Page 56 of The Vacation Mix-Up
Choosing not to apologize, even though I know I should, I shrug it off as Carlos runs through the rest of the answers. And by the time he’s finished, we only got three wrong.
“We did better than I thought,” I say, scanning the room to see if anyone else is boasting. “Stupid octopuses. Why do they need three hearts? One is sufficient.”
“Is it?” Riley murmurs, his knuckles white as he clenches his fist before relaxing.
Curious, I go to ask him what he means by that, when Carlos says, “We have come to the moment of truth. Hands up if you got fifteen correct or more.”
I spear my hand into the air, as do members of four other teams.
“Now keep them up if you got sixteen or more.”
Three hands drop, and I inch closer to the edge of my seat.
“Seventeen or more.”
Mine and one other team’s stay up.
“Eighteen?”
I reluctantly let my hand fall, but the other team member keeps hers victoriously raised. “Damn it!”
“We have our winner!” Carlos points his microphone at the other team. “Come on up and collect your one-of-a-kind trophy. Everybody else, please give them a round of applause.”
Sullenly clapping—because I’m not a bad sport—I slump in my seat.
“We’ll get ’em next time, Riles,” Riley says, his voice mildly patronizing.
“We better,” I mutter. “Because I’m not leaving this ship without a gold trophy.”
He stands and stretches, the hem of his T-shirt lifting just enough to remind me of his sexy happy trail. “What are your plans for dinner?”
“I’m not sure.” I look away and stand too. “I don’t particularly want to eat with Ben again though.”
“Why not?” he prompts, mockingly. “He’s charming once you get to know him.”
“Says you, who practically had a coronary when he walked past before.”
“I did not.”
I laugh. “Yeah, you did.”
“In all honesty, he’s not that bad. Just says stupid shit because he’s insecure.”
“Insecure?” I scoff. “Did you see him with Tittney and Spitney? There was nothing insecure about him.”
“Smoke and mirrors, Riles.”
“More like smoke and liquor.”
Chuckling, Riley drops his arms and slides his hands into his pockets. “I’m probably just going to grab a burger at The Grilland eat out on the top deck to watch the sunset. Want to join me?”
Visualizing the sun melting into the horizon, something I don’t often get to see, my body fizzles with excitement. “That actually sounds really nice.”
chapter ten
RILEY
Riles detours us into one of the atrium’s glass elevators, and even though I can see out of it, the confined space still jitters my pansy-ass knees.
