The Last Time I Saw Paris by Elizabeth Adler Read Free Book Online

to herself.
    On the long walk on the beach in the cool gray early morning, her thoughts returned to reality and the canceled Second Honeymoon. Bill hadn’t even sounded interested, let alone remorseful.
We’ll do it some other time,
he had said so casually. Didn’t he realize how much it meant to
her?
How much it
should mean
to him? Didn’t he know how carefully she had planned it all, how long it had taken her?
    She thought of the tickets sitting in the top-left-hand drawer of his desk. Bleakly, she guessed she had better call Delta and cancel them,
and
all those hotels and auberges. It had taken her endless research just to find them again after twenty-five years, tracing their route from the old scrapbook, where she had pasted every receipt from every cafe and restaurant, as wellas menus and little cocktail napkins with the names of bars on them. She had saved postcards of villages and small hotels and had even made little maps of their routes. It had all been so glamorous and different—so
wonderful
.
    â€œOh, Bill, you
bastard,”
she wailed. “Why are you doing this to me? To
us? Why?”
    Her only answer was the scream of the gulls floating in the misty gray sky and the everlasting boom of the surf hitting the shore.
    She picked up the phone. She needed to talk to Delia.
    â€œI guessed you must be out at the beach,” Delia said. “I called you at home last night. When there was no reply, we figured that’s where you were. We decided not to disturb you.”
    Despite her worries, Lara smiled. Delia’s upbeat, bouncy voice always gave her a lift. “Thanks, but I could use a little disturbing. The only person I’ve spoken to, apart from the gulls, is the local building contractor who’s going to fix my deck. And Bill.”
    â€œHe called, then?” Delia’s voice slipped into neutral as she asked the loaded question.
    â€œHe called. He said he couldn’t make the French trip. He’s too busy.”
    â€œHe canceled the Second Honeymoon?”
Delia’s voice trembled with outrage. “But you’ve been planning it for almost a year; he should bloody well make the time.”
    â€œI guess the truth is, he doesn’t want to.” Shoving her long, wind-blown hair out of her eyes, Lara said tearfully, “Oh, Delia, what am I to do?”
    â€œIs Melissa still with him? I mean, you’re
sure
about that, Lar?”
    â€œI know she’s there now. And he told me that hehas to go on to India, to Delhi, to look at some new children’s facility.” Her voice shook as she added, “I don’t know whether he’s going alone.”
    There was a long silence while Delia thought about it, then she said, “Are you going to fight this, Lar? Or are you just going to walk away from it and let her have him? Is that your plan?”
    â€œI don’t have any plan. I’m still just trying to deal with it. I mean, what can I do, Delia? If he wants her that bad, he’ll leave me anyway.” Anger kicked in suddenly. “And goddammit, I don’t know if I want a guy who’s lusting after another woman.”
    Delia’s laugh floated over the line. “ ‘Atta girl, Lara. A little anger is what’s needed here. Blast the bastard when he gets home. Lay him on the line and stomp all over him. See what happens then.”
    Lara was laughing as they said good-bye. Delia was right; a change of attitude was what was needed. And the first thing she would do was pluck up her courage and plunge into that icy ocean.
    She put on an old black bathing suit and with Dex at her heels ran down the steps to the beach. Shrieking, half in delight, half in shock, she plunged deep into the icy waves. She swam for a while then staggered back out, shaking seawater from her hair.
    â€œWhat’s needed here, Dex,” she gasped, “is a breath of fresh air to clear the cobwebs from my befogged brain.”