Free Baguette Murder: Book 3 (A Patisserie Mystery with Recipes) by Harper Lin

Diane would do.

    “What are you doing here?” she asked Arthur.

    “Nice to see you too,” he said. “I got your text, and I texted you back. I even called you, but you didn’t pick up.”  

    “Oh. I’ve been busy.”  

    “What happened yesterday to change your mind?” He stepped closer, overwhelming her with his warmth. Instinctively, she stepped back.

    “I just realized that dating a neighbor would be a bad idea.”  

    “Come on, Clémence. We both like each other. I definitely know that you’re into me.”  

    “How so?” She crossed her arms.  

    He chuckled. “By the way you look at me. I’m not impervious to the effect I have on women.”  

    “Oh please, Guillaume Canet,” she teased, referring to the only French movie star she found remotely attractive. He smiled in his cocky way that she didn’t know whether she found adorable or extremely irritating. This was the kind of guy she needed to guard herself against. She wasn’t going to be played like Diane or Rose. “You’re not my type.”  

    Arthur gave her a doubtful look. “What’s your type? Tall, handsome, educated, well-dressed, confident, rich?”  

    “Somebody who doesn’t irritate me,” she shot back.

    “I was planning on taking you to SushiSalsa,” he said. “The new restaurant near Victor Hugo that everyone’s talking about. You heard about that place, right?”  

    “I can’t,” Clémence said, even though she was tempted. She’d been wanting to try SushiSalsa.

    “Why? Are you still investigating leads on this case? How’s it going by the way?”  

    “Fine. The police are handling it.”  

    “The police?” Arthur burst into a laugh. “It’s not like you to let the police do their job. Something’s up.”  

    “No, everything fine,” said Clémence. “It’s under control.”  

    Arthur examined her for a second longer. “Okay, forget about lunch. But look, it’s a beautiful day. Why don’t we go take a walk? You look tense. Maybe some fresh air will do you good.”  

    “Tense?” She scowled at him.  

    “Still beautiful,” he said quickly. “You look beautiful.”  

    Clémence considered the offer. She did want to take a walk. What was the harm in that?

    “Fine. Let’s go. Just a short walk.”  

CHAPTER 12
    Clémence and Arthur walked down Avenue Kléber towards the Arc de Triomphe, the grand monument at Place Charles de Gaulle.

    “Have you ever been up there?” Arthur asked.  

    “The Arc de Triomphe? Yes, a couple of times. Have you?”  

    “I’ve never been up.”  

    Clémence gave him a surprised look. “Why not?”  

    “It’s a tourist-y thing to do.”  

    “Well, have you been up the Eiffel Tower?” she asked.

    “Of course not. Have you seen the lineups?”

    “It’s why I haven’t been up either,” said Clémence. “I’m content just to look at the tower.”  

    “Same here.”  

    The truth was, Clémence had plenty of opportunities to go up the Eiffel Tower. Whenever she had friends or her American cousin in Paris to visit her, she’d been invited to go up the tower with them, but she never did. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to or minded the crazy lineups. She had just always wanted to save the occasion for when she found the love of her life. Deep down, she was a romantic. She held on to the idea of a special “one”, someone who deserved to go up the tower with her. She never told anyone this desire.  

    She had almost made it up with her ex, Mathieu, but something had always gotten in the way: a sudden rainstorm, Mathieu complaining about the tourists and the long lineups, a last minute invitation to go somewhere else. Their relationship just wasn’t meant to be, she could see that now.

    “It’s funny.” She smiled at Arthur. “You live so close to the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, yet you have never been up either.”

    “Anything to avoid the tourists,” said Arthur.

    “You’re a true Parisian,”