They wheeled their suitcases to the trunk of a sleek black car, then climbed into the back seat.
Orchid fastened her seat belt, aware that Phoenix’s fingers rested on the smooth leather surface between them, just inches from hers. They pulled out of the airport and onto the motorway, heading south towards Paris.
“Do you want me to take your suitcase to the hotel, since you’re going straight to your office?” he offered.
He was so thoughtful. “That’d be great, thank you. What will you do today?”
“Hmm. Locate some espresso. Work out. Check email.”
“Mmm, espresso.”
“Tonight, I might try to find the vixen who left me this.” He pulled a folded napkin from his pocket and unfolded. On it was written,You’re a prince.
“Are you sure she didn’t mean frog?” said Orchid.
He lifted an eyebrow, which raked his handsome face with even more character. “I did compete on my high school swim team, but I’ve never been called an amphibian.”
“More like a tadpole?”
“I seem to be falling down the evolutionary trail.”
The car stopped in front of a white-washed office building. Phoenix handed her a card imprinted with the name of their hotel. It identified as being in the Marais, but Orchid had no idea what that meant. She dropped the card into her bag, pushed open the door and nudged one foot onto the curb. “Did you know in the original princess and the frog tale, the princess threw the frog against a wall?”
“Ouch.”
Orchid stepped onto the curb, briefcase in hand. She turned to say goodbye and felt buoyed by his radiance. The image seared itself into her long-term memory like a perfectly captured beauty ad. Crap, she had it bad.
Inside the building, she traversed the vaulted three-story entranceway and took the elevator up to the conference room. All the while, including during and between meetings, and even between thoughts about ad campaigns, she had flashes of chestnut hair, eyes as blue as the ocean, and the gallant prince who had sacrificed his seat for her comfort.
By the time she returned to the hotel, jet lag was weighing heavily on her eyelids. She entered a cozy hotel room and was pleased to see that Housekeeping had hung her clothes in the armoire. She stripped off her outfit and dropped onto the bed. The cool sheets warmed against her bare skin, and she slipped into a deep sleep.
With no sense of how much time had passed, she awoke to the trill of a foreign phone, the sharp ring jarring her memory, reminding her that she was in Europe.
“Bonjour,” Phoenix said from the other end of the receiver.
“Oh, God,” she murmured, barely able to speak through her slumber.
“That’s an upgrade from amphibian,” he said, sounding chipper.
“What, you slept all day?”
“Nope, and we should go out for a bit, to adjust to the local time.”
“Spoil sport.”
“Meet me downstairs in a half hour. You won’t regret it, promise.” He hung up before she could protest.
After a few minutes, she roused herself from the warm bed and began to rummage through the closet. Choosing an outfit, she dressed, checked her hair and make-up, then took the elevator down to the lobby. She was wearing spike-heeled booties and a fringed minidress.
Phoenix was standing in the foyer. When she looked at him, the rest of the hotel fell away, leaving a gallant gentleman in a black shirt and dark pants. He could fill any space with his presence.
She got close enough to smell spiced cologne and a hint of scotch. “Did you start on pre-dinner drinks without me?”
“Let’s get you caught up,” he said, and led her out the front door. Her heel wobbled on the cobblestoned road, but his steady hand caught her elbow.
“Damned cobblestones,” he said.
She looked around before slipping into the waiting cab. Warm evening air bathed her face.
