Honor

Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

E vie

Tears well in the corners of my eyes as I stand on the small balcony and gaze at the Eiffel Tower.

Dusk has settled over Paris, and even though it’s my last night in the city, I’ve lived what feels like a lifetime’s worth of experiences since we arrived on Friday.

Not only did we find the most beautiful wedding gown for Lottie during our private appointment at a designer boutique, but I was able to choose a stunning maid of honor dress. It’s a darker shade of teal than the one Lottie showed me on her phone before our trip.

The backless dress that will be delivered to my apartment in New York next week is almost floor length, and is embellished with tiny crystals around the waistline.

When I tried it on, I knew it was the one, and Lottie’s shriek of happiness when she saw me in it only cemented that fact.

The rest of our time has been spent eating well, exploring the city on foot, and sitting in a park near here so we could people watch.

Any reservations I may have had about traveling abroad with a virtual stranger disappeared when I saw how the staff and residents in this building greeted Lottie when we first arrived.

I can’t speak French, but several speak English, so I quickly understood that Lottie has been coming to Paris regularly since she was a child.

The flat we were in once belonged to her grandparents. It’s all hers now, and even though she loves it, she told me she wishes her parents would be open to enjoying it with her.

Money may bring happiness to many people, but it sure as hell hasn’t done that for Lottie Rushing.

I turn around to look at the flat that we’ll say goodbye to tomorrow.

It’s not large, but its charm more than makes up for it.

The main room houses two chaise lounges. One is upholstered in a cream fabric. The other is a shade of blue that matches the summer sky. They complement the gorgeous dark blue and white tiled floor that spans the entire space.

The two bedrooms down the narrow hallway are mirror images of each other. A bed covered in soft white linens was the first thing I saw when Lottie showed me the room I’d be sleeping in. Next to the bed was a small circular table with a vase filled with fresh flowers on it.

The brightly colored bouquet was a vibrant but perfect contrast to the light blue walls.

I’ve gotten out of bed early each day that we’ve been here. After making myself a coffee, I sat on the bed, staring out the window while feeling like the luckiest woman in the world.

“Are you hungry, Evie?” Lottie asks as she steps into the room. “We can stroll down to this bistro that I absolutely love.”

Scrubbing a hand over my face to chase away my tears, I smile. “I’m famished.”

Her eyes linger on mine. “You love it here, don’t you?”

I glance over my shoulder for a final glimpse of the Eiffel Tower before I step off the balcony and back into the room. “This trip has been a dream come true for me. I don’t even know how I can begin to thank you.”

“You’ve thanked me at least twelve hundred times since we arrived.” She hurries toward me, reaching for my hand as she nears where I’m standing. “You’ve given me the greatest gift by agreeing to be my maid of honor. I’m the one who doesn’t know how to pay you back for that.”

I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I’m a stranger’s maid of honor, although this trip has laid the foundation for what could be a strong friendship in the future.

As we walked past a centuries-old building that houses one of the best ballet academies in the world, I confessed to Lottie that I was accepted as a student there when I was only seventeen. I never attended, though, because a reckless decision stole that opportunity from me.

She held my hand while I stared at the school and thought about what might have been. As we walked away, I looked back for one last fleeting glance at what could have been the beginning of a different life for me.

Other than that brief moment, I’ve tried to keep my focus on the wedding. When Lottie was taking a bath on Friday night, I skimmed through a bridal magazine she’d left on the coffee table.

The maid of honor checklist I spotted inside of it made my head spin, so I asked her about it over breakfast on Saturday morning. She laughed and told me that she’s far from traditional, so she was swearing off bridal showers and bachelorette parties. To top it off, she didn’t want me to worry about preparing a speech for the wedding.

I breathed a sigh of relief because I was not prepared to take on any of that.

Squeezing Lottie’s hand, I sigh. “I need to thank you one last time for the trip, the dress, and all the delicious meals. I’d thank you for the gift of this view, but words just aren’t enough.”

She glances at the Eiffel Tower. “You can see it from the bistro, so let’s go eat. We have to head back to Manhattan tomorrow, but the fun won’t stop. Are you free on Thursday night to taste the best champagnes New York City has to offer?”

“As long as my boss doesn’t keep me late, I’ll be there.”

“Tell him to lighten up,” she suggests. “Or I can do it for you.”

Something tells me she wouldn’t hesitate to march down to the Vidori offices to give Mr. Hunt a piece of her mind. That’s the main reason why I’ve been sparse with the details about my job.

She’s been the same. I didn’t ask what she does for a living, but she made it clear that she’s devoting almost all of her time to the wedding right now, and after her honeymoon, she’ll throw herself into her career.

When I mentioned I work in finance, she just smiled and switched the conversation to possible floral arrangements for the dinner tables at the reception.

“Do I look presentable enough for the bistro?” I shift my hips from side to side.

She glances at my long red sundress. The color is similar to the crimson blouse she’s wearing. She chose black jeans and black boots to complete her look.

“You look like a million bucks.” Her smile chases away any doubt I had about my wardrobe choice. “I’m going to order a bottle of their best champagne so we can celebrate finding the perfect dresses for the wedding.”

I’m completely on board for that.

The breathtaking view of Paris’s main attraction and a glass of bubbly seems like the ideal way to close out the best weekend of my life.