It was all about letting her know what was pounding in his heart. Meeting the expectations & all in such a way that she would stand no chance but would have to concede to his true feelings. Will she understand? What was there not to understand? After all, he is an artist, he should be allowed at least some mitigating circumstances… But he was – so unfortunately – a mere artist of paints and crayons… and nevertheless the lousiest, most incoherent speaker. Perhaps… if he would let somebody else do the talking…

“…Michelle, ma belle, sont les mots que vont trés bien ensemble, trés bien ensemble…” He played this song obsessively and as loud as possible whenever she was at home. The beautiful French girl that had become his romantic interest and the only thing he could think of day and night was… his next door neighbour.

She only laughed at his petty attempts:

– Mademoiselle, if vous plait … bonjours… I’m a painter, I paint… He helped his words with large gestures that would mostly suggest he painted walls not canvas.

Two months have gone by and as his French improved his speech coherency grew worse. Whenever he saw her he would stammer.

– B-b-bonjours, ex-c-cusez moi! Je doits peindre!

He began seeing her face everywhere he went. Her beautiful smile saying something about “Fleurs du Rocaille”, her body weaving sparkles with sun cream… or wearing a beautiful Versace blue velvet dress at every street corner. Even the girl in the commercial add on the building his window had a view on, had changed into HER. All the while he was trying to get these hallucinations out of his mind through painting. If he couldn’t get her to pose for him, the least he could do is use all these visions to render the beauty of such a heavenly being.

He is now sadly drawing the final brushes to “Portrait d’un Ange” how he titled it. The Beatles tune is low for she is not at home. What’s all this fuss? Who’s at the door?

– Bonjours! Karl – the loveliest of voices, speaking plain English with an amazing French accent, walks into his apartment like she’s at home – this is the guy I told you about, the painter, and we are doing his vernisage. It’s going to be great for the image, we encourage new artists… Dear neighbour, meet my agent Karl… he’ll be in charge on behalf on our modelling agency to organise a show room for you. I hope your work is as good as the music you listen to, only with a bit more variety. Oh, mon Dieux, mais ça c’est moi-même! Vous avez fait mon portrait! Mais, comment ça? C’est superbe! If I only knew! You should have told me! I would have modelled for you… This is so sweet! Thank you!

And she kisses him just like that. All these months he wasted…

– Well, what do you say about the whole thing, the exhibition?

– (whispers in a sigh)…Je vous aime! …