Chapter Twelve

“I AGREE. THIS IS THE BEST BRIDGE in Paris.” Kate grinned as she leaned over the railing on the Pont des Arts. Her long red hair twisted into a single braid that hung down her back. She wore a T-shirt and jeans, her feet clad in sandals.

Acacia surveyed the crowded bridge from behind her dark sunglasses. “But today there are too many people.”

Kate groaned, still leaning over the edge. “Forget the padlocks, the lovers, and the tourists taking selfies. Just look at the Seine.”

Acacia followed her gaze. The river flowed beneath them, dotted here and there with riverboats. Since the water was still too high, many of the boats approached the bridge slowly before turning around and sailing away.

“People come, people go. The river flows.” Kate sighed. She rested her chin on her upturned hand.

Acacia removed her sunglasses. “Why so melancholy?”

The breeze blew a strand of red hair into Kate’s mouth, and she pulled it free. “I’m homesick, but I can’t go home. I have to earn some money, and I have to haunt the library, researching my thesis.”

Acacia replaced her sunglasses. “I only go home at Christmas. Even then, Recife doesn’t feel like home anymore. It’s funny. I get homesick for Brazil, but every time I go back, it isn’t like I remember it.”

“Yeah, Boston is the same way. I just miss my mother and my brother.” Kate turned and placed her back against the railing. She squinted in the bright sunlight. “How’s the job search?”

“Not good.” Acacia continued to look down at the Seine. “I’ve sent out applications, but only two of them were for concierge positions. I received rejection notices almost immediately.”

“Why?”

She lifted a shoulder. “It could be because I haven’t been at the Victoire very long. It could be because my manager is blackballing me.”

“If he wanted to get rid of you, wouldn’t he help you get another job?” Kate gave her an apologetic look. “No offense.”

“I haven’t earned his respect, so he won’t vouch for me. His voice carries a lot of weight, and unfortunately, the hospitality world is surprisingly small.”

“I’m so sorry.” Kate gave her a pained look. “How’s the night shift?”

“It’s all right.” Acacia closed her eyes behind her glasses, suddenly feeling tired. “Even though I wasn’t the senior concierge, I always worked the day shift. Depending on the day or the time of year, sometimes I worked with other concierges and sometimes I worked alone.”

Acacia opened her eyes. “The night shift concierge always works alone, and the workload is less, which means it’s often boring—until it isn’t. The requests I’m receiving from guests are rather…exotic. And I don’t mean requests for tickets to Le Crazy Horse or Moulin Rouge.”

She and Kate exchanged a look.

“I’ve been on nights for two weeks, and I still can’t adjust. Sleeping in the day, working at night—I feel like a vampire.”

“Is there such a thing as a Brazilian vampire?”

“Some of the most dangerous vampires are Brazilian.” Acacia gave her a solemn look before laughing.

“What are you going to do?”

She joined Kate at the railing. “Hopefully, find another job before the manager fires me.”

“I thought it was almost impossible to fire someone in France.”

“It is, if the firing is done legally. In my case, the manager knows my work permit is tied to my job. I have to find another job in order to get another permit. That jeopardizes my residency in France, and it also puts me at a disadvantage with other employers. They’d have to apply for a permit for me.”

“Isn’t that what happened before?”

“Yes, but when I started at Le Méridien Étoile, I was on a student visa. They applied for a work permit for me just before I graduated. When the Victoire recruited me, they modified my existing work permit. I’ve never been between jobs here, and I’ve always had legal immigrant status.”

“My brother is a lawyer in Boston. Do you want me to ask if his firm can recommend someone here?”

Acacia shook her head. “I’d likely be deported before I could pursue a lawsuit, and my manager knows it. He’s just biding his time until he can give the personnel office a plausible reason to let me go, even if it isn’t entirely legal.”

Kate’s green eyes sparked. “Won’t the personnel office intervene?”

Acacia leaned over the railing. “I’m just the night concierge now. And not everyone is sympathetic to the plight of immigrants.”

“That’s ridiculous. We’re all immigrants or descendants of immigrants. People act as if contemporary nation-states were handed down from heaven, borders intact.” Kate gazed down at the river once again. “What about returning to the Sorbonne? You could switch to a student visa.”

“I could, but I think I’d have to go back to Brazil while I applied. I’d have to give up my apartment.” Acacia shook her head. “I love that apartment. I don’t want to lose it.”

“What about the hot BRB agent who’s been dropping by? Can he help?”

“He’s my ex.”

Kate put a hand to her heart. “The hot BRB agent is your ex? Are you kidding?”

“We dated when we were students.” Acacia focused on one of the tour boats that sailed beneath them.

“I can’t believe you have an ex with that level of hotness.” Kate pretended to fan herself. “Why are you exes? Is he a jerk?”

Acacia rubbed the toe of her shoe against the railing. “No. And yes, he’s hot. But he’s a BRB agent.”

“I wouldn’t want to date a cop, either. But when his hotness is enough to power the city of Paris, I think I’d make an exception. Holy cow.”

Acacia stifled a laugh.

Kate shaded her eyes with her hand. “There’s a story there, but we need lots of chocolate and a bottle of wine for me to pry it out of you.” She rummaged in her pockets and withdrew a few Euro coins. “What’s the cop’s name?”

“Luc.”

“Since he’s your ex, I’ll dub him Agent What-A-Shame, because again, that level of hotness should be illegal.”

“I could introduce you,” Acacia said quietly.

“Absolutely not. You’re my friend.” Kate closed her fingers over the coins and brought them to her mouth, blowing on them before muttering a few words in English. She threw them over the side of the bridge, where they barely missed a barge.

“You’re going to get arrested.” Acacia looked over her shoulder and scanned the bridge. “You aren’t supposed to throw things into the Seine.”

“No one noticed. If someone comes by, we’re tourists and neither of us speaks French. Or perhaps we can ask Agent What-A-Shame to bail us out.” Kate winked. “I just made a wish. I asked the river to help you.”

Acacia fought a smile. “You think the Seine is going to find me another job?”

“Yes.”

“You’re thinking of the Trevi Fountain in Rome. You throw coins into it and make a wish.”

“Fountain, river, whatever. I made a donation to the river gods and asked them to help. I’m pretty confident they’ll do something, or they’ll have to refund my money.”

Acacia snickered. “I appreciate the thought.”

“I’m here to help.” Kate cupped her hands around her mouth. “Come on, Seine. Don’t let me down.”

Over the sound of Acacia’s laughter, her cell phone rang.

She glanced at the screen. “I’m sorry, Kate, I should take this. It could be someone calling about a job.”

Kate waved her off and continued to lean against the railing.

“Hello?” Acacia stepped a few meters away.

“Good afternoon,” a mature female voice said. “May I speak with Acacia Santos, please?”

“This is she.”

“This is Madame Bishop of KLH. We represent a number of corporations and assist them in finding exceptional employees.”

The mere hint of hope caught in Acacia’s throat. She moved the phone away from her mouth to cough quickly. “Yes, madame. May I ask how you got my name and number?”

“We are an executive search firm and have contacts in the hospitality industry. At the moment we are assisting a number of clients who are looking to hire persons with concierge experience. I understand you’re currently employed as concierge at the Victoire?”

“Yes, madame.”

“Would you be interested in interviewing with us? This isn’t an offer of employment. But if your interview is successful, we can attempt to match you with a client company. Our client list includes multinational corporations as well as French companies, and they all offer generous remuneration and benefits packages.”

Acacia shut her eyes tightly and tried to contain her excitement. “Yes, I’d like to interview. Thank you.”

“Could you come in Friday afternoon, say at two o’clock?”

“Yes, I’m available then.”

“Excellent. We are located in the financial district of La Défense. When you arrive, tell reception you have an appointment with me. I’ll be expecting you promptly at two.”

“Of course. Thank you, madame.”

“In the interim, I’d suggest you look at our website and familiarize yourself with the guidelines for prospective employees. Please email my assistant a cover letter and your curriculum vitae, along with any supporting documents.” Madame rattled off the email address of her administrative assistant.

“Yes, madame. Thank you again.”

Acacia ended the call and tucked the cell phone under her chin. Her heart beat quickly, and she found herself smiling.

It wouldn’t do to be excessively optimistic. A job in the corporate world would be different from one in hospitality. Still, it was too good an opportunity to turn down.

Acacia dug into the pockets of her jeans and withdrew a handful of coins. She crossed over to where Kate stood and surreptitiously dropped them into the river.

“What was that for?” Kate asked as she watched the Euros breach the surface of the water.

“I’m just showing my thanks to the river gods.” Acacia lifted her hands into the air. “I think my luck has changed.”