Chapter Thirty-Eight: Ticket Out:

In my hand I have one ticket to get the hell out of this city. One trip to France for two years to launch Sugarfalls magazine. It seems too good to be true, especially since it’s coming from Teddy. I shuddered to think about that. Creepy bastard. Why does he like me so much? I mean from the obvious, why? It makes me sick to think about it. So, I need to get him out of my mind right now.

Anyway, back to France. It won’t be that bad off in the start. I hear French practically every day in New Orleans. The countryside, huh? All of that nothing. All of that quiet. Usually, I wouldn’t be sold on such a package. However, there is the commute to the city three days a week, so it evens it out. Teddy also said that I could take someone with me. Naturally, it has to be one of my ladies. The problem as predicted is who do I take with me?

All five of them have their pros and cons.

Bekkah really wants to go to France. She’ll only be sixteen next month and she’s still in school. I can’t take her away with me. She would have to change school, learn French, and adjust to a new life in a foreign country. Does she even have a passport? However, I can’t leave Bekkah behind either. That douchebag ex of hers will drag her back and beat her if I leave her. Plus, she needs to learn more about how the world works outside of New Orleans. She’s not the only one who needs to get away.

Raccoon is just as equal for a need to escape as Bekkah is. She’s only seen New Orleans throughout most of her life. It would be nice to take her out of the city for a change. Only problem is that she’s too meek and comfortable to make the first move to change her life. She would rather just stay and keep quiet. That’s the part about her that just kills me inside. I don’t even think she has a passport either. Raccoon just deserves so much more than just hooking on the streets. She’s really smart too. That girl’s managed to put herself through community college. She could put herself through a real college. She just needs to get out of New Orleans and her job. France might do her some good.

Then, there are the girls that have seen outside of the States.

Kitty is a model and gets to do fashion shoots around the world. She just came back a shoot in Milan just last month. France won’t excite her too much. Though however, we would be living in the countryside. She is a country girl at heart, but she’s been too pampered with the rich life in her career. She needs to be brought down to earth some more. In fact, she really wants that to happen to her. Her complaints tell me everything.

Duck originally came from Ireland. In fact, she came here on a student visa. Hence why she still has her accent just as strong. Duck in France? That’s just scary; I don’t like the sound of that. They would kick her out of the country after two days. They are rather loose in France, but Duck’s too wild for them. Yet, the countryside would calm her down. I hoping that will happen. If not, I will have to apologize to France in advance.

Finally, there is Venus. She’s a tough one there. I don’t know of any good rehab places in France yet. That would mean she would have to spend most of her time in Paris. That might actually done her some good. Maybe get her career back on track. Then again, she might fall deeper into her addiction. That one’s actually a double-edge sword. It might actually do more harm than good. I won’t know until I fully test it out.

All of my options balance each other out. I can’t take all of them with me. That would be a bad idea anyway. They wouldn’t all get along with other. I don’t like cat fights and drama. So, I’ll just have to pick one girl and leave the other four behind. I just need to pick one.

This is going to take months. Before I do that, I had to take an important step. I picked up my phone and dialed up Teddy. I sat back on my couch as the other line rang.

“Helloooo!” Teddy chirped when he answered the phone.

“Teddy!” I said.

“Michael,” he said. “Just the person I was thinking about.” I resisted asking why on that statement.

“Whatever,” I said. “I have my answer about the Sugarfalls Magazine expansion.”

“Oh?” he asked. I sat up on the couch.

“I will be taking that ticket,” I said.

“So you mean…” he began to say.

“Yes,” I replied. “I am going to France.”