Paraphrased Text: Enchanted Cherries Part 1 The text: Magic Cherries Pt. 01
Maggie exhaled deeply as she made her way along the cobbled street, heading towards the market she'd been told was the best in town by the owner of the bed and breakfast. It was a unique experience to visit a place from her past with her present friends, and she couldn't help noticing how the memories resurfaced more effortlessly each time she had a moment of solitude.
The air around her carried tales. The chilly sea breeze, the grazing sheep high up in the mountains, and the omnipresent rosemary that seemed to permeate the hillsides of the European continent. All mingled together, evoking a flood of nostalgia. Vivid snapshots of her younger self, wide-eyed in her initial foray into living in a new country, flashed across her mind with each breath.
The approaching market stall, appearing only once a week, drew her out of her reminiscences. When Maggie asked Elene, the innkeeper where she was staying, where she got the jams served daily with breakfast, Elene had shown her around the fruit trees, herbs, tomatoes, and chickens in the backyard, but suggested she always splurges on cherries from Xavier at the market. Trust me, she gushed, it's worth the money.
Maggie concurred, and so now she found herself on a mission to search for these premium cherries. It was the end of May, and Elene revealed the first ones from the new harvest were just being picked. However, if there weren't any quite yet, Xavier, who cultivated the cherries on his farm and winery, would also sell jam from the previous year's harvest.
The market was on the outskirts of town, at the terminus of the zigzagging cobblestone street connecting the fertile lowlands to the base of the hill littered with the ancient church that gave the town its name. Saint Pierre de Castelnau - more French than Basque, as per France's policy of imposing its language. Local farmers and fishermen brought their wares here two days a week, on their individual schedules, and the local butcher was just a few meters away.
During this early spring season but still before the crowds arrived, Maggie discovered a mostly empty market but for a few chirping birds lurking about. She swiftly spotted the stall, noticing heaps of freshly picked green beans, striking peppers, and a handwritten list.
As she approached closer, she figured out the list was for the available cheeses. Her excitement surged when she recognized her beloved local favorite, brebis, among them. While mulling over her options, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Are you looking for something, Madame?"
"Oh, sorry," Maggie replied, just realizing the presence of a man before her, a look of amusement passing across his face as he perceived her startled reaction.
Fortunately, her French fluency had returned promptly during this trip. "Yes, in fact. Elene mentioned that the cherries in her exceptional jam come from you, so I came to check if you have any in season right now. You must be Xavier, I presume?"
Xavier's face lit up upon hearing Elene's name. "Yes, I am Xavier. It's a pleasure to meet you...."
"Lovely to meet you too. I am Maggie, or Marguerite in France, if you prefer." Maggie added with a smile, unaware that the youthful Xavier she'd envisioned from Elene's descriptions was actually quite handsome.
The smirk reappeared on Xavier's face as he pronounced her name impeccably in English. "Maggie, a pleasure to meet you. Unfortunately, the cherries haven't quite deemed themselves ready yet, so I won't have them at the market for another week. But I do have some jam from last year here, would you like to sample it with a slice of cheese?"
Maggie nodded her agreement, eager to indulge in the jam favored by her beloved brebis cheese. Xavier retrieved a block of cheese and a jar from a cooler, sliced off a portion, and opened the jar to spoon out a dollop of deep red liquid, crystals of cherry still visible within it, onto the cheese. He handed it to Maggie and started wrapping the cheese to store it.
However, Maggie had spiraled off into incomparable bliss. The union of the jam and her all-time favorite cheese, the custodian of countless memories, was intoxicating. She let out a moan of appreciation, her eyes shut, wholly immersed in her flavors. The absence of fresh cherries was easily erased at that instant.
Xavier glanced back at the noise, chuckling at the unexpected sound. The American woman was apparently more passionate, he decided, driven by her deep reverence for great food. He awaited her return to consciousness.
When Maggie's gaze returned to his, he inquired playfully, "Do you like it?"
Maggie, deciding her pride could be sacrificed for such luxuriating flavors, answered, "It's sublime. You create all this?"
Yes, Xavier replied. My mom's relatives are from the Basque region, and several years ago I acquired an antiquated vineyard in this area and worked hard to revive it. Thankfully, the soil is excellent, and the orchards had been cultivated years prior, they simply required a lot of TLC. So, I dedicate myself and discover my own heritage through the vines and plants that grow here.
Maggie sensed that this was only a tiny portion of a more significant narrative and yearned to learn more, but individuals were starting to converge at the market for their daily shopping. "I have loads of questions, but I shouldn't be diverting you! Can I purchase some of that jam though, before I leave?"
Xavier looked at Maggie once more, considering for a microsecond, and then beamed back, "In France, a beautiful woman is never a distraction. Sadly, I don't have the jam available for purchase today; I brought it exclusively for the cheese. However, if you'd like to sample the initial cherries of the year, I'll ask you to dinner tonight. Elene can guide you to my residence. I pledge to return you unscathed with jam in your possession and a sensation of tremendous satisfaction. Drop by at 7."
Maggie was still wrestling with this proposal when Xavier turned to an elderly man who made his appearance during their conversation and began packing for him an order that seemed customarily frequent.
In a daze once again, she retraced her steps along the cobblestone streets back to the guest house.
Elene was conversing with Maggie's friends in the garden, and the aroma of coffee and giggles filled the area. As Maggie took a seat for breakfast, Elene inquired about her visit to the market.
"Well," Maggie said, "Xavier invited me to dinner, and I devoured a slice of brebis and cherry jam that may have sent me to paradise already."
Elene chuckled in astonishment and approval. "Of course! Xavier considers his food quite seriously. But dinner! The ladies adore that guy but he only ever has eyes for his culinary endeavors and farming. That's surprising...a pleasant surprise, I'd say. You really need to have dinner with him. Anytime Xavier invites you over for a meal, you should consume it. Plus, you're in France. Allow yourself to indulge!"
Maggie found herself perplexed by her own decision to accept the invitation. Romantic dinners with strangers typically weren't her preference, but there was something about Xavier's cheerful gaze and the enthusiasm with which he discussed the cherry trees that intrigued her. And, come on, she was in France.
Read also:
- Yes, Darling
- Recruitment Specialist Chapter 9
- Madam Inanna's Life in FLR Continues: Part 2
- Day Two of The One-Way Voyage
Source: www.nice-escort.de
