The Man of Their Lives Read online

  “This way I’ll be able to drive around with you. Won’t that be awesome?”

  “Awesome? I’m not sure about that. You know I can’t stand sitting in the passenger’s seat! And this swanky car of mine, as you called it, it’s not appropriate for a beginner. You’ll smash it into a tree in a second!”

  “I’m sorry, but you have no choice. Statistically, kids who’ve had their learner’s permit and have done the supervision thing do better at the test and have a whole lot less accidents than the other kids.”

  “But I’ll be scared to death!”

  “Oh yeah? When you race against Aunt Alix, you think I’m not scared?”

  “That only happened once!”

  That was one time too many, and Louis had kicked himself after the fact. But he lost all sense of reason when he saw his twin on the road.

  Once in Paris, Louis said, “We’re eating at Fouquet’s. Does that sound good to you?”

  Frédéric winced. “Isn’t there somewhere a little less...”

  “Okay, you’re right. I know a bistro not far from Alix’s office that you’re going to like.”

  Frédéric didn’t feel like being stuck in a restaurant where a bunch of people, celebrities or not, would come over and say hi and interrupt their meal. He hated this part of his father’s life, found it disconcerting, intimidating even. On the rare occasion he accompanied him to a premiere or some party with bigwigs, he always felt out of place. Especially since his father would stand around with a fake smile on his face and a faraway look, as though he regretted the time he was wasting at those useless social calls. When enough was enough, they’d split and find some fast-food restaurant, happy to be just the two of them.

  On a quiet street, Louis pointed at the façade of the bistro he had in mind. “The food is good here,” he said, “and you can get a table without waiting an hour.”

  A table actually was free, near the window. They ordered roast beef, rare, and some Sancerre, red.

  When Louis pulled out his cigarettes, Frédéric asked him for one.

  “Go ahead,” Louis said. “But you really shouldn’t be smoking. I’m a bad role model for you.”

  “It’s not you. We all smoke in school!”

  “So why don’t you buy some for yourself? Your allowance isn’t big enough?”

  It was a question, not a reproach, and Frédéric smiled.

  “Yes, Dad.”

  “You know,” Louis said. “I’m not always sure I’m doing a good job at raising you, Fred.”

  Louis said that in a low voice, in a deeply caring way. He scrutinized his son’s face with curiosity.

  “What about drugs? Have you tried them?” he asked.

  “No. Not often...”

  “What does that mean, not often? What’s the limit? One joint? Ten? Fifty?”

  The waiter came back with the food, interrupting their conversation for a moment.

  Louis remained calm, but Frédéric could see the storm on the horizon.

  “Don’t tell me that you never drank or smoked a joint when you were my age. And it’s only during parties and stuff. What do you want me to do? Drink orange juice and chew gum? We’re not little saints, Dad. Nobody is. That dear Romain of yours, that excellent guitar player, Once I saw him saw passed out he’d had so much to drink. I’ve never done that!”

  “Okay,” Louis said, softly. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “What, Romain?”

  “No. Francine.”

  “Oh well, you do what you want! It’s none of my business.”

  “That’s not the point...”

  The beef was getting cold. Louis took a bite and chewed slowly, seemingly buying time.

  “I don’t want to make you upset,” he finally said. “Or make you sad by being in a relationship.”

  “What do you mean? Are you in love with her?”

  “No!” Louis said too quickly.

  “I’m sure it won’t be long before you’re hooked,” Frédéric said. “ I’m okay with you being with Ms. Capelan. It’s her son, though. I can’t stand the sight of that guy. And when I heard you bend over backwards for him...”

  “Me? What are you talking about?”

  “News travels fast in high school, Dad. Everybody knows that you’ve found Romain and his band a gig. It’s the first thing Richard told me this morning when I got there. I didn’t know anything about it, and that made me look like an idiot.”

  “Richard? Your buddy who plays the drums?”

  “Yes. He’s in Romain’s crummy little band. And if this keeps up, he won’t be my buddy much longer. Anyway, Richard said they were rehearsing last night and all they could talk about was this hall you found for them. They’re going nuts, they’re so excited. You have no idea the impact you have on those losers, because of your reputation and all…”

  Louis had lost his appetite and pushed his plate away from him, while Frédéric was now devouring his beef.

  “I…” Louis stammered. “I did promise that I was going to… But why do you care, Fred? What’s the problem?”

  Frédéric raised his head and glared at his father, fuming.

  “Just because his mother sleeps with you doesn’t mean you have to…”

  “Cut that out! I mean it!”

  Again, Louis could only get a look at the top of his son’s head, as he was now digging into his plate of fries. The feud between Romain and Frédéric was more serious than he’d though, which was going to complicate things. Louis sighed, suddenly exhausted again. Still, if it was up to him, he’d spend tonight with Francine again too.

  “Let’s go see your aunt now,” Louis said, trying to get the waiter’s attention so he could pay the bill. “We’ll see what she wants and then we’ll head back home. I know you have fencing practice at five.”

  He rarely forgot about Frédéric’s activities.

  “I can take the train, if you have stuff to do,” Frédéric said.

  “No need. I don’t think Alix is going to keep us long, and she better have a good reason for calling me over like that.” Louis smiled, trying to lighten the atmosphere a little.

  The agency was close enough to walk. Strolling, side by side, taking in the early afternoon sun, Frédéric looked like Louis at the same age. Both were slim, acne-free, able to go from laughter to melancholy in an instant. Louis was a God to Alix when they were teenagers. When heartbroken, she’d run to him. Sitting cross-legged on his bed, she’d wait for her brother to explain what was going on in boys’ heads. Already she thought she was too fat. She was insecure, and she needed reassurance from her brother. Even as teens they took baths together, until Grégoire found out. Though liberal-minded, he put an end to it. They were in complete osmosis then, two halves of a whole that readily excluded the rest of the world. When Louis had his first sexual experience, just before turning sixteen, Alix refused to talk to him for an entire week. Shortly after that, she found a boy so she could lose her virginity, too.

  “I think we went past the building,” Frédéric said, stopping in his tracks.

  Pulled from his reverie, Louis looked around him. “You’re right,” he said.

  They went back down the street and arrived at the right entrance. They raced up the stairs to the second floor, skipping the elevator. The second they stepped into the lobby, Alix’s receptionist pounced on them.

  “Mr. Neuville! Alix is waiting for you! She couldn’t wait for you to arrive! You’re in for a big surprise, you’ll see!”

  Frédéric followed them, frustrated at not being able to hang out in the lobby and try to talk to the two beautiful women who were standing by the water cooler.

  “Louis!” Alix exclaimed when he entered the office. “And Frédéric! Great, this way you’ll know about the news at the same time as your dad.”

  She pushed them both on the couch, went back behind her desk, and waited for the receptionist to shut the door. Then, in a dramatic gesture, she waved a folder in front of her face.<
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  “Do you know what this is?” she asked Louis. “This is the chance of a lifetime!And I am the one who managed to make it happen for you. I’ve been working on this for weeks…”

  She plucked the first page from the folder and held it up.

  “What can you read there, at the top? Uni-ver-sal… Yes, sir, Universal Studios! Hollywood, can you believe it? I had confirmation yesterday and they faxed everything this morning. Now you know why I didn’t want to tell you this on the phone. I wanted to see your expression when you learned the news. That’s my reward! So, what do you say?”

  “I still don’t know what you’re talking about…” Louis said patiently.

  “What do you mean? I got a contract for you from Hollywood. They heard your score to Setting Sun and they were blown away! And now they want you. A French composer—they’re enamored with the idea. So much so that I made them roll out the red carpet. You’ll be floored when you read the conditions I negotiated for you! The money! You leave… wait… You leave on the 28th. That’s next Sunday. I know, it’s short notice, but ‘ya gotta do what ya gotta do,’ right? I’m taking care of the plane tickets. And they got you a suite at the Chateau Marmont, on Sunset Boulevard. You’ll be there two weeks. Louis, you’re going to love Los Angeles!”

  Flabbergasted, Louis stared at his sister in silence.

  Frédéric whistled between his teeth and said, “Wow…”

  Alix glanced at Louis, who still was completely quiet. She knew him all too well and quickly added:

  “It’s a crime flick. Huge budget. They just started shooting, and they’ll send you the dailies as they go along. They emailed the screenplay to me. I’ll make a printout out so you can read it on the plane on your way to L.A. If you play your cards right over there, Louis, you’ll be set for life!”

  Then she turned to Frédéric. “As for you,” she said, “everything is taken care of. Laura, Hugues, and I will make sure you’re not alone. And as soon as he got the good news, your grandfather said he was going to spend a few days with you at the house. And you know, if you want to go to America one day, you should encourage your dad to have a career there. This is an amazing opportunity for him.”

  She finally paused, sank back in her chair, and waited for the congratulations to come. All she got was heavy silence.

  “Alix,” Louis said at last. “How come we’ve never talked about this until now?” His jaw was locked tight, his expression hostile.

  “It was too big a deal, Louis. I didn’t want to disappoint you if it fell through.”

  She handed him the contract and he leafed through it silently, frowning, while Alix gave Frédéric a wink.

  “They’ll provide you with the biggest recording studio you’ve ever seen and a top-of-the-line piano in your suite! What more do you want? A marching band when you arrive in L.A.? Cheerleaders?”

  She said it ironically, trying to trigger a reaction .

  “That’s all very nice,” he said slowly. “Thank you, but—”

  “There is no but!” Alix screamed, striking the top of her desk with her fist. “I’m warning you, Louis, if you turn your back on this offer, you can find yourself another agent.”

  She was now standing. Her eyes filled with fury.

  “Dad,” Frédéric said, his voice hesitant. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  Getting between these twins took a lot of courage, but his father’s attitude upset him. Instead of jumping with joy at this fantastic news, ordering a bottle of champagne and thanking his sister, all his old man could do was sit there with this sulky look on his face. Frédéric had never seen this look before.

  “I don’t want anyone to make decisions for me, Alix,” Louis said. “I’m not one of your silly actresses that you can throw a bone to and they’re all excited and happy-happy. When it comes to my projects, I have the right to know before anybody else. You don’t understand that creating is not just interpreting. My job is not simply to learn some lines by heart. I have to invent everything from scratch. That’s one hell of a difference! It’s all about inspiration. And now you decide to ship me to America, whether I like it or not, like I’m some sort of racehorse! And then I’m supposed to prove myself in two weeks, and come up with something they’re expecting, whatever that might be?”

  “You are actually scared!” Alix said. “I never thought that would happen to you. You’d rather stay in Paris, comfortably writing music for a shitty TV miniseries.”

  “You’re the one who made me do that! God knows it’s not something I was interested in!”

  “No? So what is it you want to do, exactly? Oh yeah, I forgot, you want to compose Manon Lescaut or Faust or something. Well, that was done one hundred years ago. Too bad. And who says you could compose something like that? Who the hell do you think you are anyway? Wake up! Come down to earth!”

  Louis jumped out of the couch so violently that Frédéric moved to the side. Alix did not move a hair as Louis stormed her way.

  “You’re nothing but a vulture, darling,” Louis said, his voice cold as ice. “And you’re right. Hollywood is showering us with money, you and me… And for that you’d sell both your mother and father, wouldn’t you?”

  He never saw her slap coming. At fifteen, he would’ve hit her back, and she knew it. At forty with his son room he couldn’t give in to that impulse.

  Appalled by what she’d just done, Alix grabbed Louis by the shoulders.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean… But you drive me mad. My cut on that contract, I’ll give it away to charity if you want me to. Just don’t miss out on this chance, I beg you…”

  Suddenly moved, Louis put his arm around Alix’s waist. She leaned against him her nose crushed against his chest.“You may never have another opportunity like this one, Louis. Do it!” she added.

  “I know, you’re right…”

  She looked at him to make sure he meant it, and saw the red mark her hand had left on his cheek.

  “I’m sorry I lost it,” she mumbled. “I thought you were going to turn it down.”

  Walking away from Louis, Alix turned to Frédéric.

  “You,” she said. “You didn’t seen any of this. You heard nothing. It’s a pain sometimes to have siblings. You’re lucky to be an only child!”

  Hands in his pockets, Louis looked calm. Though he remained standing, as if he were in a hurry to leave.

  “I’m going to take care of everything,” Alix said. “And I can help you pack on Saturday if you’d like. Your passport hasn’t expired?”

  “No.”

  Louis often travelled all over Europe, preferably by train, recording in Prague or Sofia or elsewhere. Sometimes he went to London or Madrid for the sole purpose of attending a special concert. He was only truly content at home. Alix was well aware of that.

  “I’m happy for you, Louis,” she said, her confidence back.

  “Me too, Dad,” Frédéric said, as he also got up. The scene that had just unfolded in front of his eyes had left him dumbfounded, almost traumatized.

  “Okay now,” Alix said cheerfully. “You two get out of my office! I have tons of work to do!”

  Louis kissed her as though he had no hard feelings whatsoever, and he left the room.

  * * *

  After his divorce, Antoine had kept the house Spartan, as if to erase all traces of Francine. He’d had a very hard time getting accustomed to her absence. Though he cursed her for abandoning him, he missed her terribly. Every second weekend, invariably, Romain came over. Antoine always insisted they spend Saturday evenings together to catch up. He didn’t want to lose touch with his son, but he didn’t realize that he imposed on Romain. If Romain had something important to do, he had to negotiate his freedom a long time in advance and make up for the lost dinner on another evening during the week.

  Romain liked his father, even though he preferred his mother and felt more comfortable with her. Particularly when it came to his hobbies. Antoine never liked the fact that Romain spent h
ours playing the guitar. To him, it was a waste of time. He understood sports, movies, hanging out with buddies, and all that. Even though he’d agreed to pay for music lessons a few years before, he didn’t come close to imagining how important music would be in his son’s life.

  Since they taught at the same school, Antoine often ran into Francine. He would nod to her, nothing more. When he saw Romain, though, he always went over to say hello and talk to the boy. In his colleagues’ eyes, he’d look like a poor schmuck who got dumped by his wife, but he kept a stiff upper lip. After Francine left, he tried to get custody of Romain. Losing the suit had make him even more frustrated. Though he’d admitted it to no one, the was was being by himself at night. How he missed Francine’s body beside him in bed! He’d loved her sincerely, had a great time with her. He still couldn’t understand what had made her leave him.

  He handed Romain a beer and tapped his knee in an affectionate gesture.

  “I bought stuff for a cookout tonight. I thought you’d like that. So, what’s new and exciting?”

  For the past five minutes, the teenager had wondered whether he should tell his father. He couldn’t decide.

  “Everything alright in school? I saw your report card—it’s pretty good. I know you like science and math best, but don’t neglect your French.”

  Antoine poured his beer in a glass and watched the foam for a bit. The door leading to the garden was open and he raised his head to admire the flower beds.

  “Did you take a look at my garden? I’ve been working like a dog out there lately.”

  Antoine loved buying seeds, planting flowers, digging in the dirt, pruning, and pulling weeds.

  “If you want to pick a few flowers for your mom tomorrow before you leave... By the way, how’s she doing?”

  “Well... She’s...”

  Romain hesitated once more but found the courage to blurt out, “She goes out once in a while these days. I’m happy for her. I think she’s met someone...”

  Romain figured his father might as well learn the news from him, since he wasn’t going to like it one bit.

  “Someone?”

  Antoine’s icy tone told Romain he’d been right to hesitate. His father would calm down before he saw his mother again. Until then, if he had to get angry, he might as well be far from her. After all, they were officially divorced and each had the right to do whatever they wanted without the other being offended.