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Meanwhile, my sister is trying to peek her head inside while she keeps calling my name.
When Archie is up, emerging stark naked from under the sheets, I don’t even take the time to admire his sculpted body. A clear sign of how agitated I am. I simply force the ball of clothes into his arms and push him into the bathroom, frantically whispering, “Hide in the shower. Pull the curtain.”
Then, I rush back into the main room, closing the bathroom door behind me. Hand still on the handle, I take a steadying breath and finally answer my sister.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” I hurry to the door. “Get your head out so I can remove the bolt.”
Winter obeys, and I close the door with a soft click, remove the lock, and open the door wide to let her in.
“Oh my gosh!” She barrels into the room. “Are you okay?” Winter grabs my shoulders and pats down my arms as if to check I’m whole.
“Yeah, I am.” I shrug free. “What are you doing in my room at seven in the morning? And why do you have a key?”
“You weren’t answering, so I went to the reception and pretended to be you to get a duplicate. Why weren’t you answering?”
“That’s illegal,” I say, ignoring the second question.
“Oh, please, as if you’ve never pretended to be me.”
“Not since we were teenagers,” I retort pettily. “What’s up, did something happen?”
“No, I just wanted to catch you before you disappeared off to yoga, and then… What is it again you’re doing today?”
I see my plan of spending the day with Archie exploring Napa together, having lunch in a quiet bistro, and pretending we’re a couple evaporate before my eyes once again.
Is it a wise plan? Pretending we’re together? Probably not. Do I care? Nu-uh.
And I hate that I have to lie to my sister, but I want one full day with Archie so much. Tomorrow is the day of the wedding, and there won’t be any sneaking off then. And tomorrow night will be our last together. I squash the panic rising in my chest at the mere thought.
The bottom line is, I need today. This entire week is about her. And even if we haven’t really spent a lot of time together, I deserve a day for myself.
“I told you, nothing in particular. I planned to go exploring a little.”
“Yeah, somemetime you said, right?” She’s not buying it.
I’m trying to come up with a believable answer when I spot Archie’s boxer briefs peeking out from under the bed, one second before my sister’s laser-focused gaze clocks in on them.
“Are those men’s underpants?” Winter asks.
In a desperate move, I kick them further under the bed. “No,” I say, blushing head to toe.
“You have a man stashed up in here!” My sister smiles. “That’s why you didn’t come to the door. Why are you hiding him?”
“Please, no one else is here.”
Winter’s face turns suspicious. “No, seriously, where is he hiding?” Then her gaze narrows. “Who is he?”
“Hedoesn’t exist.”
“Really?” Winter crosses the space between us. “So, you wouldn’t mind if I looked”—with a theatrical gesture, she opens the closet door—“in here!”
Hanging from the rack, only my bridesmaid dress comes into view.
“See?” I say. “No one’s here.”
Winter still looks unconvinced, but I’m beginning to hope she’ll let it go, when the clear sound of a sneeze echoes from the bathroom.
With an a-ha look, my sister marches into the en suite, and, after a few seconds’ pause, I hear the shower curtain being yanked open.
