The room’s technically an office with a mattress tucked in. Not that I’ll complain. The fact we have a place to sleep that’s not a park bench is more than enough for me while on this insane trip.

Reaching the kitchen, I’m unsurprised to see it’s standing room only. People are piled on chairs around the table with extra stools and boxes dragged around for more seating. The group all has a glass in hand, drinking their way to drunk while playing poker.

I get a few raised glasses when I enter, a shouted “Foster,” and a head turn. I nod in greeting, but it’s the dude in the Cowboys jersey with a chick planted on his lap I slap on the shoulder.

Chase looks back with a buzzed gleam in his eyes and the girl’s fingers in his dark hair. He gives me a cool once-over, noticing the jacket.

“Where are you going?” he drawls, hitting the Texan accent heavy.

“Where do you think?”

“Dude,” he says.

“Dude.”

“Brother,” he tries.

“Brother.” I give him a tight-lipped smile as I back away. “Someone has to pay for your ass to gallivant.”

He glares at me as I reach the flat’s door. Then my best friend dismisses me with a wave of his hand before using the same hand to grip the chick’s ass, making her squeal.

The jackass makes a kissy face at me over her head while she slaps at him, and I wink back. A chorus of my name and byes follows me out, all cutting off when I shut the door behind me.

I shake my head on my way down the hall.

The last thing I expected when we ended up in Paris two weeks ago was crashing with a bunch of American college students. We ran into them the first day, and Chase latched onto the familiar.

In hindsight, his half-assed plan to take off first semester this year and randomly traipse around Europe was just as terrible as it sounded when he first came up with it. But once Chase gets an idea in his head, you either run away or hold the fuck on tight for the ride.

Plus, it pissed off the old man to hear the tuition he paid was nonrefundable.

Oops.

I grab a taxi and take it to one of my favorite places in the city. Small shops and galleries, a museum, and a park all within a few blocks of each other.

As I climb out of the car, I open the app and mark myself as available for a tour.