At some point I drifted off to sleep.
The next thing I experienced was the jolt of the landing gear as it struck the runway. I gasped and sat up.
Max took my hand and squeezed it. “It’s alright. We’re here. I thought about waking you, but you looked so peaceful.” He leaned over to give me a quick kiss on my nose.
“I was.” I laughed. “Not so much any more.”
“Sammy, we’re here! We’re in France!” Max smiled so wide that I had to smile back.
Chapter 4
Once we were free to file off of the plane, I waited until the woman in the expensive blouse was gone. Then Max grabbed our bags and began to head down the aisle. I noticed the older man that had winked at me still sat in his seat. I wondered if he might need help to get his bag, then I reminded myself that the flight attendants would help him if he needed it.
As I walked past him, he reached out and pinched the curve of my bottom. I yelped and jumped against Max’s back. Max tumbled into an empty seat.
“Sammy!” He looked up at me. “What are you doing?”
“That man pinched my bottom!” My cheeks flared red. The man winked again and made a pinching movement with his fingers.
“Move out of the way, let me get to him!” Max stood up, ready to defend my honor.
I grimaced and put a hand on his chest. “It’s okay, really. I might have propositioned him—by accident.” I thought about the phrases I’d repeated.
“Huh?”
“It’s a long story.”
Max glared at the man for a moment and then nodded.
We continued down the aisle and made our way off the plane. Once we were by the gates, the next step was to find our baggage.
I held tight to Max’s hand as we experienced the force of the crowd. It seemed that everywhere we tried to stop and figure out where to go next, we were in someone’s way.
After being shuffled around the gate area for some time, Max and I finally made it to baggage claim. It was a bit like being in the middle of a rock concert, with people waving and pushing to get to the front. Once we had all of our bags Max tilted his head toward the front of the airport.”
“Let’s get out of this madhouse.”
“Yes! The sooner the better!”
I kept an eye out for Grandpa Pinchy as we moved through the crowd and made it to the front of the airport.
“How many people do you think are here right now?” My eyes widened as I looked at the crowd piled at least three people deep at the doors of the airport. Some had just arrived, while most surged toward the curb outside of the airport.
“I can tell you that we’re never going to get a taxi in this madness.” Max frowned and tried to pull his phone out of his pocket. When he reached for it, one of the bags he’d slung over his shoulder slid free and landed hard on the floor.
I reached down to grab the bag, but as I reached for it, I didn’t notice that the zipper was open a bit. When I yanked the bag up off the floor, the zipper opened the rest of the way. The contents of the bag spilled all over the floor. This wouldn’t have been so bad, if this particular bag hadn’t been the one that contained all of my toiletry items.
My deodorant skidded across the floor while my bag of razors scattered in all directions. Max and I chased down the items while at the same time we dodged the ever-present crowd of people.
Once we had everything back in the bag, Max met my eyes with a half smile. “So far so good, right?”
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “It seems like everything is going wrong.”
“Not true. The plane landed safely and we’re together.”
My mood lifted. Max always knew how to make me feel better.
As we walked out of the airport with our arms linked together, I forgot about the crowd and the angry woman on the plane. This was a fresh slate, an opportunity for me to experience a new country. I wanted to have the best attitude I could possibly have.
At just the moment we stepped onto the sidewalk, a taxi pulled up and beeped its horn. The driver then parked and stepped out of the taxi.
“Welcome!” He smiled at both of us.
Max looked over at me with a raised eyebrow. “Well, that was unexpected.”
The driver took a few of the bags from Max and carried them to the back of the taxi as he called over his shoulder, “Cateline sent me.”
Max followed him with the rest of our luggage.
Once the bags were stowed, the driver opened the door for us. “Let’s get you to your room so that you can both get some rest.”
As I got into the car, I bit into my bottom lip. It was hard to believe that Cateline would go to such lengths for us. It was a gentle reassurance that this really was going to be an amazing tour.
Max slid into the car beside me and took my hand. He gave it a light squeeze and met my eyes. “Welcome to France, my love.”
I almost answered him with one of the inappropriate French phrases I’d memorized but caught myself before I did. Instead, I rested my head on his shoulder and gazed out at the beautiful scenery that we passed.
Even though there were many things similar to the city I was accustomed to, there was so much that reminded me I was in France. The architecture was intricate and romantic. There were many restaurants and specialty shops—but the sidewalks were the same, filled with people headed to their destinations.
It was surreal to imagine that, not long ago, I’d walked down a similar sidewalk in a completely different country. Since I’d always focused on my day-to-day living, I’d never really thought about what people in other places were up to. It was fun to think that our lives might not be so different even though there were miles that separated us.
Maybe this was one of the reasons why many women here seemed to be identifying with my books. No matter what country we lived in, our lives were bound to be similar—filled with insecurities, hopes for something more, and strong desires to be loved by ourselves and others.
The thought of connecting with women around the world over these topics made me smile with the excitement of it all.
Chapter 5
The taxi dropped us off at the bed and breakfast. As the driver pulled away, I wondered if I should chase him down. One look at the place, and I wasn’t so sure that it was the right for us. I’d stayed in a bed and breakfast before, so I knew not to expect a hotel, but this one looked more old than quaint, and more run-down than authentic.
“Are you sure this is the place?” I paused at the end of the sidewalk and stared up at the looming building. It was brick and three stories tall. The front of the building looked like it had had some weather damage or maybe something had actually struck it—some of the bricks were crumbling.
There wasn’t much of a garden, but what was there was scraggly and brown, as if it hadn’t been tended in some time. It gave the impression of an abandoned building rather than a bed and breakfast.
Max checked the sign and nodded. “This is it. Maybe it’s nicer on the inside.”
I could tell that his positive attitude was a little forced. I nodded, picking up two of the bags.
When we reached the door, it swung open before either of us had a chance to knock.
“Hello! Hello!”
The cheerful tone of the woman’s voice was enough to make my heart leap. Wild silver curls sprung from her head in all different directions. There was a tiny pink bow clipped to the curve of her bangs.
“Henry! Henry, they’re here!”
I looked over at Max, whose smile faltered.
Behind the woman a tall thin man walked up to the door.
“How wonderful. Let me take those.” He tried to take the bags from me.
“Oh no, it’s fine. I can get them.” To me he looked far too frail and thin to be able to carry my bags.
“Young lady, give me those bags this instant.” Henry fixed me with a stare that reminded me of my fifth grade math teacher.
I gulped and handed over the bags. To my s
urprise, he handled them just fine.
The entrance of the bed and breakfast was narrow and oddly angled. It felt a bit like walking into a funhouse at a carnival. Then the hallway opened up to a wide circular room. On one side of the room there was an old piano along with an assortment of overstuffed furniture. On the other, there was a long bar covered with knickknacks. I assumed it was once used to serve drinks, but now there were so many little glass bears that there was no room to sit.
“Let’s get you settled in, and then if you’d like, we have tea and biscuits for you. Your room is on the third floor—Oh, and I’m Poppy. My husband is Henry.” She called over her shoulder.
“Nice to meet you. We’re Samantha and Max.” I looked over at Max, who was grinning at me. “Are there many other guests?”
I followed behind Poppy as she made her way up the stairs. She hung on to the railing so tightly that her knuckles turned white. I braced myself with each step I took in case I needed to catch her. Behind me, Max followed close, and behind him, Henry lumbered along with the bags.
“No other guests—just you two, so you’ll get special attention!”
The landing for the second floor was filled with life-size dog statues. At first sight, I thought one was real. The dogs were all different kinds of breeds.
“Are you a collector?” I asked as we reached the third floor.
“Oh, those are to remember all of our pets.” Poppy laughed.
That left me a little unsettled. “They’re not the actual pets, are they?”
“Oh, heavens, no. They’re just statues. It’s nice to still feel like they are around.”
The third floor had an old gold-colored carpet. There were four doors along the short hallway.
“Oh, Poppy, let them get into their room and get some rest. They don’t want to hear about our beloved pets.”
“Fine, fine. She asked!” Poppy swung the door open and stepped back from it. “There’s extra bedding in the closet, soap in the bathroom, and some chocolates on your pillows.”
“Don’t eat the chocolates!”
“Oh, hush, Henry, they’re fine!” Poppy pulled the door shut behind her as she argued with her husband.
I looked at Max with a lopsided smile.
Max shook his head. “They’re a little strange, huh?” He peered at the chocolates on the pillows.
“Maybe. I think they’re sweet. Do you think we’ll be like that fifty years from now?”
“I hope not!” He laughed. Then he turned and swept his arm around my waist. “But I do know that we’ll still be together. I’ll still think that you’re the most beautiful woman in the world. But, and I can’t stress this enough, we will not have any dog statues.”
“Maybe just one.” I sat down on the end of the bed. The blanket was thick and the mattress was firm. I looked forward to a good night’s sleep after the plane trip.
“I’m going to take a shower. Want to join me?” Max opened the bathroom door. Before I could answer he turned to look at me. “Maybe that’s not such a good idea.”
“Why?” I stood up and poked my head inside. The bathroom was large enough, aside from the shower stall, which looked just big enough for one average-sized person. “Oh yes, I don’t think that would work.” I laughed. “You go ahead. I’m going to get a few things unpacked.”
As Max turned the shower on and tried to wedge himself inside, I turned back to our bags on the floor. After the incident at the airport I wanted to make sure that nothing was missing.
As I sorted through the items, I heard my phone ring. I heard it, but I didn’t see it. With the bags spread around on the floor and piles of clothes here and there, it was hard to place where the ring was coming from.
I stood up to hear it better. When I did, I spotted the phone on the end of the bed. I lunged for it but one of the suitcases I’d moved was in my way. I caught my foot on the handle, spun in a complete circle, and landed on my back across the bed.
Out of breath, I grabbed for the phone. I meant only to see who it was but my finger slid across the screen as I picked it up.
Chapter 6
“Hello, Samantha?”
I recognized Cateline’s voice right away. I didn’t want the heavy breaths I was gulping down to give her the wrong impression.
“I’m here, I’m here. I’m so sorry. I was trying to get to the phone before it hung up, and I tripped over my suitcase.” The truth popped out of me before I could think it through. It certainly didn’t paint a very professional picture of me.
“Oh dear, are you okay?”
I bit into my bottom lip to keep myself from crying out as I rubbed at the curve of my big toe. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Was the car there to pick you up at the airport?”
“Yes, it was. Thank you so much for that.”
“And is the bed and breakfast okay for you? A friend recommended it; I haven’t been to it myself.”
I swept my eyes over the small room, nodding my head. “Sure, it’s great.”
“Wonderful. I’d like to meet with you around nine in the morning tomorrow, if that will work for you?”
“Absolutely I’ll be there. I’m looking forward to meeting you.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting you as well. I can’t wait!”
She gave me the address and we said goodbye.
Cateline’s enthusiasm made me smile, but my heart flipped with the anticipation of failure as well.
What if I let Cateline down? Would Cateline be shocked when she saw the real me?
Max stepped out of the bathroom in all his wet naked glory and distracted me from my worries about Cateline. I stared with my mouth agape as he walked toward me.
“Sammy?”
“Hm?” I rolled up onto my side and offered him the sexiest smile I could muster.
“I was asking you if there are any towels.” Max laughed. “Didn’t you hear me?”
“I don’t think my ears work any more.” I shook my head. “My eyes are taking up too much of my body’s strength for anything else to work.” I laughed at his expression.
“Anything?” He returned my seductive smile and stretched out on the bed beside me.
Soon every concern that weighed on my mind was obliterated by the sheer joy of Max.
After I took a quick shower, which involved my standing on one foot at times, I crawled into bed. I hoped that I’d be able to fall right to sleep so that I would be refreshed in the morning.
Unfortunately, when I closed my eyes all of the concerns that Max had so skillfully whisked away from my mind began to return. I tried not to allow them to clutter my thoughts, but they insisted.
My stomach flipped and twisted. My heart pounded.
I didn’t think I was ever going to reach a point of feeling confident that my books deserved so much attention. Many writers slaved away for decades before having any success, yet right off the presses my books were doing very well. Max insisted that it wasn’t luck, but I was sure that it was.
What if, upon meeting me, Cateline realized that I was nothing more than a flash in the pan? Or worse, what if she thought I was a fraud?
I sighed and climbed out of bed. I didn’t want my restlessness to wake Max.
I curled up on the window seat of the small window. For the first time I was glad that Poppy had given us a room on the third floor. The view of the street below was gorgeous, and it was now raining a bit.
The rain slid down the window in strange patterns. Maybe it was because of all of the webs and dirt that seemed to have collected along the unwashed surface. I couldn’t look away from the intricate shapes that were created with just the subtlest obstacle in the raindrop’s way.
Life unfolded like that for me. For a long time everything was in a straight line on the backdrop of a spotless surface, but now things were zigzagging and messy.
I was ready for the next step in my life, but was my life ready to keep up with me?
I drew my feet up onto the windowsill an
d closed my eyes. I imagined myself inside one of the chapters of my books.
Over time, the characters I’d created had become some of my closest friends. It was an odd truth that I wouldn’t share with anyone, but I often found myself turning to them for advice and guidance. I didn’t lose sight of the fact that they were fictional characters, but I did know that they were all aspects of myself in some way.
Sometimes it helped to imagine a conversation with one of them. Each and every one of them would have looked me in the eye and told me to be proud, to lead with my heart, not my fear.
I took a deep breath and focused on my body. One breath at a time I was able to settle my nerves.
Once I was feeling better, I returned to the bed and curled close to Max. He was my rock, there was no question of that, but I was strong enough to handle this. I just had to allow myself to be me.
Chapter 7
When I woke up the next morning, the bed beside me was empty. I sat up to look for Max and spotted a note on the bedside table.
Went for breakfast, be hungry.
I smiled and set the note back down.
I decided to select what I’d wear to the meeting.
I dug through my suitcase for a fresh pair of panties and a bra. I found the bra, but no matter how far I dug, I didn’t find any panties—not a single pair. In desperation I dumped out the entire suitcase on the floor. I picked up every piece of clothing, but there was no underwear anywhere.
My heart began to speed up. How was that possible? Maybe I put them in another suitcase?
I sorted through all of the suitcases—even Max’s—and found nothing.
All of a sudden it hit me that I’d packed another small bag at the last minute. It had all of my underwear as well as a few new pieces of lingerie. This bag was missing.
I grabbed my phone and tried to call the airline. I couldn’t get through. I opened my computer to search for nearby stores to see if they were open. None of them appeared to be.
I was in full panic mode when the door of the room opened and Max stepped in with a brown paper bag.
“Sammy, why are your clothes everywhere?” Max stood at the entrance of the room and looked at the scattered clothes all over the bed, floor, and even the lamp.
Sammy in France (Single Wide Female Travels #1) Page 2