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When Marius and Cosette announced their engagement, no one was more thrilled than Courfeyrac: he adores them both, and is remarkably pleased that they had decided to spend their lives together. Marius asked him to be his best man, an offer Courfeyrac readily accepted, and Cosette sought his help with wedding planning -- particularly when it came down to making decisions about the catering.
For Courfeyrac is particular about food: he hates the term foodie and all of its classist implications, but he honestly believes that life is far too short to spend it eating meals that do not satisfy him both body and soul -- a philosophy that he also applies to his sex life. He loves to dine at the best restaurants in Paris, and he is an accomplished cook himself, as his mother had taught him the basics from an early age. There is nothing he enjoys more than preparing and serving a delicious meal for the ones he loves: he bakes cookies for Prouvaire and makes bread for Combeferre, and his bouillabaisse is one of the few things that will tempt Enjolras to stop speaking and actually eat.
It is a trait of his that both Marius and Cosette appreciate about him, even though neither of them share his passion: since he was disinherited, Marius lives on a diet of the cheapest foods he could find, sometimes skipping lunch because he cannot afford to buy food, while Cosette grew up on quick, simple meals her father had prepared for her during her tumultuous childhood.
So Courfeyrac decides to give them something he thinks is the perfect engagement gift: three days of cooking lessons in Normandy.
And as an added gift, he agrees to accompany them.
**
They leave Paris on a Sunday around noon, with Cosette behind the wheel of their rental car -- Marius is a very nervous driver, and Courfeyrac, a child of the city, has never bothered to learn, so the driving is left to the bride-to-be. She deftly maneuvers through the city and onto the autoroute that would take them north, where she picks up speed and rolls down the windows, letting the a warm, early summer breezes tangle her hair, pointedly ignoring Marius and Courfeyrac’s political bickering.
When they check in to the bed and breakfast Courfeyrac has reserved, they discover that a mix-up in reservations means that there was only one room available. "I'll call around and find a place to stay," Courfeyrac offers gallantly. “I’m sure there must be somewhere I can find a single room.”
Cosette touches his hand gently and shakes her head. "Stay with us," Cosette insists, as her fiance nods vigorously behind her. "There's plenty of room."
"I couldn't," Courfeyrac replies, shaking his head. "You're a couple -- you need your privacy."
"Courfeyrac, how many times did you let me stay with you when we were in law school? It will be fine," Marius reassures him.
So Courfeyrac agrees and lugs his suitcase up the stairs behind them -- as always powerless to resist two of his favorite people in the world.
**
The classes are scheduled to take place in a former 15th century convent, which makes Cosette laugh, recalling her own Catholic school education. "No nuns hitting me with a ruler if I don't behave, I hope," she jokes to the two men.
“I suppose it could be arranged, if that’s what you’re into,” Courfeyrac teases, enjoying the sight of Marius turning beet red.
On the first night, their task is simply to eat: the teaching staff has prepared a six course dinner, complete with wines, for them to enjoy and discuss. When they take their seats for dinner with their classmates, he finds himself seated next to Cosette, with Marius on the other end of the table. They watch him as he awkwardly tries to make conversation with a fellow guest while not spilling red wine on his best shirt.
"It’s Marius being Marius," Courfeyrac notes with a chuckle.
"Indeed," Cosette murmurs, her tone so dreamy it makes Courfeyrac uncharacteristically wistful -- and wondering if someone will ever speak about him that way someday.
**
The lessons start early on Monday, but they do not begin in the kitchen: rather, they go to a local market, where the participants visit various vendors and learn how to put together a shopping list, how to choose the best produce, how to bargain. Marius is his usual awkward self, knocking over a display and unintentionally insulting one of the sellers, while Cosette is cool and composed, sniffing fruit and wrinkling her nose as if she were a born chef.
But in the afternoon, as they move to the kitchen, the roles are reversed, and it’s Marius who excels: cooking is like mastering a foreign language to him, and he throws himself into it wholeheartedly. Cosette, on the other hand, finds herself struggling -- at one point, she cuts herself while slicing some vegetables and starts hopping around the room, her bloody finger in her mouth.
“Here, let me help you,” Courfeyrac offers, bringing her a towel to help staunch the bleeding.
“God, I’m terrible at this,” Cosette says, as one of the instructors brings a first aid kit and Courfeyrac starts to clean the wound and bandage her up. “It reminds me of when I was little, and I used to have to help Madame in the kitchen--” she trails off, shuddering at the memory of her abusive guardians.
Courfeyrac puts his arm around her and kisses her cheek. “It will be fine,” he tells her. “I wasn’t exactly a gourmet chef myself when I first started. Not everyone is a natural,” he says, catching sight of Marius, who is happily making a roux, a speck of flour on his nose. “Well, except for him.”
“He’s not a natural at everything, at least,” Cosette says. “There are plenty of things I had to show him when we first started dating.”
“And I’d actually taught him a few things before he met you,” Courfeyrac admits, and Cosette’s laughter resounds through the room.
**
They spend the rest of the day honing their skills in various aspects of cooking, followed by a more modest meal than the previous night -- although the wine still flows freely. This time Courfeyrac is seated next to Marius, while Cosette charms the couple on holiday from London, telling them about her failed knife skills and rhapsodizing about her fiance, sneaking glances at him every so often.
“Christ, Courfeyrac, what did I do to deserve her?” Marius asks after several glasses of wine -- none of which have ended up on his shirt. “She’s just so amazing. I knew it from the first time I saw her in Luxembourg Gardens.”
“You’re a good man, Marius,” Courfeyrac says, patting him on the back. “That’s what you did.”
Later that night, as Courfeyrac curls up on the chaise longue, he can hear rustling under the covers of the bed. He tries desperately not to listen -- when he and Marius were still living together, he was careful to always turn up his music when Cosette was visiting to give them their privacy, but in this tiny room, he is stuck, forced to listen to whatever they are doing over in the bed.
But all he hears is Cosette’s small voice, telling Marius how much she loves him.
And Courfeyrac cannot help but to smile.
**
The final day of the course is devoted to a single task: to prepare an entire meal, from appetizers to dessert. The instructor pairs them up for the task, and this time Marius and Cosette are together, while Courfeyrac is paired with a middle-aged American woman traveling alone. They share a similar sense of humor, so the day goes by quickly amid pleasant banter and lots of laughter. Occasionally Courfeyrac finds himself peering over at his friends, who are sometimes unsure in their preparations but who work together as a team: one chops while the other sautees, one measures out the ingredients while the other stirs.
They are perfect for each other, Courfeyrac thinks: they both complement and compliment each other. He has a vision of the two of them 30 years from now, still cooking together and still deeply in love.
And that vision makes his heart sing.
The dinner they prepare is less than perfect, but the group toasts its efforts heartily and savors every course they eat. Cosette’s eyes are sparkling, and Marius is flushed with happiness.
And Courfeyrac knows he has chosen his gift well.
**
That night -- their last night in Normandy -- the three friends stagger back to their shared room, completely satiated and more than a little drunk. Courfeyrac collapses on his makeshift bed, shielding his eyes with an elbow as Marius and Cosette get ready for bed.
When he opens his eyes, the room is dark -- and Marius is sitting beside him, his hand smoothing Courfeyrac’s curls off his forehead. “This was a wonderful wedding gift,” he says softly, leaning down to kiss Courfeyrac on the lips -- much like they used to when they were young law students sharing an apartment.
“Let us show you how much we appreciate you,” comes Cosette’s voice. Courfeyrac glances up and sees her, ethereal in just her white nightdress, sitting on the bed and beckoning him to join them.
That night, the perfect couple becomes the perfect threesome -- and more than ever, Courfeyrac finds himself satisfied both body and soul.