“What do you mean?” said Erin.
“He means they came back,” said Raya.
Phoenix raised his eyebrows in an insinuating manner.
“Who came back?” Erin asked. His meaning cut through the alcohol-induced fog in her brain all in one flash. “Oh, my God! Mark and Genevieve are here?” She looked all around.
“Calm down,” said Raya. “Don’t make yourself conspicuous.”
“But what if they think I followed them here?”
“You kind of did,” said Phoenix.
“Oh, my God,” repeated Erin. She dropped her head into her hands. “We have to go.”
“No way,” said Raya. “Now we can see for ourselves what they’re up to. Aren’t you curious?”
The situation was spiraling rapidly out of control. “Yes, but not enough to humiliate myself by following my ex-husband and ex-best friend around a hotel.”
“Come on. Live a little,” said Raya. She stood up, then bent over and tugged Erin’s hat lower. “See, they’ll never recognize you.”
Erin crossed her arms over her chest. “Yes, they will.”
“Just stay behind us,” said Raya.
“Us?” said Phoenix.
“Yes, us, you idiot demon—unless you’d rather head back and work on the lawn?”
“When you put it like that, Your Majesty, how can I resist?” Phoenix bowed mockingly.
“This is a bad idea,” said Erin.
“Of course it is,” said Phoenix. “But we are all in thrall to Her Royal Witchiness.”
“Shut up, Phoenix,” said Raya.
“Oh, she used my name! Will wonders never cease!” said Phoenix.
Erin dragged her legs off the lounge chair and slowly stood, her head spinning from the drink. “Fine.”
Raya and Phoenix walked side by side, with Erin trailing just behind. They exited the pool area and followed the meandering garden paths back to the lobby, where Erin hung back behind a sculpted stone column while Raya and Phoenix scanned the lobby crowd.
“There they are,” said Raya.
Genevieve leaned on Mark, her arm entwined through his as they walked through the lobby. They did not stop to admire the decorations but cut straight through to a smaller arcade on the far side of the lobby.
Raya and Phoenix took off in their wake, maintaining a careful distance from Mark and Genevieve.
Erin tugged at her hat repeatedly, trying to pull it even lower as she trailed Raya and Phoenix.
When Mark and Genevieve paused to admire an especially elaborate flower arrangement, Raya, Phoenix, and Erin quickly pivoted to study the glass storefront display of one of the hotel’s gift shops.
When the couple moved on, the trio continued following them.
“The crowd is thinning out,” Erin whispered. “We’ll be too obvious.”
Raya turned her head and whispered back, “There aren’t too many places they can go from here. We’ll turn back in a minute if we don’t see anything.”
