Turn Back Time (The Full Circle Series Book 1) Read online

  “Kai just told me he’s riding his motorcycle everywhere. Reminds me of Rev,” Naomi said to Stella.

  “Who is Rev?” Kai asked. “Boyfriend?” He looked from Stella’s to Naomi’s ring fingers. “Husband?”

  “He’s a very good friend,” Naomi said.

  Stella turned to the bartender and ordered a glass of wine, then asked Kai, “What brings you to Paris?”

  “It’s my summer vacation, and I’m planning to spend three to four weeks in France. Bee and I got here two days ago, and we’re probably staying another day or two.”

  “Bee?” Naomi asked.

  “My bike! She needs a name if I’m riding her, and ‘Beemer’ sounds too male for my taste.” He raised one eyebrow and grinned.

  Naomi almost spit out her drink and reached for a napkin.

  What a stupid comment. Stella tried not to roll her eyes and asked, “Where are you going next?”

  “Not sure, but I think the D-Day beaches are calling me.”

  “Oh, maybe we’ll run into each other there,” Naomi said. “We’re leaving for Normandy tomorrow, too. Wouldn’t it be fun to bump into each other somewhere?”

  He laughed and put his beer on the counter. “Why not... Ladies, please excuse me for a moment. Will you still be here when I come back?”

  “Sure, Stella just ordered her drink,” Naomi said, taking a sip of her own wine.

  As soon as they were alone, Naomi said, “Should we ask Kai if he wants to join us for dinner?”

  “Why not? He seems nice.” She didn’t really care, but his presence would make it less likely the conversation would turn to David.

  When Naomi asked Kai about his dinner plans, he replied, “Sorry, I can’t. I’m meeting a group of people for a night tour of the catacombs.”

  “The catacombs?”

  “There are over three hundred kilometers of old tunnels and caves beneath Paris. You can take a tour and visit a small section during the day,” his voice dropped, “but there are always cataphiles around willing to take people down there after dark.”

  Naomi cocked her head. “How far is three hundred kilometers in miles? I can never get it sorted out. And what’s in the tunnels? Why do people want to see them?”

  “It’s a little less than two hundred miles. All kinds of crazy things are happening down there. I heard about caves set up as bars for parties, I heard about a mushroom-growing business, a movie theater, and some people just get a bang out of spending the weekend in the tunnels.”

  “Why would people want to go underground overnight?” Stella asked.

  “It adds a new kick to it. There was something on the news last week about a new tunnel or cave being found. The department overseeing the tunnels announced they’re closing the catacombs for the time being. I can’t wait to meet the guys and go down myself.”

  “You just said they are closed,” Stella said.

  “Yeah, our tour’s not really an official one, which makes it more fun.” He finished his beer. “But I get it’s not for everybody. The underground tunnels were used to bury people in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when Paris ran out of space for cemeteries. The bodies were just carted away and dumped there so they didn’t stink up the city. It’s morbid, but also exciting, don’t you think?”

  Stella said, “No, not really. Pretty creepy if you ask me.”

  Naomi said at the same time, “If I had known about them, I might’ve gone on one of the tours.”

  Stella shuddered. “Wouldn’t surprise me, but not with me.”

  “Well, ladies,” Kai got up, “I better get going if I want to find the meeting place. Enjoy the rest of your time in France.” He looked at Naomi and winked, “I’ll look out for you in Normandy!”

  When Naomi excused herself and went to the bathroom, Stella used the solitary moment to check her phone. No reply from David. He’s obviously not too upset about my refusal to meet him. For a moment, she was lost in thought and rotated the phone in her hands.

  “I hope you’re not checking for messages from The Undesirable. By the way, did you hear anything from Luca or Revan? Wasn’t Rev coming home today?” Naomi peeked over Stella’s shoulder.

  “He said Sunday or Monday, and with him you never know. It could be any day. But I haven’t heard from Luca, which surprises me a little.”

  “Well, you got what you wanted. You said you don’t want to hear from anybody while we’re here.” Naomi reminded her.

  “True! Did you hear anything new about your grandma?”

  “Gram’s making Mom wait on her hand and foot. Knowing Mom, it won’t last long,” Naomi said. “Let’s go, dinner’s calling.”

  CHAPTER 14

  Stella—July 2018

  “R

  ise and shine, sleepyhead,” Naomi’s cheery voice blasted out Stella’s eardrums, even from her side of the room. “Let’s hurry so we can grab a cup of coffee and something to eat before we leave.”

  Stella was exhausted, and being rushed didn’t improve her mood.

  She wasn’t a morning person, and preferred to have a cup of coffee in solitary silence before she started her day. Naomi, on the other hand, was an early bird and had no problem chatting away as soon as she opened her eyes. Most of the time she didn’t even require a response. An occasional grunt or “Uh-huh” was enough.

  “What happened to you? You look awful!” Naomi peeked over the half wall between their beds. “What’s up with the red, puffy eyes?”

  “Thanks a bunch!” Stella snapped. “If you need to know… I watched movies most of the night.”

  “Let me guess,” Naomi said while she pulled clothes out of her suitcase and headed toward the bathroom. “Mamma Mia?”

  Stella covered her face with a pillow. Please!! Only ten more minutes…

  “I hope it wasn’t Moonstruck! I don’t know why you keep watching that old flick. It was filmed before we were even born.”

  Stella could feel a headache coming on. She didn’t want to have this conversation right now. She needed coffee! “Why do I have to defend the movies I watch?”

  “So, did you watch one or both?” Naomi was in pit bull-mode.

  “Both. I just told you I couldn’t sleep.”

  “Did you even try to? Maybe we need to get you a sleep mask like the one Audrey Hepburn wears in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

  “Can we please not talk about it right now? Go get ready.” Stella got out of bed and stowed her tablet and charger in her carry-on.

  “Yup, but we’ll talk later.” Not waiting for an answer, Naomi closed the bathroom door, and Stella heard her turn the shower on. She let out a sigh of relief and picked out her clothes for the day, then looked around for stray personal items and shoved them in her suitcase.

  What Naomi didn’t know was, not only had she watched two movies, she had also pulled up videos on YouTube. “One of Us” still played in her head. The beautiful, timeless music of ABBA always spoke to her.

  “Which is why I watch those movies when I’m feeling down!” She looked in the mirror and said, “Because the music helps me through tough times.”

  “Are you done talking to yourself?” Naomi interrupted her thoughts.

  “Wow, you’re done? Did you speed-shower?”

  “Yes. I told you I wanna have breakfast. The bathroom’s all yours! I’ll blow-dry my hair here.”

  Naomi plugged in the hairdryer but didn’t turn it on. She said, “And I put my eye cream next to your cosmetic bag. Use it! I know it covers up oopsies from the previous night.”

  “When was the last time you cried yourself to sleep?” Stella laughed.

  “It’s been a while, but I might’ve had a few late nights with little sleep and needed to look presentable in the morning.”

  Stella gave Naomi a tight hug. “You’re the best.”

  “I’ll remind you again after we have our little chat.”

  Forty-five minutes later, Pierre came
to their table and said, “Excuse me, there is a gentleman at the front desk asking for you. He says he’s from Merveille Tours.”

  “Thank you, Pierre, and please tell him we’ll be there in two minutes,” Naomi replied.

  On their way out, Stella stopped at the breakfast buffet. “Wait, I’ll get a coffee-to-go. Do you want one?”

  “Yes, good idea.”

  The man who waited for them was in his mid-fifties and wore a baseball hat saying France 2018 over his graying hair.

  Naomi held out her hand to him. “Hi, I’m Naomi Winters, and this is Stella Harrison. You’re from Merveille Tours?”

  “Yes, I am. My name is François Moyenne, and I’m your driver. Allow me to take your luggage to the bus while you are checking out.” He spoke English with a strong French accent.

  “Thank you, François,” Naomi said.

  Pierre offered, “Give me a moment to show Monsieur Moyenne your bags.”

  Outside their hotel, a woman waited for them in front of a minibus. She was impeccably dressed in a dark gray, above knee-length wrap dress accentuating her petite figure, and wore her black hair in a shaggy pixie. Stella guessed her to be in her forties, and the youthful haircut looked great on her. “Bonjour, please step in.”

  All the seats in the front of the bus were occupied, but Stella didn’t mind sitting in the back, where they had four seats to themselves. As soon as they sat, she looked around, counting fourteen guests, including her and Naomi.

  After the woman joined them on the bus, she said, “Good morning, everybody. My name is Caroline Gulliver, and I am excited to be your guide on this tour to some of the most romantic locations in France. On behalf of Merveille Tours de Luxe, François and I welcome you aboard! I know you haven’t all met yet, but instead of calling out names on the bus, I suggest we do it at lunchtime, when we can sit around a table and look at each other.”

  A few people nodded, and Caroline continued, “While François is trying to get us through the rush hour traffic, I’ll give you a short overview of the next few hours, and then I’ll hand out information packages with more details about the next four days, including our hotels and schedules.

  “As you all know, Merveille Tours has established a reputation as one of the leading travel providers for deluxe weekend and destination getaways in France. We are planning to add luxury honeymoon packages starting next year. The travel agencies you represent are our most valued business partners on the East Coast of the United States, and we’re excited to have you with us on this maiden voyage. It is our way of thanking you for your patronage and support. We need your continued help in selling our travel packages, and we’re hoping your feedback about the hotels and locations we visit will help us choose the best ones for our customers. You are our guinea pigs, so to speak.”

  Her comment was greeted by some good-natured laughter.

  “According to our research, France is among the top ten honeymoon destinations worldwide. Twenty-five percent of marriages are destination weddings. Eighty percent of the couples who have a destination wedding have been married before. People are willing to spend more money on weddings than ever before, especially those taking the step for the second or third time. We want to be there with those newlyweds and make sure they have a memorable beginning of their happily-ever-after.”

  Stella leaned close to Naomi’s ear and said, “Excuse me, you brought me on a honeymoon tour?” It took a lot of effort not to shout the word.

  “Well, it is also a tour of Normandy, Brittany and some Loire Valley castles. Who cares about the spousal nirvana nonsense?” Naomi didn’t look at her but focused on the couple two rows in front of them, holding hands and sharing a secret smile.

  “Me, for example,” Stella hissed. “I hope we don’t have to taste test wedding cakes for the next four days?”

  “Oh, shush. We’ll have fun.”

  Caroline continued, “The highlights of this tour are the coastal towns of Honfleur, Arromanches, Saint-Malo, and Mont Saint-Michel, and we’ll end with a few of the Loire Valley castles.

  “But we’re adding short stops en route to experience the hidden gems, the idyllic corners so often overlooked in the rush from one major tourist spot to the next.”

  She paused when the driver said something in French to her, then went on, “Because our focus is on romantic getaways, we will not be spending time visiting the D-Day beaches or World War II memorials. Which doesn’t mean we will ignore history altogether, because the reminders will be right in front of us. If our customers are interested in spending their honeymoon climbing around bunkers or artillery holes, we’re going to make it possible for them, too. The customer is king, and the king rules!”

  More laughter followed the worn-out statement, but Stella noticed a few group members nodding. Their businesses only continued to flourish if they were able to satisfy their customers’ whims and needs—or dreams.

  “Alors, we’re on our way to our first stop, Rouen. In medieval times, it was one of Europe’s largest and most prosperous cities, and the second-largest city in France after Paris. It was also where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431.

  “During World War II, about fifty percent of Rouen was destroyed, but most of the historic center survived undamaged, so we’ll be able to stroll through the beautiful old streets on a ninety-minute walking tour.”

  Caroline picked up a stack of folders stuffed with brochures. “Here are your tour packages, one for each group. They also include general information about Wi-Fi access at the hotels and on this bus, a link to download our itinerary to your phones, and my personal mobile number. We’re planning to stay together on our excursions, but it doesn’t hurt to have the details saved somewhere.”

  She walked through their compact bus and gave each pair of guests a folder. “François has a cooler with bottled water, juice, and some fresh fruit behind his seat, and there is also a box of fresh pastries. Please help yourselves at any time. We will make sure to keep them stocked every day. Today’s lunch will be around one o’clock in Honfleur.”

  When Naomi accepted their package, Caroline said, “I have to ask, is your mother’s name Lisa?”

  “Yes, do you know her?”

  “We met a few years ago on a tour through England and Scotland. We didn’t stay in touch, and I was looking forward to seeing her when I noticed her name on the guest list. As soon as I saw you, you reminded me of her.”

  “She had to drop out last minute due to an emergency with my grandmother. I’m sure she would’ve enjoyed seeing you, too!”

  “Please give her my regards.”

  “I’d be happy to.”

  Stella said to Naomi, “I’ll have a look at the folder later. I need to rest a little.”

  But instead of closing her eyes, she gazed out the window. The low murmur of voices on their bus and the countryside flying by lulled Stella into a meditative state. Thoughts of David had kept her awake last night—plus checking her cell phone every five minutes.

  Why didn’t he acknowledge her text message? How long was he going to be in Paris? What was he doing in Paris? The same questions whirled in an endless merry-go-round in her head.

  Stella reached for her bracelet and touched the charms. She hadn’t removed this bracelet for even a moment since he gave it to her with the first charm.

  It was her talisman.

  She remembered when David gave it to her…three years ago.

  CHAPTER 15

  Stella—3 years ago

  “I

  can’t believe you didn’t tell me you and David have been hanging out the past two weeks.” Naomi put down the glass of wine she’d been holding. She dropped her feet on an ottoman and pouted.

  “I just did.” Stella leaned back in her chair. Naomi was so nosy, which made it lots of fun to tease her.

  “You know what I mean. And I want all the details.”

  “Well, at the end of our dinner at Betty’s, when y
ou went to the bathroom, David asked me for my phone number and called me the next day. We met for lunch again and went for a long walk.”

  “Okay, the short version will do. Thanks.”

  Stella grinned, “Make up your mind, Nam. Anyhow, when David heard I’m working only minutes away from the theater where he performs, he suggested meeting for a sandwich or a hot dog from a food truck during my lunch break.”

  “Aw, how sweet.” Naomi rolled her eyes. Then narrowed them at Stella. “And that’s all you’re doing?”

  “We sit in a park. We talk. We just like being together, I guess. It feels right.” Was it possible to fall in love with someone after only a few days?

  “Hello?? And?? Anything else? Eating a hot dog in the park? I’d have a hard time containing my excitement.”

  Stella didn’t want to talk about her feelings for David. Not even with Naomi, who could usually read her like an open book. Stella wanted to savor her happiness and protect their delicate relationship.

  “Have you slept with him?”

  Leave it to Naomi to get right to the point. “No, but why do you want to know?”

  “I don’t want you to make a mistake. Which includes sex with guys from out of town. Remember when you dated what’s-his-name in high school? Who dropped you for the Swedish exchange student?”

  “You’re right. Josh was a jerk, but I’m not seventeen anymore. David and I are taking it slow. I’m not about to report about my sex life to you or to anybody else.”

  “I tell you about mine.”

  “True, but you volunteer the info. I don’t ask for it,” Stella said.

  “Has David met Luca and Revan?” Another one of Naomi’s habits; changing the subject when she didn’t like a comment. It could be annoying, but sometimes Stella wished she could do it, too.

  “Not yet. But I want to invite him over for dinner when both guys are in town next week. David doesn’t have a show on Wednesday. Can you come? Around six?”