Page 46 of Only One Tour Bus

“Well, they’re laughing, right? So still a win, in overall joy that you’re sending out into the world.”

“It’s not going to work, Wee Sunshine. You’re not going to convince me that it’s fun to be laughed at.”

“Yeah. That was probably asking too much.”

Our orders are called, and we take the food to an outside table. I mostly talk, and he mostly grunts, but I think the dinner goes well. We don’t mention the kiss, and even though I don’t like it hanging over us all un-analyzed and un-discussed, I do like the easy conversation with him.

I almost forgot we’re supposed to be competing. This can’t be a healthy dynamic. But I’m having too much fun to care.

Eventually, we have to address the lust and issues between us, right? We can’t just ignore them forever. Can we?

No. We need to discuss it.

As soon as I figure out if I want him to kiss me again or not.

CHAPTER 20

CALLUM

The group is downstairs in the lobby for checkout on time. That is the last complimentary thing I can say about them. Because half are hungover (Asha’s eighteen-to-thirty crowd), and half seem angry at their families and traveling companions.

They didn’t even make it out of the United Kingdom before falling apart. Not that it doesn’t happen on a group trip like this, where even the family and friends have their moments when no one’s speaking to the people they came with. But it usually takes longer than the first leg.

Asha is aware of the mood and is being extra kind to everyone, even though they’re only miserable because of their own poor decisions. I’m not babying them. Everyone here is an adult, except for the literal children, but their parents are here to look after them.

“At least it’s a travel day and they can sort out their feelings before the night tour in Paris,” Asha whispers to me as she collects hotel keys for checkout and tries to exchange them for smiles that go unappreciated from the ungrateful tourists.

I have to stop myself from glaring them into submission. Okay, so maybe some of the glare still comes out, because they’re backing away from me like they can read my uncharitable thoughts.

Good. They should feel bad about making Asha’s life harder when all she wants to do is give them a nice vacation. In fact, the more I think about it, the madder I get. She puts on a happy face and bends over backward to make sure everyone is taken care of and having fun. The very least they can do is have some bloody fun.

Or fake it. I don’t care if they’re actually having fun, so long as Asha thinks they are and is happy. In the past day, I’ve discovered that I don’t like when Asha is upset, so no one is going to make her upset.

I don’t know how we’re going to deal with the kiss that shouldn’t have happened between coworkers, especially ones who are competing. One of us is going to be upset at the end of this, and it’ll be worse if we start something physical.

In the meantime, the somber attitude means that everyone is quiet on the bus ride to the train station. A small blessing.

At the train station, we don’t lose anyone, or any time, in the process of getting tickets and ushering the group to the right train. It must be because we have two people; one to watch the group of puppies (Asha) and another to handle the administrative duties, like ticketing and figuring out which platform we’re on (me).

In Paris, we have the same number of people that we left the United Kingdom with, although there was a minute when we thought we had lost one (Thomas didn’t feel like telling anyone he was going to take a piss).

The somber attitude infects Asha during the travels, which I was hoping it wouldn’t, and she’s just as quiet as the rest of the group. I even try to draw her into inane conversation about the weather and her favorite tours to give, which she responds to with short answers that would be normal coming from me but are subdued and worrying coming from her.

It’s a free afternoon until the night walk around Paris, and everyone heads to their rooms first to drop off their luggage.

“Do you want to get out and see the city until we have to work again?” I ask, not ready to leave her.

“Usually I would love to, but I think I’m going to lie down. I’m feeling kind of tired.”

She doesn’t look good, now that she mentions it. Obviously, she always looks beautiful, but right now her face looks drawn and she doesn’t have her usual Asha glow that I assume is a side-effect of her being so happy all the time.

Maybe she’s feeling the first week of the trip as much as the travelers.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. I just need to lie down for a second.”

“All right. Call me if you need anything.”