“So that’s a no to panties, I guess,” she says, putting them back in her drawer, and my phone starts to ring from her bedroom. I walk out and go to the pile of my clothes, getting my phone from my pants.

“Hey, Dad,” I say, spotting his name before answering it. I sit down on the bed and look at Vivienne as she quietly leaves the room.

“Just checking in,” he says, and I look at the time, exactly five thirty. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just fine,” I tell him, and he spends five minutes telling me about his day and then lets me go. I put my pants back on and find her in the kitchen taking the pan out of the oven.

“Just in time,” she says and grabs two plates. She fills up my plate more than hers and tells me to grab the basket of bread on the counter. When we walk to the dining table, she puts down the plates.

“Sit,” she tells me and then goes back to the kitchen. I sit down, waiting for her. She comes back with three water bottles and then walks to the cabinet by the wall and grabs a bottle of wine, pouring herself a glass. She sits in front of me, raising her glass. “To your coq with my vin.” She winks while I laugh and know I’ll remember this moment forever.

Chapter Seventeen

Vivienne

“I’m downstairs,” Karrie says once I answer the phone.

“Coming,” I say, slipping into my black blazer and tying the button. Grabbing my black Gucci purse, I head out of the apartment. I try to walk properly, but I’m still sore from the sex we had last night and followed up this morning. For the past four days, he’s been picking me up after his day, and we’ve been spending it at his house watching Mad Men. That is what I’m telling myself.

The door opens, and I spot Karrie smiling as I get into the car. “Bonjour,” I say, leaning over and kissing her.

“You look like you’re glowing,” she says, and I roll my eyes as she pulls off into traffic, heading to our lunch spot.

“It’s getting colder and colder,” I say to her. “Which means one thing. I need to go to Mexico or something soon.”

“You say that all the time, and you’re the first one to clap when it snows,” she points out, and I shrug. When we get to restaurant, the valet opens my door, and I step out, smiling at him, then wait for Karrie to walk around the truck. We are dressed almost identical, only she’s wearing black heels with her jeans, and I’m wearing a pair of greenish booties. We walk in and are seated right away to a booth in the corner.

“I’m starved,” I say to her, looking at the menu. “I didn’t have breakfast.”