Sammy in France (Single Wide Female Travels #1) Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  A note from the author

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

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  Other Titles

  Legal Notice

  Single Wide Female Travels

  (Book 1)

  Sammy in France

  By

  Lillianna Blake

  Copyright © 2015 Lillianna Blake

  Cover design by Beetiful Book Covers

  All rights reserved.

  LilliannaBlake.com

  Dear Reader,

  The Single Wide Female and B.I.G. Girls Club books are written for every woman out there who has struggled with their weight, self-esteem and any number of issues that we all face as we work to become the best versions of ourselves that we can be.

  They are meant to be light-hearted and fun, but I do hope that they will inspire you—to REALLY live your life to the fullest, loving yourself completely as you do so.

  You might prefer to get to know Sammy in the Single Wide Female: The Bucket List series first. You can pick up that first book for free here:

  1 Learn Pole Dancing

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R334AE4

  If you enjoy Sammy in France, I’d appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave an honest review here:

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0182FUMYS

  And…

  I have a FREE book for you!

  Wanna know what inspired Sammy to write her bucket list? Visit my website below and get your complimentary copy of “Sammy’s Big Plan!”

  LilliannaBlake.com

  Enjoy!

  Sincerely,

  Lillianna

  P.S. Also be sure to see the previews at the end of this book for additional free books that you can download at Amazon. :)

  Chapter 1

  I shifted the strap of my bag on my shoulder. It was biting into the soft skin underneath the sleeve of my shirt. The line moved forward inch by inch.

  “Max, are you sure that there’s nothing wrong?” I tried to see past the crowd of people to the gate of the plane.

  “It’s fine, just too many people to get on at one time.” Max slid his hand into mine. He squeezed it gently.

  Sometimes I thought Max had magical powers in his hands. Every time he touched me or held my hand, everything that once bothered me disappeared. As if to prove my theory right, the line moved forward. I tried to focus on the next leg of the trip. I wasn’t afraid of planes, but I didn’t relish the idea of the take-off.

  “This is the first time I’m flying out of the country.”

  “Me too.” Max ruffled his hair. “It’s exciting and a little intimidating.”

  “I just wish we could get on there and get settled.” I yawned. “I could use a little nap.”

  As the crowd filed onto the plane, I could hear bits and pieces of the conversations around me. They were mostly in French. Max and I had both taken French in college, but he seemed to have a better memory for it than I did after so many years. I could pick up words here and there, but I was hoping to be able to hold a conversation by the time we’d spent a few weeks in France. The thought was pushed from my mind as I took my first step onto the plane. I smile at the flight attendant who greeted me. I was moments away from relaxation.

  When I turned the corner, I found a congested aisle and had to take a deep breath to calm my nerves. Everyone seemed to be cramming their bags wherever they could find a space.

  “Excuse me, excuse me, I’m so sorry.” I tried to wedge my way down the aisle with the two carry-on bags I had strapped over my shoulder. It wasn’t as if I could pack lightly. I wasn’t just going across the country—I was going across the world.

  “Here, let me take that.” Max reached back to take one of the bags from me, then he hoisted it above his head and slid it into the compartment over the seats. “And the other.” He held out his hand for it.

  I tried to swing it into his grasp, but as I did, it grazed the shoulder of a woman who was already seated.

  “Oh! Watch it! This outfit cost me well over one thousand dollars!”

  “I’m sorry, it was an accident. I don’t think it hurt your blouse.”

  “You don’t think so? But you don’t know, do you? In fact, you don’t know anything at all about the exquisite material that went into creating this garment. So maybe you could be more careful where you swing your bag.”

  I took a slow breath and did my best to remain polite. “I’m sorry, the aisles are narrow.”

  “Not for me—maybe for someone like you.” She lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes. “Maybe you should have gotten on a jumbo jet.”

  I stared at her. Had I really heard what I just heard? Could a grown woman truly be that cruel?

  “There’s no need for that.” Max turned to face the woman. “Do I need to get a flight attendant over here?”

  “Max, stop.” I met his eyes. “I can handle this.” I cleared my throat and looked straight into the woman’s eyes.

  “I’m sorry that you feel so insecure about your body that you feel the need to cover it in garments that cost enough money to feed several poor children. I hope that one day you’ll realize your own beauty—from the inside out. Then you may find some peace in the world around you and tolerance for those of us that may struggle with the ability to be perfect. Now I’m going to find my seat, and I hope that you will respect our fellow passengers enough to let this minor incident go.”

  The woman stared up at me with wide eyes and tightened lips. From the way her hands curled into fists I thought she might punch me. Instead, she turned her head toward the window and ignored me.

  Max smiled at me as he guided me to our seats.

  “I’m proud of you. You handled that woman better than I ever could.”

  “I hope I wasn’t too rude.” I sighed as I sat down in the aisle seat.

  “You should have been rude. That woman needs to learn how to be a decent human being.”

  “Am I showing her that by biting back, though? The remark about her clothes was rather cruel.”

  “It’s rather true. I’m sure that there are women that wear expensive clothing because they love it, but I’m betting that woman wears it because it makes her feel better than other people.”

  “Maybe.” I shifted in my seat. Every time I moved, my body felt more out of place. The seat was roomy and cushioned, but my body did not cooperate.

  “Comfortable?” Max looked over at me.

  “Yes.” I smiled.

  The truth was, my bottom was already numb.

  Chapter 2

  I stared hard at the seat in front of me and tried not to think about how high in the a
ir we would be in the next few minutes.

  “Are you nervous?” Max smiled.

  “Oh no, not at all. Flying is one of the safest ways to travel—far safer than driving in a car or even taking a train. I’m sure we’ll be just fine.”

  “I am too, but that’s not what I meant. I meant are you nervous about starting the book tour?”

  I rested my head back against the seat and closed my eyes. “Things have been so crazy I haven’t really had time to get nervous.”

  “I know. That going-away party was wild, wasn’t it?”

  “Wild isn’t exactly how I’d describe it. I just want to know what made Stephanie think that a stripper was appropriate for a going-away party.” I laughed and then covered my mouth quickly to muffle the sound.

  “I’m pretty sure that stripper was more for her than it was for you. Still, it was quite entertaining when your mother offered up a few singles.”

  “Okay, I have to agree, that was very entertaining.” I shook my head. “I never saw that one coming.”

  “I just can’t believe we actually got it all done. There was so much to do. I really didn’t think that we’d get through it all.”

  It was my turn to squeeze his hand as I met his eyes. “I never had any doubt. We make a great team, after all.”

  “That’s for sure. But getting the house ready to rent out was a bit more than I thought we could handle.”

  “We did it. Now we’re starting our year-long journey of exploring the world. What could be better than that?”

  “A year to spend with you?” He smiled. “Nothing could be better than that.”

  I snuggled close to him and closed my eyes. “Let me know when it’s time for take-off.”

  “Sammy.” Max slid the window shade up.

  I looked through the window at clear blue sky and puffy white clouds.

  “Wow! We’re already in the air?” I stared out with awe as the buildings below the plane grew smaller and smaller.

  “It’s going to be an amazing ride, Sammy. I have to say, I feel darn lucky to get to spend it with you.”

  “I can’t wait to see the world with you. I’m going to take a million pictures!”

  “I don’t doubt that.” Max laughed. “I just hope you remember to get some writing done in between.”

  “Oh, don’t you worry, Max, I’m not going to forget about that at all. It’s such an honor to be able to do this book tour. I just can’t believe this is happening. It feels like I won the lottery or something.”

  “Why do you think that is?”

  “I guess because I have everything I could ever want.”

  “No. I mean, why do you think things changed so much? It seems to me that the moment you started believing in yourself and following your passion, everything fell into place.”

  I cringed at his words. “Trust me, it wasn’t that simple or easy. I’ve read so many books that promised if I just acted happy, I would be happy. But it took a lot more than that. I had to truly embrace myself—who I am—all of me, not just the fake-it-on-the-surface me.” I wrapped my arm around his. “But it was well worth the work and the wait.”

  “I hope so.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “It was a beautiful thing to witness your confidence grow. I’ve been waiting for it for years. To be honest with you, I think I could use a little of that journey myself. I’m hoping to be able to grow and expand a bit on our trip.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful.” I stared at him for a long moment. I noticed that the corners of his mouth twitched. His eyes shimmered the way they did when something amused him. “You’re talking about food, aren’t you? You’re talking about expanding your midsection.”

  “The other stuff too.” He laughed. “There’s so much delicious food to try! How could we not indulge a little?”

  “Max, I’m going on this book tour to show that losing weight is possible when you heal your whole self. How will I be able to keep a straight face if I know I’ve just eaten a plate full of crepes?”

  “You don’t have to eat the whole plate, though. I mean, everything in moderation, right?”

  I frowned. Everything in moderation had rarely worked for me. One bite was all it ever took to send me on a binge that I couldn’t come back from. As a result, I’d learned to cut certain foods from my life pretty much completely.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Hey, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “You can eat whatever you want.”

  “But that’s not what I want—not just to eat anyway. I want to share the experience of the taste, the flavor, the texture of the food with you. I want to know what your opinion is on a dish that neither of us has ever eaten. Can’t you fit it into your diet plan? I don’t want to be anything but supportive, but this is an opportunity that most people only get once in a lifetime.”

  “You’re right. I didn’t really think about it like that. I’ll do my best to keep an open mind about trying new things, no matter the calorie count. Alright?” I smiled at him.

  “I’ll believe it when I see it.” He winked at me and then settled into his seat. “I’m going to get some rest. I’m sure I’ll need it on this adventure.”

  As Max fell asleep I gazed past him out the window of the plane. The assortment of colors in the sky reminded me of a beautiful painting, even though the sensation of soaring so far above the ground also inspired tension in my jaw.

  As I flew over parts of the world I’d never been to, I wondered if this would be a mistake.

  Could Max and I really work together? Would it put too much strain on our marriage?

  Chapter 3

  I plugged my headphones into my phone and turned on the language program. I was immersed in the lovely lilt of the French language. I listened to the word spoken and then whispered it quietly. I didn’t pay attention to the English translation, as I was only interested in calming my nerves. With every word I spoke, I took a deep breath. I imagined myself in a beautiful French cafe surrounded by conversations in French. As my mind drifted into a more peaceful state, I continued to repeat the words. I didn’t pay attention to pronunciation, as it was more of a meditative exercise.

  All of a sudden, out of nowhere, the soft surface of a pillow connected with my face. In my shock, I immediately felt that it was flung at me with the intention of inflicting pain. My eyes shot open. I pulled my headphones off and looked over at Max. At first I thought he must have been the one to throw the pillow, because who else would have the nerve? But Max was sound asleep.

  I looked across the aisle. Many of the other passengers were sleeping as well, but one had her arms crossed and a harsh glare fixed in my direction. I realized it was the same woman whose shoulder I’d brushed earlier with my bag. I was so stunned that I confronted her before I could make a better choice.

  “Did you throw this pillow at me?”

  “Yes, I did.” She narrowed her eyes.

  “That’s pretty childish, don’t you think?”

  “Maybe. But so is repeating words in a language that you do not understand. I should not have to listen to such vulgar language. You weren’t exactly quiet about it.”

  “Vulgar? It’s a language program. It’s so that I can communicate with people in France.”

  “If you try to talk to people like that in France, you’ll be kicked right out. I can promise you that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know what kind of language program you’re using, but the things that you were saying were nearly criminal and not appropriate in mixed company.”

  “That’s nonsense.” I frowned. “But for the sake of peace I will just listen to it.”

  “For the sake of your personal safety in the streets of France, you should check that program and make sure that it’s not malfunctioning. Now, may I have my pillow?”

  I stared at her hard for a moment, then I tucked the pillow under my head and closed my eyes.

  I heard her call for a flight attendant to get her anot
her pillow and did my best not to smile.

  After a few minutes, I looked at my phone. I had downloaded the program in a rush and hadn’t really read the information about it. As I read it over, I was horrified to discover that I’d downloaded what I thought was one hundred French phrases, but it was actually one hundred sexy French phrases. As I read over some of the English translations of what I’d repeated—apparently louder than in the whisper I’d intended—I sank down in my seat.

  I glanced over at an older man who sat an aisle up from me. He winked when he caught my eye. I lowered my eyes fast and tried not to think about what his opinion of me might be.

  Yet again I doubted whether I’d made the right decision.

  The subtle sound of Max’s snore reminded me that I wasn’t alone. But that didn’t stop my mind from spinning. I closed my eyes to try to quiet it.

  I took a deep breath and filled my belly with it. Then I held it for a few seconds before I released it. The release caused a sudden squeak to escape my throat. The woman in the aisle across from us looked over with a raised eyebrow. I smiled and placed my fingers against my lips as politely as I could.

  It was easy to believe that the book tour would be a great idea, when it was just that—an idea. Now that it was about to become a reality—my new reality—I had to face the truth that I’d completely left my comfort zone behind.

  In the past few months, I’d left my comfort zone behind about a lot of things. I was familiar with the fear and dread that welled within me. That didn’t change the fact that it threatened to choke me as I tried to take another deep belly breath.

  What was I thinking? How could I talk Max into renting out his home and joining me on tour? Now not only was my life, success, and future on the line, his was as well.

  I looked over at him as he slumbered with such a calm expression on his face. He had no idea what was about to happen to him. I could only hope that I would be able to uphold my end of the deal and market the books well.

  The B.I.G. Girls Club series had started out strong, but this was an entirely new market. I wondered for the millionth time who would buy my book in France. My impression of French women came from what I saw on the covers of fashion magazines. They were waif-like, without a flaw in sight. How would I fit in there with my thick frame? I’d reached a weight that I was comfortable with in time for the wedding, but it still fluctuated and there was nothing about me that was waif-like.