Page 1 of One Room Vacancy
PROLOGUE
SAGE
First and foremost, I’d like to reinforce that I am not bitching that I’m single. I’m elated that I’m not in a relationship roughly ninety-five percent of the time, and today is no different. Except for when Liam left right after Hannah, Gen left with Jackson, Gabe left with Kara, Wes left with Savannah, and I left for the hotel with my rosebud in the front pocket of my duffel bag. I’ll admit…I was feeling a little jaded.
For a hotel this nice, you’d think they would have taken the time to scrape the old popcorn texture off the ceiling. But as I notice I’ve been lying here, staring up at the oddly unsettling texture for over half an hour, I realize just how pathetic I’m being.
I’m single by choice, damn it. I enjoy answering to no one but myself. That, and no guy has ever really held my attention for more than a night or two. Well, one, but that’s beside the point.
When everyone paired off to leave for the hotel where Jackson and Gen’s wedding would be held tomorrow, I knew a night full of jack shit was in store for me. Apparently, once paired up, you become a stick in the mud who can’t be bothered to take a detour to the hotel bar for a couple of hours before going to bed at the nice geriatric time of 10:30 PM.
When did my friends become so boring?
My phone dings on the bedside table, a welcome reprieve from my methodical counting of the plastered bumps taunting me from above. I lay my head back against the pillow as I open my text messages.
Gabe
still wanna grab that drink?
Gabe and I don’t hang out alone often. Actually, I’m pretty sure the last time we were alone together was the last time he and Kara broke up. Well, maybe notlast—two times ago, maybe?
It’s never been a secret that I’m attracted to him, but I’m no homewrecker. Then again, it’s hard to wreck a home that’s been stripped down to studs from years of fighting and breaking up every other week.
It doesn’t matter, though. Shitty human or not, Kara is Gabe’s girlfriend. An on-and-off girlfriend he’s horrible with and no one supports, but a girlfriend nonetheless.
Sage
you and kara?
nah, just me.
That’s…ominous.
she get tired of walking on stilts to reach your shoulders?
something like that.
Gnawing at my inner cheek, I find myself questioning if going down to the hotel bar is a horrible idea. I’m sure theybroke up again. If he needed comfort, he’d text Liam. But I suppose there are a multitude of ways someone may seek comfort; I’m just not sure, with his and Kara’s track record of getting back together, if entertaining that idea is wise…for either of us.
did she leave?
yeah, i’m almost to the hotel, i dropped her at home before leaving the city.
??
I don’t miss the way he ignores my questioning. He seldom wants to talk about what drives them to break up. Liam has shared bits and pieces about their relationship over the years, and none of it has been good. How can Gabe stay with someone his best friend hates so passionately—foryears?
so, drinks?
This could quite possibly be the worst idea I’ve ever had, and I very well might hate myself tomorrow, but at this moment, I can’t will myself to care.
yeah, drinks.
I shoot up from where I was lying and glance around the room, debating whether to change out of the dress I wore to the rehearsal dinner. Leggings sound like the obvious move, but let’s be real—I look hot. Booty call or not, it feels criminal to waste this dress after only a few hours of glory.
I step in front of the mirror and catch the way the deep orange satin glows against my medium brown skin.Damn. I groan, half in appreciation, half in resignation, and make myway to the dresser. I grab a hairpin from my makeup bag and attempt to rescue what’s left of the updo I so painstakingly perfected earlier. Lying down definitely didn’t help.
Maybe it’s time for a hair change again. The caramel highlights are cute, but I’ve never kept one color this long since I started dyeing it at eighteen. Maybe I’ll go back to dark brown. Or—screw it—maybe it’s finally time for purple.
