Laila’s eyes met mine and she gave me a cautious smile before looking at the empty seat. She paused and for a moment I was convinced she was going to sit elsewhere, but then she sat next to me.
Her beautiful scent immediately flooded my nostrils. She smelt of summer. Sweet, fruity and fresh.
‘So, as I mentioned, I am Claude and standing beside me are three of our most talented Love Alchemists who will also be working their magic to help you fall in love with your match: this is Sammie,’ Claude gestured towards a woman with light brown skin and pink ombre curly hair who waved enthusiastically, ‘and this is Romeo,’ a man with olive skin and dark hair nodded, ‘and Lisette.’ A dark-haired woman with glasses waved.
‘Bonjour!’ a guest with short brown hair called out excitedly and the Love Alchemists gave her a warm smile.
‘I like your enthusiasm!’ Claude replied before continuing. ‘So this morning I will explain how everything will work during your stay. I am not sure if you are aware, but the Love Hotel in Paris is our first ever capital city location. Our other resorts in Spain, Jamaica, Italy and California are all based on the beach. Which means that the activities we have prepared for you and your match will be different.’
‘Gooddifferent, I hope!’ a man with blond hair and an English accent called out.
‘Bien sûr!’ Claude said reassuringly. ‘Paris is one of the most romantic cities in the world with many beautiful monuments. I know that some guests are already familiar with Paris, but the majority of you are not. That is why our objective is for you to get to know both the city and your match better. By the end of your stay, we want you to fall in love not just with Paris, but with your Mr or Mrs Right. That is why we have put together a Love Hunt.’
‘What’s that?’ a man with a shiny bald head called out.
‘I am about to explain.’
‘Sorry!’ The man winced.
‘No problem! Each morning, you will all gather here and you and your match will receive a clue to a romantic location you will need to visit that day. We have a dedicated fleet of luxury eco-friendly vehicles to take you to the location or, if you prefer, you are free to go on foot. Sammie, would you please explain what our guests will need to do when they arrive at the romantic location.’
‘Course! Or should I say,bien sûr!’ she chuckled. ‘The French lingo is still a work in progress, but I’m getting there! Don’t worry. I know enough to get by and help you out with the tasks. Phew! Anyway, so when you get to the first location, you’ll both be given a special Love Passport, which is like a workbook.’
‘Oui,’ Claude added. ‘And when you arrive at the location, you will receive a stamp from a Love Alchemist.’
‘Yep!’ Sammie continued. ‘The Love Passport is also what you’ll use to complete the daily Love Tasks you’ll need to perform. Once you’ve solved the clue and got your passport stamp, the second Love Task you’ll need to do is to take at least three photos doing romantic things at the location on your phone or you can borrow one of our cameras. Thirdly, each of you will also need to write down at least one thing you discovered about your partner. Back to you, Claude.’ Sammie turned to face him. ‘Oooh, I feel like a TV presenter saying that! Y’know like when they say, “Back to you in the studio!” Maybe we should get a mic so I can do that tomorrow!’ She chuckled and several guests laughed along with her.
‘I will certainly look into that,’ Claude smiled. ‘Merci, Sammie.’
‘De rien,’ she replied.
‘So,’ Claude resumed, ‘to clarify, the objective of the daily Love Tasks is to make you work closely with your match. First to solve the mystery, then to decide on the romantic activities and photos so that you will have memories of your special day and then to find out more about one another.’
‘Sounds like homework!’ a man who looked to be in his mid-forties grumbled.
‘Relationships involve work, so this is good practice,’ Claude replied. ‘But the tasks are designed to be fun. Do not think of it as homework, but more aboutlovework. You will be building the foundations of a long-lasting partnership. Romeo, could you explain the last two Love Tasks?’
‘Sì, sorry,oui.’ He smiled. ‘In case you have not already noticed from our different accents, we are from different countries and resorts around the world. Claude and Lisette are from France. I am originally from the Italian resort in Puglia and Sammie is from London.’
‘You have a resort in London?’ a guy called out.
‘No. Not yet. Sammie is from London. We met at the resort in Puglia.’
‘You two aretogether?’ a woman called out, reading my mind.
‘Sì.’ He nodded.
‘Wow!’ she replied.
‘You were about to tell the guests about the fourth Love Task…’ Claude prompted.
‘Scusi. So the fourth task is visiting at least one extra location each day. These are places that are not necessarily romantic, but you may wish to see together, for example the Champs-Élysées or the Arc de Triomphe. There will be a list of ideas to choose from at the back of your passport. And if you visit those places, we would love you to take one funny photo together.’
‘Funny photos can be taken at the extra location or at the main location for that day. And they can be anything like pulling a silly face or doing a fun pose,’ Sammie added. ‘Just no streaking or mooning though! We don’t want you to get arrested for flashing your arse to tourists!’
The group burst out laughing again and even Laila chuckled beside me.
After the tension of last night, it was good to hear her laugh.
