French Kisses

"Luke, I have to take a break," I said, standing in front of my boss's desk.

He looked up from the papers he was reading and studied my expression for a few seconds before nodding. "I agree. You've been working very hard, lately, and you deserve it. Take a few months off, go to Europe or somewhere, and take a vacation. I'll pay for your plane tickets, where do you want to go?"

I almost couldn't believe it was that easy. All day I had been almost dreading the moment when I would say that to Luke, all for nothing. "Spain," I said, not having to think. Spain is easily my favorite country, everyone is so nice there, and it's so beautiful, not to mention the shopping.

He smiled and nodded. "Good choice. One of my favorite countries in the world. Who's going with you?"

I thought immediately of Shaun, but I knew he couldn't ever be gone that long, he had too much snowboarding and skateboarding and such. Yeah, my best friend is Shaun White. We've known each other forever, he's great. "I think I'll see if Leigh wants to go."

He nodded again and signed some more papers before handing them to me. "I'll expect some phone calls, telling me how things are going. Don't get into too much trouble while you're there, alright?"

I smiled and nodded, giving him a quick hug before turning on my heel and almost running out to my car and speeding home, where Leigh was waiting for me, watching television. "Leigh, guess where we're going!"

She glanced up, then let her sight return to the screen. "Where?"

"Spain!" I smiled widely and dropped myself on the couch next to her.

"Spain?" She asked. "Why?"

I shrugged. "I told Luke I had to have some time off and he just said okay, and said he'd pay for tickets there and back for you and me. I knew there was a reason I agreed to model for him." I grabbed a grape from the bowl in her hand and popped it in my mouth. "So let's get packing, we leave tomorrow!"

With that, I almost skipped to my room and started laying things out for two months in Spain. It was so liberating not having to worry about anything, like appointments and photoshoots and stuff. I didn't even have any idea where I would stay, but we could cross that bridge when we got to it. As I looked through my stuffed closet, I called Shaun.

"Shaun! Get your butt over here, you're entertaining Leigh and me tonight, you lucky bum. Hurry, you only have a day left with us before we're gone for two months, I'll explain when you get here!" And with that, I hung up, throwing my phone on my bed. I ignored it when the phone almost immediately played Mon Paradis by Jonatan Cerrada. I sang along as I carelessly threw various articles of clothing on the floor behind me, waiting to be stuffed in my suitcase.

Within ten minutes, I heard a knock on the door, and before Leigh could even get up, I had opened it to reveal Shaun and Louie. "Hey, guys! What's up?" I opened the door wider to let them pass before shutting it quickly and quietly behind them.

"What's up with us? What's this about going to Spain for two months for no apparent reason?" Shaun asked, flopping down on the couch and taking a handful of grapes from Leigh, who raised her eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"For real, who says that? And then hangs up?!" Louie asked, taking the remote from Leigh and changing the channel to some BMX show.

I shrugged. "I asked my boss, and he agreed. So it's all good. You guys wouldn't know any good places to stay there, would you? I kinda forgot about that part."

Shaun and Louie exchanged glances. "Well, I do have a sort of...friend/connection over there, who might be interested. He's gone half the time, anyway, he would hardly notice. I'll call him up and see. Hold on," with that, Shaun stepped outside to make the call while I headed back to my room to finish packing.

"Nicole, you owe me so much for this," Shaun entered my room, without knocking and said, falling on my bed. "I've just hooked you up with the best connection anyone could possibly ask for. Although I know you won't realize it now, you'll just have to see for yourself when you get there."

This wasn't sounding like a very good idea to me. "Uh, Shaun? Do you have any idea how sketch that sounds to me? I'll answer that. It sounds really sketch, I can tell you that for free. I'm gonna need some more explaining than that."

He just waved it off. "Oh, it's nothing sketch. I met him at one of my competitions there, he was really cool, I did him a favor, and he said he owes me one, so now it's all settled. Just be happy with what you're given, Nicole. Just be happy, alright? You can thank me later. Oh, his name's Gerard. He said he'll even come pick you up. Before I forget to tell you, he is tall...with...a beard, I think? Like, really tall. Like, a giant. Seriously."

"Shaun, I think you're forgetting that anyone is tall to you, and there are lots of people in this world with beards," I lightly slapped him on the forehead.

"Well, that wasn't a good way to thank me. Okay, I'll work on it. Actually, I might just have to tell him where to find you. That'll probably be easier. Yeah, I'll send him your picture. Look at me."

Before I realized what he was doing, he had taken my picture, probably a stupid one with my mouth hanging halfway open, and I knew he had sent it to Gerard. "Shaun, you douchebag, why would you send him that picture of me? I know that looked like crap! You should have given me-"

"Nicole, shut up, it was fine. Bea-u-ti-ful. Anyway, I think, that since you're gonna be gone for two months, we're gonna have to go give you a proper send off, complete with partying! I know Matt's throwing a huge party tonight, I wasn't gonna go since I was kinda tired, but I think we've all found a renewed sense of energy now, so let's go! Come on!"

He all but pulled me out of my room after forcing me to change, and apparently Louie had made Leigh change as well, because they were both standing by the door, talking and waiting for us.

"Took ya'll long enough," Louie said before stepping outside and getting in the passenger seat of Shaun's Range Rover.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up, Louie. You don't have any room to say anything," Shaun retorted.

Which, of course, set Louie off on one of his ever famous rants, which of course we all ignored. Within ten minutes we had arrived at Matt's house, and there were people everywhere. Music was blasting throughout the house, the bass was shaking the walls. Before the music grew too loud for us to hear each other, Shaun said to me, "Now you had better enjoy your last night in the States for however long you'll be away. Or else you'll regret it forever."

I have him a look. "Forever?"

He nodded and said, "Forever," before disappearing into the house.

"Okay, Louie. You be good for everyone, don't make too much trouble. Cause we all know I'll be the one to hear the complaints, and we all also know that it won't be pretty for you if that happens. But, other than that, I'll miss you! Call me, email me, I don't care, just speak to me!" I laughed and hugged him, remembering an old inside joke before turning and hugging Shaun. "Shaunie boy, you be nice too, call me all the time, or else I'm never speaking to you again."

"I feel like those two don't really go together, do they?"

"Whatever, Shaun. Just give me a hug and call me lots. Give me updates on your snowboarding and such. And come see me!" I called as Leigh pulled me down the terminal to our gate. I waved to them as we walked before turning and looking for the plane to Madrid, Spain.