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The women were both outfitted from head to toe in high-end designer clothes and shoes. Emma was no expert, but she suspected their Gucci purses cost more than she made in a whole semester. The realization depressed her, and only intensified as she turned her attention to the men they were with. They could only be described as pure perfection.
While the women appeared snooty and arrogant, the men appeared down-to-earth in their khaki slacks, and casual resort style button down shirts. The shorter of the two had thick, long blond hair that just brushed his collar, and a short-trimmed beard. As she watched him from her seat, she noticed the rigid line of displeasure of his jaw when the woman he was with placed a possessive hand on his arm and pulled them to a stop. The haughty bitch informed him, "You didn't tell me you were staying in this part of town. I demand we move to The Four Seasons."
Emma picked up her New York accent, recognizing it was people like this who gave all Americans a bad reputation abroad. She enjoyed the front row seat to the drama playing out in front of her.
"Excuse me? You demand? Last time I checked, you hadn't paid for as much as a cup of café au lait in the last two days. I've about had it with your demands Christy."
Christy's friend decided to do some demanding of her own. "Jaxson, are you going to let Chase talk to Christy like that?" She leaned in to stroke her manicured hand that was dripping with jewels down the chest of the dark haired, taller man.
Emma was beginning to think the ability to pick up on body language and being a spoiled rich-bitch was mutually exclusive because like Bianca before them, these two women were clueless to the fact that the handsome men they were with were about to blow a gasket as they both continued to disparage the more than beautiful lobby of the Marriott they were currently making a scene in the middle of.
The blond muscular hunk named Chase blew first, taking the bitch's hand from his arm. "You know what, I think you had a fabulous idea there, Christy." The woman was silly enough to break into a victorious smile, thinking she'd won the argument when it was clear she was about to be dumped. "You and Liz head on over to the Four Seasons."
She finally faltered. "But, aren't you and Jax coming too?"
"I don't think so. In fact, this is going to be where we part ways."
"But... "
Jaxson had taken a step away from the other bitch with pencil straight hair and equally flat chest. "That goes for you too, Liz. We're done."
"Why, I never... And just who is going to pay for our rooms?"
Chase chuckled. "We were with you two days ago when you each got a ten thousand dollar wire from your daddies. I suggest you use some of that."
"Don't be silly. That's our shopping money."
"Fine by us. Maybe you'll find a shop that will let you sleep on their floor. Not our problem."
Emma wanted to clap for the dramatic show the rich girls were portraying as they pretended to be surprised. The bellman was about to pass them on the way to the elevator with all of their bags, but Jaxson stopped him, retrieving two and leaving the rest on the cart. He pulled out a twenty-euro bill and handed it to the bellman.
"The ladies have unfortunately had something come up and won't be staying after all. Please take this tip to help them back to the front door to hail a cab." He turned to the women and gave them an unemotional farewell. "Safe travels."
The men each grabbed their bag and boarded the next elevator while the now-deserted women stood in shock. Feeling lighter than she had a few minutes before, Emma rose to go to her own room and pack.
Chapter 2
Emma leftfor the train station early the next morning to ensure she had enough time to find the correct train to Paris. Since Emma didn't have the two-hundred and fifty euros needed to spend another night at the Marriott in Nice, she needed to head to Paris a day early.
The taxi ride took most of her remaining cash, and she had only one more coach ticket left on her Eurail pass, which also meant she could check her biggest bag, but she had to schlep her own huge backpack onboard to sit in the crowded seats. She tried not to think about where she was going to sleep her final night in Paris.
In the hour before the train left, Emma went in search of a pastry and latte for breakfast. She was careful to steer clear of the pack of rough-looking teenagers who were harassing some young, cute college-age women who were speaking German. She didn't need that added aggravation.
As she waited, several announcements were made in French over the PA system. Emma panicked when some of the people waiting with her got up to leave. Was her train delayed or was it moved to leave from another track? As she glanced around nervously trying to figure it out, she caught a glimpse of the two hot guys, Jaxson and Chase, from the Marriott the night before. They seemed more casual today now that they'd lost the sticks of women who'd been with them earlier.
Something about them felt so familiar. It was more than recognizing them from the hotel. Observing how others watched and pointed at them as they passed, Emma put together that she’d seen them before. She searched her memory trying to place them.
Knowing they were American and spoke English, Emma wished she were brave enough to ask them for help in finding her train, but that wasn't in the cards. She'd dated a few guys back home in Wisconsin, but these men were in a whole other league. Put her up against anyone in academics, and Emma was unstoppable. Put her in a sexual situation, and Emma crumbled. At least she was intelligent enough to know it would be impossible to speak to the two sexiest men she'd ever seen in person without making a complete fool of herself.
She'd been so entranced watching the two good-looking men, she'd completely lost track of the four rowdy teenagers until she found them surrounding her, reaching out to grope her as they spoke French she couldn't understand.
"Knock it off! Leave me alone!" Emma elbowed the largest of the four when he leaned in, rubbing up against her as she felt him fumbling for her purse. At least she'd hidden her passport and plane ticket carefully, but she couldn't afford to lose the last few Euros she had.
When she felt hands feeling up her breasts from behind, she stopped protecting her money, worried the hoodlums had something more sinister than theft in mind. Her fear was confirmed as they worked in unison to start dragging her towards a nearby private locker area. Emma knew if they got her somewhere hidden, anything could happen. She flailed with all of her strength, but the laughing teens only gripped her harder and moved faster, lifting her off the ground and carrying her towards the lockers.
Emma filled her lungs with air and screamed as loud as possible, trying to make enough of a scene that the hoodlums would release her. All that happened was a dirty hand got clamped over her mouth to try to stifle her. She bit her assailant, dragging what she assumed was a French curse word from him.
She closed her eyes and tried to think of how she'd get out of this mess. They’d almost succeeded in getting her alone when she was unceremoniously dropped the few feet to the concrete. She landed on her ass first, but when the guy supporting her head let go too, it crashed back to connect with the unforgiving floor with a crack.
