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“Just give it to me,” said Vanessa.
“Here,” he said, putting it in her hand. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and did a little victory dance over to the rest of us.
“Jessica, this means I need to send you home now. I’m very sorry,” said Bellamy. “I really enjoyed my time with you, but I think our geographical differences may be too much for me.”
“Because I’m from Australia?”
“Yeah.”
“Problem solved. I live in Los Angeles now,” she said. “Plus, I’m willing to relocate to your climbing gym in Fort Worth.”
“It’s not in Fort Worth.”
“Well, wherever it is, I’ll move there.”
“Yeah, well, okay…” He looked at Catalina for help. She wasn’t paying attention; she was having too much fun playing with her mask.
“So should I stay?” asked Jessica.
“I think our geographical differences may be too much for me,” Bellamy repeated like a robot.
“I don’t see it that way, but it’s up to you,” she said.
“Cool. Thanks. I appreciate that. Could I walk you out?”
“Sure,” she said. She waved goodbye to us and the two of them strolled away.
“Whew,” said Vanessa. “I thought this time I’d run out of luck.”
“Me too. I was sure you were going home. Wanna switch with me?” asked Alanna, holding
up the horse pin.
“Nah, I think I’ll keep mine,” said Vanessa.
Deb untied the bow from beneath her chin. She was still beaming. “There are just five of us left. Can you believe it? I’m so excited!”
“Hi ladies,” said Bellamy, stepping back into the room after just a couple of minutes. The camera guys swooped back in. A tray of champagne on a wheeled cart was shoved in front of us. “Let’s toast to the adventures that await us… in Paris!”
We all cheered, clinked our glasses, and took a sip. Our celebration was cut short when Catalina Cartwright stepped back in, bravely donning the concerned expression of a news reporter who had some heavy beans to spill. She had changed out of her masquerade ball gown and was wearing a teal leather motorcycle suit with white leather driving gloves. It was very European. Her hair was in total contrast to her outfit. It was done up in an elaborate Southern Belle style that looked like prom in the 1990’s, complete with sprigs of baby’s breath tucked into it. On her feet were tall, shiny, spiky white heels. She looked strange. Deb nodded appreciatively at the ensemble.
“Bellamy, ladies,” Catalina began. She sighed heavily to help make the point that we were transitioning from happy time to serious time. “This process can be heart wrenching; it’s never easy to say goodbye, like Bellamy just had to do with Jessica, but it’s worth it. Really, isn’t anything worth it if it’s for love? I hope you are all appreciating the seriousness of this. This is about Bellamy. This is about love. This is about togetherness. This is about foreverness.”
Several seconds passed, like a moment of prayer, for us to let these words sink in. When the proper amount of respect had been paid, Catalina continued: “So, on that note, please say goodbye to Venice and all your new friends at the Albergo Vincenzo. Grab your bags and prepare yourselves for the next leg of the journey. I will see you all again soon, in Paris! The city of lights and love!”
We cheered again. And then we all scrambled to make our plane.
Chapter 23
My suspicion that only Deb truly had any interest in Bellamy was confirmed when a date card arrived along with a copy of French Vogue and Alanna and Vanessa practically tore the French Vogue in half fighting over it.
“Hello! Over here! Alanna, Vanessa, pay attention,” said Klassie. She was fanning herself with the date card, her hair slicked back and covered in a thick coat of pale hair dye. Tied around her neck like a bowtie were her new shoelaces, which she had yet to put in her combat boots.
She’d thought it amazing good fortune that the street vendor outside our building was randomly selling shoelaces and knockoff purses, the two things she had wanted to get while in Paris. The purse was a faux Louis Vuitton with about eight zippered pouches inside. Already two of the zippers had gotten stuck in the lining and Klassie was not pleased. The laces were magenta and shiny, made of fine, flossy bits of crispy tinsel. Alanna speculated that they were spray-painted strands of asbestos, and I think she may have been right.
“Ooh goody! A date card! I hope it’s for me me me,” said Deb. She tapped her fingertips together excitedly.
Klassie waited for Alanna and Vanessa to put down the magazine and then she ripped open the date card and cleared her throat: “Ahem, Deb, Join me for fun-filled day, and don’t forget to enjoy the view. ~ Bellamy.”
