“Yeah, but my child-bearing years are quickly coming to an end.”
“Oh hush, you’ve got plenty of time,” she said. “Besides, you’re not even sure --”
She stopped before she finished her sentence, but I silently filled in the blanks for her. I knew where she was going with that thought.
“Hope, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything,” she said, quickly realizing her mistake.
“No, it’s fine. I’m fine,” I lied. I sat up in the bed and looked at the clock.
It was almost five in the evening there and since Los Angeles was nine hours behind Paris, it meant it was closing in on eight in the morning for her. And it was a Monday, which meant she had to head into work soon.
I didn’t want to drag the drama out any more and risk her being late. Especially for a conversation we’d already had many times over. Her boss was a stickler, and she was already under a lot of stress. As her best friend, I didn’t want to add to it. Especially since there wasn’t anything she could do to help.
“You need to get to work, don’t you?” I reminded her.
“Soon, yeah,” she mumbled. “But I don’t want to leave you hangin.”
“I’m okay, seriously. I’m just being whiney. You’re right, I’m in Paris. I should enjoy it and find a way to salvage this article one way or another.”
“Like maybe going out and meeting someone?” she asked.
“Meet someone? Are you nuts woman?”
“Why not? You’re in a beautiful city with sexy, foreign men,” she said. “Maybe take that angle for your article? Paris isn’t just for lovers, but also for singles? Or something like that. I’m not the writer, so I’ll leave that up to you. But I think it could be a fun angle.”
“I don’t know,” I said, nibbling my lower lip, though the thought rattled around in my head.
“Think about it, okay? And promise me you won’t stay locked in your room,” she pleaded with me. “Enjoy the city and let me and the rest of the stiffs live vicariously through your Instagram, please?”
“I’ll try, Anna, but seriously, you need to get to work,” I said, checking the time again. “I’m going to hang up now.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m fine,” I said. “Now go.”
I hung up the phone, and as soon as I did, I let out a long sigh. I’d told her I was fine, that everything was okay, but I didn’t feel fine. I felt about as far from fine as you could get. But I wasn’t going to send her off by telling her I felt that way. She had enough on her plate as it was.
It was still early enough in the day that I should leave the hotel and go see some of the sights. I’d been to Paris once before, but it had been a while back and had only been a short visit to write an article on an art exhibit at the Louvre. That was pretty much all I’d gotten to see besides the traditional touristy spots. You couldn’t go to Paris without taking a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower, now could you? I loved my job, not many people got to travel the world and write about the different locales, but sometimes, it was lonely.
My stomach growled, reminding me that the last thing I’d eaten was some crappy airplane food; a stale and bland sandwich about three hours before we landed. I had all kinds of delightful little cafes around my hotel to choose from if I wanted to grab a bite. My editor had actually suggested the place because it was central to Paris, and in an area that was thriving.
My editor, Kayla, had given me the same advice Anna had when I broke the news to her about Jeremy and me. She said to just meet someone while I was here, to write about dating in Paris as a single woman meeting exotic men. Easier said than done. It had been a couple months, sure, but after spending years together, I still feared I wasn’t ready.
Mainly because I wasn’t ready to give my heart away again. If a two-year relationship could go sour so fast and easily, and be based completely around lies and betrayals, how could I ever trust that someone I’d just met wasn’t going to turn out to be a lying, cheating scumbag?
The answer was, I couldn’t.
Groaning, I pushed myself off the bed and decided to at least grab some dinner. One little baby step outside. And after a good night’s rest, I could decide on the approach to the article I was going to take.
Maybe Kayla and Anna were right about it all. Maybe I just needed to find someone local -- or a few someones -- and just go with the flow. Maybe a romantic and passionate night in the City of Lights would be just the thing I needed -- both personally and professionally.
I had to write something, and since it was an article about experiencing romance in Paris, I had to find a way to make it happen. I didn’t know if hooking up with a hot French guy was the way to go or not, but it was a solid idea. It was my only idea. And if I didn’t get the piece written, I wouldn’t get paid. And if I didn’t get paid, I’d have to shell out all the expenses for the trip myself. On my salary, that would hurt. A lot.
I debated the merits of taking the time to shower or not before heading out. After a long trip, I was simply too tired to care. Flying often left me feeling gross, but I yearned for a nice, long, hot bath when I got back so I decided the shower could wait. The first order of business was putting some actual food in my belly. After that, I’d worry about my personal hygiene.
I went into the bathroom and splashed some water on my face. My strawberry blonde hair was a wavy mess. The unruly tangles falling around my shoulders and down my back. My eyes looked tired, but after a long trip, that was to be expected. Nothing a little makeup couldn’t take care of, or at least hide well enough. My blue-green eyes looked startled in my reflection, probably from the exhaustion of traveling. Or maybe that was my default look without makeup. God, I hoped not. My eyes appeared to be the biggest things on my face.
I gave myself a mental shake. It wasn’t like I was trying to impress anyone. I’d have to pull myself together eventually, but I gave myself permission to relax that first night. I’d figure out my plan of action the next day, after a long hot bath and a good night’s rest.
But first, food.
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About the Author
K.C. Crowne is a romance author who wants her readers to enter a magical world of steamy and rugged alpha hunks who make it hard to get sleep at night.
She loves reading and writing steamy romances that feature gorgeous alphas who'd do just about anything to protect their women.
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