"Proper filling?" asked Zhi Rou inquisitively. "There is an improper way to make it?"
"Hmm, Yes it would seem so," replied Julian in a vague tone of voice.
To tell the truth, he had no idea either. He had just eaten several types of macarons and had decided that the type that he liked the best was the proper way to make it.
"I don't think they sell the ones with a jello-like filling here though. As they are selling them in the Louvre I think the Parisians would get angry if they sold bad sweets."
"Oh, that makes sense," said Zhi Rou.
While they were talking she started to gravitate towards Julian and ended up so close that their arms would brush as they walked. She was wearing light blue shorts and a loose-fitting grey cotton T-shirt and he was wearing a white linen T-shirt and shorts so there was nothing between them when they touched.
Feeling his warm body right next to her along with the mix of pine needles and the sweet desserts that were in the store right in front of them Zhi Rou started to feel a little faint. Not wanting to make a mistake again like last time she was on the stairs. She quickly pinched herself in the leg.
'Ouch' thought Zhi Rou as she released her hand, 'but at least my head is clearing up. I don't know why I can't think straight when I am next to him. For some reason, I get so nervous that I am having trouble breathing.'
As she thought about her condition Julian slowly chuckled.
Obviously, he had seen his wife slowly draw close to him and then go red like a tomato when their arms touched, but he did not think that she would pinch herself to clear her mind. It made him a little bit pleased that her heart was racing when she was with him, but the fact that she had to hurt herself to remain sober was bothering.
'what if she gets a bruise from pinching herself?' Thought Julian
'I should help her get over this habit soon so that her heart can race from other things like...'
Glancing at his wife, he made sure that she didn't notice anything unusual about him.
'It would be annoying if she found out about what he wanted to do with her before they formally start dating.' Reassured that nothing was unusual he brought them over to the store.
"Do you want to have one of every type to try?" asked Julian in front of fifty types of different macarons. "I personally like the chocolate and raspberry ones."
"I'll have those then, and maybe some others to try," Replied Zhi Rou "Can you pick for me?" Looking at Jie Feng she translated what Julian said to her.
Looking grumpy from being ignored the whole time, she looked up at Zhi Rous glowing face and her newfound boyfriend.
'Ah the sacrifices I make for my friends,' she thought as she said "actually I'm feeling kinda sick, why don't you both go eat without me. I'll meet you at the park."
Feeling sad that she didn't even get to try one macaron the third wheel quietly shed a tear as she left. Looking at her friends departing back Zhi Rou silently had a moment of silence for her wonderful friend.
'I must remember to buy her something good when I get back.'
"She said that she didn't feel so good so went to see if the teacher have any pain medication."
"Oh, that is a shame, I'll buy her some macarons so that she can eat them when she gets better," said Julian.
'Hmm, considering she is best friends with my foodie wife she must have been influenced by her. Will fifty macarons surface as a bribe?'
He finally decided that it was too annoying to think too long about it when he could be spending precious time talking to his wife and so he just went up and ordered.
"Can you give me two gift boxes with one of every kind in them and I want ten chocolate macarons and ten raspberry macarons for us to eat outside."
"What is with the gift boxes?" asked Zhi Rou.
"One is for you to try each flavor and the other is for your friend." He didn't mention that the only reason he was buying her friend a gift box too was to gain her support for the future.
'After all,' thought Julian. 'Upsetting his wife's best friend would not be a very wise thing to do so early on.'
Receiving the check from a slightly shocked attendant he quickly paid the exorbitant price that they charged in the Louvre before his wife could see him.