“Yes, it will sell. You mentioned The Paris Wife, a fine story about Hadley and Hemingway in those days, and it sold very well. You’re a beautiful writer, Mercer, and you can pull it off.”

She smiled and took a sip of wine and said, “Thanks. I need the encouragement.”

“Don’t we all?”

They ate in silence for a few moments. Bruce held up his glass and looked at the wine. “You like the Chablis?”

“It’s delicious.”

“I love wine, almost too much. For lunch, though, it’s a bad habit. It really slows down the afternoon.”

“That’s why they invented siestas,” she said helpfully, easing him along.

“Indeed. I have a little apartment on the second floor, sort of behind the coffee bar, and it’s the perfect spot for the post-lunch nap.”

“Is this an invitation, Bruce?”

“Could be.”

“Is that your best pickup line—‘Hey, baby, join me for a nap’?”

“It’s worked before.”

“Well, it’s not working now.” She glanced around and touched the corners of her mouth with the napkin. “I don’t sleep with married men, Bruce. I mean, I have, on two occasions, and neither was particularly enjoyable. Married men have baggage I don’t care to deal with. Plus, I know Noelle and I like her a lot.”

“I assure you she doesn’t care.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

He was smiling, almost chuckling, as if she had no idea what she was talking about and he would be pleased to enlighten her. He, too, glanced around to make sure no one could possibly hear. He leaned in and lowered his voice. “Noelle is in France, in Avignon, and when she goes there she stays in her apartment, one she’s had for many years. Just down the street is a much larger apartment owned by Jean-Luc, her friend. Jean-Luc is married to an older woman with plenty of money. Jean-Luc and Noelle have been close for at least ten years. In fact, she met him before I met her. They do their siestas, have dinner, hang out, even travel together when his old wife says it’s okay.”

“So his wife approves?”

“Of course. They’re French. It’s all quiet and discreet and very civilized.”

“And you don’t mind? This is really bizarre.”

“No, I don’t mind at all. That’s just the way it is. You see, Mercer, I knew many years ago that I’m simply not cut out for monogamy. I’m not sure any human really is, but I won’t argue that. By the time I got to college I realized that there are a lot of beautiful women out there and there’s no way I can be happy with just one. I’ve tried the relationship thing, been through five or six girlfriends, but nothing has ever worked because I can’t resist another beautiful woman, regardless of her age. Luckily, I found Noelle, because she feels the same way about men. Her marriage blew up years ago because she had a boyfriend on the side and was sleeping with her doctor.”