The Paris Match

Upon arriving at her Paris hotel, Layla is warmly greeted by her former sister-in-law, Emily MacKenzie. Emily is emotional, expressing deep gratitude for Layla’s presence despite the awkwardness of attending a wedding where Jamie MacKenzie, her ex-husband, will be bringing his new girlfriend—an arrangement that Layla claims doesn’t bother her. Emily introduces Layla to her fiancé, Michael Plackett, and his best man, whom Layla recognizes as the man from the plane, Griffin Testa. Griffin is cold and uncommunicative. When Layla mentions that they met on the flight during a medical incident, Griffin scowls. Michael informs her that Griffin has a fear of flying, explaining his behavior on the plane. To de-escalate, Layla describes Griffin’s intervention as “heroic,” which seems to annoy him further. Provoked by Griffin’s rudeness and determined to prove that she’s unbothered, Layla impulsively agrees to join Emily and her friend for dinner, forgoing her original plan to spend the evening recovering alone.

After getting ready for dinner, Layla encounters Griffin alone in the hotel elevator. He appears visibly ill, breathing heavily and sweating, and asks her not to tell Michael that she saw him in this state. He asks her if she’s Jamie’s ex-wife and scoffs at her claim that their divorce was “amicable.” Before leaving, he denies being afraid of flying. At dinner, Layla enjoys spending time with Emily and her boisterous friend Rosie. Layla learns that Griffin is a very private and wealthy recluse who doesn’t work outside the home. Annoyed by his behavior in the elevator but buoyed by the pleasant dinner, Layla goes to bed feeling optimistic that she can handle the wedding week.

Griffin stands anxiously outside Layla’s hotel room door early the next morning. He recalls Michael waking him up at four o’clock in the morning, completely devastated because Emily had told him that she’s having serious doubts about their wedding. She told Michael that something Layla said to her at dinner the previous night triggered her worries. Griffin knocks, and Layla answers the door in a robe, startling him. He tells her that Emily’s conversation with her has caused a crisis and that Layla needs to fix it. Layla is stunned and confused. Driven by a fierce need to protect Michael, Griffin demands that she meet him in the hotel courtyard in 15 minutes to resolve the situation.

Hungover and distressed, Layla meets Griffin in the courtyard, unable to recall saying anything that could have upset Emily. Griffin is impatient, pressing her for details of her conversation. He reveals that Emily came to Michael’s room late last night and confessed that her talk with Layla made her question their entire marriage. This leads Layla to a destructive realization: It may not have been something she said but her mere presence as a reminder of a failed marriage that triggered Emily’s doubts. Griffin informs her that Emily wants to cancel that evening’s welcome cruise for the wedding party. He insists that the wedding must happen for Michael’s sake and demands that Layla intervene. Feeling cornered, Layla promises that she’ll resolve the issue and ensure that the event goes on as planned.

Griffin walks through Paris, frustrated with himself for the way he handled the meeting with Layla. He meets a dejected Michael in a park. Griffin reports that Layla doesn’t remember saying anything problematic but has promised to fix the situation. Unconvinced, Michael expresses his deep fear of losing Emily, a sentiment that connects painfully with Griffin’s own past traumas. The conversation solidifies Griffin’s resolve to be a better support for his friend. He vows to stop reacting impulsively and to actively work with Layla to solve the problem, deciding that he must become a more capable version of himself for the remainder of the week.

Rosie texts Layla, summoning her to Emily’s messy hotel room where Emily is sick with anxiety. Rosie believes that Emily’s sudden cold feet are just a bad reaction to champagne. Alone with Layla, Emily explains the true cause of her panic: During their dinner, Layla casually mentioned changing her medical residency plans years ago to stay in Boston, Massachusetts, for Jamie. This small detail made Emily spiral, forcing her to confront the sacrifices she’s making for Michael, including an impending move to Germany for his job. Layla calms her down by suggesting that she take the week one day at a time, focusing only on her love for Michael. Emily agrees but extracts a promise from Layla: She must stay by her side for the entire week as her sole confidante, reminding Layla of her vow to “always be [her] sister” (90).

Griffin accompanies a nervous Michael to Emily’s room. Layla opens the door, and after an awkward standoff in the hall, Rosie’s arrival with pastries forces the issue, and Michael and Emily have an emotional reunion. Once they leave Michael and Emily alone, Layla tells Griffin that while the evening’s event on the boat is happening, she’s unsure if the larger problem is solved. True to his new resolve, Griffin insists that they leave the hotel together to talk. He advises her to bring sunglasses. Downstairs, Griffin initially suggests a café, but an overwhelmed Layla leads them away from the hotel and toward the Seine.

Down by the river, Layla relays her conversation with Emily, explaining the bride’s anxieties about her future with Michael. Layla is visibly tense, deliberately avoiding looking at the Parisian scenery, which holds memories of her honeymoon with Jamie. Griffin correctly guesses that she has been there before with her ex-husband. Layla outlines their new shared role: As the only two people aware of Emily’s doubts, they must support the couple by “acting normal” throughout the week’s events. Griffin observes that her current rigid and avoidant posture is unusual. Finally turning to face the river, Layla dismissively ends the conversation, telling him that she’ll see him at the cruise.

That evening on the welcome cruise, Layla successfully maintains a façade of calm as she greets her former in-laws, Robert and Manon, and other family friends. Griffin watches from a distance as Emily’s aunt Céline tells him that Layla and Jamie honeymooned in Paris. A tense moment arises between Emily and Manon when Manon suggests that Layla should volunteer to stay at a different hotel than the rest of the wedding party to make Jamie feel more comfortable. Furious, Emily insists that she needs Layla with her. Griffin steps in to pull Layla away just as Jamie arrives with his new girlfriend, Samantha. Layla stumbles backward into Griffin, and the unexpected physical contact is charged and intense for them both. She recovers and gives a flawless performance of amicably greeting her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Later, during a toast, Robert expresses gratitude to Layla for coming and noting that she’s “still like a daughter” (130). Then, Samantha stands up abruptly and vomits over the side of the boat.

The boat erupts in chaos. Jamie is immobilized by his weak stomach and refuses to attend to Samantha, while Emily is frozen in distress. Layla snaps into her doctor role and goes to assist Samantha, who is mortified and claims that she’s just seasick. While comforting her, Layla accidentally gets vomit all over her dress. Griffin strides over, takes Layla’s hand firmly, and announces, “We’re going,” leading her off the boat. In a rideshare, he informs her that they’re going to the Galeries Lafayette department store to buy her new clothes. Layla protests, horrified at the idea of returning to a place she visited on her honeymoon, but Griffin is insistent, telling her that they had to leave because “[they] weren’t helping” (141). After Layla finishes shopping, she confesses her fear to Griffin that she’s a distraction and that the wedding will become “the Is Layla Looking at Jamie? Show” (150). Griffin agrees, saying that she should “look at [him], then” (151).

Griffin stands before the Notre-Dame Cathedral at dawn. He reflects on his lifelong use of “pretending” as a coping mechanism and imagines the damaged cathedral as a hiding place for a “monster” like him. He replays his decision to create a plan with Layla: They will pretend to be new friends, sticking together at wedding events so that she won’t appear isolated or fixated on Jamie. He recalls their walk back from the Galeries Lafayette, where she reluctantly agreed to the plan. His mother calls, and he gives her a vague, positive update on his trip, mentioning only the sightseeing. He briefly explains the “messy” family situation with Layla and Jamie, which prompts his mother to warn him that he isn’t responsible for Michael. Griffin dismisses this, resolute in his plan to support his friend as he prepares for the day’s group outing to Versailles.