“So, did you watch one or both?” Naomi was in pit bull-mode.
“Both. I just told you I couldn’t sleep.”
“Did you even try to? Maybe we need to get you a sleep mask like the one Audrey Hepburn wears in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
“Can we please not talk about it right now? Go get ready.” Stella got out of bed and stowed her tablet and charger in her carry-on.
“Yup, but we’ll talk later.” Not waiting for an answer, Naomi closed the bathroom door, and Stella heard her turn the shower on. She let out a sigh of relief and picked out her clothes for the day, then looked around for stray personal items and shoved them in her suitcase.
What Naomi didn’t know was, not only had she watched two movies, she had also pulled up videos on YouTube. “One of Us” still played in her head. The beautiful, timeless music of ABBA always spoke to her.
“Which is why I watch those movies when I’m feeling down!” She looked in the mirror and said, “Because the music helps me through tough times.”
“Are you done talking to yourself?” Naomi interrupted her thoughts.
“Wow, you’re done? Did you speed-shower?”
“Yes. I told you I wanna have breakfast. The bathroom’s all yours! I’ll blow-dry my hair here.”
Naomi plugged in the hairdryer but didn’t turn it on. She said, “And I put my eye cream next to your cosmetic bag. Use it! I know it covers up oopsies from the previous night.”
“When was the last time you cried yourself to sleep?” Stella laughed.
“It’s been a while, but I might’ve had a few late nights with little sleep and needed to look presentable in the morning.”
Stella gave Naomi a tight hug. “You’re the best.”
“I’ll remind you again after we have our little chat.”
Forty-five minutes later, Pierre came to their table and said, “Excuse me, there is a gentleman at the front desk asking for you. He says he’s from Merveille Tours.”
“Thank you, Pierre, and please tell him we’ll be there in two minutes,” Naomi replied.
On their way out, Stella stopped at the breakfast buffet. “Wait, I’ll get a coffee-to-go. Do you want one?”
“Yes, good idea.”
The man who waited for them was in his mid-fifties and wore a baseball hat saying France 2018 over his graying hair.
Naomi held out her hand to him. “Hi, I’m Naomi Winters, and this is Stella Harrison. You’re from Merveille Tours?”
“Yes, I am. My name is François Moyenne, and I’m your driver. Allow me to take your luggage to the bus while you are checking out.” He spoke English with a strong French accent.
“Thank you, François,” Naomi said.
Pierre offered, “Give me a moment to show Monsieur Moyenne your bags.”
Outside their hotel, a woman waited for them in front of a minibus. She was impeccably dressed in a dark gray, above knee-length wrap dress accentuating her petite figure, and wore her black hair in a shaggy pixie. Stella guessed her to be in her forties, and the youthful haircut looked great on her. “Bonjour, please step in.”
All the seats in the front of the bus were occupied, but Stella didn’t mind sitting in the back, where they had four seats to themselves. As soon as they sat, she looked around, counting fourteen guests, including her and Naomi.
After the woman joined them on the bus, she said, “Good morning, everybody. My name is Caroline Gulliver, and I am excited to be your guide on this tour to some of the most romantic locations in France. On behalf of Merveille Tours de Luxe, François and I welcome you aboard! I know you haven’t all met yet, but instead of calling out names on the bus, I suggest we do it at lunchtime, when we can sit around a table and look at each other.”
A few people nodded, and Caroline continued, “While François is trying to get us through the rush hour traffic, I’ll give you a short overview of the next few hours, and then I’ll hand out information packages with more details about the next four days, including our hotels and schedules.
“As you all know, Merveille Tours has established a reputation as one of the leading travel providers for deluxe weekend and destination getaways in France. We are planning to add luxury honeymoon packages starting next year. The travel agencies you represent are our most valued business partners on the East Coast of the United States, and we’re excited to have you with us on this maiden voyage. It is our way of thanking you for your patronage and support. We need your continued help in selling our travel packages, and we’re hoping your feedback about the hotels and locations we visit will help us choose the best ones for our customers. You are our guinea pigs, so to speak.”
Her comment was greeted by some good-natured laughter.
“According to our research, France is among the top ten honeymoon destinations worldwide. Twenty-five percent of marriages are destination weddings. Eighty percent of the couples who have a destination wedding have been married before. People are willing to spend more money on weddings than ever before, especially those taking the step for the second or third time. We want to be there with those newlyweds and make sure they have a memorable beginning of their happily-ever-after.”
Stella leaned close to Naomi’s ear and said, “Excuse me, you brought me on a honeymoon tour?” It took a lot of effort not to shout the word.
“Well, it is also a tour of Normandy, Brittany and some Loire Valley castles. Who cares about the spousal nirvana nonsense?” Naomi didn’t look at her but focused on the couple two rows in front of them, holding hands and sharing a secret smile.
“Me, for example,” Stella hissed. “I hope we don’t have to taste test wedding cakes for the next four days?”
“Oh, shush. We’ll have fun.”
Caroline continued, “The highlights of this tour are the coastal towns of Honfleur, Arromanches, Saint-Malo, and Mont Saint-Michel, and we’ll end with a few
