Dear Reader,
Please welcome today's guest author...
Gia de Cadenet is a Black American expat who made her childhood dream of living in France come true in 2006 when she moved to Paris for her master's degree. She's a business school professor and former translator and editor with UNESCO.
Her debut, Getting His Game Back was described by Publisher's Weekly as "a thoroughly satisfying love story with a big, beating heart."
You can reach out to Gia, she would love to hear from you. Send Gia a note via https://giadecadenet.com/contact/
When I moved to Paris in 2006, I quickly learned that the City of Light is exactly as glamorous as I'd imagined. I taught English at an agency that worked with the great fashion houses of France. I was always a little intimidated when I had to walk into Chanel or Dior to give my lessons, but my students never made me feel bad.
I had a funny, confident student named Noura working for Louis Vuitton on the Champs Elysée. We became fast friends. She was in her mid-twenties, like me, and though she liked her job well enough, the customers really got under her skin sometimes. Having worked retail in the States, I could empathize.
One Saturday, my boyfriend and I were on a leisurely walk and ended up on the Champs. I'd never been in a Louis Vuitton but, feeling bold, I suggested we pop in to say hi to Noura.
The place was packed. It was as much an art gallery as anything else. We walked around, gawking at the luxury. Just as I thought to leave, someone called out, "Madame, there you are!"
Madame?
I turned and there was Noura, her eyes wide, smile tight, a few wisps of hair falling from a high bun. She was beside me in a second.
"Hi?" I said.
"Follow me?" she asked, voice tight, linking her arm in mine.
Back ramrod straight, she whisked us past display cases, groups of customers, and two women shooting daggers at her. Ignoring them, she led us into a small room with a window overlooking the Champs Elysée.
Noura's whole demeanor changed as we sat on a brown velour couch embossed with the LV logo.
"I'm so glad you're here. These two petasses have been giving me shit for the past half hour. I cannot take it anymore. You just stay here, yes? Do you want champagne?" she asked.
I looked at my boyfriend. We were severely underdressed for both the room and champagne. "Is it a problem if we're in here?" I asked.
"We can't buy anything."
She waved a hand.
"You're giving me a break. If I'm with a client in here, someone else has to cover the customers on the floor." She smiled and winked at me. "You're a lifesaver."
"Well," I said, "I guess we just have to have some champagne."
When Noura returned with two full glasses and a mischievous grin, I knew that nothing in Paris was out of my reach. Not even the Louis Vuitton VIP room!
-- Gia de Cadenet
Drop Gia a note via https://giadecadenet.com/contact/
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
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