Mulled wine

Normally I write incognito, under the radar.   
But this one's for Marie Amsler who made me a movie star (!!!!) and hasn't given up on me since.

I arrive early and she arrives late.  

In the interim Camille brings me a mulled wine and we watch the snow fall over the town.  

Thierry comes in for his second coffee.

Catala shimmies into the back room to do whispered notarial  business
. 
Hugo brings a gust of wind in with him, leans down to kiss me and I'm moved by his height and charm and the memory of his small three year old  face in the side window of Paulette's bus as she drove my crying daughter away to school each morning.

The snow falls heavier and I go outside for a smoke.  

Laurent has based himself on the terrace of the café next door;  he calls me over and shows me a sketch he made of me a couple of days ago.  
I chide him for carrying his art stuff around in supermarket bags but he says it's good for his equilibrium. 

Thierry comes out with his coffee and we watch the snow fall over the town.

Marie arrives and describes the polar north and the aurora borealis.  She gives me books to read and the motivation to write. 
.