Page 61 of Renegade Roomie

Lorlelei laughs. “So what are you waiting for? I say go for it!”

“I would, except…” I trail off. “Now I’m getting all these feelings for him. I don’t want to set myself up for rejection. I signed up to pose as his fake girlfriend,” I remind her, “not audition for the part of a real one.”

“Okay, but when you signed up, you weren’t looking for romance with him either, right?” she reasons.

“Absolutely not.” I wince, remembering what an arrogant asshole Dash seemed to be.

“So, if you changed your mind, how do you know Dash hasn’t, too?” Lorelei points out. “Maybe he’s in his room right now, having this exact same conversation with one of his buddies.”

I laugh. “Somehow, I don’t think so.”

I wander out onto my balcony and admire the last of this stunning view. “The thing is, it’s not just that this was a whole ruse,” I confide, “Dash has… a history of wild flings. You’re the one who saw the gossip pages,” I add, “the man isn’t capable of a real relationship.”

“And that’s what you’d want with him?”

I feel that twist of emotion inside me. “I’m scared that’s what I will want, if I get in any deeper. I mean, I’m pretty much melting for the guy, and it’s only been a weekend!”

“You don’t want to get hurt.”

“No. And I really don’t want him to be the one who does it,” I sigh. “Maybe if I keep things light, and just have fun, then we’ll be able to stay friends.”

There’s a knock in the room. “Callie, you in there?” Dash’s voice comes.

“Gotta go,” I tell Lorelei quickly. “Talk later.”

“If I haven’t throttled Brando by then!”

I hang up. “Come in,” I call, stepping back into the room as he enters. I’m wondering if it’s going to be awkward, or if things will be weird after last night—

Dash walks straight over to me, takes my face in his hands, and kisses me.

“Good morning,” he says with a lazy smile, when we finally come up for air.

It is now.

“Hi,” I say, breathless. “And also how do you look so perky? You were dead to the world a half-hour ago!”

“Claude’s hangover cure, it’s magic.” Dash grins.

“Zelda said the same thing. I’m definitely going to need one of those before we catch our flight.” I step out of his arms, trying to gauge his mood. Was that a ‘last hurrah before reality’ kind of kiss?

Or a ‘let’s go steady?’ make-out?

“What time’s our flight?” I ask, going back to packing.

“About that…” Dash sits on the edge of the bed, watching me. “What would you say to road-tripping back? I’ve always wanted to take a mini-tour of the motels of the eastern seaboard,” he adds with a playful grin.

“Phineas Henry Dashford the Fourth, slumming his way through Motel Sixes? This I’ve got to see,” I laugh.

“So you’re in?” he asks, and for a moment, I think I see hope in his eyes. “It’ll take a couple of extra days. You know, if we want to see the sights.”

“Sure,” I agree. I manage to sound casual, but inside I’m thrilled about extending our time together. “I can get Frederik to cover my shifts at the store. Lord knows, I’ve earned it, all the times I took his shifts while he was off auditioning for So You Think You Can Juggle.”

“That’s a real show?”

“Maybe.” I grin. “You’ll have to see if it’s showing on the motel TV.”

* * *

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