Faux Pas
Natasha Madison
Copyright © 2018 Natasha Madison. E-Book and Print Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons or living or dead, events or locals are entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/ Use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owner.
All rights reserved.
Cover Design: Jay Aheer https://www.simplydefinedart.com/
Editing done by Jenny Sims Editing4Indies
Proofing Julie Deaton by Deaton Author Services https://www.facebook.com/jdproofs/
Created with Vellum
Sabrina and Shelly for always having my back and coming with me on this crazy wonder journey.
We will always have Paris....
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
Coming Soon
Books By Natasha Madison
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Meghan
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are now boarding Air France flight number eighty-two forty-five, direct to Paris,” the lady on the speaker announces. “At this time, we are boarding all passengers seated in zone one.”
I look down at my boarding pass to read the printing in the corner. “I’m zone five,” I tell my two best friends, Kate and Diana, as they look at their boarding pass.
“Zone five for the win,” Diana says, putting up her hand and waiting for us to high-five her. Kate is closest to her, so she holds up her hand and slaps it.
“Why didn’t we do first class again?” Kate asks, and I just laugh, shaking my head as I turn to her.
“Because it was four thousand dollars?” I point out to her, and she just nods.
“Oh, yes, that,” she says, and we all laugh. I look at the people handing over their boarding passes as they walk onto the plane.
The three of us have gotten really close in the past four years. We met when we were all bridesmaids for our mutual friend Sonia. Between the bridesmaids lunches, the bachelorette party, the bride’s shower, and the groom’s picnic, the three of us just kind of migrated toward each other. We just clicked and have been best friends ever since. Now they are the first people I call when stuff goes down or I have a great day.
“Are you sure the Airbnb place will be okay for the three of us?” I ask them, and they both nod, the two of them on their phone scrolling through Instagram.
“Yes, it says one bed, but it has a couch. Besides, who cares? We are in Paris,” Diana says, and my eyebrows scrunch together.
“Well, I think we are all going to care when one of us is sleeping on the floor,” I tell them, and then I hear the woman on the speaker again.
“We will now be loading zone two,” she says, “and anyone with children or who needs extra assistance.”
We all sit back in our chairs. “How long is the flight?” Diana asks.
“Seven hours,” I tell her. “We arrive in Paris at ten a.m.”
“Thank god, we dressed comfy,” I tell them, looking at our yoga pants, white T-shirts, and running shoes. “I also downloaded the whole season of Shameless. Thank you, Netflix.”
“I’m going to sleep,” Diana says.
“I really hope I can sleep,” Kate says, and we all nod our heads. When it’s our time to finally board, we walk in one after another down the carpeted ramp toward the plane. We pass an entrance that says Zone One. “I guess this is almost like the Titanic.” I look back at them, and they laugh.
“Fucking Rose,” Kate says. “She could have shared the door.”
I shake my head and continue walking down the ramp. As we approach the airplane door, we slow when we see a line and creep slowly in and the flight attendant smiles at us. “We are in row twelve.”
“Straight and to the right,” she says, pointing at the end of the plane. When I walk down the aisle, I see three seats on the right and left side, and five seats down the middle, realizing how big this plane really is. I look up and find our seat to the right. “Do I take the window seat?” I ask them over my shoulder, and they both shrug. I slide into the window seat, Diana slides into the middle, and Kate has the aisle seat.
I put my bag under the chair in front of me, then grab my iPad and earphones. “Why did you bring the big Louis?” Kate asks me. “If we get kidnapped and taken, it’ll be because of that purse.” She points down at said purse.
“Why aren’t you giving her the third degree?” I say, pointing at Diana as she stuffs her Gucci under her seat, leaning forward and trying to get her earphones out.
“Both of you,” she says, sitting back and shrugging off her black sweater. “If I end up in a sex trafficking ring, it’ll be because of both of you.” She reaches up and opens the air on her. “I’m fucking melting.”
I’m about to say something to her when the flight attendant begins her announcement.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Tamara, and I’m your chief flight attendant. On behalf of the captain and the entire crew, welcome aboard Air France flight eighty-two forty-five, nonstop service from Toronto to Paris. Our flight time will be seven hours and twenty minutes.
At this time, make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full and upright position and that your seat belt is securely fastened. Also, your portable electronic devices must be set to airplane mode until an announcement is made. Thank you.”
She goes on to repeat the instructions in French. “I think the flight is full,” Diana says as she looks at the back of the plane and then at the front. “Oh my god, look at that. First class has beds.” She turns around to look at us. “Pods.”
“Shut up,” I say and try to lean over to see, squishing Diana who groans. “You think we can sneak in?” I huff out, trying to strain my neck so I can see what she sees.
“Yeah,” Kate says, putting her head back and closing her eyes while the plane moves back. “’Cause no one is going to notice three empty seats in the middle of the plane.”
“Buzzkill,” Diana and I both say at the same time, and she laughs.
“I can’t believe we are actually doing this. Like we are actually going to Paris,” I say, looking out my window. I watch us drive away from the gate, thinking of how we got here.
The three of us were sitting in Diana’s living room, drinking wine. That in and of itself should tell you how the night went. The wine was our downfall; you always think you’re invincible once you have some liquid encouragement. The truth of the matter is you’re not that brilliant; the wine just makes you think you are.
“What’s one place that you want to go visit?” I asked the girls while I lay on my back on the couch, one foot dangling
off and one foot resting on the couch with my knee bent.
“Greece,” Kate said. “Santorini.” She was sitting on the floor leaning on the couch as she took another sip of wine. “Like the Kardashians,” she said, and the three of us laughed.
“Well,” I said, sitting up now, “when one of us makes that sex tape that blows up the internet, then we can take that trip.”
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes. “You are such a buzz kill. Where would you go?” she asked me, and I didn’t even have to think about it or contemplate the answer.
“Paris,” I told them with no hesitation. “I want to go to Paris.”
Kate and Diana both sat up, and at the same time, their eyes went wide. “Paris.”
“Yeah,” I said, putting my wine glass on the coffee table. “Paris. The city of love, the Eiffel Tower, Place Versailles, the Louvre,” I sighed. “I could go on for days.”
“I’ve never been to Paris,” Diana said, looking at both of us.
“I have,” Kate said, “but it was an in and out.”
“So what do you think?” I grabbed the laptop that was next to the almost empty second wine bottle. “Shall we book?”
The three of us laughed, and in a matter of five minutes, I had bought us three tickets to Paris. “We are going to Paris,” I said, jumping up in the middle of the living room. “Parlez vous le francais?” Do you speak French? I giggled.
“This is going to be amazing,” Diana said, getting up and joining me in my dance. Kate got up and turned the radio louder, blasting Pink’s “What About Us” through the speakers.
The sound of the captain’s voice brings me back to the here and now. “Flight attendants, prepare for takeoff please. Cabin crew, please take your seats for takeoff.”
“Here we go,” Diana says, and we’re all smiles as the plane goes faster and faster till we are wheels up. My heart speeds up as I close my eyes, and my stomach dips a bit.
“Why does this idea suddenly feel ridiculous?” I say after a while, looking at the two girls.
“Because the wine has worn off,” Kate says, laughing, and I shake my head, laughing at her. I look out the window, but all I can see are the blinking lights on the wing. “Are we there yet?” I ask jokingly when the flight attendant approaches us.
“Would you like something to drink?” she asks me first.
“I’ll have water please,” I tell her. She looks at Kate, who orders wine, and then at Diana, who does the same.
She hands me the water. “There is no charge for the wine on transatlantic flights,” she tells us, and they both look at me as I smile.
“She’ll have wine also,” Diana says and then winks at me. “I’ll save it for you, for later.” I know damn straight she isn’t saving that bottle of wine for anyone.
I shake my head with a smile, then put my earbuds in and watch Shameless. I lean my head back and listen to the show, closing my eyes. I don’t know how long I sleep, but when I open my eyes, there is a soft light outside. I look over at Diana and Kate, and they are both sleeping, so I take out the earbuds and revel in the quietness of the plane. I lean my head on the side of the plane and gaze outside as I try to go back to sleep. I don’t actually fall asleep before I feel Kate and Diana stir awake next to me. I look over. “Did you sleep?” I ask them, and they both give me the side-eye.
I’m about to say something when the pilot speaks. “Flight attendants, prepare for landing please. Cabin crew, please take your seats for landing.”
“It went so fast,” I say, leaning down and putting my stuff away. The wheels touching down jerk me forward.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Charles de Gaulle Airport. Local time is nine thirty-six, and the temperature is fifteen degrees. For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the captain turns off the fasten seat belt sign. At this time, you may use your cellular phones if you wish. Please check around your seat for any personal belongings you may have brought on board with you and please use caution when opening the overhead bins, as heavy articles may have shifted around during the flight. If you require deplaning assistance, please remain in your seat until all other passengers have deplaned. One of our crew members will then be happy to assist you. On behalf of Air France Airlines and the entire crew, I’d like to thank you for joining us on this trip, and we look forward to seeing you on board again soon.”
I switch my phone off airplane mode. “We have to contact Nicolas for the key,” I tell them, looking through my Airbnb app to find his number. The ding from the fasten seat belt indicator makes everyone spring into action. I stand, stretching my legs, finally. “I’m so tired.”
“I think I could sleep for a year,” Diana says, grabbing her bag. I tuck my phone into my side pocket on my yoga pants. I follow Kate and Diana down the aisle and smile at the flight attendant as I walk off.
The three of us walk off the plane, and it’s no surprise when a couple of men turn and look at us. We are all average height and thin with long hair. Kate has long blond ash hair and crystal blue eyes, Diana has long brunette hair and brown almost black eyes, and then I have long red hair and blue or green eyes, depending on how the light shines on them.
“That way,” Kate says, pointing at the sign that says exit. We follow the sign, going down the escalator to the customs agent. “Passports,” she says, and I just nod my head, opening my purse to grab mine. We stand in a line with three booths open. I step up to the glass, waiting for the customs agent to ask me something, anything. Except I get nothing. He speaks to the officer next to him, not even paying attention to me or questioning why I’m even here. He stamps my passport and hands it to me, then motions for the next person.
“Well, then,” I say, walking to the right through a door where Kate and Diana wait for me. “Did they ask you anything?”
“Nothing,” Kate says. “Not even a bonjour.”
I take my phone out of my pocket and try signing into Airbnb as we walk to the carousel with about six hundred people crowded around it. It’s moving with no luggage on it yet. “Look around,” Diana says. “See if we were followed.”
“Are you kidding?” I tell her. “Have you seen us? We look haggard; no way would anyone want to kidnap us.”
“Speak for yourself,” Kate says. “I put on lip gloss.” She points at her lips.
I raise my eyebrows. “Yeah, they can get extra for your non virgin ’gina and perfect tits.” I laugh.
“Aww, you think my tits are perfect.” She squeezes her arms together, looking down at her boobs.
“You paid ten thousand dollars for them,” Diana says. “If they aren’t perfect, you need to go back to him and demand a freaking refund!”
I laugh to myself, then look up at them. “I got the number; should I add him to whatsup?” I ask them.
“It’s WhatsApp,” Diana says, “and unless you added him before, he won’t even know.”
“Fuck,” I say, copying his number and sending him a text.
Hello, Nicolas. It’s Meghan. We just landed.
“Okay, I texted him,” I tell them and look around when I see that some of the bags have started coming out. “I’m going to go and look for our bags.” I give Kate the phone. “Watch in case he texts us back.”
I walk to the carousel and try to squeeze myself in so I can see. I’m watching the bags come out when I feel someone at my back. Turning, I see it’s Diana. “I came to help. Anything?”
“Nothing yet,” I tell her as I look over at Kate who just shakes her head.
“That’s Kate’s,” Diana says from behind me as she elbows her way to the front to grab the bag. Lifting it off the conveyor belt, she tries not to smash anyone while she puts her bag down.
“That’s mine,” I say, pointing at the purple luggage coming out. She grabs the bag and then bends down to grab her own luggage. She knocks into a couple of people as she puts the luggage down, excusing herself and rolling the two suitcases to us. We walk toward Kate.
“Fine,” I hiss and call the number I was given. It rings once, and then a man answers right away.
“Allo,” Hello, he says.
“Nicolas,” I say, “it’s Meghan. Tina told me to contact you once we got in today. We have just arrived and got our bags. We are on our way to grab a taxi.”
“Ah, yes,” he says in broken French. “Okay, perfect. I will head there and meet you at the studio.”
“That sounds great. Thank you,” I say and disconnect as we walk out the door and see people waiting for their loved ones.
“Okay, we need a taxi,” Diana says as she wheels her luggage, and I look down.
“Taxi.” A man’s voice makes me look up. He’s wearing jeans and a turtleneck and is holding the keys to a Mercedes. “I can take you. Seventy-five euro.”
“No, thank you,” Kate answers him, trying to walk away.
“Okay,” he says, “sixty-five but final offer.”
I look at Kate and then Diana, opening my Uber app. I put in the address to the apartment and calculate the fare. “It says sixty,” I tell them, then look at the man. “You take cards?” I ask him, thinking about how we only have credit cards.
“No.” He shakes his head. “The bank machine is over there.” He points at the ATM right next to the exit door.
“Walk.” I hear Kate motion to me with her head, and we all start walking. “Let’s go outside and see what the cabs charge.”
We walk outside, the breeze of the wind making our hair fly all over the place. “I guess this is what Beyoncé feels like,” Diana says, laughing as she turns her head so the wind pushes her hair away from her face. We approach the lady standing right in front of the taxi line.
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