“Our plane leaves Friday evening, so we’ll have to hustle to put your travel information into the system. I’ll call the airline as soon as I’m back at the office and transfer Mom’s ticket into your name. I contacted them already and explained the circumstances.”
“Sounds great. Let me know what I owe you.”
“If there’s a fee, Mom covers it, since she’s the one who’s dropping out. She has insurances for everything. Anyway, we’ll have two days in Paris on our own, and meet with the group on Monday morning. The days in Paris aren’t included in the tour. We need to pay for meals and sightseeing, but Mom covered the hotel.”
“That’s very generous of your mom. I’ll have to think of a way to thank her.”
“Oh, shush, she wouldn’t hear of it. She wants us to have a good time.”
For the next half hour, they chatted about what kind of clothes to pack and googled the weather forecast. Should they bring euros, or exchange money in France? Would they have the opportunity to dress up in the evenings?
After Naomi left, Stella ran upstairs and pulled out her suitcase. A week-long vacation was exactly what she needed. Her memories wouldn’t be able to follow her there.
CHAPTER 6
Stella—July 2018
“W
ho comes up with those weird names for nail polish?” Naomi turned a small bottle of indeterminable color upside down and squinted. “It’s called ‘After Dark.’ Is this green, black, brown, or purple? It should be called ‘Mudslide in a Bottle.’’’
“Have them put it on one nail and decide if you like it.” Stella picked up a bottle of dark pink nail polish. “This is pretty…it looks like cherry blossoms. ‘Shower with Flowers.’ The name’s kinda cute.”
The owner of the nail salon waved them over and they settled into the massive massage chairs, sliding their feet into the heavenly-smelling warm water.
Naomi sighed. “This is one of my favorite moments! And the foot massage.”
“I guess I like everything about pedis. Okay, are you ready to party?” Stella held up two cold mini bottles of champagne, then filled the two glasses she had stashed in an insulated lunch bag. “To friendship, to fun, to new journeys! To us!”
“To us! Speaking of journeys,” Naomi said after taking a sip, “We’re all set for our flight. The plane departs at 9:15, and we need to be there three hours earlier.”
“Perfect. What do I owe you?” Stella relished the sensation of tiny bubbles exploding on her tongue and watched the spectacle as they floated around in her glass.
Naomi waved the comment away. “I told you the trip is all covered. In Paris, we can take turns paying for meals and sightseeing, or we’ll square up afterward. Mom said she’d drive us to the airport, and we’ll pick you up at 5:30.”
“I’ll be ready. Since I’m packing my suitcase tonight, I only have to water my plants and take the garbage out. I think Rev is coming home on Sunday or Monday, and I want to stock the fridge with some prepacked cheese and cold cuts for him. But knowing him, he’ll just go to the deli to grab something to eat.”
She noticed Naomi’s eyes lighting up at the mention of Revan’s name. She knew her friend had a huge crush on him for many years, but Rev either didn’t notice or deliberately ignored it. Stella wished there was something she could do.
The thought almost made her burst out laughing. What a ludicrous idea. She hadn’t fought for her own relationship with David last year, so playing Cupid in her friend’s love life would only end in disaster.
“Do we have to change planes somewhere? What time will we be in Paris?” She tried to redirect her thoughts to their trip.
“No, it’s a nonstop flight. We’ll arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport at 10:30 on Saturday morning. I notified the hotel about checking in early, and I hope they’ll have our room ready. And then,” Naomi took another sip, “we’ll explore Paris! Paris nous voilà!”
“Paris what? My high school French is very rusty. You’ll have to translate for me, but don’t show off all the time, okay?” She chuckled.
“Don’t you worry. You don’t need to say a word! Just look all innocent and smile like an angel, and all the Frenchmen will melt at your feet.”
“Stop it.” Stella swatted Naomi’s arm. But she was only half joking—she did wish Naomi would leave the topic alone.
On her way home the next day, Stella picked up an arrangement of peonies and roses for Naomi’s mom as a thank-you for letting her go on the trip and for driving them to the airport.
With just a few minutes to spare before she would be picked up, she went through her checklist. Windows and doors locked, plants watered, coffee machine unplugged, suitcase and carry-on by the door, book and iPhone charger in purse, passport—check, check, check.
She was ready for a change of scenery!
By 7 pm, they sat in comfortable club chairs in the business class lounge, snacking on appetizers from the complimentary buffet and sipping champagne.
Stella noticed several men looking at Naomi, who seemed oblivious to their stares. Being 5’9” and having a toned body, Naomi could pass for a model right out of Women’s Health magazine. Her looks often seemed to invite men to assume she was arm candy, but nothing could be farther from the truth, and she knew it hurt Naomi when men treated her like a brainless dummy with great boobs. It was no surprise when she dropped the jerks like hot potatoes after a few dates.
“Yoo-hoo…Earth to Stella… Didn’t your mom teach you it’s rude to stare at other people? Even if it’s just me?”
Stella grimaced. “I’m sorry, Nam. I guess I spaced out thinking how comfortable you
