As she searched through the rentals in Paris, she thought back to when she was living there in her twenties. She rented a tiny apartment on the 5th floor of an apartment block in the Marais. It was a great place to live and only a few stops on the Metro to her work at the Musée D’Orsay. She was trained as an art restorer and was happy to have landed a job at such a prestigious Muséum.

She adored her work although she found it difficult initially, being so young. The other restorers were older and a little resentful of her youth. All except Henri, the head of her department. He took her under his wing from day one and through him she learned so much about the conservation of many beautiful paintings and works of art in the Muséum.

Henri knew many people in Paris and introduced her to his circle of friends. She attended many soirées and exhibitions and gradually began to meet other people. One evening she was invited to the first exhibition of a promising new artist who had produced some incredible work. As she stood admiring one of the paintings, Henri came up to her and introduced one of his many friends.

“This is Patrick” said Henri. Patrick took her hand and kissed it. “Enchanté mademoiselle”. He was an antiques dealer who dealt in valuable pieces of art and furniture. He was charming, handsome and very easy to talk to. They found a seat and sat down. Patrick waved to the waiter who came over and poured them two glasses of champagne. They talked about art and Paris and her work and by the end of the evening, they had exchanged numbers and arranged to meet the following week.

“Just one thing” said Patrick. “What is your name?”

“Mimi” she said. And so it began