“Kai just told me he’s riding his motorcycle everywhere. Reminds me of Rev,” Naomi said to Stella.
“Who is Rev?” Kai asked. “Boyfriend?” He looked from Stella’s to Naomi’s ring fingers. “Husband?”
“He’s a very good friend,” Naomi said.
Stella turned to the bartender and ordered a glass of wine, then asked Kai, “What brings you to Paris?”
“It’s my summer vacation, and I’m planning to spend three to four weeks in France. Bee and I got here two days ago, and we’re probably staying another day or two.”
“Bee?” Naomi asked.
“My bike! She needs a name if I’m riding her, and ‘Beemer’ sounds too male for my taste.” He raised one eyebrow and grinned.
Naomi almost spit out her drink and reached for a napkin.
What a stupid comment. Stella tried not to roll her eyes and asked, “Where are you going next?”
“Not sure, but I think the D-Day beaches are calling me.”
“Oh, maybe we’ll run into each other there,” Naomi said. “We’re leaving for Normandy tomorrow, too. Wouldn’t it be fun to bump into each other somewhere?”
He laughed and put his beer on the counter. “Why not... Ladies, please excuse me for a moment. Will you still be here when I come back?”
“Sure, Stella just ordered her drink,” Naomi said, taking a sip of her own wine.
As soon as they were alone, Naomi said, “Should we ask Kai if he wants to join us for dinner?”
“Why not? He seems nice.” She didn’t really care, but his presence would make it less likely the conversation would turn to David.
When Naomi asked Kai about his dinner plans, he replied, “Sorry, I can’t. I’m meeting a group of people for a night tour of the catacombs.”
“The catacombs?”
“There are over three hundred kilometers of old tunnels and caves beneath Paris. You can take a tour and visit a small section during the day,” his voice dropped, “but there are always cataphiles around willing to take people down there after dark.”
Naomi cocked her head. “How far is three hundred kilometers in miles? I can never get it sorted out. And what’s in the tunnels? Why do people want to see them?”
“It’s a little less than two hundred miles. All kinds of crazy things are happening down there. I heard about caves set up as bars for parties, I heard about a mushroom-growing business, a movie theater, and some people just get a bang out of spending the weekend in the tunnels.”
“Why would people want to go underground overnight?” Stella asked.
“It adds a new kick to it. There was something on the news last week about a new tunnel or cave being found. The department overseeing the tunnels announced they’re closing the catacombs for the time being. I can’t wait to meet the guys and go down myself.”
“You just said they are closed,” Stella said.
“Yeah, our tour’s not really an official one, which makes it more fun.” He finished his beer. “But I get it’s not for everybody. The underground tunnels were used to bury people in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when Paris ran out of space for cemeteries. The bodies were just carted away and dumped there so they didn’t stink up the city. It’s morbid, but also exciting, don’t you think?”
Stella said, “No, not really. Pretty creepy if you ask me.”
Naomi said at the same time, “If I had known about them, I might’ve gone on one of the tours.”
Stella shuddered. “Wouldn’t surprise me, but not with me.”
“Well, ladies,” Kai got up, “I better get going if I want to find the meeting place. Enjoy the rest of your time in France.” He looked at Naomi and winked, “I’ll look out for you in Normandy!”
When Naomi excused herself and went to the bathroom, Stella used the solitary moment to check her phone. No reply from David. He’s obviously not too upset about my refusal to meet him. For a moment, she was lost in thought and rotated the phone in her hands.
“I hope you’re not checking for messages from The Undesirable. By the way, did you hear anything from Luca or Revan? Wasn’t Rev coming home today?” Naomi peeked over Stella’s shoulder.
“He said Sunday or Monday, and with him you never know. It could be any day. But I haven’t heard from Luca, which surprises me a little.”
“Well, you got what you wanted. You said you don’t want to hear from anybody while we’re here.” Naomi reminded her.
“True! Did you hear anything new about your grandma?”
“Gram’s making Mom wait on her hand and foot. Knowing Mom, it won’t last long,” Naomi said. “Let’s go, dinner’s calling.”
CHAPTER 14
Stella—July 2018
“R
ise and shine, sleepyhead,” Naomi’s cheery voice blasted out Stella’s eardrums, even from her side of the room. “Let’s hurry so we can grab a cup of coffee and something to eat before we leave.”
Stella was exhausted, and being rushed didn’t improve her mood.
She wasn’t a morning person, and preferred to have a cup of coffee in solitary silence before she started her day. Naomi, on the other hand, was an early bird and had no problem chatting away as soon as she opened her eyes. Most of the time she didn’t even require a response. An occasional grunt or “Uh-huh” was enough.
“What happened to you? You look awful!” Naomi peeked over the half wall between their beds. “What’s up with the red, puffy eyes?”
“Thanks a bunch!” Stella snapped. “If you need to know… I watched movies most of the night.”
“Let me guess,” Naomi said while she pulled clothes out of her suitcase and headed toward the bathroom. “Mamma Mia?”
Stella covered her face with a pillow. Please!! Only ten more minutes…
“I hope it wasn’t Moonstruck! I don’t know why you keep watching that old flick. It was filmed before we were even born.”
Stella could feel a headache coming on. She didn’t want to have this conversation right now. She needed
