21That night Molly set off for Chez Papa, hoping to catch Nico alone but dreading the prospect. It was a typical October night as she drove in on her scooter—a few couples out taking a walk in the cool evening, a kid riding a skateboard, otherwise empty streets—but for once, Molly didn’t pay attention to the village, instead lost in her own thoughts until she parked outside the bistro. The scraggly tree was lit up with a string of lights but it looked half-hearted instead of festive, with one light blinking and two others dark. She saw the place was crowded and wasn’t sure whether to be disappointed or relieved.
“Nico,” she said, nodding when they made eye contact.
“The usual?” he said, smiling and picking up the bottle of cassis.
“Not tonight,” she said. “How about…let’s see, oh, make
