Page 40 of Caught in the Middle

She shut the door to the room as quietly as she had opened it. She needed to put some space between them before she really did crawl into that bed. It didn’t help that the couch was the world’s most uncomfortable thing she’d ever laid on in her life.

Boy, was she in for it though. Wasn’t it a sign or something whenever a guy’s flaws started turning into cute traits? Not that she considered snoring a flaw, but the fact that she found herself staring at him like a cute puppy sprawled out on the bed instead of the source of what rudely awoke her. Yep, she needed a moment to clear her head. It was probably just leftover hormones from last night she told herself.

As she turned around, Emma let out a yelp. “What the hell are you doing just standing there?” She clutched at her chest as her heart settled itself back down.

“Watching you sneak out,” Lulu replied with a smirk.

Emma shook her head and began down the hallway, Lulu following suit beside her. “I’m not sneaking out.” She was. “I’m going to grab a bagel and take a walk.”

“To clear your head?”

Lulu knew her all too well. “Why would I need to clear my head? And why were you outside my room this early in the morning?”

Her friend ignored the latter question. “Uh, maybe because you’re letting your fake boyfriend bang out your brains,” she exclaimed with a squeal of excitement.

Emma’s head snapped toward her in surprise. “Did Lauren tell you that?” Of course she did. What was she thinking? Who else would know? “It’s not what you think.”

Lulu’s face twisted in hurt. “What? You told Lauren about this before me?”

“What? No, of course not. Well, I mean, I would tell her things too, you know that. But no, I didn’t tell her this.” Emma shook her head. “Not that there’s anything to tell. Wait, then how do you know?”

Lulu crossed her arms. “Because I heard the two of you. Hell, I bet everybody did.”

“What?” Emma looked horrified. “We weren’t that loud, were we?” She knew she’d gotten lost in their role play last, finding it much more of a turn-on than she could’ve ever imagined, but surely they weren’t that loud. Lulu’s room was past the elevator at the other end of the hotel.

Her friend let out a huff to say otherwise. Then another set of footsteps sounded from behind them, and Emma turned to see a shirtless Dan in swimming trunks come from the same way they’d just come.

She gave Lulu a questioning look as he approached. Instead of answering, Lulu gave him a serene smile as he neared her, dropping his head to plant what Emma would deem a very passionate morning kiss on her friend before saying, “I’ll see you around,” and giving both women a nod before going ahead to the elevator. Lulu’s only response was a satisfied smile and a self-assured, “I’m sure you will.”

Emma was sure her jaw was on the floor as they stood there halfway to the elevators.

Lulu smiled at her innocently.

“What the hell was that?” she asked.

Her friend shrugged as if it was no big deal. “Our date went good last night, so we decided to follow it up with a late-night swim and some other extracurricular activities.” She wagged her eyebrows.

Emma laughed, shaking her head. “Shit, I could’ve used you as a wingwoman back at the hotel in Dallas.”

Lulu tossed her head back in laughter. “I’d say that all worked out for the best in the end.”

Her words passed Emma without her hearing them as something stuck out. “Wait, why was Dan in Lauren and Asher’s room? Did you guys have plans this morning or something?” It was awfully early for plans, Emma thought, not much of a fan for waking up early on vacation unless it was going to prove to be worth it.

A light dawned on Lulu’s face. “No, no, no,” she said. “We stayed there last night.” At Emma’s questioning look, she continued. “Whenever I was getting ready for my date, Lauren came to my room to see if we could switch for the night. I have the better setup and ocean views,” she added as a way of explanation. “Since they were staying in, she wanted to shoot some content for her social media and my room was better for it.”

That made so much more sense, Emma thought, realizing with relief that her friend indeed could not hear her from across the hotel during her fake sex. Then she burst out laughing as everything came full circle and she realized what she put Cam through for nothing. It wasn’t Lauren and Asher they heard last night, it was the only person who didn’t expect to hear them having sex.

As Lulu stared at her like she was losing her mind, Emma doubled over, unable to stop laughing, tears now spilling down her eyes.

“Stop it,” Lulu whisper-shouted. “You’re going to wake people up.”

But that only made her laugh harder.

Finally, she somewhat found her bearings and started for the elevators again. “Walk with me,” she said to her friend who was now the one looking confused. “I’ll catch you up.”

???

Lulu’s laughter was scaring the birds away from their morning exploration of the sandy shore as Emma finished telling her the reality of what she overheard last night. She couldn’t help but laugh along with her after hearing how absurd it all sounded out loud.

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