“Why not?” Lance asked.
“Because she knows that’s not something she has to worry about with her husband.”
“That’s sweet, but are you sure?” Kyle held his glass up, and Hunter filled his flute.
Xavier cleared his throat. “If she has questions, I’ll gladly answer them, but hopefully, she’s as intrigued as I am.”
“Hell…” Lance glanced over his shoulder at his wife, Allison, who was speaking to his mom. “You got me wondering if I can convince my wife to go.”
They laughed. “Hold on just a minute,” DeAndre said to Lance. “Allison might take something heavy over your head for sure.”
The men howled, and Xavier shook his head.
“How about you guys let me and my wife do the exploring first, and we can report back. Then, and only then, if you feel like being beat over the head, you can ask your wives.”
Their laughter heightened, but still, they all agreed.
Two
Venice, Italy
Corinne
“Oh, thank you!” Corinne grabbed the handle of her small rollaway luggage, flipped her black, shoulder-length hair, and readjusted the purse on her arm.
“No problem,” Monica, her coworker, responded. Monica lifted her small duffle bag, and in their flight attendant skirt and top uniforms, they strolled through the bustling Venice Marco Polo airport.
Their heels echoed as they strolled, and it took them twenty minutes to get to the exit.
“Aaaah.” Corinne stretched, covered by a fresh gust of wind. “I’m glad to be out of the air for a while. You’d think I’d be used to these long flights, but sometimes I just want to relax.”
“That’s because you don’t take time off.”
Corinne frowned, turning to look at Monica. “I take time off.”
“No, you don’t.”
Corinne stared at her, seriousness etched in her features.
“Monica, I take time off.”
“We have the same schedule, Corinne, and I haven’t been off in a month.”
Corinne thought about what Monica was saying. She’d been home each weekend in the last month.
“Okay…” Monica smirked. “You went home,” she said as if reading her mind. “How long did you stay grounded?”
Corinne pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “At least a day.”
“So, twenty-four hours before you were back in the air. As I said, you don’t take time off, that’s why you feel so relaxed now. But that’s not an issue, is it? We can get some rest here. We’re on a layover for two days before heading out again.”
Corinne pursed her lips. She had been working nonstop. Not because she was a workaholic but because she genuinely loved her job.
“This is our car share ride,” Monica said, snapping Corinne out of her thoughts.
They strolled to the vehicle as a heavyset woman exited, opening the trunk and adding their luggage inside.
Once they were comfortable in the backseat, the car took them to a dock, where they transferred into a complimentary boat that powered them to San Clemente Palace Hotel. They would lodge at the private island hotel for their two-day stay and check into separate adjoining rooms.