Free Paris Summer by April Lynn Kihlstrom

lecture hall.
    At first Janine had more trouble with the French at
the seminar than the math, but the situation soon
reversed itself. Halfway through the talk she began to
feel a bit discouraged since it was difficult to think in
French and math at the same time. The subject,
however, was one that interested her and when, at the
end, the professor announced that the talk would
continue the following week, she resolved to attend. As
the others filed out of the room, Janine went forward to
ask a few questions. The mathematician noticed her
and waited patiently. He was young, about thirty,
Janine guessed, with dark hair curling over the collar of
his dark green sports jacket. He smiled warmly at
Janine and did not seem to mind answering all her
questions. He had shifted to English almost as soon as
she began speaking, and Janine admitted to herself that
this was a relief. Afterward he asked her how long she
would be in Paris and if she knew anyone. His name,
she discovered, was Pierre and he was, of course, a professor at the university. Janine explained that she
was on vacation and was a teacher herself. “How did
you happen to hear about my talk?” Pierre asked.

    “My sister lives in Paris and her fiance, Monsieur
Mark Renaud, mentioned it,” she explained.
    Pierre paused for a moment to think. “Ali, yes. I
know Monsieur Renaud. He is a very good mathematician. You know him well?”
    Janine shook her head. “I just met him last week.”
    Pierre nodded. “Of course. Well, would you like me
to show you where his office is?”
    “No, thank you,” Janine said hastily. “Thank you
for your help. I must be going now.”
    Slightly puzzled, Pierre watched her leave. Then he
shrugged. It was no concern of his that Mlle. Halonen
did not like her sister’s fiance.
    Outside, Janine gave a gasp of dismay. It was raining
and not with a gentle spring shower either-it was
pouring. She walked toward the steps, careful to stay
under the shelter of the building, trying to remember if
she had seen a Metro station when she had arrived.
Then she saw it, just across the street. Nothing to do
but run and hope she didn’t get too wet. As Janine was
about to step forward, she heard a voice behind her say,
“I’ve got an umbrella. I’ll walk you over to the station.”
    Janine turned gratefully to find Mark standing
behind her. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that,” she said
honestly.
    Smiling, he opened his umbrella as he said casually,
“I see you know the trick too.”
    “What trick?” Janine asked suspiciously.
    “Oh, you know. Rena’s trick for meeting men when
it’s raining. Okay, let’s go,” he answered, taking her
arm.

    Janine jerked free and said, “Thank you, but I’ve
changed my mind!”
    She hurried out into the rain. A moment later Mark
grabbed her arm. “Don’t be absurd. Just because I
happen to know a little about the sort of tricks women
use is no reason to get yourself wet. I’m not criticizing.
In fact I think it’s rather clever,” he said sharply.
    Once again Janine tried to pull free, but Mark was
holding her arm too tightly. She loved her sister very
much, but that did not mean she wanted people to
assume they were alike.
    “Blast it! What are you so mad about?” Mark
demanded.
    Janine refused to answer. They were at the station,
and he would have to release her now. But he didn’t.
Instead he started down the steps with Janine in tow.
“You know,” he snapped, “you should take a lesson in
manners from Rena.”
    He released her arm to close the umbrella. “I’m
sorry,” Janine said contritely. “Thank you for sharing
your umbrella with me.”
    “You should be sorry!” he replied. Then more
reasonably, “We’d better catch our train. I suspect
we’re going in the same direction.”
    When they were seated next to each other on the
train, Mark said calmly, “Now will you tell me why you
were so angry?”
    Janine looked down