What If It's Love?: A Contemporary Romance Set in Paris (Bistro La Bohème Book 1) by Alix Nichols Page A

graduation.”
    “Congratulations!”
    “Thanks.” He glanced at his friends and mumbled, “Even if for some of us
it’s conditional.”
    Lena frowned, unsure of his meaning, but he didn’t offer an explanation. She
sat down and signaled to Pepe hovering nearby for a beer.
    Rob pushed the bowl of peanuts closer to her. “Jeanne tells me you went
to Geneva for your defense. Did it go well?”
    “Yes. And now I’m a proud holder of a master’s degree.”
    “Cheers to that,” Rob said, raising his beer.
    Mat followed suit. “To no more exams, papers, and late-night cramming!”
    “To our future and to beach holidays,” Amanda said.
    “Speaking of which, I’m going to Nice with Jeanne and Pepe tomorrow,”
Lena said, hoping she wasn’t being too obvious.
    “So am I,” Rob said and pointed to Amanda and Mat. “And so are these two
individuals.”
    Amanda smiled politely. “It’s going to be fun.”
    “I’m so excited to go on a trip with Jeanne. And without her
creepy boyfriend. This is my last opportunity to win her over,” Mat said.
    “I hope you succeed. I don’t like her boyfriend at all,” Lena said.
    Pepe returned with her beer and said, addressing the girls, “Did you know
that topless is all the rage at the French Riviera this season?”
    “And why are you telling us this?” Amanda asked.
    “No reason. Just thought you may want to know what the latest trends are
before you pack . . .” He pulled out a folded sheet of paper
from his pocket. “Hey, do you want to see the hotel I booked?”
    Everyone looked at the printout.
    “It’s not far from the beach and it’s cheap,” Pepe said with pride. “I
thought the ladies would like it better than a youth hostel.”
    “There must be a reason why it’s cheap,” Amanda said as she perused the
printout and handed it to Rob.
    “I don’t really care why it’s cheap. I’m broke, so the cheaper the
better.” Rob passed the paper on to Lena.
    “It looks cute.” Lena pointed to the photo that showed a sunny rooftop
terrace with a few tables set for breakfast and orange trees in terracotta pots
interspersed among them.
    Mat took the paper and read out loud. “Welcome to Very Nice , a
charming family-run hotel only ten minutes’ walk from the city’s historic
center and the Promenade des Anglais beach.”
    “I booked us three rooms with twin beds. The hotel didn’t have any triple
rooms, so one of the ladies will have to share a room with one of the gents,”
Pepe said.
    “And I got the train tickets, so you each owe me one hundred twenty euros
and ninety to Pepe,” Jeanne, who had just arrived with a beer in her hand,
said.
    “I could room with y—” Mat began.
    “Amanda, will you share with me? I promise I don’t snore.” Pepe said,
blocking Mat.
    Amanda handed Pepe the hotel money. “It’s very kind
of you to offer, but I’d rather room with Rob. We hiked for a week in the Jura
Mountains last summer, so I know for sure he doesn’t snore, grind his teeth, or
sleepwalk.”
    The famed Riviera town unfolded before the Parisian bunch with its palm
tree-rimmed squares and boulevards, followed by crooked old town streets. Lena
decided she liked it. A lot. The hotel was another matter. Upon closer
acquaintance, Very Nice turned out to be a flea-bitten hole flirting with the
insalubrious whose only nice part was the tiny rooftop terrace. The very
same that represented the hotel on its website.
    After a few minutes of hesitation, mainly on the part of Amanda and Lena,
the group decided to settle in and make the best of it. It was four in the
afternoon—the perfect time to go to the beach. Lena and Jeanne were ready
within ten minutes. When they came down to the lobby, the boys were already
there. Amanda arrived a few minutes later. Her golden hair was braided and
pinned above her ears and her camisole barely covered her bikini top. She wore
a pair of minishorts that drew attention to her slender tanned legs. Pepe gave
a long