Free Parisian Affair by Judith Gould

chance,' she responded. 'I've been dancing with my
friend since we got here.'
    'And where is this friend of yours now?' he
asked.
    'Dancing with someone else,' Allegra
said.
    'You've been deserted?' His eyebrows went up,
feigning surprise. 'I can't believe a man would desert a woman as
beautiful as you in a club like this, where nearly every man is on
the make.'
    Allegra laughed. 'You're too much.'
    'What do you mean?' he asked, pretending
innocence.
    'You know very well what I mean,' she
replied. 'You—' There was a light tap on her shoulder, and she
turned around expecting to see Todd. 'Sylvie!' she exclaimed.
    Sylvie Javelle air-kissed her on both cheeks
in the continental manner, then stood back. 'Don't believe a word
that Carlo says because he is a terrible womanizer,' she said.
Allegra noticed that she was wearing what appeared to be Chanel
couture.
    'Ah, Sylvie, cherie , how could you?'
Carlo began, holding his arms out to her. She quieted him with
kisses and returned his hug.
    'You know I'm only making a little joke,' she
said with a laugh. 'I'm so glad to see you both.'
    'So you two know one another,' Allegra
said.
    Sylvie arched a thinly plucked brow. 'You
might say that.'
    'A little bit,' Carlo said, shrugging.
    'Allegra, I've been trying to get you on the
phone. Did you get my message?'
    'No,' she said. 'But I haven't listened to
the machine.'
    'We've got to talk,' Sylvie said.
    'What's up?'
    'Hmmm, not now,' Sylvie said, looking from
side to side as if expecting spies to be eavesdropping. 'Later. In
private.'
    'You don't have a drink,' Carlo said. 'What
would you like, Sylvie? Or have you had plenty of medication?'
    'Oh, Carlo, aren't you funny?' she said,
looking at him mischievously. 'But you're a darling. I'll have a
cosmopolitan.'
    'I'll be back in a minute,' he said.
    'Thank you, Carlo,' she said, watching him
leave. She turned back to Allegra. 'Isn't he a hunk?'
    'He's very good-looking,' Allegra agreed,
'and he knows it.'
    'Oh, yes,' Sylvie said, nodding her head.
'You're right about that, but still. . . he's not unbearable about
it.'
    'Who is he?' Allegra asked.
    'He's with an investment company downtown,'
Sylvie said. 'From a very good family in Turin.'
    'You know everybody,' Allegra said with a
laugh.
    'If I don't, you do,' Sylvie said. 'Where's
Todd, or is he out of town?'
    'He's dancing with Candie Gundersen,' Allegra
said. 'Or at least he was the last time I saw him.'
    'Aha, the giantess,' Sylvie said. 'How are
things between you two?'
    'Oh, God, Sylvie, who knows?' Allegra
replied. 'What about you? Who're you with?'
    'Ahhh, Jean-Pierre,' she said with a Gallic
shrug of her shoulders, as if the subject bored her.
    'So is it serious with you two?'
    'God, no!' Sylvie exclaimed. 'It is
impossible. Jean-Pierre can't be serious for five minutes. Not with
anybody. He's probably screwing somebody in the loo right now.'
    Allegra laughed, nearly choking on her water.
'How do you put up with it?' she asked.
    'How could I bear him otherwise?' Sylvie
retorted. She saw Carlo returning with her drink.
    'Here you are,' Carlo said. 'A cosmopolitan.'
He handed it to Sylvie.
    ' Merci , Carlo,' she said. 'You're a
lifesaver.'
    'And another glass of water for you,
mademoiselle,' he said to Allegra.
    'You didn't have to do that,' she said, 'but
thanks.'
    'My pleasure.' He turned to Sylvie. 'Is
Jean-Pierre here?'
    She nodded. 'Somewhere.'
    'I think I'll have a quick look for him,'
Carlo said, 'but don't worry, I'll be back soon.' He winked and
headed off.
    Sylvie and Allegra laughed. 'He's so crazy,'
Sylvie said, 'but so amusing.' She took a sip of the
cosmopolitan.
    'So he and Jean-Pierre are friends, I take
it?'
    'Yes,' Sylvie nodded. 'They've known each
other for years. They went to school together in Switzerland.'
    'Oh,' Allegra replied. 'I must be practically
the only person in New York City who didn't go to school in
Switzerland.'
    Sylvie flapped a hand breezily. 'Who cares
about things like that, cherie ? It's