Une rencontre à Paris

Story Summary

Twenty-eight-year-old art teacher Marie sits nervously in a Parisian café, waiting for her blind date. Her friend Sarah has set up this meeting with Philippe, a thirty-year-old bookstore employee who shares her love of books and cats. Wearing her lucky red scarf, Marie mentally rehearses what she'll say.

Philippe arrives by literally walking straight into a chair, which breaks the ice in the most adorable way. They order coffee and food from a hilariously slow waiter who moves like he's underwater. What starts as awkward small talk quickly blossoms into lively conversation about their shared interests.

They discover their cats are equally crazy: Marie's Picasso only eats expensive food and fetches exclusively blue pens (why only blue ones?), while Philippe's Hemingway sleeps on his keyboard and sends bizarre emails when he's not looking. These cat stories spark laughter and create an instant connection.

Marie shares funny stories about teaching teenagers who have creative theories about art - like thinking the Mona Lisa smiles because she forgot her homework. Philippe confesses he almost drank cat food this morning after accidentally putting coffee in Hemingway's bowl.

Time flies as they chat over Bordeaux wine. Two and a half hours pass in what feels like minutes. When it's time to leave, they eagerly exchange numbers and plan a second date at a book market near Notre-Dame.

The story ends hopefully as both text Sarah to thank her for the perfect match. Though their respective cats couldn't care less about their romantic adventures, Marie and Philippe know they've found something special. Paris becomes even more beautiful when you meet someone who makes time disappear.