Page 67 of The VIP Package

Eve swings back to focus on me. “So Ashton Holyfield, huh?”

“Yes.” I’ve already briefed them on keeping this private. “He’s really made this a fantasy trip for me.”

“Sounds like it.” She looks thoughtful for a moment. “Do you have plans to see him again after you leave?”

“I hadn’t really thought about it.” My answer surprises me. I’m usually ten steps ahead when it comes to planning. “I mean, yeah…it’s not like we’re getting matching tattoos and talking about moving in together. We haven’t even discussed keeping in touch.”

As soon as I say it, my gut fills with cold, liquid lead. The thought of never seeing Ash again feels inconceivable.

“Camille?” Eve looks concerned. “You okay, sweetie?”

“You got a weird look on your face.” Sara peers at the screen. “Are you all right?”

“Of course!” Why is my heart pounding like this? Panic wells up in my chest as I picture my life without Ash in it. “I’m great.”

“You don’t look great.” Eve frowns. “No offense.”

“None taken.” She’s right, I feel flushed. Maybe I’m coming down with something.

“Oh.” Sara’s eyes go wide. “Are you maybe catching feelings?”

“No!”

Shit.

Am I?

The realization hits with the subtlety of a flaming semi-truck crashing into a nuclear plant. Is that what’s happening? Is that why the thought of leaving here makes me feel queasy and unsettled? It would also explain why I haven’t thought past the end of the pilots’ strike.

Denial is a powerful force.

Which means it’s conceivable Ihavecaught feelings for Ash. “Oh my God, you guys.”

Eve laughs and lays a flat palm in front of Sara. “Pay up, bitch.” She laughs as a grumbling Sara forks over two twenties. “Told you.”

“Wait.” I watch my friends exchange knowing looks. “You guys made a bet on whether I’d fall for Ash?”

“I mean, to be fair, I did set a precedent.” Eve folds the bills and sticks them in her bra. “I’m telling you, Crystal Bliss weaves some sort of magic spell.”

“Kinda like my snatch,” I mutter.

“What?” Sara gets distracted before I can explain. “Do you think Ashton feels the same way?”

“No! I mean…I don’t think so.” He’s so hellbent on not feeling anything that I’m sure this discussion would terrify him. “It’s just a crush. It’ll go away.”

Eve shakes her head, crossing her arms like she’s ready to lecture. “You’ve spent your last ten years in a relationship that functioned more like a business partnership. I know that’s what you wanted?—”

“What youthoughtyou wanted,” Sara interjects. “But you forgot passion. And now that you’ve found it, you can’t live without it.”

Holy shit. Is a twenty-three-year-old virgin seriously schooling me on passion?

“You’re right,” I mumble, reeling a little. “Some fucking sex therapist I am.”

“Stop that,” Eve commands. “We all have blind spots when it comes to our own issues. Even the queen of sexual healing gets a pass.”

That makes me feel just a tiny bit better, but I’m still stewing. Not on my skills as a therapist, either. “I thought passion was superfluous.” What a ridiculous thing to believe. “A distraction. A detriment to a committed adult relationship.”

Eve chuckles and leans back in her chair. “Then Ashton Holyfield fucked that thought right out of your head.”

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