Page 55 of Stuart Woods' Golden Hour

“If only. It’s for Billy.” She started to hold the envelope out to Mark, then realized what she was doing and yanked it back. “Sorry. Too much sun today.”

“Quite all right,” he said.

An elevator car arrived, and they stepped inside. Lizzie exited on the floor where she and Stacy were sharing a room, while Stacy stayed on until they reached the floor where everyone else’s suites were located.

As was normal when both Mark and Billy were staying at the same hotel, adjacent rooms had been procured. Tessa, Hattie, Peter, and Adriene went down the hall, toward their rooms, while Stacy followed Mark in the opposite direction.

Mark reached his room first and pulled out his key. Stacy continued to the door to Billy’s suite, then looked at it, confused.

“What am I supposed to do now?” she whispered.

“I believe knocking would be appropriate in this situation,” he said.

“Well, yeah. But Billy’s not home.”

“And how would you know that?”

“Because—” She stopped herself. “Oh, right. I wouldn’t.”

He entered his room as she rapped on Billy’s door. He waited several seconds, then stepped back into the hall and checked to make sure Adriene had gone into her room. “You can relax. We’re alone now.”

Stacy expelled a breath and let her shoulders sag. “Oh, thank God.”

He opened Billy’s door. “After you.”

She hurried inside and he followed.

As she dropped onto the couch, he said, “You look like you could use a drink.”

“Is it that obvious?”

He poured her a glass of Castello Monaci Artas Primitivo zinfandel and handed her the glass.

“Thank you,” she said and took a drink.

“Better?”

“Too early to tell.” She lolled her head back against the cushion. “This multiple ID thing is exhausting, and I’ve only been dealing with it for less than a day. I can’t imagine how tiring it is for you to change who you are all the time.”

“Not exhausting at all. Remember, I’ve been doing it for years.”

“And you’ve never tripped up? Acted like one person while looking like another?”

“Not once.”

“No wonder you won an Oscar.”

Mark returned to the bar and poured himself a glass of wine, then took the seat across from her.

She studied him for a moment. “Is it difficult to live like this?”

“Like what?”

“Leading a double life. Wait. Triple life?”

“I lead it very well, thank you very much.”

She snorted. “Sorry. It’s just all so…weird.”

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