‘Good point,’ Romeo added then flashed her a warm smile. If they had not told us that they were a couple it would have been easy to guess from the way that they looked at each other.
‘Thanks!’
‘The fifth and final daily Love Task will be creating a playlist. At the end of each day, we would like you to make a list of five songs that describe your feelings towards your partner, so that by the end of the trip you will have a beautiful playlist to remind you of how your love story progressed. Back to you, Claude!’ Romeo said as he held his hand up to his mouth in the shape of an imaginary microphone and smiled at Sammie again. They clearly shared the same sense of humour.
‘Merci, Romeo. And in case you still think that this all seems like a lot of “work”, you will be happy to hear that as well as the reward of building a long-lasting relationship with your ideal person, there is also a very big and exciting prize for the winning couple that completes all of these tasks over the next five days.’
‘Oooh!’ the guests said enthusiastically and I sat up straighter.
Having the opportunity to spend time with Laila was a big enough incentive, but now I knew it was also a competition, that made completing all of the tasks even more appealing.
‘Salut!’ said Lisette. ‘As Claude said, there will be a huge prize and I am not talking about a bottle of champagne or even a luxury massage. This prize will be very impressive! But before you ask, I cannot tell you what it is. Just that you will want to win it very much.’
‘Such a tease!’ a girl with a pixie cut shouted out and Lisette laughed.
‘Does anyone have any questions?’ Claude scanned the guests.
‘You said there are five locations. Can we do them all in one day?’ the blond guy asked.
‘No.’ Claude shook his head. ‘You will only get one clue a day at the morning briefing. To make it fair, everyone will get the same clue at the same time.’
‘How will you decide on the winner?’ I asked, my competitive streak showing.
‘We will consider many different things,’ Claude explained. ‘Completing all of the tasks is the minimum requirement. We will look for couples that demonstrate that they have gone the extra mile. This could be shown in the kinds of photos you take, the romantic tasks you choose, how much you find out about each other and any extra locations you have visited. Everything counts, so give it your all. We will announce the winner on Saturday morning.’
‘D’accord,’ I nodded.
I had to admit, I was intrigued to know what the prize would be. But I would not have a chance of winning anything unless Laila agreed to take part. And considering we had not spoken since last night, it was too early to get my hopes up. The priority was to make sure that she felt comfortable enough to stay. Anything else was a bonus.
‘I must leave now to go to the first location,’ Lisette said. ‘Bonne chance!’
As Lisette left, Claude scanned the rooftop from left to right.
‘Anything else?’ Claude’s question was met with silence. ‘It may seem like a lot to take in right now, but I promise that it is very straightforward. But if at any point you have any queries, please ask. And remember, the goal is to get to know your match and have lots of fun in Paris together!’
‘Are you ready for the first clue?’ Sammie called out.
Everyone said a collective ‘oui’.
‘Now remember,’ Sammie added, ‘as lovely as all of the other guests are, your goal is to work with your partner towin. So when you get the clue, don’t shout out the answer. The clue will be texted to your phones, shortly. You can use the internet to help you work out the location and when you have and you’re ready to leave, let reception know if you’d like a driver and your chauffeur will take you there. Okay, so the clue will be hitting your phones inun, deux, trois…!’
A series of pings vibrated around the rooftop as the message came through.
I pulled out my phone and clicked the message on the screen. As I started reading it a confident smile spread across my face.
‘I have absolutely no idea!’ Laila whispered.
‘You do not have to know. That is why I am here.’
‘You know where this is?’ She raised her brows.
‘Oui,’ I confirmed. ‘Follow me.’
12
LAILA
As Gabriel led me towards the lift, I tried to ignore the way his light blue shirt clung to his muscular back and the bulge of his biceps.
