Author's Note: We're moving into some new territory here, and there's a new character. Let me know what you think. Europe is going to contain some drama. But, hey, life on the road is always going to be hard! Enjoy!
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I sat on the far side of a crushed red velvet sofa, taking a deep inhale of the piping hot cup of coffee in my hands before raising it for a tentative sip. It was dark, rich, and delicious. Two cushions over from me, Katie had her legs tucked under her. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, with a pen sticking out of it. She wore a thin white cotton tank top, and her nipples easily protruded against the fabric. She had another pen in her right hand, a notebook balancing on her right thigh, and her phone perched on her left. Her left hand danced over an image of piano keys on the phone screen.
"No, that's not right at all," she said with a sigh.
I smiled at her. She scratched through a line on the page of her notebook, then rewrote it.
"This works," she said. "But I can't find the right melody here. It feels too slow."
She continued writing in the notebook, scratching out and rewriting. I was halfway through my coffee before I finally said something.
"I like watching you work," I said.
That shook her focus. She looked over at me, appearing a bit disheveled.
"I can feel you here with me," she said. "It makes it easier."
"Am I your muse?" I said jokingly and stuck out my tongue.
"So much more than a muse," she said and set down the notebook and pen. She picked up her phone and slid it into the pocket of the loose, nylon shorts she wore. "Okay, time for a break. You can't force things."
"And you don't need to," I said. "Let it come to you. Besides, your coffee is getting cold."
"Judging by the steam coming out of your cup, I don't think so," Katie said with a smile.
She picked up a matching cup from the coffee table in front of us. It was two-tiered and rectangular. The bottom layer was glass. The top layer was outlined by wood with gold inlay and covered with the same red velvet as the sofa.
"Come on, then," I said. "Let's check on the others."
The lush red-and-gold carpet felt soft on my feet as we walked across the massive Suite Impériale at the Ritz Paris. This was truly a splurge. We had this and an adjacent Suite Mansart, which gave us access to a large terrace overlooking the Place Vendôme. But you only came to Paris attached to the largest pop music tour of a lifetime once, so the fact that it cost me 60,000 euros per night didn't mean that much. Besides, it was only four nights.
We walked out onto the terrace and found a stunningly clear, refreshing Parisian day outside. The Eiffel Tower stood tall in the distance. We joined Kat, Jess, Rita, and Stephanie at the terrace's dining table. There was an assortment of delicate pastries, two bottles of Champagne in silver ice buckets, two pots of coffee, and a pack of Gauloises on the table. All four girls sat with some form of croissant on the plates in front of them, a hot cup of coffee, and a cold glass of bubbly. They looked at their phones through matching Chanel sunglasses, each with a cigarette hanging from their mouths.
"Now this is a truly Parisian site," I said. "You ladies look like natives."
"Hey, baby," Rita said, taking a drag and flicking ash into a sturdy porcelain ashtray. "You know about Paris and smoking for me."
"For everyone," Kat said, exhaling a plume high toward the Eiffel Tower.
"It's sexy here," Jess agreed. "And I've got to do something to keep me from eating every single croissant I see."
"I don't know," Stephanie said. "I'm still not used to it."
The girls had peer-pressured Stephanie into having her first cigarette since high school when we arrived in Paris. She had never been here before, and she was enchanted by romantic notions of the city. Rightfully so.
"Well, you look sexy doing it, Steph," Rita said.
"Thank you, goddess," Stephanie said and gamely took another drag.
"How's the song coming, Katie?" Kat asked.
"Pretty good," she said. "The lyrics are the easy part, I feel like. I can't get the harmony right."
"I'm just so impressed with you," Jess said.
"Yeah," Rita agreed.
"You're not just chasing your dream," Jess added. "You're making it happen. You're basically going to have an album ready by the time we get home!"
"I think you're a little on the optimistic side, sweetie," Katie said with a laugh. "But I'm trying."
She sat down at one head of the table, and I took the other, across from her. She fished a joint out of her shorts pocket, grabbed the Zippo that sat on the table next to Rita, and sparked it up.
"Anyone?" she asked, holding up the joint as she held the first hit in her lungs.
"Yeah, I'll have some," Kat said.
She was done with her cigarette and snubbed it out in an ashtray. She took a bite of croissant and sip of coffee while the joint made its way to her. Then she took a long hit and smiled at me as she pulled the smoke deep into her lungs. I looked at my watch. It was almost 10 a.m.
"Has anybody heard from Crystal or Bianka?" I asked. "I figured they should be here any minute."
The girls shook their heads, and as if the Fates had been listening in, my phone lit up just then. It was Jason.
"What's up, brother?" I said.
"We just pulled up," Jason said. "This place is insane!"
"Come on up, and we'll get you some breakfast," I said. I turned to the girls and said, "They're here."
I grinned as the whoop went up around the table. We had missed our partners in crime.
"Can we just do this all day?" Rita asked, taking a bite of her croissant and then pulling another smoke out of the pack. "They probably are wiped and don't want to hit the town."
"I mean, I don't see why not," I said.
"What time do you have to leave for the show, Katie?" Jess asked.
"Five or so," she said. She had the joint again and took a pull.
"That's only seven hours," Kat said. "Sort of hardly seems worth leaving this absolutely fucking spectacular hotel. Jason and Crystal and Bianka can get some rest and be ready to stay up late."
"I can't believe we're here again," Rita gushed, recalling our quick trip to Paris a few years earlier.
"Let's just savor it," Jess said. "We've got a couple more days to go out and do stuff."
"The room service is so amazing, too," Stephanie volunteered.
"I think that settles it," I said. "We're unanimous."
"I think that calls for a toast," Kat said and raised her Champagne glass.
I quickly poured glasses for Katie and me, and we clinked the fine crystal together. The bubbles felt good going down my throat. But Cristal rosé, particularly in the morning, ought to have been viewed as a wonderful indulgence.
The croissants were perfect, flakey and airy and full of glorious French butter. They were still warm. I loved the delicacy of their structure and flavor. It was perfect with the strong, smooth coffee that I splashed hot milk into. I was just finishing a croissant when someone knocked on the door. We all jumped up and greeted our friends. The suite echoed from the squeals and happy reunion with our friends.
"So glad you made it, bro," I said, hugging Jason. "How was the flight?"
"I think we drank every drop of Champagne they had on that plane," he said with a laugh.
"That's the whole point of business class!" I said with a laugh.
"It would have been better to fly private," Crystal said, teasing her boyfriend. "I wouldn't be so tired."
She put a finger to the side of her nose and pressed it closed, then made a small sniffing sound. Everyone laughed. Crystal looked good, even after a long transatlantic flight. She wore black yoga pants and a form-fitting, scoop neck tennis shirt. She bounced up and down on her bright white sneakers, showing off a nervous energy that was endearing. She chewed gum, of course, but there was still a deep fatigue in her eyes.
"Were you able to get any sleep?" Kat asked.
"Not really," Crystal said.
"I told you, girl," Bianka said. "You should have taken a couple xannies. It would have knocked you right out."
"I just need a little lift," Crystal said.
"Come on outside, guys," Jess offered. "We're being real Parisians, and you won't find a better view of the city!"
I called down to room service to have more coffee and croissants sent up, as well as more Champagne. The girls led our new arrivals outside, and the gasps from Jason and Bianka both told me all I needed to know about how impressed they were with our perch. I also noticed that Crystal had hung back so she could grab a quick word with Rita.
"Sweetie, don't worry," Rita said as I walked up to them. "I was just going to fix up some, and we'll have you going in no time."
"You're the best," Crystal said, flashing her dimples and bouncing outside to the terrace.
Her ass looked fantastic in the yoga pants, and Rita caught me staring.
"She is easy to lust after, isn't she?" Rita said.
"A real bombshell," I said. "I won't lie. But you know that. It takes one to know one."
"You're so sweet, baby," Rita said and kissed me. She tasted like cigarettes. "Want to help me get some coke ready for our guests? I think they could use a pick-me-up after the flight."
"I figured that's what Crystal wanted," I said. "I also like Parisian Rita. You're sexy."
"I told you," Rita said with a gracious smile, "there's just something about cigarettes in Paris."
"I think it's more about you in Paris," I said.