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“We’re here!” I point ahead. “Are you ready to soar, Linc?”
“Of course. First, there’s something?—”
“Hey, hold that thought. I have to get started on a safety briefing.”
Lincoln blew out a breath. The slightest tinge of color highlighted his cheekbones. “Right. Go ahead and do your thing. We’ll talk later.”
Swallowing hard, I scurried to the platform to mount the first few steps so everyone had a view of me. “Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you’re ready for our ziplining adventure.”
A chorus of “yeah” and whistles filled the air.
“Before we get started, I’m going to go through the safety protocols…” I glanced at Lincoln once more. He gave me a thumbs-up. I felt so stupid ducking and dodging to avoid a conversation… as if I wasn’t a mature adult.
As I led the group up the spiral staircase to the launch platform, I couldn’t help thinking about Jamie. He was absent, and I wondered if it was because he didn’t do heights or because he was avoiding me. If he was… I wasn’t even sure how I felt about it. Perhaps it was for the best.
“Vera, let’s go out tonight,” I announced as I waltzed into her room.
She lowered the magazine that she’d been engrossed in to raise her eyebrows at me. “To…?”
“I don’t know… a club…” Anywhere but here.
Her gaze narrowed on me. “What about Kaia? If we hit the club tonight, she can’t tag along. She’ll feel left out.”
“She went home this evening.”
“Huh.” Vera swung her feet off the bed. “That’s new.”
“She took Jamie’s advice. I think she’s trying with her dad again.”
“That’s great. So…” Vera studied me with curiosity. “Are we going out with the gang?”
By the gang, she meant Lincoln’s group of friends. “No, just us girls.”
“Hmmm.” After a moment’s consideration, she shrugged. “Okay, let’s do it. We haven’t left this place in a while.”
Relief flooded me. Now, I had a valid reason to dodge Lincoln. He’d hinted at us having dinner tonight but he didn’t get to deliver an official invitation on account of me giving him the slip all day. I was sure that he’d call to invite me to dinner and when he did, I could tell him I was hanging out with Vera tonight.
“Awesome. I’m going to find something to wear. We’ll leave in an hour.”
As I walked out of her room, she called, “If I see you in yoga pants and a T-shirt, I’ll lose my shit. Wear something slutty!”
I rolled my eyes but chuckled. “Something slutty,” I muttered. I didn’t think I owned anything in that category but I’d try my best.
A little over an hour later, I was dressed… in something semi-slutty. The slinky pink dress clung to my body like a second skin but the neckline covered my chest entirely. The back, however… I spun around to check it out in the mirror. There was no back so I had to go without a bra and the tiniest pair of panties that I owned. While the dress wasn’t too short, the daring slits at the sides revealed a great portion of thighs with each step. I decided that the dress was slutty enough to please Vera.
As I grabbed my purse and threw a few essentials into it, I realized that I’d left my phone in Vera’s room. I recalled putting it on her dresser when I went to demand that we go out for the night.
Locking up, I scurried out of my apartment and headed to Vera’s. “All I have to do is avoid being alone with Lincoln for a few more days,” I muttered to myself. And I definitely had to avoid Jamie too. Once they both disappeared from my life, things would go back to normal.
Vera stepped out before I reached her door. After an assessment, she gasped. “You look hot. Where have you been hiding that dress?”
I snorted. “In the darkest recesses of my closet. I didn’t think it would ever see the light of day.”
“That’s because you spend every waking moment doing crazy outdoor stuff that doesn't require sexy dresses.”
She handed me my phone and I gave her a pout as I grabbed it. She sounded like Mom. I refused to apologize for not being a girly girl as Mom would say. When I aimed for the back exit of the employee quarters, Vera pointed in the opposite direction.
“We’re going to the hotel lobby,” she announced.
