Free Freedom Fries and Cafe Creme by Jocelyne Rapinac Page A

more formal dining room …?
    Paul, of course, couldn’t answer most of these questions yet, but he promised that he would find out soon.
    â€˜Won’t you have to look smart all the time with this Audrey-Nicole? Isn’t she a little too polished for you? I dread to think what you’d be wearing to work if I wasn’t here to raise your standards,’ Adam laughed.
    â€˜I don’t know really. I’ve only seen her in the office up to now. But I’m prepared to make even more of an effort for her, if necessary.’
    Paul seemed to have met a real gem from the way he was talking about Audrey-Nicole. But then he always did his best to please the women he dated – even pretending to enjoy dishes made mostly of tofu or cheese, for example. He was like a chameleon trying to adapt to every new situation.
    â€˜And the best thing of all is that Rita will be happy,’ said Paul. ‘Because in addition to being beautiful and stylish, Audrey-Nicole doesn’t want to have any kids.’
    â€˜You’ve talked about kids already?’
    â€˜Well, it’s just that there was a couple with a child having a tantrum at the next table. It became so bad thatthey got up and left the restaurant. On the way out the woman stopped at our table and asked whether we had children. We said no, we didn’t. She then said that if we ever decided to have any we should think twice about it! That’s when Audrey-Nicole told me that being a mother wasn’t in her plans.’
    â€˜Yes, kids who take the best years of your life, as your mother would say.’
    They both laughed again.
    So this Audrey-Nicole doesn’t cook and doesn’t want kids, Adam thought. Well, I’m starting to picture her: ultra career-oriented, very high maintenance, eating in very expensive restaurants. Fussy, fussy! Certainly the opposite of a cheap date, that’s for sure. But I’d better keep all that to myself; she may turn out to be just the woman Paul has been looking for, after all.
    And there was every chance that Rita would be thrilled with Audrey-Nicole, in spite of the fact that she didn’t cook. Paul was her last hope because, according to Rita, her other son was living a very dull and uninteresting life: he’d got married too early, to his high-school sweetheart, lived in a gigantic, tasteless box of a house in the suburbs, with an ugly above-ground swimming pool, already had four kids, plus an enormous dog, two cats, four TVs, three cars, including a gas-guzzling SUV, and so on – a life that might be materially satisfying, but was culturally and spiritually empty.
    Rita maintained she had enough grandchildren. They drove her crazy when she visited them, with all their computer games and electronic gadgets as well as theircell phones. These seemed to be the only hobbies and interests they had. They never listened to her, especially when she tried to interest them in cooking. It was all rather disappointing.
    Rita believed that Paul’s life was richer than his brother’s, and certainly more entertaining and relaxing. He had a fun job with a bit of travelling between New York and Europe, a cool flatmate, who had become his best friend, good food, amusing pals from nearly every socio-cultural-sexual background, and lots to do in the city. Basically everything she’d never had access to until her children became responsible adults and could take care of themselves.
    After a little time for reflection, Adam declared, ‘All right, I have a few ideas already.’
    â€˜I knew you would! Thank you so much, buddy. I’ll try to find the right time to invite her over. I think she really likes me.’
    â€˜Sure, sure she does! Who wouldn’t?’
    They shook hands on their new deal, Paul thinking about Audrey-Nicole being the new love of his life, Adam picturing the new Breton-Normand restaurant in Old Quebec. He could hardly wait to go