I stared up at the beautiful building that I was now to live in. It was two stories and it had a green vine climbing up the side, creeping up to the second story balcony and its glass doors with their blue frames. There was a tiny flowerbed out front that lead to the cobblestone road in Satenay, France. I couldn't believe my luck. I was going to open a restaurant on the first floor and I was going to live on the second floor. I smiled and picked up my trunk and went inside. The inside was not as promising as the outside but I was not going to let the mess in the inside destroy my amazing mood. I hadn't been this happy in months. It wasn't that big of a mess anyway, it was just really, really, really dusty.

I struggled with my trunk as I made my way to the upper floor on the twisting, tiny staircase that was painted a startling yellow. I finally got my trunk to the top step where I dropped it and it threatened to tumble back down the stairs and take me with it. So, I threw myself on top of it to keep it from crashing down and that's when I realized I'd hit it the wrong way and it had tipped and caught me and thrown me back down the stairs while it laid there teetering on the top step. Needless to say, I was a rather small girl but I had never let that stop me. I bounced back up and kicked my suitcase farther into my spacious room, ending up in a big track on the dirty floor followed by two tiny footprints.

The bedroom was painted a light green and had a great big king-sized bed facing the opposite wall (the one with the balcony) with a single lamp sitting on the nightstand next to it. Everything up here was dusty too. There was a small mirror hanging over that bed that reflected the view. A dresser was on the left side of the bed and there was a small chair sitting right next to the balcony doors facing the bed. I walked over and flopped down on the bed, an action that I instantly regretted. I coughed and spluttered as I jumped up. First things first, I was going to have to wash the sheets and clean the bedroom and I was already tired from the plane trip to France, but oh well, sometimes things have to be done.

Later that night, as I snuggled in my freshly laundered sheets and listened to the sounds of the quite village outside as certain excitement bubbled up in me and I almost got up and ran to the window to share my excitement with everyone by yelling things in English. But, I decided against it. Instead I thought about maybe getting a cat.

Two months had passed since my arrival in France and I still knew next to no one. I knew the little old ladies who sold me my food and I knew the little old man who sold the most excellent fruit I have ever tasted in all my twenty-three years on the corner, but other then on a business relationship, I knew no one. I had realized that cleaning the restaurant part of my house had been a bigger task then I had expected and resulted in polishing, dusting, reupholstering (which had been a very interesting experience, since I had no idea what I was doing) and other such work. I also realized that it had one electrical circuit in the whole place so I ended up using it alternately between my CD player and my vacuum, which was actually borrowed from the little old lady at the charcuterie. I was currently in the process of repainting the window frames and dazzling blue when I finally met my neighbor, who also seemed to own a little café called Les Deux Chats, or The Two Cats. It was a pleasing building with whiskers on the e's and ears and a tail on the c. The owner also seemed to have three cats that would either be in the window or walking in and out the door. One was yellow, one was black and the other was gray. I liked the yellow one the best because it looked like a tiger and had this lazy walk that I enjoyed watching. Anyway, I was painting away, trying my hardest not to get any paint on the windows when I saw him walk out of his café. He was seemed tall, but I would later learn that he was only half an inch taller than me and I was only five foot six and a half. He had brownish/blond hair that was a medium length and was slightly wavy. His eyes were a bright, intelligent blue and his lips played up in a small smile as if he was laughing at some inside joke. All in all, he was very striking. He strode over to me and looked at what I was doing which was kind of unsettling because I was in a overly large white t-shirt that I had tied behind me to make it tighter and I was wearing a pair of ratty jeans. I didn't really know what to do and I was getting flustered so I just concentrated on the painting and not getting on the windows.

"Hmmm... pas mal," he said, his voice pleasant and like dark chocolate. I, of course, being the clueless girl that was terrified of guys, simply kept painting. "Si, vous essaierez et me donnerez une course pour mon argent ? J'admire votre courage." (for those of you who don't speak French he's saying: Hmmmm... Not bad. and So, you're going to try and give me a run for my money? I admire your courage.) I was confused by his statement and turned around to face him. He looked arrogant and cocky standing there looking me over, sizing me up.

"Quoi l'enfer est-cela supposé pour signifier ?" I asked, (it means: What the hell does that mean?) as I put my free hand on my hip and let the other hand holding the brush drip on my dirty sneaker. I scowled at him. I really hated it when people were vague about things and then even more when they pretended to be unaware that they'd even done it with that cocky arrogance just flowing out of them. He smiled at me.

"Vous ouvrez une droite de restaurant après pour extraire, extraire aussi arrive être le café le plus populaire en Satenay. Ce n'est pas vraiment un emplacement idéal. Mais, comme j'ai dit, j'admire votre courage." (You are opening a restaurant right next to mine, mine also happens to be the most popular cafe in Satenay. It is not really an ideal location. But, like I said, I admire your courage.) Like I said, the guy was an arrogant bastard. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I laughed and this seemed to confuse him. "A quoi riez-vous ?" (What are you laughing at?) I didn't even really know why I was laughing but I was and now that I had seen what it had down for his self-esteem, I laughed even harder.

"Quel est votre nom ?" (What's your name?) I gasped inbetween spouts of laughter. He raised an eyebrow, but answered my question anyway.

"Pépin," he said. "Et toi ?" (And you?)

"Bailey."

"Enchanté," he said quietly as he shook my hand carefully.

"Bien, Pépin, cet a été un plaisir vous rencontrant, mais vous pouvez prendre votre âne arrogant de retour par-dessus aux Les Deux Chats et regardez m'est devenu plus réussi que vous jamais avez rêvé," (Well, Pepin, it has been a pleasure meeting you, but you can take your arrogant ass back over to Les Deux Chats and watch me become more successful than you have ever dreamed.) I said as I turned back to my work, but not before I had the opportunity to shake a little bit of blue paint on his white shirt. I heard his retreating footsteps and the opening and closing of the door, but not before I heard him mutter: Ceci signifie la guerre ! (this means war!) I could only wonder what this meant he would do, but regardless, I began to paint with a new vigor.

The next day when I was returning the vacuum to the wonderful little old lady named Sabine she insisted that I come into the back room with her which I did willing thinking that she would need help putting away her vacuum when, in actual fact, she wanted me to meet her son. Her really drop-dead-more-than-once-gorgeous son that she forgot to mention. In fact I was so surprised to see him sitting there making sausages and making it look extremely sexy even though it's a disgusting process that I dropped the vacuum on my foot which cause me to yell out in foreign swear words. (Actually, I was swearing in English, which was my first language.) But, this caused everyone to turn and stare at me as I stood there swearing and hoisting up the vacuum cleaner faster and with more force than is really needed to pick up a vacuum cleaner and I ended up knocking the vacuum into Sabine's little old head which knocked her backward and she fell down. I switched back to French quickly and dropped the vacuum, again, this time on the floor and not on my foot as I screamed, "Je suis désolé! Je suis désolé!" (I'm sorry! I'm sorry!) I went over I helped Sabine off the floor and dusted her off continuing my several apologies while she and her son both had a good laugh at my dispense.

Anyway, Sabine's son came over and stood in front of me (well, it was more like he was towering over me because he seemed to be about six feet tall) in all his blond godliness. His blue eyes sparkling in merriment and his mouth turned up into a broad smile revealing several straight, white teeth. His deep laugh still rebounding off the walls. I almost melted right there in front of him.

"Bonjour," I squeaked. (Hello.)

"Bonjour. Ca va ?" (Hello. How are you?) he returned in his glorious rumbling voice.

"Oui, merci, et toi ?" (Yes. Thank you. And you? translation note, ca va is essentially able to say how are you? are you well? I'm good.) I squeaked again, my voice threatening to crack.

"Oui." His smile broadened even more. "Je m'appelle Luc, et toi ?" (My name is Luc, and you?)

"Uh...," I said as I struggled to remember my name. "Bailey. Je m'appelle Bailey." I smiled nervously, hoping that he had not noticed my sudden memory lapse.

"Bailey. Belle nom." (Bailey. Beautiful name.)

"Merci," I said quietly. (Thank you.) There was an awkward pause as I looked around the back room trying my hardest not to look into his bright blue eyes even though I know he was staring straight at me. I laughed nervously. Luc just continued to stare. "Bien. ... ceci est gauche. Je dois aller. C'était la réunion agréable vous," (Well... this is awkward. I should go. It was nice meeting you.) I concluded as I reached out to shake his hand good-bye. He took my hand and kissed it lightly.

"C'était mon plaisir. Peut-être, vous n'auriez pas des objections accompagner m'au dîner quelque temps ? Où peux-je pouvoir un obtient une prise de vous ?" (It was my pleasure. Maybe, you wouldn't mind accompanying me to dinner some time? Where can I could a get a hold of you?) he said sweetly. I could feel my eyes widen at the other of a date. I racked my brain for the only possible answer.

"Sûr. Um. ... J'ouvre un nouveau café, une droite à côté des Deux Chats. C'est le bâtiment avec tout le lierre et les cadres de fenêtre bleus," (Sure. Um... I am opening up a new cafe, right next to Les Deux Chats. It is the building with all the ivy and the blue window frames.) I replied, smiling widely. I could tell right away that France was going to do some very nice things for me, the little American girl.

"A bientôt." He released my hand and went back to work on the sausages. I was so deliriously happy because I had finally gotten asked out by an extremely handsome guy that I failed to notice that Sabine had closed the door so I walked straight into it in my attempt to leave gracefully. I woke up from my day dreams and felt the color rising to my cheeks as I pushed open the door, leaving Luc's beautiful laughter behind me.