Page 12 of My French Love Affair

I laugh as I search for flights.

Jas snorts. "We spent yesterday sunbathing at a beach club, and she literally had a fifty euro smoothie delivered to her lounger.Fifty. Euros."

"Excuse me for embracing the true spirit of this magnificent country," Leah says as she makes a performance out of sipping from her tall glass. "Anyway, more importantly - when are you getting here?"

"I'm looking up flights right now," I say as I reach for my laptop.

"Direct to Nice is probably your best bet," Em suggests. "Then just get a car or a helicopter -"

"Awhat?"

"A helicopter," she repeats, like it’s a totally normal method of transport. "It’s only like, fifteen minutes. Sometimes even less, I think. And it’s very on brand for Monaco."

"Yeah, okay, let me just dig through myhelicopter budgetreal quick," I say dryly, clicking through airline websites.

I can’t imagine my father would be at all pleased to see me whackingthatbill on his credit card.

Leah gasps dramatically, pulling me from my wandering thoughts.

"Wait. Are we about to witness Poppy’s first ever impulse flight booking?” she asks, her head turning in both directions to face the other’s before she looks straight at the phone again, locking eyes with me through the screen. “Pops, is this…growth?!"

"Maybe," I chew my lip, suppressing a laugh at her ridiculousness. "It’s just... Running off to Monaco after a breakup feels a bit. I don’t know.Messy."

Em leans in close to the camera.

"Messy?” she repeats. “Babe, you know as well as I do that wethriveon messy. Monaco ismadefor messy. Believe me; half of the women here are either recovering from divorces or actively searching for their next ex-husband."

"Em, you’re totally missing the point here,” Jas pipes up. “Poppy, you’re not even messy. You’re just… exploring new opportunities."

I sigh as I scroll through flights to Nice.

The prices aren’t too outrageous, and if the girls say that there’s room in the suite…

"So you’re saying I should do it?" I ask, my voice hesitant.

All three of them practically scream‘yes!’ at the same time, and I wince as the loud sound of their voices fills my ears.

"Fucking hell," I mutter.

"Book it," Em orders. "You and your mind are literally the only things holding you back here."

I think on it for another moment longer, my eyes dancing over the flight options as I exhale sharply.

You know what?

Screw it.

I click.

The second I do, the video call erupts into absolute chaos.

"Yesssss!" Leah cheers.

"This is going to beiconic," Em beams.

Jas raises her glass. "To new beginnings," she toasts.

And as I grin at my screen, excitement finally flooding my veins, I feel it.

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