ESCAPE TO PARIS

Chapter Two

He laughed. "You are right and she is my girlfriend," he said. "She had an appointment so I am here to let you in myself!"

Reya stayed exactly where she was. She'd planned out every detail of her stay, and it didn't include being alone with some random dude who could potentially be a serial killer.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket. "You call her to confirm this."

She stared at him with narrowed eyes. "I'll use my own phone, thank you."

She used the number she'd texted Louise with to confirm, and it turned out that the man in the doorway had been telling the truth. Louise even described him to a tee. She apologized for forgetting to send an e-mail about her appointment, and offered to stop by later.

"Everything okay?" the man asked.

Maybe it was and maybe it wasn't. In fact...so what if Louise had called confirming every detail? Maybe she was in on the whole thing! Maybe it was Louise's job to lure in the girls, so this lanky man could kidnap them for god-knows-what.

She continued to stay exactly where she was. "You aren't included in Louise's online profile, so you really shouldn't be here according to the terms of service for renting out apartments. And even though I should immediately write a terrible review..." The lanky man's eyes went wide. "You can give me my set of keys and the spare ones you're carrying. Then you'll leave...and Louise can come back on her own to retrieve the spare."

Reya knew that her plan didn't account for the possibility of Louise being an accomplice in the potential movie-inspired 'Taken' kidnapping ring, but at least this way the unknown man would be out of her apartment, allowing her to deal with Louise directly in the hopes that she was actually legit.

"You don't even want me to show you around the apartment?" he said.

She peeked inside. "It looks the same as in the pictures." She crossed her arms. "Now this isn't a request and I've already paid; so go."

He sent a quick text that was probably for Louise and reluctantly handed over both sets of keys.

Reya grabbed them and raced inside while looking over her shoulder, in the off chance the man was actually a serial killer. It turned out okay and she slammed the door.

"Home," she said, turning to admire her Parisian apartment. One of the benefits of leaving her job after April was the fact that she'd collected her bonus. And, thanks to her bonus, she was now standing inside this beautiful abode. Large windows brought warming light into the cozy living room and kitchen ensemble, filled with classical furniture and eclectic paintings on the wall. The nearby bedroom had a queen-sized bed fluffed up with thick blankets. A bed that looked oh so tempting....

"No," she said to herself. "Stay awake; avoid jet-lag."

She opened her carry-on and much to her dismay, remembered that she'd filled it with books, shoes...but not much else. "There wasn't any room for clothes..." she mumbled.

She stared out the window at the late morning sun. Not only was it a nice day, but it was already full-on dress weather and she didn't even have a dress. She rummaged around her luggage a bit more until her trusty razor fell out. She grasped onto the handle for dear life, feeling grateful for the fact that the Schick Quattro YOU™ razor had been packed in her carry-on. "Thank god," she said sighing.

Once the sad inventory check of her carry-on was complete, she found the Wi-Fi password on the table, opened her laptop, and immediately filled out the train station's form for lost luggage.

"And now...we wait." She glanced around the apartment, and doubtful thoughts from back home began to emerge. Being alone...starting over...

"Dammit." She concentrated hard on the things she'd do back home whenever she was feeling some anxiety. Running was 'option one' but she was way too tired, nor was she ready to try the best wine on the planet which was 'option two.' This left her with 'option three.' Her eyes lit up. "Shopping!"

***

As part of Reya's detailed planning for the trip, she'd made sure to book an apartment within walking distance of Avenue de l'Opéra, a bustling street of shops leading down to the historical gilded opera, and, then around the corner....one of the most famous department stores in the world.

Reya quietly gasped as she saw the sign for 'Galeries Lafayette.' The massive store was now divided into three different buildings; the main store, a store for men, and a store dedicated to items for the home.

She charged her way into the main department store mecca, and found herself in a maze of designer handbags and tourists. She couldn't yet make out the stunning architecture of the domed ceiling she'd read about in her guide books, so she wiggled her way past until she found it.

"Wow...." she said sighing, amazed as she stood there in the midst of over a hundred cosmetics counters. She was staring up at a massive domed ceiling, decked out in gold and painted with mesmerizing designs. Every floor had an open view to the ceiling, with shoppers leaning over the circular railings to capture the best 'selfie angles.'

As people started bumping into Reya she decided it was time to move, and began her search for the nearest escalator that would show her a map to the store.

Along the way she spotted a distinguished-looking elderly lady. She seemed typically French in her smart wool suit in pastel blue, but not so French as she reached for a hat that was several inches out of her grasp. Reya could tell that the sale associates were too preoccupied with tourists to help the poor woman, so she rushed over as quickly as possible to help.

"Excusez moi," Reya said, reaching for the hat. She pulled it off the shelf and handed it to the woman. "Voilà madame!"

"Thank you," the woman replied in a soft French accent. "Where are you from?"

"Canada," Reya answered.

The woman smiled. "Very good; very good."

Reya didn't know what that meant but she wasn't going to fight it.

"I love that hat," Reya said, pointing to the classy beige fedora the woman had picked.

"It is meant for sunny strolls in my favourite gardens," the woman explained. "But I am not sure about the colour."

Reya looked at the other options on the shelf. "What about purple?"

The woman narrowed her eyes. "I would have to see it closer."

Reya grabbed the hat and handed it to her.

"Maybe you try it on so I can tell," the woman said.

Reya smiled. "Are you sure?"

The woman nodded and Reya put it on, suddenly feeling very French. "It doesn't really go with my outfit," Reya said. "Which is why I need to buy some new clothes," she added.

"Then Galeries Lafayette is the best place to be." The woman put out her hand. "I'm Madame Billeaux."

Reya squeezed Madame Billeaux's fragile hand into a tight shake. "I'm Reya!"

She noticed Madame Billeaux wincing at the strength of the handshake and was immediately horrified. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I just always learned in business school to give a firm handshake! Not that this is a business transaction..." She was blushing now. "Day one in Paris and elder abuse," she muttered to herself.

Madame Billeaux laughed. "It is nothing I cannot handle; I served in World War II, after all."

Reya gave the woman a more careful look, suddenly fascinated by everything about her. "Do you uhh...happen to know which floor might have some nice summer dresses?"

Madame Billeaux nodded wisely. "I know just the right section with great French designs you'd be proud to wear. Follow me."

Madame Billeaux chose the purple hat and made her way slowly to the escalators. Reya followed close, trying to contain her excitement for an afternoon in Paris with a local...

[Shopping in Paris is iconic, and so is meeting French guys ;-), so stay tuned for that in part 3 which will be out on March 22nd at 8pm Eastern time!]