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“Are you sure?” I whisper, snuggling against him.
No answer. He presses a bear-like paw against my mouth, kisses the tip of my nose, and closes his eyes again. I can tell from his breathing that he’s already half asleep.
59
Alma
This Friday started like any other. The alarm went off at the usual time, cruelly tearing us from our dreams. Vadim and I snuggled close to each other, while exchanging sleepy kisses and a few drowsy, murmured words. After a hot shower, we quickly grabbed some breakfast before leaving our suite and climbing into the black sedan waiting outside the entrance. Destination: King France HQ on the Champs-Élysées.
Actually, no. Change of plans. The car starts driving in the opposite direction.
“Vadim, where are we going?”
“Be patient, Lancaster.”
I’m all for a little mystery, as long as I’m free to express myself. To ask questions. Lots of questions. Constantly. In a loud, cheerful voice.
Judging by Vadim’s sighs, I could be thrown out of the vehicle any minute now. But he holds firm, refusing to give in, and doesn’t say a word the entire ride.
About thirty minutes later, the driver drops us off in front of Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport, and despite my begging, threats, and various attempts at bribery, I still get nothing.
“Vadim, if you think I’m getting on a plane without knowing where I’m going…”
The little smart-ass simply smiles in response to my dumbfounded expression.
There are no paparazzi in sight.
Vadim takes my hand, and we hurry through the sliding doors leading into the main terminal. His long legs carry him forward at a relentless pace, and I try to keep up without tripping over my own feet.
I notice Lily’s golden locks first, right by the American Airlines counter. Then Clémentine’s tawny hair. Felix’s and Basile’s teasing smiles. Yann’s slightly guarded expression, and Niels’s wide grin. The whole gang.
“Surprise…” Vadim whispers in my ear.
Laughter erupts around me as I try to figure out what they’ve been plotting behind my back.
“We’ve been keeping this to ourselves for over a month. We deserve a fucking medal!” Clémentine boasts as she walks toward me.
“We’re going to Vegas, baby!” exclaims Niels, as he bounces around behind her in his kimchi-print sweater.
“And what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, you prude,” Felix quips.
I stop myself from snapping at him, for my little sister’s sake, and turn to Vadim to give him the kiss of his life. But he’s already busy exchanging fist bumps with the rest of the crew and joking around.
Now, it’s Lily’s turn to approach me, looking triumphant. “See? I can keep a secret! I packed your suitcase on the sly, and I included two of everything, just in case. Our luggage has already been checked in, so we can go to the gate now!”
“Did Vadim organize all this?”
“Yes, as a gift to all of us! He wanted to make you happy by bringing us all together. So, he reached out to us a little before Christmas, and we managed to find a week that was good for everyone. It wasn’t easy between Basile’s job, Yann’s job, getting a sitter for the twins, my classes, and so on. But he managed it.”
“Come on, little sisters, the plane isn’t going to wait for us!” Basile shouts from the other side of the security scanners.
Vadim has also passed through the metal detector without setting it off. I catch his amused gaze and notice the smirk playing on his lips as he looks at me. Walking toward him, I blow him a kiss, to let him know just how deeply his gift has touched me.
“I knew I was made for first class and priority lines,” Clem declares gleefully as she strides past me.
***
Welcome to the city of luxury and excess. Where anything goes, where hundred-dollar bills vanish at the speed of light, and where extravagance knows no bounds.
