Colette Cardinelle entered the Bistro and looked around. She wasn't even there for a minute when Jay entered behind her. She gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek by way of a greeting. She wanted to offer him more, but she knew he might become flustered by her showing of affection. After all, Colette knew that Jay thought the two of them were merely just friends. Colette dearly wished that he understood just how much he meant to her. She could not have made it through the past eighteen months had it not been for him.
Jay Barris felt his heart flutter at Colette's token show of affection. He had come to understand the depths of his feelings for her only a few short weeks ago. He had finally healed from the damage that had been done to him and Colette was responsible for most of that. He wished that he could be more vocal and tell her that. He dearly wished he possessed the capability to show Colette how special a person she was. Her beauty was evident; any person in the Bistro could see that. The beauty in her soul was something that few others were allowed to see. "Did I keep you waiting long?" Jay asked her. She shook her head and smiled at him. That smile of hers could brighten a dark day and both of them had more than their share of those during these past number of tedious, unending months.
"No, I've only been here a few minutes myself," Colette smiled, glancing at him quickly. Being punctual was one of his endearing qualities. He was such a charming man and so good looking. Wavy brown hair and a toned body that looked wonderful in the tan suit and pants he was wearing. What had Monique been thinking? How could she ever have given up a man as dear as Jay? She had tried to rationalize her decisions, but they fell on deaf ears. Colette had always believed her friend had made the perfect choice when marrying dear Jay.
Jay looked over at his companion and let her go first as the Maitre D' led them to their table. He enjoyed so many things about Colette, including the fact that after 15 years living here, she still retained a large part of her French accent and her mannerisms. He found it charming. Also charming was the fact that she still looked like the girl he had met several years ago in their college days. She didn't look much older than 21, although he knew her 35th birthday was looming. Part of that was attributable to her petite frame, but she could easily outshine most of the women her age and she knew it. Colette was never one the type of person to downplay her attributes. The dress she wore displayed just enough of her sexy little body to dazzle and she always wore heels. Jay knew that his friend was a clotheshorse, yet he allowed himself the small deception that she wore such sexy clothes and heels to impress him too. Gilbert had been a fool in letting Colette go. When a man had the heart of a woman as unique as Colette Cardinelle, you cherished it for as long as you lived.
At times, Jay found it difficult to believe that he and Colette had known each other for nearly 16 years. She and Jay, Monique and Gilbert, they had all met in college; Colette was his ex-wife's best friend. He knew that she still talked to Monique and that stung a bit. Still, he had to admire her loyalty. He knew she was angry at Monique for betraying her marriage vows to Jay, yet she looked past that and was still gracious enough to wish for her friend's happiness. Monique's affair with a man several years her junior had done a lot of damage to Jay and Colette had helped him through it. When he discovered his wife's betrayal, he didn't know if he ever again would be able to trust a woman. The love of his life had done wrong by him. Colette had shown him that some women were worth the time and effort it took to be with them.
Despite her personal and emotional beauty, less than a month after Jay's marriage was dashed to the rocks, Colette's followed suit. Gilbert, her professor husband, had been caught up in a scandal at the university. He had been trading grades for sexual favors and some of his students had come forward. The university dismissed him and he had left in disgrace. Fortunately for him, the slick bastard had been able to convince one of his "girlfriends" to stand by him. She came from a very prominent family and got her "boyfriend" a good job in the private sector. The cheating rat-bastard had landed on his feet. Jay was angrier at him than Colette herself was. He wanted to castrate the cheating motherfucker in front of everyone.
After a few chance meetings and some phone calls, he and Colette had been having coffee every few days since their lives devolved into chaos. Coffee turned into lunches and lunches turned into dinners. Jay had always liked fine dining and despite her upbringing, Monique couldn't boil water. Contrary to his wife's culinary failings, Colette worked at a fancy Italian restaurant - go figure - as a chef. She appreciated not having to cook on her days off and Jay knew good places to dine. The Bistro was a favorite of them both.
"I'm glad you picked this place," Colette smiled as he held her chair out for her. She adored the fact he had such excellent manners and was such a gentleman. "I always love coming here, the food is wonderful and it's warm and cozy. I can't believe we've been coming here for almost sixteen years."
"I like it, too," Jay agreed. Being here with Colette, it almost felt like a real date - almost. He wished that it was, so he allowed himself the illusion. "You look beautiful, I love that dress."
Colette's smiled widened. He had noticed, good, she hoped that he would! "This old thing, oh, I found it in the closet and thought I should wear it again," she told him. In reality, it was a piece of designer clothing and had cost her a pretty penny, half a week's wages. She knew it would look dynamite on her and had hoped for just the reaction Jay had provided her.
Colette crossed her legs and Jay watched with interest. They were sleek and shapely, despite her diminutive stature. Jay knew that Colette took good care of her body and he had followed suit in the last year, adding to his own workout regimen. He didn't want someone so lovely being embarrassed at being seen with a fat slob, not that he would ever have let himself get that out of shape.
"Good week?" Jay asked her, beginning to make conversation.
"Very good, I got a nice raise, I could even pay for dinner if you'd accept my offer," Colette smiled.
"No, that wouldn't be right, I invited you," Jay said to her. "Besides, we're celebrating a tiny bit. I started my new novel yesterday; the Writer's Block seems to be lifting."
"Jay, that's wonderful news," Colette trilled, placing her tiny hand on top of his. His heart raced and he wished it would stay there forever. "I tell you what; we will make it a celebration. You pay for the meal and you let me choose the wine and pay for that, plus dessert, if we can manage it."
"Don't we always?" He laughed. That was true, the Bistro had magnificent desserts and neither Colette nor Jay was the type of person to resist temptation. The owner was a pastry chef and longtime friend of Colette's. "Okay beautiful, you've got a deal."
"I hate to bring a downer into the conversation ..." Colette said as she looked around for the sommelier "... but I talked to Monique yesterday. She's moving back to France with Richard." She pronounced it "Ree-shard", Monique's new lover was from Lyons. Jay had detested the arty French fop on sight.
"I can handle it, now," Jay answered, although gritting his teeth. "I don't understand how you can still talk to ... her." The venom that spurted from his voice would have made a mongoose wary.
"I guess I'm a little more forgiving," Colette responded, although she knew she was being somewhat disingenuous. How
could
she ever stay mad at the person who had been her first lover? Neither of their husbands had known their closely-guarded secret, the girls had kept that as their own special memory all of these years later.
"Yeah, you are," Richard sighed with a hint of annoyance. "When I found out what Gilbert had done to you, I wanted to castrate the bastard."
"My knight in shining armor to the rescue,"
Colette thought to herself. "You needn't have bothered; it wouldn't have made much of a difference, if you get my drift." The attractive little blonde almost got a fit of the giggles at her own comment.
"Are you saying ...?"
"Let me answer you this way ..." Colette said as she tried to regain her composure. "I feel very sorry for his girlfriends ... all
