Lessons from a Tour Guide

1. Early is On Time

1

EARLY IS ON TIME

Hanna’s first mistake that morning was taking the train.

“ Shitshitshitshit,” Hanna muttered under her breath while checking her watch for the millionth time.

Was it too much to ask that the laws of nature bend just a little bit for her?

Slowing down the rotation of the earth around the sun, making the minute hand creep forward instead of maintaining its steady tick did not seem too large a request.

As a rule, Hanna only wore an analog watch, wound daily as part of her nightly ritual.

Who needed a fancy digital watch–with their step counters and constant harassment to “ take a moment to breathe” –anyway?

Stick to the basics, the tried and true, as her father liked to remind her.

A gift for her sixteenth birthday, the thin leather band was worn with age, the brown color faded and stretched along the holes and edges.

Bluebirds ticked their way along the watch face from the ends of the hands, circling the birdhouse at the center.

It was inexpensive and did not match the polished nude heels or conservative navy sheath dress that Hanna wore, but it was priceless.

Her one small concession to the appearance she strove to maintain.

Currently, the watch mocked her, beating in time with the click of her heels across the cobblestone pavement.

Perpetually on time, which actually meant ten minutes early, Hanna cursed the train for taking longer than usual to get her from Long Beach to San Diego.

Honestly, after years of traveling for work, she should have anticipated this.

The greater Los Angeles area was notorious for bad traffic, apparently even when one bypassed the freeway.

When she booked this meeting, taking the train seemed like a great idea.

As a vacation concierge, affectionately known as a tour guide, Hanna never needed to own a car.

Public transportation worked smoothly in most of the countries she visited, even in parts of the United States, but Los Angeles had to make a statement.

Making her only two minutes early to one of the most important meetings of her career.

For over ten years, Hanna worked for Trips Ahoy, a trip planning company catering to groups who wanted to visit the top tourist destinations in the world without the stress of planning it themselves.

But now, with the retirement of her boss and mentor Stephanie Ricci, Hanna was ready to start her own business.

She just had to nail the first client meeting.

Slowing her stride a block before the cafe where she was meeting the client, Hanna stepped to the side and pulled out her compact mirror.

Never look rushed, even if you are.

Stephanie’s smoky voice was clear in her mind, even though she was miles away on a vacation in the tropics.

The round pocket mirror with a ring of vines etched around the edge was a gift for Hanna’s first tour.

A reminder to always look her best and to never, ever, forget to check her teeth after eating.

Holding the mirror at arm’s length, Hanna used her free hand to smooth back a few strands of hair that pulled away from her thick curls and checked that her makeup was in place.

Nodding to herself after confirming everything looked as it should, she smoothed down her dress and resumed her walk at a natural pace.

If anyone thought it strange that she stopped on the side of the road to check her hair and makeup, Hanna did not care.

Impressing Hazel Eversham was too important.

A short, firecracker of a woman, Hazel embodied everything Hanna wanted to be when she grew up.

Well…grew up more than a functioning twenty-eight year old who was rarely in one place long enough to have a long-term lease, thrifted designer clothing, and had a Google spreadsheet organizing her favorite take-out places.

Hazel was wealthy, adventurous, and didn’t take shit from anyone.

She first met the silver haired force of nature septuagenarian on a tour through Rome and Venice designed for older adults.

At the end of the first day, Hazel pulled Hanna aside and told Hanna that if she wanted to watch winded old people shuffle from place to place, she would have moved to a retirement community.

“I want to drink wine poured by an attractive Italian man. Can you set that up?” Hazel asked with a straight face.

Hanna instantly liked her.

Whenever the group had a free afternoon or evening, Hanna provided Hazel with activity suggestions to match her lively spirit.

Which was exactly the type of service Luxe Travel specialized in.

Although she offered samples of potential tours on her website, whether Hanna was leading the tour herself, or booking it on behalf of a family and providing them the itinerary to follow themselves, each tour from Luxe Travel was customized to every group.

She conducted preliminary questionnaires with each group, generated an itinerary for the clients to review, then booked the travel arrangements.

Before Hazel contacted her, Hanna had planned several trips for a few clients that followed her on social media, and beyond a few follow-up questions and phone calls for emergencies, they trusted her to book them fantastic vacations.

But itinerary-only tours were not enough.

Hanna needed to start booking trips for private tour groups to get her business off the ground.

Which was why she was meeting Hazel at an adorable tea shop in San Diego.

She was referred to the owners by friends, curating relationships with quality, locally-run businesses (a cornerstone of her business plan), and knew it would impress her long-time client with its combination of comfortable tables, tasteful decorations, and impeccable food and beverages.

Pushing open the frosted glass doors with brushed-gold handles, Hanna made her way to the host stand and introduced herself.

Glancing up from the tablet concealed behind the polished countertop, the host smiled warmly at Hanna.

“Right this way. The other members of your party are already seated.”

Quickly masking her surprise at the plural guests , Hanna pasted on her warmest smile and followed the host to a table seated near the front windows, affording the best view without residing near the bustle of the kitchen and entrance.

She could hear Hazel before she saw her, a twinkling laugh hitting Hanna’s ears as she rounded the corner and spotted Hazel’s white and grey braid swaying as she laughed.

Seated across from Hazel was a man in a light-blue shirt that stretched across his shoulders as he gestured toward his table partner.

Thick brown hair, cut shorter on the sides and carefully styled on top, swayed slightly as he shook his head.

Although he was facing away from her and Hanna could not see his expression, it looked like he did not agree with whatever Hazel was laughing at.

Based on the hand he placed on Hazel’s arm, Hanna could tell that they were familiar, and she wondered why the mysterious man was at her meeting.

Considering that Hazel wanted her assistance planning a trip to Paris with her friends from a women’s entrepreneurial club, the man’s presence at the table did not bode well.

Pulling back her shoulders, Hanna took a calming breath.

She had not made it this far in her career without the ability to pivot as unexpected challenges arose, but her heart still beat faster in her chest with anxious energy.

As the host led her into the table’s line of sight, Hanna saw the moment Hazel’s blue eyes found her, lighting up with recognition and joy.

“Hanna!” The older woman stood in a graceful motion and stepped around the table to pull her into a hug.

Scents of rum and ginger floated on a cloud of Hazel’s perfume as Hanna breathed around her vise-like grip.

For someone who barely reached Hanna’s chin, Hazel could hug like a bear.

“How is it possible that you get prettier every time I see you?” Pulling back so that she could take a good look at Hanna, Hazel chuckled good-naturedly.

“The perks of being young.”

“Please, you are hardly old,” Hanna teased.

“Do not forget that you were staying out later than I was in Italy.”

As always, Hazel’s makeup was applied subtly to enhance her features rather than outshine them.

The wrinkles around her eyes were testaments to the years of love and laughter she celebrated with her late-husband and family.

“You flatter me,” Hazel replied with a wave of her hand.

“Please, continue.”

They shared a laugh that resonated across the room.

It was one of the reasons Hanna enjoyed working with Hazel.

She loved her unexpected humor and familiarity.

But, she could not let herself get too close.

That was a lesson Hanna learned years ago.

The sound of chair legs sliding against the floor interrupted Hanna’s next comment and reminded her that there was an unknown variable in her plan to secure Hazel’s business.

No, they were very much not alone as the man with thick, dark hair rose from the table.

“Oh! How forgetful of me.” Hazel never forgot anything in the entire time Hanna had known her.

“I brought someone for you to meet.” Turning towards her guest, Hazel’s eyes and smile brightened as she gestured between the man and Hanna.

“This is Noah. My grandson.”

Muscle memory was Hanna’s best friend as she faced Noah, her hand moving on autopilot to shake his hand as her brain turned off.

Clean, callused fingers engulfed hers, wrapping tightly in a firm grip that sent a shiver up her spine.

Forearms dusted with dark hair were exposed by the rolled sleeves of his button-up.

A shirt that amplified the defined muscles of his arms. The motion of his bicep flexing as their hands connected shook Hanna out of her haze.

Pull it together , she chastised herself.

This was no way to act around a client’s family member.

Certainly not the way to act before her business was even off the ground.

Mistakes were a luxury she could not afford.

Putting on a professional smile, Hanna made her second mistake of the day.

Looking at Noah Eversham’s face was more distracting than his arms. Eyes the color of a cloudless sky peered down at her beneath dark lashes, flashing with a spark of something she could not put her finger on.

His hair somehow looked thicker from the front, sloping gracefully away from his forehead, matching the dusting of scruff along his sculpted jaw.

Countless cities and faces across the world left Hanna desensitized to handsome men, or so she thought before laying eyes on Noah.

Looking at him was like staring at artwork, beautiful and untouchable.

He would have been the most handsome man Hanna had ever laid eyes on, if not for the scowl on his face.

Widening her own smile to overcompensate for his lack of one, Hanna broke the silence.

“Hanna Poole. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She made sure to emphasize the hard H in her name, knowing that most people mispronounced it as Hannah instead of the correct Hebrew pronunciation.

“Noah. My grandmother speaks highly of you, the infamous trip planner.”

She bristled at the description.

Granted, a large portion of her job was to plan trips for people, but coming from his mouth the title sounded like an insult.

There was a reason her business cards said Vacation Concierge .

Rude as the comment was, Hanna would not respond in kind.

“I am honored that Hazel speaks so highly of me. Shall we sit? This tea shop has been run by the same family for over seventy-five years and I was told their scones rival any you can find in England.”

As she sat, Hanna watched as Noah held out the chair for his grandmother, trapping Hanna between them at the table.

Placing her purse behind her on the chair, Hanna folded her hands in her lap, allowing the host to set the menu in the center of the table before explaining the options for shareable versus individual high tea.

Having reviewed the menu online in advance, Hanna gestured for Hazel to look at the menu first.

“Do you always take your clients to establishments you’ve never visited?” Noah’s smooth voice was a contradiction to his harsh words.

The subtle bite to his tone had Hanna’s eyes flashing to his.

Where did he get off being rude to her not five minutes after being introduced?

Couldn’t a girl order some tea before getting subjected to the inquisition?

Hanna kept her tone syrupy sweet as she replied.

“Pardon me?” Beneath the table, her hands wound around the napkin to resist the urge to pick at her fingernails.

Watching her with the unflinching gaze of someone assessing an opponent for a weakness, Noah smirked.

“You said that you’ve ‘been told’ about their scones. Shouldn’t someone whose job it is to guide people around places they have never been rely on more than just hearsay? We could get that information from Google.”

Remaining calm and composed in any situation was part of Hanna’s job.

Several members of a group partied too hard the night before a river cruise?

Hana passed around pedialyte, advil, and motion sickness medication.

People yelling in her face about their inability to get closer to the Mona Lisa?

Nothing attentive listening and a few well placed elbows to the people around them could not solve.

But Hanna’s blood pounded at the nerve this man had to doubt her skill.

Something about the insults coming from that perfectly sensuous mouth ignited her temper and Hanna ground her teeth to hold back a fiery retort.

Smacking her menu against her grandson’s arm, Hazel leveled a glare at Noah.

“Don’t be rude. I let you join us so that Hanna could alleviate the concerns you have with my trip, not insult her. If you cannot be polite then leave. I raised you better than that.”

That was interesting news.

Hanna wanted to ponder this revelation, but her brain was stuck on the word “concerns” repeating in her mind like a glitch.

Concerns were normal, particularly when it came to traveling.

But Hazel made it sound like Noah's concerns might prevent the trip from happening. Which was not good. Hazel had many connections, including wealthy and influential friends, that could help Hanna launch her company.

Knowing that Stephanie wanted to retire soon, and dreaming of becoming her own boss, Hanna spent the last couple of years growing her social media presence, curating content designed to showcase the places she visited and tips for traveling. While there was some money in promoting products or places, it was not all Hanna wanted to do. If she had, Hanna would have remained with Trips Ahoy after a large company bought it from Stephanie. When Hazel reached out after seeing the announcement for Luxe Travel, Hanna knew that securing her business would establish credibility and bring in more clients.

She was so busy thinking through various scenarios and justification for her services that Hanna almost missed Noah speaking.

“I’m sorry, mémé, you know that I worry about you.” Noah’s voice softened as he spoke to his grandmother, then firmed again as he faced Hanna. “Ms. Poole, I apologize for suggesting that you do not know how to do your job without giving you a chance to prove you can.”

All the words were correct, but they still sounded like he was not willing to give her that chance. This was not the first time a member of a group expressed doubt over her ability as a guide and it would not be the last. Repeated instances meant that Hanna’s rebuttal was practically scripted.

“Thank you, and please call me Hanna. I understand that my job does not make sense to a lot of people, but I can address any questions you might have. Rest assured that Hazel’s trip will be everything she and her friends are hoping for.”

“Which we are looking forward to!” Hazel clasped her hands together with youthful enthusiasm. She was finally fulfilling her dream to travel the world, and Hanna felt her own enthusiasm for travel flourish under the sunlight of Hazel’s joy. There were only so many times she could see the same tourist destinations, the novelty having worn off long ago, but getting to show those places to people for the first time, seeing the light in their eyes, made it all worth it.

At that moment, their waitress came and introduced herself, explaining the menu options and asking if they had any questions before ordering.

Hazel glanced at the menu before smiling at Noah and Hanna, her gold watch glinting in the light as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Sharing would be fun, and the jasmine tea sounds lovely. Does that work for you two?”

“Anything you want,” Noah agreed. He looked at Hazel with such obvious affection that Hanna suspected he always found a way to make sure Hazel got whatever she wanted.

They both turned to face Hanna with an unspoken question in their eyes.

Outwardly, Hanna agreed with their selection. Inwardly, she worried that she would be stuck drinking tea that she did not enjoy. At least their sandwiches and scones were served individually.

When the waitress left to put in their order, Hazel started the conversation back up. “So, Hanna, what have you been up to since I saw you in Greece?”

“A little bit of everything. More trips around Europe, then a few in Japan before the end of my last season with Trips Ahoy. After that, I focused on opening Luxe Travel, so it’s been nonstop paperwork.”

Hazel reached over to clasp her hand. “Congratulations, again. Selfishly, I am glad that you are opening your own company, because it means I get to keep experiencing your wonderful trips. When Stephanie announced that she was retiring and selling her company, I was worried that I would lose you and have to travel to new places with someone else.”

The compliment filled Hanna with pride, warming her against the chill of air conditioning. “I am happy to hear it. Stephanie was my mentor for so long that I knew I did not want to work for anyone else. Plus, with the blog gaining traction, it was the right time to break out on my own. Thank you again for booking your next trip with me. I will make sure it is unforgettable.”

Mostly forgotten, Noah reminded Hanna of his presence with a quiet scoff, low enough that Hazel could not hear it from her side of the table. It helped that Hazel was gushing about Hanna’s blog, her words drowning out the sound as she told Hanna how she shared each post on Facebook. Seemed like posting on that aging platform still had its benefits.

When Hazel excused herself to freshen up before the food arrived, Hanna decided to address the elephant in the room and face Noah and his surly attitude head on.

“Is something wrong?” Hanna turned to him.

The last pretense of polite blandness wiped off his face the moment Hazel was out of view, a glare turning his eyes into sharp blades. “You mean, beyond your plan to scam my grandmother and her friends out of thousands of dollars with this sham of a tour company?”

He sounded disgusted, and hot anger burned in Hanna’s chest. Biting her tongue when their waitress arrived to deliver their food and tea, Hanna stewed in her anger. The gall this man had. It was only years of customer service experience that allowed her to keep her expression neutral as Hanna pitched her voice low, struggling to maintain an even tone.

“Scam? Luxe Travel is a legitimate company and I would be more than happy to supply a copy of our business license for you to validate. All of the locations that I take tours on are personally vetted and I always provide options for travel insurance. Reservations are logged into the client’s portal so they have access to the information at any time. I have a program for recording all monetary transactions and pay for top of the line security software to protect my clients–”

“But you don’t have many clients yet, do you?” His lips twitched with a smug smile. “And all those promises of travel insurance and a valid business license mean nothing if you declare bankruptcy. Who’s to say you do not take their money, your business folds, and then you pocket their money without any refunds?”

An angry flush bloomed on her neck and chest. Noah was lucky the only knife on the table was too dull to stab him with. He possessed the uncanny ability to get under her skin in a way no guest had before.

“I would never do that. Hazel has gone on trips with me before and I have never done anything untrustworthy.”

Leaning forward in his chair, Noah’s face was now close enough that Hanna could see a light dusting of freckles across the bridge of his nose. She blamed her outrage on the warmth that pumped through her veins. It was not because Hanna found Noah attractive. Not this rude, judgemental jerk.

His tone matched his icy stare. “That was when you worked for an established company. Credible. I find it suspicious that instead of sticking with them, under new management, you decided to start over with no backing, no reputation besides your own. My grandmother might trust you, but I don’t, and I will not let you take advantage of her.”

“I have reviews posted on my website from previous clients, as well as a recommendation from Stephanie Ricci. I have been in this business for over ten years and I know what I am doing. If you do not trust your grandmother’s judgment, then the only other option for you is to go on a tour and see for yourself that the experience I provide is worth it.”

Hanna’s breath was uneven, her chest rising rapidly as she defended herself. Inviting him on a tour came out of her mouth without permission. She could imagine nothing worse than being forced to endure his presence for a prolonged period of time. Hanna was confident he felt the same way about her. Knowing that she said everything she could, Hanna sat back in her chair, smoothing the napkin over her skirt as if nothing Noah said could ruffle her feathers. The proverbial ball was in his court now.

The click of Hazel’s short heels against the floor warned Hanna of her approach and provided relief from whatever Noah was preparing to say.

“How lovely,” Hazel remarked over the food, sitting down as Noah poured her a cup of tea. “I hope you two got to know each other better while I was gone.” Her arched brow indicated that she noticed the tension from the other occupants of the table and the sparkle in her eye set off warning bells in Hanna’s mind.

Noah grinned like he was about to reveal a secret, and it set every nerve in Hanna’s body on high alert. “Of course. We were just discussing your trip to France.” He paused. “And how great it would be if I joined you.”