“The place I picked is really popular online. The reviews are fantastic."
"I know," Claire replied, holding up her phone. "But this other spot is way cheaper, and the view is almost the same. Why not go for the better deal? And look, reviews say their ingredients are super fresh, and everyone raves about the taste."
Locals always chose the second spot. Tourists flocked to the first. That alone made the first one feel like a classic tourist trap.
As it turned out, Claire was totally right. The second place barely had a line. They got a table almost right away, and food came out fast. They ended up with a whole spread for just six hundred eighty-eight, thanks to a group deal. No hidden charges, no stress, and the bill was totally reasonable.
They'd already agreed to split everything evenly, so Claire paid for now and would keep track. They could settle up with her after the trip. Still, just to be safe, everyone else transferred ten thousand each into Claire's account ahead of time. That way, there'd be no drama about anyone running out of cash. Whatever money was left, she'd divvy it up or pay back what was owed.
Claire was trustworthy, with a memory like a steel trap. Even if she didn't write things down, she could list every expense and break it down by person in seconds. Of course, she still kept careful records, just in case.
After dinner, the four of them walked around for a while. They grabbed some snacks for the car, picked up a couple of local treats, and got ready to hit the road.
"I got plenty of sleep during the day, so I can drive if you all want to crash in the car. Or we can stay at a hotel tonight. Up to you," Claire said, checking what everyone wanted to do.
"Let's set off now. We can nap in the car for a bit. If it's too rough, we'll just pull over and find a hotel somewhere," Sophia said. She had endless energy. After a whole day out, driving at night was nothing for her, but she wanted to be sure the others were okay with it.
Len was fine either way, but Shirley was always a little extra.
"Let's just find a hotel. We don't have to stay at this one, but I'd rather sleep in a bed than in the car.
Someone else booked this room for us anyway. Let's just check out and pick a new place, Shirley said, already browsing hotels on her
phone.
Claire didn't indulge her. "It's still early. I'll drive. If you can't sleep in the car, we'll stop and find a place. We've already lost two days on this trip. I don't want to waste more time."
Shirley pouted. She knew Claire wouldn't give in.
"Fine. Let's go,” she said, dragging herself back to the room to pack. Most of their stuff was already in the car. They'd only brought in some makeup and skincare.
Once everything was packed, they checked out. Claire gave Helena a quick call, thanked her, and let her know they were heading out.
Helena had wanted them to stay longer, but she was overwhelmed herself. Her nephew had been through so much. His parents died in a car crash when he was young, and she had raised him. Exeosince she heard he'd been in an accident, she couldn't shake the fear that he'd end up like his parents. Thankfully, Rowley was fine.
here he aiseen in
“I don't even know how to thank you enough for everything. Sweetheart, if you're
ever back in Cabinda, you have to come visit us,” Helena said.
Claire promised she would, then hung up.
Because of their delays, Lance and
York's car ended up way ahead of them. Claire had no clue, but Shirley had a habit of nonstop social media updates and loved tagging the location. Their whole route was an
open book. Lance kept an eye on posts, realized he was ton
Shirley
far ahead, and decided to stow
down. He waited for them to reach the next stop, then followed along, always just one step behind.