Senior Year Box Set

On the ride home, I had to explain how that had all come about.

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I came home and found my trip-mates, all except Ashley, had spent the afternoon drinking wine. There were several bottles scattered around, and each of the crew had a happy face. They all turned and looked at me.

“You got some sun,” Scarlet observed.

“Dude! You bagged Cinderella,” Kevin said.

I looked at Megan and gave her the exasperated teen look. She’d obviously had enough to drink because she just giggled.

“Leave her alone. I made her tell us what you’ve been up to,” Scarlet said.

“How’s Ashley doing in the tournament?” I asked.

“She called on one of her breaks. Early on, she was down but has been on a run this afternoon. I guess they show the players what the average chip count is, and she’s a bit above that right now. They plan to play until they get down to the final 27 today. If she makes it to tomorrow, she’s in the money,” Scarlet explained.

“How many entered the tournament?” I asked.

“They capped it at 270 people. The buy-in was €10,000. The total prize pool is over €2,000,000,” Scarlet said.

“If she makes it, we should go watch,” I said.

“That sounds like fun,” Cindy agreed.

“What are you guys planning to do tonight while I go to the opera?” I asked.

“Well, for me, I need a nap. I think I drank too much wine,” Kevin said.

“A nap sounds good,” Paul added and looked at Scarlet.

“Want to join us?” Cindy asked.

‘Nap’ seemed to be code for sex.

“I’m good,” I said.

“You sure?” Kevin asked, hopefully.

“I’m sure.”

Kevin, Cindy, Scarlet, and Paul all went to the bedrooms. Megan looked lost.

“Come on. You and I can go take a nap,” I suggested.

She blushed. She may have needed a few more drinks after all.

“I meant nap, nap. Not the other,” I said.

“Oh,” Megan said and then nodded.

I led her back to my bedroom, and I began to get undressed. When I got down to my boxers, she looked concerned.

“I promise to keep them on,” I said.

“It’s not that. You did get too much sun. I have some aloe in my bag. I’ll go get it,” she offered.

Megan ran off and came back with the aloe gel. I thought she would just hand it to me. Instead, she put some on her hand and began to rub it all over my chest and arms. I’d fallen asleep on my back, so my front half was pink. She then knelt down and did my legs. Mr. Happy was a naughty boy. He must have had a thing for nerdy little girls because he began to wake up.

“Thanks,” I said before I embarrassed myself.

I set the alarm on my phone and crawled into bed. Megan joined me. The wine caught up with her, and she was happily snoring a few minutes later.

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My phone chirped to wake me. I rolled over and looked at Megan, who cracked me up. She must have tossed and turned because her hair looked like someone had plugged her into an electrical socket. It was going every which way.

I got up and took my shower. When I came back, Megan had gone.

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Chapter 5 – Home-Wrecker Saturday March 25

Erika wanted to take me to her favorite restaurant, Le Louis XV—Alain Ducasse at the Hôtel de Paris. On our drive, she shared that it had earned three Michelin stars, denoting it as one of the best restaurants in the world. She told me Alain Ducasse was somewhat of a rock star as far as chefs go. He’d received a total of 21 Michelin stars across all his restaurants.

As soon as we pulled up to the hotel, I knew I was no longer back home. If I thought the mansion at the fundraiser was something, this was in another world. The hotel was located on the same square as the casinos, the opera house, and the palace. Each building was a work of art. It was like I’d transported myself back in time.

The hotel’s façade had detailed work that must have taken years to complete. Giant mermaids appeared to be bursting from the side of the building. Intricate designs with plenty of marble, crystal chandeliers, and gold leaf decorated the inside.

Paintings that looked like they’d been done several hundred years ago adorned the soaring ceilings. The artwork reminded me of the famous ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, but with a more playful subject and cherubs floating around.

If I hadn’t been with Princess Erika, I would have felt out of my element. It seemed the staff all recognized her as they spoke in rapid-fire French, graciously welcoming her back. They quickly brought us to a table in the middle of the room where everyone could see her.

The only head-scratcher, when I saw the restaurant, were the chairs. In a setting like this, you would expect something opulent befitting the period. Instead, they had modern chairs that some designer had added, but the out-of-place modern visual twist made it look more like the designer had made a mistake. I would have ripped them all out and gone with something more befitting the setting.