by Jen McConnel
“Oh, just pack some condoms. You never know what will happen!”
I kept my eyes on the list and started doodling. “But, I mean, I won’t have enough time to really get to know anybody.”
“’Cause that’s worked so well up to now.” As soon as she spoke, Shauna winced. “Sorry, Cam, I didn’t mean that like it sounded.”
I waved her apology off, but her words still stung. “No, I get it. You’re right, waiting around with Jim didn’t make it happen.” I hadn’t wanted to lose my virginity in a rush, and even though Jim had been more than willing to go there, I wasn’t ready. It had been one of my unspoken fears ever since we broke up that if I’d just had sex with him, he might not have left me, but Shauna didn’t know that.
She squeezed my hand. “Sorry. Really.”
“It’s okay. Maybe you’re right; maybe I should loosen up a bit.”
She grinned lopsidedly. “Just pack the condoms, okay?”
~
“The program starts out in Paris, and then I’m not sure. They take care of all those arrangements for us.”
“Sweetie, I’m so proud! That’s wonderful that you’ve got this opportunity.”
I exhaled in relief and pressed the phone closer to my ear. I was packing while I talked to Mom, and I had the phone wedged uncomfortably against my shoulder. “I know. I’m really excited about this, but I’m sorry I won’t be home this summer.”
I could almost hear her shrug. “It is what it is. I’m just so glad that this trip is covered by your scholarship.”
“Yeah.” The lie tasted sour, but I hadn’t worked up the nerve to tell Mom the truth. “It’s a really great opportunity.”
“I totally agree.” She paused. “Isn’t there a way you could do a language course while you’re over there, or something? I’d hate for the trip to be an academic waste.”
I’d told her that the scholarship was sending a select group of students to Europe for an independent art study this summer. “What do you mean? This is academic,” I lied.
“I know your art is important to you, but you really don’t expect it to be a career, do you?”
I sighed. “We’ve been over this, Mom.”
“I know. But wouldn’t it be good to actually get something out of the trip, like a second language?”
“I don’t think two months is enough time to learn another language.” God, if she thought I was wasting time with the scholarship, I shuddered to think what she’d say if she ever found out about the loan. “But if I can, I’ll try to take some language lessons.”
That satisfied her. “Oh, good. I can’t wait to hear you speaking French when you come home in the fall!”
I finished rolling up another pair of underwear and stuck it into the ratty backpack that Shauna had lent me. Even though the seams looked stretched, it wasn’t like I could afford a new bag or anything, so I was trying to figure out a way to stuff the shapeless sack without destroying it. “How’s Susie doing?”
Mom sighed. “You know how she is. Everything is so dramatic! You were so much easier when you were sixteen.”
I grimaced. I’d been easy because I didn’t fight, didn’t complain, and didn’t usually talk. My sister wasn’t trying to win Miss Congeniality, but sometimes, I was jealous of her. Susie wasn’t ever afraid to tell people exactly what she thought, and I wondered fleetingly if I should confide in her about my whole scholarship mess. I pushed the idea to the side and tried to focus on stuffing another shirt into the already full bag. “And what about you?”
She laughed. “I’m fine as always. Classes are going well, but I’m thinking I might take a few weeks off after these end so I can pick up more hours at the salon.”
“Mom, you promised.”
“I’m not talking about quitting, Camellia, I’m just considering a break. I’ve been at it for over a year; don’t I deserve a break?”
“Of course.” I struggled to pull the huge zipper closed without getting any of my clothes caught in it. “I just really want you to finish this degree. Remember how much you want to own your own salon.”
“That would be nice. No more taking orders from anyone.” She sighed wistfully. “Thank you for pushing me, baby girl. You’re good to me.”
“You’re good to me! You’re letting me spend the summer in Europe!”
She chuckled. “Only because you earned it, sweetie.”
Guilt swelled up and tried to choke me, but I ignored it. “Yup. Can’t wait to tell you all about it.”
“When’s your flight, again?”
I rolled my eyes and tried to lift the backpack up, testing its weight. I almost fell over. “Tuesday. We’re taking a van to LaGuardia, and then it’s a direct flight to Paris. I e-mailed you my itinerary.” Actually, Shauna was driving me the two hours to New York, but Mom didn’t need to know that.
“You know I never check my e-mail.”
“Well, you’d better start, ’cause I probably won’t be able to use my phone over there! I’ll be sending lots of e-mails instead.”
“I guess I can figure it out. But you’ll still call me when you land, right?”
I sighed. “I guess, if I can find a calling card or something.”
“I’m sure the school will provide things like that.”
“Right. Of course. Listen, Mom, I need to finish packing.”
“No worries. Be safe! And call me when you land.”
“I will. Give Suze a hug for me.”
“If she lets me get near her this week.”
“Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too, baby girl.”
When I hung up, I tried to lift the bag again with both hands. After grunting for a minute, I was finally able to hoist it onto my back. I turned around to check myself out in the mirror on the back of the door. I grinned at my reflection; with my shoulder-length dishwater-blond hair pulled back in a bright scarf and Shauna’s ratty bag on my back, I thought I looked older than I was. Maybe I could pass for midtwenties when I was in Europe? Feeling giddy, I struck a pose, pouting alluringly and looking over my shoulder the way I imagined a sultry, world-savvy traveler might look. Just then, Shauna came into the room, opening the door into me. It hit the pack, pushing me off balance, and I fell over backward.
Shauna stood there for a minute staring at me, and then she started to laugh. “You are ridiculous, you know that?”
I tried to get up, but the heavy bag kept me pinned to the floor like an angry turtle. “You pushed the door into me.” I grumbled.
Shauna reached out a hand and helped haul me to my feet. “Oof, what do you have in here? You weigh a ton!”
I tried to shrug, but the shoulder straps pinched my neck. “I don’t know. Just clothes and stuff.”
Shauna pulled the bag to the floor and unzipped it before I could protest. Clothes exploded in every direction, and I grimaced. “How am I supposed to get it zipped again?”
She pulled out my bulky hair dryer and raised an eyebrow. “How were you going to zip it again once you got to Europe?”
“I hadn’t figured that out yet.”
Shauna laughed. “You need somebody to teach you how to pack.” Deftly, she began sorting through my clothes, tossing most of them onto the floor away from the bag. “Pack extra underwear, but go under on everything else. Dresses are good, ’cause you can wear them a lot.”
I watched as she pitched my jeans and tennis shoes in the corner. “But I’ll be walking around a lot!”
“Do you have any spandex shorts?”
“Um, yeah, but I’m not going jogging in Europe.”
“Wear them under the skirts, stupid. That way your thighs don’t rub when you’re walking, and you won’t flash anyone. Plus they take up way less space than a pair of jeans.”
That made sense. “Okay, what else?”
Shauna stopped rummaging through my luggage and smiled at me. “Are you actually asking me for help?”
I sat down on the floor across from her and pressed my hands t
o my heart. “Help me, Shauna Kenobi. You’re my only hope!”
She snorted and shook her head. “Dork. I don’t know how you’re going to survive this trip without me.”
Chapter Four
I’d never actually been on an airplane before, and I felt giddy as the gate agent scanned my boarding pass. Shauna had convinced me to check my backpack for the flight, laughing off my fears of it getting lost, but I still had my faded-denim messenger bag slung over my shoulder when I boarded the plane.
Nervously, I counted the seats and checked my ticket. I had a window seat about halfway back, and I folded into the seat and buckled my belt immediately. There was a small screen in the back of the seat in front of me, and I pressed it eagerly. A welcome menu sprang to life, and I grinned like an idiot. I didn’t know you could watch live TV on an airplane! This trip was already so much cooler than I’d expected.
I glanced up at the passengers boarding the plane, and my heart stopped. A gorgeous, tall guy with broad shoulders, sparkling white teeth, and sun-bleached hair was headed toward me with a grin on his face. A navy suit coat clung to his back, and I noticed he had flip-flops under his jeans. He slid into the seat beside me and stuck out his hand.
“I never get to travel with such a lovely seatmate! I’m Todd.”
For a minute, I just stared at him like an idiot, and then I shook his hand quickly. “Camie. Is this your first flight?” As soon as I spoke, I realized he’d basically just said it wasn’t, and I cursed myself mentally for being so stupid.
Todd was gracious. “No, I wish. I travel all the time for business. It can get so boring after a while, but I think it’ll be a nice trip today.” He winked at me, and I shut my mouth quickly, afraid he’d catch me drooling.
“Today will be good, that’s for sure. I’m just so excited to get to Paris.” Get it together, Cam. I realized I was babbling, and I tried to plaster a bored, sophisticated smile on my face.
Todd smiled. “First time to Europe?”
“Yes. I’m so excited. First time anywhere, really!” Shut up, shut up!
“Are you a student?”
“Yes. Is it that obvious?” I tried to sit up straighter.
“Excuse me.” An older woman in a floral dress was standing in the aisle next to us. Todd turned his blinding smile to her.
“Yes?”
She gestured at me. “You’re in my seat.”
I checked my ticket. “Um, sorry, I don’t think so.”
“This is seventeen A.” She showed me her ticket.
Todd looked at me expectantly, so I checked my ticket again. “Seventeen A. That’s what mine says, too.” I shifted my hips, trying to plant myself a little more firmly in my seat; no way I wanted to lose the chance to sit next to Todd!
A flight attendant appeared in the aisle beside us. “Is there a problem?”
The older woman gestured at me. “She’s in my seat.”
Todd chimed in before I could reply, which was probably a good thing, because I was getting ready to give grandma a piece of my mind. “It seems like both their tickets have the same seat number.”
The flight attendant reached for my ticket and stared at it for a minute. Then she stared at the old lady’s. “There must have been a computer error.” Her eyes scanned the cabin, and I realized that most of the other people were already in their seats ready for the flight. Was everyone watching us? I sank back into my seat, embarrassed by the thought of everyone watching the little seat drama play out. “Would any of you be willing to move?”
For a moment, nobody spoke. I glanced at Todd, hoping he wanted to stay put as much as I did, but as soon as I looked at him, he spoke up. “I don’t mind.” He smiled at me as he stood up and winked. “Enjoy Paris, Camie.”
The flight attendant looked relieved. “Thank you so much for your flexibility, sir. I’ve got one seat open in first class, if you’ll just come with me.”
Granny and I eyed each other for a minute, and finally she sighed and slid into the aisle seat. I closed my eyes and sat back, trying not to breathe too deeply; she smelled like mouthwash and stale cigarettes.
“You know, dear, it would have been polite for you to offer me the window seat.” Her voice was raspy, but I kept my eyes closed.
This was going to be a long flight.
Chapter Five
Eight hours, two movies, and way too many little bags of pretzels later, I arrived in Paris. I staggered off the plane into the cold chrome airport, and I waited blearily in line for the customs agent to glare at me, rattle off a few sharp questions, and stamp my passport. When I finally made it through the line, I followed the signs downstairs until I found the baggage claim. It was some kind of miracle when Shauna’s huge backpack circled around the conveyer belt at the front of the other bags. I grabbed it and tried to heft it up onto my shoulders, but something tugged it back. Was it stuck on the conveyor belt? I gave it another yank, and a male voice right behind me snapped, “What the hell?”
I spun around to find a tall, skinny guy with chestnut-brown hair and the hint of stubble holding my bag. Too tired to be polite, I tugged again. “Can I have my bag back?”
He looked at me like I’d sprouted another head. “It’s my bag.”
Why does everyone keep trying to take my things? First my seat, now my bag. “Listen, dude, I don’t know what kind of scam you’re running, but it won’t work. Let go of my bag. Now.”
The guy just glared at me, so I gritted my teeth.
“Security!” I hollered. A few people turned around to stare, but I was too jet-lagged to care. This bozo was not going to steal my bag. “Security!”
The dude didn’t let go of my bag, but he shook his head like he wanted me to stop.
I waved my arms and finally got the attention of one of the blue-uniformed guards loitering near the baggage claim. He sauntered over casually and smiled. “What seems to be the trouble, mademoiselle?”
I kept one hand on the top of the backpack while I pointed to the guy. “This man is trying to take my bag.”
The guard crossed his arms and glared at him. “Is this true?”
My attacker barked a laugh. “She’s crazy. This is my bag.”
The guard looked between the two of us, thinking. “We can prove ownership easily enough. Mademoiselle, what’s in your bag?”
“Uh, clothes. I packed a blue-and-pink polka-dot dress near the top.”
The guard smiled. “And, monsieur, what’s in your bag?”
“Just clothes. No dresses, though, and nothing with polka dots.” He snorted, and I glared at him.
“Voila!” The guard leaned over and unzipped the bag before I could warn him about the coming clothing explosion, but nothing tumbled out of the bag. Maybe the flight mashed everything down?
I leaned forward to peek inside and caught a whiff of gym socks and pine cologne. I gagged and glared at the guy. “God, what did you put in this thing?”
He crossed his arms and smirked triumphantly. “So you finally admit that you were trying to steal my bag?”
Startled, I shook my head, but the guard was watching me closely. “No! This looks just like my bag. I swear.”
The guy shrugged as he zipped his bag and hoisted it onto his shoulders. “Whatever, princess. I’m not sure what a girl like you would be doing with a bag like this, but I’m sure the nice officer will keep you company until you figure out which bag is really yours.”
He pushed his way through the crowd that had gathered around us, and I glared after him.
“Mademoiselle, if you would be so kind as to come with me, please.” The guard put his hand on my elbow, but I took a step back.
“What? No! There’s no reason for that. It was just a simple mistake.”
The guard took a step forward. “I think not.”
Frantically, I scanned the conveyer belt, but I didn’t see Shauna’s bag. “Can’t we at least wait until the plane is empty before you jump to conclusions? My bag will be along in a minute.”
He folded his arms over his chest and gave me a look that reminded me of my seventh grade science teacher. I gulped nervously.
“Very well,” he finally said. “We wait.”
I swear it was the last possible bag to hit the conveyer belt, but finally Shauna’s bag came into view and I grabbed it, frantic to get away from the guard. “See, here it is.”
I started to walk around him, but he stepped in front of me. “If you’ll permit me to check the bag, mademoiselle, to make sure that the dress you described really is there.”
Before I could stop him, he’d unzipped the bag and a stack of clothes and crumpled underwear fell onto the floor. Horrified, I scrambled to gather it up while the guard looked on.
He poked the blue-and-pink dress with his toe and sniffed. “Very well, mademoiselle. It is yours.” Without offering to help, the guard walked away.
“Welcome to Paris!” I muttered as I stuffed my clothes back in my bag. When I looked up, my eyes landed on a familiar face. Thrusting the last of my clothes into the bag, I picked it up and stalked across the airport.
“What are you still doing here?” The man whose bag I’d almost stolen was leaning against a window, watching me with a smirk.
“I wanted to make sure you found your bag.” His eyes drifted to my bare legs, and then back up to my face. “Besides, that was a great show. Most action I’ve had in weeks.”
I glared at him. “You’re an ass.”
He shrugged. “So I’ve been told.” With that, he turned and pushed his way through the crowd. I could hear him chuckling as he went, and I flounced off in the other direction.
~
My annoyance vanished as soon as I left the airport. Well, it would have, if I hadn’t realized I needed to take the subway into the city before I could find anything. “Be careful taking the metro at night,” Shauna had cautioned me. “That’s when the criminals come out to play.”
For a minute, I debated taking a taxi, but the guidebook warned that it would be expensive from the airport. It was still light out, so I decided to try my luck with the subway, and it wasn’t that bad. At one point the train rose aboveground and rushed alongside beautiful nineteenth-century houses, and I had to repress the urge to squeal and giggle: I was really in Paris!
