“Um…yeah, I talked to Maisie about it just a few minutes ago, but I kind of have a headache and think I’m just going to grab something from the restaurant and brave the weather.”
He looked at her oddly. “Are you sure? I’m sure we have ibuprofen for you, and I hate to think of you running around out in the rain.”
“Seriously, Milo? We live in Seattle. It’s always raining. It never bothered me before. I’ll be fine.”
Ugh…why do I keep saying that when I’m clearly anything but fine?
“Still…I hate the thought of you being by yourself…”
“Milo, it’s okay. I’m a grown woman, and I’m used to doing a lot of things by myself. If anything, it’s been a lot being around people all day, every day.”
I am such a liar!
He was still frowning, but fortunately, he didn’t push either.
“Well, I hope you guys had a good meeting,” she said a little too brightly as she collected her things. “And I’ll see you tomorrow!”
She grabbed her satchel and Slater’s parka and was halfway out the door when Reece stopped her.
“I hope you feel better, Evie,” he said with a kind smile. And the thing is, if she hadn’t been messing around with Slater, he was the kind of guy she’d be thrilled to hang out with. But there was zero attraction right now, and she wanted to curse her rotten timing.
“Thanks, Reece. Have a good night and be careful driving.”
Walking down the hall, she knew she just needed to find a spot to lie low until she knew everyone would be up at Axel and Maisie’s suite. She made her way across the overly crowded lobby and ducked into one of the rustic alcoves that was tucked away and had a couple of cozy chairs. It was almost completely hidden from everyone.
“Perfect.”
Sitting down, she pulled out her phone and went to the resort website because she had forgotten to grab one of the daily calendars from the front desk.
“Hmm…what do we have…” She tapped the screen. “Wine tasting? Probably not the best idea. I’ll probably get drunk and run up to the suite and tell everyone what Slater and I have been doing. Pass.” She scrolled to the next option. “Origami making? Pass. Karaoke? Pass. Family giant Jenga competition? Hard pass.” This was getting her nowhere. “Family charades? No thank you. Movie night?” Pausing, she knew that one had potential. She could totally do that and no one would see her there. All she had to do was curl up and watch…
Beauty and the Beast.
“Ooh…yay!” she whispered excitedly. And it was the animated version, which was one of her all-time favorites.
The movie started at seven in the theater room, but she had a feeling it was going to get crowded fast. That meant she should probably grab a quick bite now, get it to go, and eat in the theater.
Done.
Sliding her phone back into her satchel, she took a minute to just relax.
So what if Maisie, Axel, and Lexi thought they noticed something between her and Slater? That shouldn’t be a big deal.
Only…it was.
If this were someone back in Seattle, it wouldn’t matter. But this was one of her boss’s best friends. Hell, Slater was her friend! Once people started knowing about them, it was going to mess everything up. All the things they swore were fine would get complicated. There would be no quietly going their separate ways because at some point, someone was going to ask if they were okay with the way things ended or want to know why it didn’t work out.
Talking to Slater might put her mind at ease, but whenever she got near him, she got stupid. He was a sexy distraction, and now that she didn’t have to fight the attraction, it was all she could think about whenever he got within two feet of her.
But talking to him meant they might have to stop fooling around.
And that was a depressing thought.
With a huff, she got to her feet. “Now I really am giving myself a headache.” Picking up her things, she stretched. “That is a problem for after my visit to a small provincial town.”
“Going somewhere?”
Evie let out a small scream as she turned and found herself face to face with Slater.
