Come (puff) away with me to Paris

Last night, I had dinner with Mr. J & his friends at Chili's- nice atmosphere, s0-s0 food but the bottomless tomato juice was simply divine!

Throughout dinner, he & his buddies chatted excitedly about the coming World Cup while me and Jo sat quietly across each other eating burritos.

Sigh, at least, seat us women together la, so we can goss or something. We were seated too far diagonally across that we mimed and pulled faces while the dungus blabbed on and on about football.

I glugged on tomato juice and requested for refills every half-hour until the young teenaged waiter refilled my glass without asking.

Suddenly, the football chatter came to a halt and Glenn announced:

Glenn - We've all decided to go to Germany to watch the World Cup. You gals want to join us?

Me - Can't. I'm going to London & France.

Jo - Cool, woman.

Mr. J - What?! You never told me that.

I realised yesterday that even 30-something men can be such boys - Why?!! How come?! Why you never tell me? and then proceed to pout and sulk in a corner all evening.

[Later, in the car, outside my apartment.]

Still sulking? Hmm?

No.

You can come with me, you know. It's not too late to get an airticket to London. After all, I've booked double-bed rooms.

I spent the next hour pacifying him. My bad too as I broke the holiday news to others and not to him first.

So I filled him in with my holiday plans, the places I can't wait to see in Paris- the magnificent art galleries, eclectic flea markets, quirky 2nd-hand bookshops, to-die-for cooking supply stores, gorgeous gardens and exquisite architecture. After listening to me ramble on and on about France, he pulled his arms around me and said softly, Sorry dahling, I was a dick just now.

*light bulb blinking in my head*

Hey, you know what. There's a world-class smoking museum in Paris, dedicated to smokers, people like you la. It's got great historical stuff on tobacco and smokers. See, Paris has got something for you.

Forgot to inform him that 3 out of 4 Parisian light up.