Page 107 of Again, In Autumn

“Problem?” I repeat.

“Sorry, buddy,” he directs to Adam, his face contorting into regret.

“Sorry for what?” Adam responds.

Mackenzie holds out his palm and it contains a single key. “It seems I got the room count wrong and we’re all booked up. I’ve only got one room left.”

It’s quiet between us until I set my champagne glass on the marble counter. I dance my eyes back and forth between the two men. “Just one room?”

“You must have a lot of family and friends,” Adam says with a flat, sarcastic tone. He sets his glass beside mine and folds his arms across his chest.

“But there’s two of us,” I explain.

“He can count, Vee.”

Mackenzie doesn’t say a word, but hangs back apologetically, dangling the key between Adam and me. We stare at it, quietly, until Adam looks sidelong and raises his brow, questioning.

He is waiting for me to spill out my thoughts, but I can’t tell him about how bubbly I felt when Annabelle mistook us for a couple. How my heart swelled when Mackenzie knew my name. We’re edging our toes to an experience didn’t happen fourteen years ago. This one is adult and real. We’re out of the bubble of the lake house, and I wonder what happens next.

Oh wait. This morning we decided that nothing happens next. I decided, I remember, catching Adam’s prying eye.

I say, “I’ll stay with Kate and Caroline.”

“No,” Adam responds fast. “Because then a certain someone will want to trade places with you and insist on staying in my room.” He picks up the key and eyes its crimson red adornment. “The red room? That sounds intense.”

Mackenzie shrugs. “Sorry Adam. I’ll find a way to make it up to you, I promise, but I can’t magically conjure another room to sleep in. I’m guessing you two aren’t…together?”

“No,” I answer immediately.

Adam stares at his friend with a focused, narrow gaze.

Mackenzie swipes what could be perceived as amusement off his face.

I say, “We’re just friends. And friends…”

“They what, Vienna?” Adam leans his elbow on the counter, widening his eyes. “What do friends do?”

He’s insinuating that the ‘friendship’ we have doesn’t fall into the same category of ‘friendship’ that he and David do. Thus, highlighting that we can’t ever truly just be friends. Even after he suggested it this morning, he clearly struggled to not touch me.

I falter. “Well, maybe it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Do friends share a bed?” he taunts.

That’s a chilling thought.

“A room,” I clarify. “I’ll bet the floor is very nice. For you.”

Mackenzie laughs. “That’s the spirit! It’ll all work out.”

The key dangles in Adam’s hand. “You sure about this?” he asks me. He’s clearly still so careful about boundaries.

“Yes,” I answer, swiping the key from his hand.

Chapter Thirty

Adam turns the map upside down. “This place is massive.” We walk down a blue carpeted hallway and nod to a woman on the phone. I catch the tail end of her sentence and she’s as impressed as we are.

“This is it.” I point to the plaque on the door. “The Red Room.”

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