A French Girl in New York ( The French Girl Series #1)

Chapter 21

"Only when I'm on my best behavior," Thomas joked.

He quickly sobered up when he saw Matt, and a shadow covered his face.

"Thomas Bradfield meet Mathieu Beauchamp," Maude said, as she clearly hadn't seen Thomas's countenance change.

Matt looked back at Thomas with a sullen expression.

"We know each other," Matt said coldly.

Maude looked at the both of them, confused, and was about to ask them how they knew each other when she heard Ms. Tragent call her sharply from across the room.

"I have to go see Cathy for dress fittings. I'll be back in ten minutes," she said, leaving reluctantly.

When Maude was out of earshot, Thomas turned towards Matt and smiled a slow, arrogant smile.

"I'm guessing you haven't told her, have you?"

Matt's eyes darkened.

"I haven't yet because I didn't know you two were friends. Now that I know, I plan on telling her."

Thomas looked taken aback for a split second, then quickly regained a calm composure.

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"It doesn't matter what I want. It would be best if she knew."

"I'm not sure it's in your best interest. It seems to me you're only starting to become friends."

"I don't see how that is any of your business."

"You're right, it isn't. However, do you really want to jeopardize this new, budding friendship by telling her what you know about one of the closest friends she's had since she arrived in New York? While you were busy making fun of her, I was there to help her improve her vocal skills. I spent hours practicing with her every evening for hours and hours at a time. I would say it created a very strong bond between us. "

It was Matt's turn to sway, and he glared back angrily at Thomas.

"You're hesitating," Thomas realized. He laughed quietly. "You really like her, don't you?"

Matt remained silent.

"You know, she might not even believe you. And you can kiss her friendship goodbye and everything else as well."

"I'm warning you, Thomas, if you hurt her—"

"Hurt her?" Thomas exclaimed in mock disbelief. "I actually like her, Matt, and I think she likes me, too. You'll see that in a couple of minutes when we'll be on stage. Feel free to take a front-row seat," Thomas said as he walked away.

Matt looked at Maude from afar talking to his aunt on stage and steadied his breath. Before he could cool down entirely, Lindsey appeared suddenly in her nineteenth-century costume and almost made him jump.

"Hey, Matt!" She strutted towards him in her large, beige taffeta dress, holding up her skirts to keep them from sweeping the floor.

"Hi Lindsey," he greeted her gloomily "I hear you're playing the evil stepsister, Clorinda. Like they say: 'if the shoe fits."

"Yes, but I'm also Cinderella's understudy. Just in case something were to happen to Maude," she explained, obviously relishing the idea.

"Don't count on it."

"We should get together sometime."

"Don't count on that either," Matt repeated.

"Didn't the tabloids agree that we would make the hottest celebrity couple? We could write another hit together?"

"That's never going to happen," Matt answered firmly. "You and I have absolutely zero musical chemistry. You let me write 'Burning Bridges' entirely by myself, remember?"

His gaze drifted towards the stage to Maude who was also looking in his direction. She quickly averted her eyes. Lindsey followed Matt's gaze and pushed her hair angrily behind her ear.

"If I were you I wouldn't get too attached. We're all making bets on how much longer it will take before Thomas and Maude become an item. It's only a question of time, Matt," she declared before stomping angrily away, almost tripping over her dress as she did so.

Matt took a seat and waited, uneasy, for the rehearsal to begin.

Maude, singing, appears on stage, dressed in rags. She stops as she sees the Prince. It's love at first sight. Cinderella admires the Prince she thinks is a valet while the Prince is struck by Cinderella's beauty, grace, and simplicity. He wants to know more about her, her family, her name. But she tells him, humbly, that she doesn't know who she really is, that the Baron isn't her father, and that her family history is complicated and incomplete. Maude and Thomas were impressive as a couple. Thomas's tenor voice perfectly entwined with Maude's mezzo-soprano tones as they sang convincingly of love and enchantment.

Matt was unable to stand it any longer, and he noiselessly, but decidedly, left the theater. Oblivious to everything but her part, Maude felt a tinge of regret when she realized Matt had left before rehearsal was over. She hadn't thanked him for the great day she'd spent in his company. Perhaps "great" and "Matt" did belong in the same sentence after all.

Thomas stayed behind with Maude after everyone had left.

"You seem to be getting along better with Matt," Thomas observed when they were alone.

Maude's eyes brightened.

"We had an amazing time together today. We've made a lot of progress in the making of the album. Matt said we've found my first hit. We'll present it to James Baldwin soon."

"And did you manage to finish your song about Paris?"

"Actually, my song about Paris became 'Paris Versus New York City.' We were in a Mexican restaurant, and we came up with something really great on stage. Do you want to hear it? You could give me your honest opinion."

"Of course I'd love that," Thomas said, smiling. "What else are friends for?"

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