Page 26 of All the Gossip from Paris
Now, he met his father’s eyes as they both turned on the spot taking in the sheer opulence of the grandly named Royal Suite Royal Resorts Paris. Liam was almost lost for words. “Fuck me,” he muttered under his breath.
Pete Collins chuckled softly in reply. “Second that.”
This was more like a palace than a hotel room. He’d gone on line and checked the price of the Royal Suite in New York City, and been stunned to discover it cost thirty two thousand dollars a night.
What must this place cost?
It seemed rude to ask, so the second he got a chance, he’d be looking this hotel up on line.
How did we end up here?
But if he was finding it hard to take it all in, Ryan seemed to have settled quite comfortably into the billionaire lifestyle. His brother was about to marry an heiress. In a matter of days, Ryan Collins would become Ryan Royal.
Apparently, there was some strange tradition that when you married into the Royal family, you had to become a Royal. From what Liam understood that interesting little bit of news hadn’t gone down all that well with their father. Ryan’s children wouldn’t be carrying on the Collins family name.
“How was your flight?” asked Ryan.
Liam shrugged. His attention was still fixed on taking in the luxurious suite. The cream French doors which led out onto a private balcony were framed by a pair of extravagantly fringed gold curtains. “How was the flight? Caviar. Champagne. Ten course meals. Complimentary PJs. Nothing special.”
Brenda let out a gasp. “Liam! How can you say such a thing?” admonished their mother. The look on her face was pure mortification.
Ryan simply laughed. “Yeah. Slumming it in First Class. I don’t know how you survived the flight. I couldn’t do it. Once you’ve been on a private jet, you’ll never go back to lining up to show your boarding pass.”
“I’ll remember that next time I’m in cattle class. When they make me pay extra for a small packet of spiced peas I’ll think of you,” replied Liam.
Ryan laughed a second time. “Hey, you’re the one who loves to see how cheaply he can fly. You do realize that once they add in all those extra charges it’s not a bargain after all.”
He couldn’t fault his brother’s words. Liam was always looking for the ultimate in flying deals.
“So how do we feel about a bit of sightseeing today folks?” asked Ryan. “I have a car waiting downstairs to take us on a tour of the city. In the early evening we can go for a walk along the River Seine and visit Notre Dame cathedral before it closes at seven. My beautiful fiancée will then be joining us for dinner at Ralph’s.”
“Who’s Ralph?” asked Liam.
“Ralph Lauren. They have a restaurant at the boutique. I figured since the next few days will be a steady diet of rich French cuisine, an American menu might help everyone ease into things,” explained Ryan.
His brother had been in Paris for well over a month now. Partly so he could get to know his future in laws a little better, but also because he had to be a resident for at least thirty days to comply with the legal requirements for a French marriage license. Ryan seemed to be settling well into the Parisian way of life.
“It sounds like an action packed day ahead of us. Before we head out could your mom and I have some time to freshen up and change? We didn’t get a lot of sleep on the plane,” said Pete.
“Yeah, well that’s what happens when you decide to work your way through the entire menu, and sit up to watch movies. The adults among us actually managed to get some shut eye,” said Liam.
Pete chuckled. “Your mom and I felt obliged to conduct an extensive test of the champagne and food menu.”
Ryan pointed toward the main bedroom. “I’m sure you did, dad. Take as long as you need. I’ll call the driver when we are ready to leave.”
The sound of a cell phone pinging echoed in the room. Ryan pulled his phone out of his pants pocket, and checked it. “Oh ok. Camille’s sister Sophie is coming into Paname shortly to catch up with Liam. She’s going to take you to some other places that are not filled with tourists.”
“Paname?” asked Liam.
“It’s what the locals call Paris,” replied Ryan, not looking up from checking his phone. The way he explained it was as if he’d always lived in the French capital, rather than having arrived mere weeks ago.
He’s settling into his new life, which is great.
Not so great was the news that Sophie was on her way to see him. Liam had been hoping that the first they saw one another would be across a crowded room. There they could offer a quick wave in greeting but not actually have to be in one another’s company.
Now she was going to be spending time alone with him. Depending on how she viewed things after New York, this could either be a little bit tricky or seriously problematic.
Don’t panic. Play it cool. She’s probably keen to forget that it ever happened.
