“You know certainly how to pick em! Can’t wait to meet her.” she replied.
I put my phone back in my pocket and started my preparations. I couldn’t wait to be back in my apartment that evening to Facetime Danielle and give her a blow by blow (not that I had got one of those… yet).
Chapter Three – The Danielle Delegation
That evening, I lay back on the sofa and called Danielle. After catching up briefly she settled in to hear me tell all. I recounted in detail my encounter with Natalia and Danielle got herself off listening to me and looking at the pictures I had sent her. It put her in a good mood prior to me sharing the news that I wouldn’t make it to London anytime soon. She took the news OK and said that the time she was taking off might instead be used for a trip somewhere with Kara. Apparently she was in need of an escape from the life hectic with Tim, Anna, Sophie and Melville. Danielle threw a few ideas out for me to help her choose – assuming that I somehow knew what various European cities had to offer tourists. The reality of course that as a short-haul pilot I didn’t know much about any of my regular destinations other than what was visible from final approach or the tarmac of the airport.
However, one of Danielle’s suggestions was Paris and that gave me an idea. I double checked my roster and noticed that the same week Danielle was planning her trip I was coincidently doing a weekend flight into Paris. Of course I was also scheduled to return immediately to base, but the same trip was also scheduled the following day. This mean that if I could pull some strings with our flight planninig team I might be able to swing it to fly into Paris on my planned outbound leg on Saturday, then take a day of off duty, followed by flying the return leg I was planned for on Sunday. It was a long shot – flight planning is complex and managed by computers factoring all sorts of variables but it was worth a shot I figured.
Remarkably, three weeks later I touched down in Paris and walked off the plane officially off-duty, scheduled to operate the return flight the following day. I had used up all my favours with one of the planning team but they had managed to swing it for me. Danielle and Kara were already at the hotel, having taken the Eurostar from London (thus avoiding any air travel to keep Danielle happy). I had arranged to meet them in the lobby so we could spend the day seeing the sights together. I took a cab into the city and was dropped off at the address Danielle had sent me. Kara had apparently taken the initiative in book and it showed. The hotel in question was grand with people to hold the door open for you as you enter and a vast marble covered lobby. I looked around to see if I could spot either of them and eventually saw Kara’s face sitting on a large wing-backed chair. As I walked over to her she jumped up with excitement and wrapped her arms around me with her usual energy. She planted a kiss on my cheek and told me how great it was to see me again. As I looked around I caught Danielle sitting in one of the other wing backs opposite where Kara had been, her eyes rolled before she stood up to hug me.
We embraced and kissed, and I placed my hand on her cheek.
“Get a room!” Kara mocked loudly.
I blushed slightly and opened my eyes to see a third person sitting on the remaining wing-back. Being so small she had disappeared into the chair as I had first approached, but now I could see that it was Chloe, still sitting on the chair, smiling a little awkwardly at me.
“Chloe?!” I said, surprised to see her and not hiding it very well.
“Hey” she replied, standing up.
Danielle put her arm around Chloe’s waist and pulled her towards herself, leaning her head against Chloe’s.
“So Chloe was free this weekend too, so I said she should join us, right?” Danielle said, discretely winking at me.
“Of course!” I replied, getting with the programme quickly “So, what’s the plan?”
Kara had a long itinerary for us to “make the most” of the day. The girls had arrived last night and were already checked in, so I just left my bags with the bellboy to take them to the room, and we headed straight out. I had planned to change first but Kara was a force of nature, so I just dumped my accesories and headed out in a shirt and dress trousers. We were quite the posse, Kara was dressed in a brightly coloured, intricate dress and a large brimmed light hat and heels, doubtless some sort of Parisian haute couture in keeping with her love for the finer things. Danielle was rocking a bit of an eighties retro ensemble, leggings, converse, a leather jacket and wayfarers. Finally Chloe was, true to form, also wearing all-stars but with skinny jeans (that ass of hers still as peachy as ever) and a hoodie. The four of us wandered around the city taking in various sights, dining in what seemed to be quite a fancy restaurant around mid afternoon. Kara, being well dressed and knowing a little french, had maanaged to secure a table. When the rest of us walked in behind her the maitre d’ noticeably turned up his nose. I reminded me a little bit of that scene in the restuarant in Ferris Beuller’s Day Off.
After what felt like miles of walking, I was glad when we finally arrived back at the hotel and took the lift up to the room. The four of us had relaxed into one another’s company and we chatted away as four old friends. Chloe seemed perfectly comfortable and for Danielle, Kara and I it was like old times… well not exactly like old times obviously. When the elevator door opened I was initially confused… rather than opening out onto a hallway, it opened onto what seemed like a grand living room. There were large sofa’s and a grand piano. At first I thought we must have pressed the wrong number and ended up in a lounge bar or something, then I realised there were two bedrooms off the main room, as well as a kitchen. It turned out Kara had booked the presidential suite. There were in fact three bedrooms, all ensuite, an additional bathroom, a kitchen, dining room and laundry in addition to the aforementioned lounge. The room also came with a cook and a dedicated maid, however Kara had instructed the hotel their services would not be required – apparently she thought that would be excessive.
My bags were sitting in the middle of the floor, so picking them up I asked which room Danielle was in and moved them there.
“I’m going to have a shower” I announced.
Danielle understood the code, as I’m sure did Chloe and Kara, and she followed me into our room, closing the door behind her, leaving Kara and Chloe sitting in the lounge.
“How about a bath?” Danielle asked, as she followed me into the bathroom.
“Do we have time?” I asked concerned that it was rude to disappear off for a while leaving Chloe with Kara who she hardly knew “Chloe might find it a bit awkward with Kara.”
“I’m sure they’ll… get to know each other quick enough” Danielle replied turning on the taps to the large bathtub in the middle of our bathroom.
I pulled my clothes off, folding my trousers into the press and turning it on, before returning to the bathroom. Danielle has also begun removing her clothes when I stepped into the bathroom. She was down to her bra and panties and was standing typing on her phone. She held it above her and took a selfie with me naked in the background before returning to type.