cut in and said they were celebrating the end of the bac. Katrine had then asked Brigitte what she was doing next, and the older woman seemed rather interested in Brigitte's career goals. Shortly after Katrine had left their table, two glasses of champagne had arrived, with her compliments, so they could properly toast Brigitte.
While extravagant, Brigitte had tried to take the evening in stride. She knew Bobby had more money than her, right? How else would he have that car, or even dream of going to Cannes? So, in her mind, the dinner was a bit much, but he seemed so enthusiastic about treating her.
But then he gave her the box.
It was a little velvet box, the kind that rings came in. He had tied a little bow around it. At first her stomach flipped. Was he proposing? After knowing each other for only two months? She started to plan how she was going to say no, or at least that she wasn't ready, as she opened the box.
A wave of relief crashed over her as she saw the contents. They were just earrings. Thank God! she had thought. They looked to be gold and diamonds, but of course they were just costume jewelry, like most of the things she had.
She had smiled and thanked him and said they were lovely. She had half pulled them out of the box when she noticed something. A tag.
The tag had carat information for the gold and the diamonds.
They were real.
He had bought her real earrings.
It was near the end of the evening when he gave her the gift and from that point on she had felt unsure of what to do. At first she tried to give them back, but he would not let her. So she sat there, slightly uncomfortable, trying to guess how much these things cost.
She knew the answer was a lot.
Now lying on her bed, she was staring at them again. How much money did Bobby have? Was he rich? Back home he had a cook… and evidently he bought new girlfriends terribly expensive gifts…
If he was that rich, what in the world was he doing with her?
Closing the box again, she sighed and tried to think of something else. Dwelling on unknowns wasn't going to get her anywhere.
Bobby placed his suit on the chair near the door so one of the maids could clean it in the morning.
Tonight had been a complete success. Brigitte had looked so happy to have a night of fun, and Bobby was thrilled to be able to provide it. There was dinner, drinks, and even some dancing. He thought back to his hands running up and down the curve of her back, the fabric of the dress smooth under his fingers. Her head had rested lightly on his chest as they swayed, and he could smell the scent that was uniquely Brigitte.
As always, it nearly drove him mad.
But really, the best moment had been the earrings. Brigitte had been totally surprised by them, shocked that they were real gold and diamonds. He had asked her to put them on and she looked just as wonderful as he had imagined.
As he changed into his nightclothes and crawled into bed, his mind drifted back to when the proprietress had come to their table. When she asked if they were celebrating an engagement, he had panicked. But not for the reason he would have expected. When the words left Katrine's lips, his first thought had been, that's not a bad idea.
That had scared the shit out of him.
Here he was, eighteen and headed to college, and his first thought was that marrying Brigitte sounded good? He had only known her for two months, hell, he hadn't even told her he loved her.
This was love, wasn't it?
Rolling over on to his side, Bobby considered his options. At the end of August he would be leaving Sainte Claire and Brigitte. The last two weeks without her had been hard… what would ten months without her be like? What would a lifetime without her be like?
More questions danced around in his head. Should he tell her he was in love with her? Was it too early? Was she in love with him? He tried to quiet the thoughts. Tomorrow they were going on a bike ride and then dinner with her parents. One day at a time, don't get ahead of yourself, he thought and he closed his eyes.
One day at a time.