[P'TIT CADEAU (euphemism) - the "small gift" French hustlers ask for to let you know they expect to be paid] Ben, an American art professor on a painting sabbatical in the south of France, rents a room in an isolated village to avoid the tourist crush. There he meets his landlady's brother, the sensitive and childlike loner Jean-Yves, whom the locals consider simple minded because he is and "different and ". Ben makes him his principal model and undertakes to build his self-confidence and prepare him to fend for himself.Jean-Yveshas never had a friend before. As they grow closer, Ben comes to realize the extent of the young man emotional needs, and his total dependence and unbridled devotion frighten him. Has he taken on more responsibility than he can handle? Should he allow himself to fall in love with Jean-Yves when he knows their relationship must end when his sabbatical is over?