CHAPTER ONE
Two months ago, when Paige had first imagined how her summer would play out, it hadn’t been anything like this. She looked around the tiny breakfast room, anticipation ricocheting through her stomach. Her fingers curled around the straps of her drawstring backpack as her heart thrummed loudly in her chest.
Belgium. She couldn’t believe she was actually on the Battlefield of Europe. She’d pored over first-hand accounts of the Thirty Year’s War, examined primary source material surrounding the French Revolution, and extensively studied the effects of World War I and II on Europe as a whole. Now she’d get to see the places she’d spent a lifetime learning about.
Paige inhaled a shaky breath. When she arrived at the hotel last night, her eyes had been so bleary with jet lag that she’d been unable to take it all in. Now, she looked eagerly around the space. The breakfast room was quaint, with four round tables big enough for six around the area. Faded gold and green wallpaper, dotted with fleurs-de-lis, covered the walls. Mismatched chairs circled each table, making Paige feel like she was in her father’s dining room. Except this was Belgium, not Washington, D.C.
The room held a trio of elderly tourists sporting fanny packs, despite the early morning hour. A young boy spoke excitedly in what sounded like Italian as his mother laughed and tried to quiet him. But it was the woman sitting alone at the third table who caught Paige’s eye. She had creamy skin sprinkled with the lightest dusting of freckles, and looked close to Paige’s age—maybe twenty-five or twenty-six.
Paige tried to peer inconspicuously without being obvious. The silky dark chocolate hair with a fringe of bangs matched the photo she’d been given of Layla, but she didn’t want to assume and end up looking like an idiot.
She’d get breakfast and hope the woman noticed her and spoke up. Paige picked her way through the tables, heading to the buffet along the far wall. The heady aroma of unfamiliar breads mixed with fresh fruit made her stomach growl. What time had her fellow coworkers arrived last night? Paige had hoped she’d get to meet Layla, Tyler, and Eddie before meeting the twenty high schoolers they’d spend the next nineteen days guiding through Europe. By summer’s end, they’d have guided four such tours.
Paige grabbed a porcelain plate and eyed the foods spread out before her. A basket of rolls sat at one end of the table, with a platter of deli meats and unfamiliar cheeses next to it. A large bowl of something white and creamy—yogurt, maybe?—was next to a selection of fruit. The hand-painted plaque above the table declared Breakfast is served daily from six a.m. to nine a.m. in French, German, Dutch, and English.
She hoped her French would be up to the task of communicating with natives this summer. The private schools she’d attended in Washington, D.C. had strong French language programs. But this was different. Her accent would probably give her away as as soon as she opened her mouth.
Paige glanced at the woman with chocolate brown hair. She was absorbed in her phone and hadn’t noticed Paige. Maybe it wasn’t Layla, but just someone who looked like her.
Paige placed a little of everything on her plate. She grabbed something at the very end that she hoped was jam. At the table, the woman brushed her hair back, exposing more of her face. The thin nose and heart-shaped face matched the picture Paige had studied on the plane ride over.
She should go say hello and ask if she could sit by Layla. It would be a long three months if she didn’t make any friends. Even Europe could be lonely if she let it.
Paige’s fingers curled around her plate, her stomach swooping as she drew closer. The girl looked up and offered a smile. Definitely Layla.
“Hi,” Paige said. “Is this spot taken?”
Layla shook her head, making her stick-straight hair bounce across her shoulders. “Nope. Please, save me from eating alone.”
“Thanks.” Paige slid into the chair in relief, setting her backpack on the floor by her feet.
“You must be Paige. I recognize you from your photo,” Layla said.
“I am. And you’re Layla.”
“That’s me.” Her voice had a musical quality to it that instantly made Paige feel grungy in comparison. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Is this your first trip with Destiny Tours?”
“Yes.” When her mentor professor, Dr. Hodges, had told her about the job, she’d been hesitant. Three months in Europe, all expenses paid. Free admission to the best museums in the world. It all sounded like a dream, and she should’ve jumped at the chance instead of being reluctant. But the last year had been hard.
“You’re falling behind,” Dr. Hodges had gently reminded her. “Your grades were barely average last semester. This is a good opportunity to correct course. You’ll need to start writing your dissertation in the fall. This is the perfect research opportunity.”
“I don’t know.” Paige fiddled with a lock of her hair and thought of the man who had broken her heart. What if he returned to D.C., and she was gone?
“It’ll give you some great experience before you start teaching,” Dr. Hodges had prodded. “The hiring board loves hands-on experience.”
So Paige had agreed to the summer in Europe. Dr. Hodges had written her a glowing recommendation, and she’d gotten the job.
“I worked with Destiny Tours last summer,” Layla said, pulling Paige out of the past. “Best experience of my life. You’re going to love it.”
Paige had no doubt she’d love Europe. The teenagers she’d be chaperoning? That was the part that made her nervous. “How difficult is the job?” Paige asked, hoping the apprehension didn’t leak through her voice.
Layla shrugged. “Not bad. Were you ever a residence adviser for freshmen?”
“No.” With her father’s brownstone a mere ten-minute walk from campus, it hadn’t made financial sense to move out. And she’d always worked as a professor’s assistant, eager to learn as much as she could.
“Oh. Well, it’s a lot like that. Lots of energy and lots of fun. We usually run the kids so ragged during the day that they’re too exhausted for evening shenanigans.”
That was something, at least.
“So, Paige, where are you from?” Layla asked.
“Washington, D.C.”
“Oooo, really? Is your father a senator or something?”
Paige laughed. “No, nothing like that. He’s a history professor at Georgetown. He specializes in American studies.”
“Wow, that’s so cool. Did you attend Georgetown, then?”
Paige took a sip of her orange juice, nearly gagging on all the pulp. Yuck. “Yes. I’m working on my PhD right now. I’ve got a job waiting for me in my dad’s department as soon as I graduate.”
“Wow.” Layla leaned back in her chair, eyebrows raised and eyes wide. “I’m going to feel like an idiot next to you. I barely managed to get my bachelors.”
“What did you study?” Paige asked politely.
“Mostly sleeping in and talking my way out of failing.” Layla smirked. “School isn’t really my thing.”
Great. Paige hoped she wouldn’t end up chaperoning a chaperone. Talk about flighty.
“Have you had a chance to meet the guys yet?” Paige asked.
“I ran into Tyler last night. Apparently Eddie broke his foot last week and had to quit. Tyler wasn’t sure who they’d found as a replacement.”
“That really stinks,” Paige said. As resistant as she’d been to the job at first, now that she was here, she couldn’t imagine having to quit.
“I feel bad for Mr. Dawson. It can’t have been easy finding a replacement on such short notice.”
“I’m sure he had qualified applicants lined up at his door. This is an incredible opportunity.”
“Can’t argue with that.” Layla’s phone rang. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this. I’ll just be a moment.”
Paige nodded, and Layla walked out of the room. Paige fished the information packet from her backpack. She’d gone through it a dozen times on the flight over, but one more wouldn’t hurt.
Twenty teenagers—Paige hadn’t been in a room with that many kids since high school.
You’re only twenty-six, her father had reminded her when she voiced her concerns. But high school felt like a lifetime ago. Growing up as the only child of a widower, she’d spent most of her time interacting with other adults—mainly professors at Georgetown. She never quite knew what to do with the younger crowd.
“That was Tyler,” Layla said, sliding into her chair. “He and the new guy are going to meet us down here. I thought we could have a quick meeting before the kids start arriving from the airport. They’ll trickle in throughout the day.”
“Sounds great,” Paige said. Maybe Layla wasn’t as flighty as she first thought. “So, who’s the new guy?”
Layla shrugged. “Nick something-or-other. Guess we’ll find out soon.”
Nick. The name instantly conjured images of stolen kisses in the moonlight, the taste of cinnamon on her tongue and fire racing through her veins.
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