Page 83 of False Start

Mike waded into the crowd as Hayden pulled me into an empty booth, pushing the empty glasses left to the corner of the table.

“Whatareyou two up to, anyway?”

“Still nothing.”

“But you saw him naked!” She pitched across the table, eyes wide. “That's not nothing. He’s hung, isn’t he? Tell me before Mike comes back. He’d be super jealous if he knew I was asking, but I need to know.”

I ducked my head, fingers fumbling for the phone in my pocket. “I didn’t really look.”

“Liar. You have it on video!” She raised an eyebrow. "Unless he edited the video."

I shook my head. “Absolutely not. You saw me flailing in the water. It's embarrassing enough that he witnessed me drowning firsthand. I wasn't giving him the opportunity to watch it again.”

“He’s totally into you,” she teased in a sing-song voice.

“Of course he isn't. He just took off with some rando,” I argued. “He’s a shameless flirt, and we’ve gotten way too comfortable with each other on this trip. It’ll pass.”

Even though I meant the words for Hayden, I needed them for myself. I’d rewatched the video as Trent drove, analyzing and reanalyzing the video. He'd been out of frame as I rode down the rocks, reappearing when I sank under the water, mouth open and sucking in a wet breath. Then he dove underneath, pulling me up, his face contorted with worry and…affection? As I'd coughed up water and struggled for air, I hadn't registered how he'd pushed the hair out of my face or his concerned murmurs, too muffled to pick up over the roar of the river.

And even as I reminded myself exactly what I'd told Hayden – he's a flirt, we're spending too much time together, it meant nothing – I kept rewatching the video, wondering if she wasn't right.

Hayden’s face fell. She played with the ring on her right hand with a frown. "I just sense something else between you two, you know?"

“Didn’t you just warn me about him the night before?”

“I didn’twarnyou,” she metered her words. “I just didn’t peg you two as a possibility. But after that video…”

She collapsed with a sigh and then straightened, letting out a giggle. “I just think you’re both so cute together.”

Definitely cute. So cute that Trent was flirting with some other woman on the other side of the bar. Thankfully, Mikereturned with our drinks and put an end to any conversation about Trent and I.

TWENTY-SEVEN

TRENT

Sheila Dawson earnedher Master’s of Fine Arts from Sarah Lawrence, had an ex-husband who owned a construction firm, and two kids who were spending the weekend at a neighbor’s house. She worked her way up from customer service to Vice President of digital acquisitions and had slipped her second room key into my pocket before waiting in line for her fifth chardonnay.

Kit sat hunched over a table full of margaritas, offering no support and assistance. Not even a glance. Just before midnight, Mike corralled Kit and Hayden out of the bar, and I found my escape route.

“Oh, looks like my friends are packing up. I’ve got an early morning, but it was so nice to meet you.” I slid Sheila’s room key into my hand and ducked down to swipe a kiss over her cheek while I returned the room key to her purse. But even five drinks in, she outmaneuvered me.

She turned her neck, tilting it up so our lips touched. Temporary shock rendered me motionless, the key falling onto the floor as her hands grabbed my shirt. Her tongue slipped into my mouth before I staggered away.

“Um…” I raked a hand through my hair, not daring to look over and check if Kit saw the exchange. “Good night.”

I slinked off before Sheila drew me back in.

“Can we head up to the room?” I muttered to Kit.

“What about your new friend?” she asked with a mischievous grin.

“Now.” I took her arm after a brief goodnight to Hayden and Mike and dragged her back into the lobby.

The printer expo was in full swing in the hotel. Doors stood ajar down the narrow hallway-lined with rooms as men and women in business suits shared bottles of alcohol inside.

“It’s so loud,” Kit muttered. “We’re never going to get to sleep.”

Being honest with myself, sleep was the least of my worries. Sheila had temporarily distracted me from my dilemma of spending the night with Kit. Hell, if I’d had an adequate amount of sleep and half a clue, I might have taken Shelia up on the offer just to make sure I didn’t fuck up the fragile friendship I’d built with Kit.

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