Chapter Three Morning Light #2
The driver pulled onto the highway. For a few minutes they sat there, watching the road ahead as the driver moved smoothly through traffic.Camille leaned toward the window.
“Oh my God.”Simone laughed.“What?”Camille pointed outside.
“Look at that.”Rows of tall trees lined the road, their branches full of bright green leaves.
Spring had clearly arrived. Simone leaned closer to the window too.
“Yeah, it’s so pretty.” she said. “Look at these buildings.” Camille said, pointing outside again.They passed rows of pale stone apartments, each one lined with balconies and tall windows.
Simone leaned forward in her seat, trying to see better.
“WOW.”“Right!?” Camille said.“Okay, now I see what the hype is about” Simone laughed.Camille laughed.
“You sound shocked.”“I am shocked.”“You planned this trip.”“Planning a trip and actually being here are two different things,” Simone said.Camille looked back out the window again.
She leaned her elbow against the door, still watching the city.
“So, Simone” she said, glancing over. “How are you feeling right now? Because you’ve been talking about coming here since you werein culinary school.
”Simone smiled, looking out at the streets ahead.
“That’s another reason why this trip is special.
”Camille looked at her.“Oh yeah?”Simone nodded.
“It’s a dream destination for both of us.
”Camille smiled. Up front, the driver looked at them through the rearview mirror.
“If I may make a suggestion, Mesdames,” he said politely.
“Since this is your first time here, perhaps we take a small tour of the city before heading to the hotel.”Camille’s head turned toward Simone.
Simone caught the look and smiled.“Yes.”Camille grinned.The driver gave a small nod.
“Very well.”He adjusted the wheel slightly as the car turned onto a wider boulevard.
“Then let us begin.”Camille laughed softly and reached for the champagne bottle resting in the console.
“Well, if we’re doing a tour,”She refilled both of their glasses.
Simone raised her glass.“To Paris.”Camille clinked her glass gently against hers.
“To Paris.”And the tour had begun. The driver turned off the main road and onto a wider boulevard lined with tall trees.
Camille leaned toward the window again.“Look at that building.”Simone leaned forward to see past the seat in front of her.
They passed a corner café where workers were setting up tables outside, chairs scraping softly against the sidewalk.
Camille pointed.“See, this is exactly what I pictured.”Simone nodded.
“Same.”The driver slowed as they approached a bridge.
“To your right,” he said politely, gesturing ahead, “you will see the Seine.”They leaned toward the window at the same time.
The river stretched wide beneath the bridge, sunlight reflecting across the water.
Camille’s eyes widened.“Simone this is so beautiful.”Simone smiled.
As they drove off the bridge, the smell of fresh bread drifted through the air when they passed another bakery.Simone noticed.
“Oh my God.”Camille looked at her.“What?”Simone pointed out the window.
“That bakery.”Camille squinted.“You can smell that from the car?”“Yes, the windows are open” Simone said without hesitation.
“And it smells incredible.”Camille laughed.
“You are such a food nerd.”“Excuse you,” Simone said, leaning back in her seat.
“That’s called training.”Camille shook her head, smiling as she looked out the window again.
Up front, the driver looked toward them briefly through the mirror.
“And we have only just begun,” he said politely.Camille looked at Simone again.
“You really brought me here.”Simone met her eyes.
“Yeah,” she said simply. “I did.”The car turned onto another street, Camille was still watching everything outside like she didn’t want to miss a single detail.
“Do people actually live in these?” she asked.Simone laughed.
“Yeah.”The driver slowed as they approached another intersection.
Traffic passed, scooters weaving between cars.
Then Camille leaned forward.“Wait.”Simone looked up.
“What?”Camille pointed through the windshield.
“Is that?”Between two rows of buildings, the top of the Eiffel Tower appeared in the distance.
Simone leaned forward.“It is.”The driver smiled slightly.
“Yes, The Eiffel Tower.”He turned the car down the next street, giving them a clearer view as the tower rose higher above the rooftops.Camille stared.
“There it is.”Simone shook her head, smiling.
“I can’t believe we’re seeing it right now.
”The car kept driving down the street as the tower slowly got bigger ahead of them.
Camille leaned back, still staring out the window.They kept driving through the intersection, the Eiffel Tower still visible between the buildings ahead.
Camille hadn’t taken her eyes off it.“I swear,” she said quietly, still staring out the windshield.
“Every time we turn a corner it pops up again.”Simone leaned forward a little.
The driver smiled.“It is very good at reminding people it’s here.
”Camille laughed.“That’s one way to put it.
”The driver turned onto another street, this one quieter.
Camille shook her head again.“This is unbelievable.”Simone looked out the window.
“You know what I keep noticing?”“What?”“The bakeries.”Camille turned toward her.
“You noticed that first, didn’t you?”“Of course I did,” Simone said.
“Do you know how many times I’ve watched cooking videos filmed in this city?
”Camille laughed.“You’re about to turn this whole trip into a food tour.
”Simone shrugged.“I make no promises.”Up front, the driver slowed the car as they approached another intersection.
“To the left,” he said politely, gesturing toward the street ahead, “we will pass near the tower ifyou would like a closer look.”Camille leaned forward again.
“Yes.”Simone laughed.“Yeah,” she said. “Let’s do that.
”The driver turned down the street. The Eiffel Tower was bigger now, rising above the trees and rooftops.For a moment neither of them said anything.
They just watched. The car rolled slowly past the tower before turning down another street.Up front, the driver looked at them through the rearview mirror.
“Shall we continue to your hotel, Mesdames?”Camille was still watching the tower through the window.
Simone smiled.“Yes,” she said. “Let’s head to the hotel.
”The driver nodded.“Very well.”He eased back into traffic, the tower disappearing behind the buildings as they drove deeper into the city.
Camille leaned back in her seat, still smiling to herself.
“That was amazing.”Simone laughed softly.
“Yeah, it really was.”For a minute Camille stayed focused on the view outside, watching the city move past. Simone turned her head toward the window too.Okay, you did it.She exhaled slowly.You actually pulled this off.Flights, the hotel, the car, months of planning, hoping everything would go smoothly.
And now here they were. She looked over at Camille.
Still staring out the window like a kid seeing the world for the first time.
Simone smiled to herself.Worth it.Then a small thought crept in.Just don’t overdo it.She moved in her seat.You don’t want to overwhelm her.Camille had just gone through a divorce.
The last thing Simone wanted was for this trip to feel like pressure.Take it slow.A week in Paris.
Good food. Good memories. Time together.Simone looked at Camille again.Just enjoy it.For now, that was enough.
The car slowed as it turned onto a quieter street.
The buildings here looked even more polished, storefronts lined neatly along the sidewalks, flower boxes hanging from balconies above.Up front, the driver eased the car toward the curb.
Simone looked out the window. They arrived.
The car came to a smooth stop in front of the hotel.
Camille looked up. She saw the name of the hotel, Hotel Plaza Athenee.She stopped.
“Simone.”Simone tried to sound casual.“Yeah?”Camille pointed out the window.
“This is our hotel?”Simone smiled a little.
“Yeah.”Camille looked back at the building again.
“Are you serious right now?”Before Simone could answer, the chauffeur stepped out and opened the door.
“Mesdames,” he said politely.Simone stepped out first, then turned to offer Camille her hand.
Camille took it, still looking around.The entrance of the hotel was active, staff greeting guests, luggage carts moving across the stone driveway.Camille leaned closer to Simone as they walked toward the entrance.
“You planned all of this.”“Maybe.” She said casually, but it was nothing casual about it.Camille smiled.
“Ready?”Camille smiled.“Oh, I’m very ready.
”Together, they moved through the lobby.
It was elegant and beautiful. Like something out of a magazine.
“Okay,” she said under her breath.“This place is serious.”Simone smiled.
“One of the best.”They walked up to the front desk where a woman in a tailored suit greeted them warmly.
“Bonjour, Mesdames. Welcome.”Simone handed over her passport.
“Reservation for Simone Bennet.”The receptionist typed for a moment, then her expression shifted slightly.
“Yes, Ms. Bennet. We have been expecting you.”Camille looked sideways at Simone.
Simone pretended not to notice. The receptionist reached for two key cards.
“You will be staying in our Eiffel Tower Suite.”Camille blinked.
“I’m sorry, what?”Simone kept her face calm, though she could already feel Camille staring at her.
The receptionist continued pleasantly.“The Eiffel Tower Suite, Madame. It has a direct view of the tower from the balcony.”Camille slowly turned toward Simone.
“You got The Eiffel Tower Suite?”Simone looked at her for a second before responding.
“It’s Paris.”Camille stared at her for a second longer.
“Simone?”Simone took the key cards from the desk.
“Thank you,” she said to the receptionist.“You’re very welcome, Ms. Bennet.
Your luggage will be brought up shortly.
The elevators arejust to your right.”Simone nodded and started walking.
Camille followed beside her, still processing.
“Simone.”“What?”“You got the Eiffel Tower suite?”Simone pressed the elevator button.
Camille stood there, smiling now.“You really planned this trip.”Simone looked at her.
“Relax,” she said lightly.“You’re on vacation.
”The elevator doors opened. Camille stepped inside with her, still smiling.
Simone leaned back against the wall of the elevator.Okay, maybe that was a little extra.But when she looked over at Camille and saw the excitement still on her face, it didn’t feel like too much at all.
The elevator doors closed.Camille leaned back against the rail, looking at Simone again.
“You got the Eiffel Tower suite.”Simone exhaled slowly.
“We’ve already established that.”Camille folded her arms.“No, I’m serious.
”Simone looked at the glowing floor numbers as they climbed.
“So am I.”Camille shook her head.“You flew me to Paris.”“Yes.”“You got a driver.”“Yes.”“Now this.”Simone turned to look at her.
“Do you want to keep listing things or are we done?”Camille laughed.
“I’m just trying to understand when you turned into this person.
”Simone raised an eyebrow.“What person?”“This one,” Camille said, gesturing toward her.Simone looked over at her.
“I’ve always been this person.”Camille looked at her for a second.Then she smiled.
“Well,” she said quietly, “I appreciate it.”Before Simone could respond, Camille stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her.
It was quick. Warm. Familiar. The kind of hug they’d shared a hundred times over the years.
But this time it landed differently.“Thank you,” Camille said softly.Simone hugged her back before she could overthink it.
“Of course.”The elevator chimed. The doors slid open.
Camille stepped out first, turning down the hallway with a smile as she looked for the room numbers.
Simone followed a step behind. Camille walked a few steps ahead, turning slightly as she looked at the room numbers.
Simone watched her.She’s so beautiful.You could tell her right now.Just say I love you.
Simone exhaled.Not yet.
Not in a hallway. Not five minutes after arriving.
This trip wasn’t supposed to rush her. Camille stopped and turned back toward her.
“You coming?”Simone smiled, walking up beside her.
“Yeah.”Camille lifted the key card toward the lock.
Simone watched her hand hover near the door.One week.Don’t mess this up.