Chapter 14: Laney
Well, there are a lot of people making out down here in the sauna…but as far as I can tell, none of them are Jason Hayward. I sigh and head back into the hotel halls. I’ve spent all day hopping back and forth across the entire building looking for any sign of celebrity misbehavior, and I haven’t been able to find a thing. Maybe this place isn’t as much of a gossip blog’s dream as I thought it was……or maybe, the hotel makes absolutely sure that the VIPs can get down and dirty in private, even away from the other guests.
Whatever it is, I should probably stop moving around and do something normal before anyone starts to get suspicious. I’ve already run into Kayla a few times today, and she looks more and more confused every time we talk. Come to think of it, it’s been a couple hours since I last saw her, so I should probably-
Nope. Too late. She’s already here.
“Oh! There you are! I brought you some more towels for the sauna!”
“Thanks, Kayla!” I flash a nervous smile. “But…uh……I think I’m actually going to head back to my room instead. The sauna wasn’t doing it for me.”
I turn and look for the nearest elevator, hoping that Kayla doesn’t follow me, but of course she does. “Was there something wrong with the sauna?”
Well, it’s full of humping honeymooners, but I feel like that’s kind of the point. “No, the sauna’s perfect! I just wasn’t in the mood for it, so I think I’m just going to head back up to my room.”
“Sounds good! Remember to save some energy for the cruise tonight!”
I stop in my tracks, and Kayla stops with me.
“Right. The cruise. That’s tonight?”
Kayla nods. “Sorry about the short notice, but I figured you two wouldn’t mind. By the way, do you guys want chicken or fish for dinner?”
Well, I want to not be stuck on a boat with Travis after what happened last night…but I’m not sure that’s an option. Not after I’ve been alone all day. Kayla might think we’re fighting, or even worse, she might think that we’re not what we claim to be. “Uh…fish.”
“Good choice,” Kayla whispers conspiratorially, “I already booked your room, and I think you two are going to love it.”
“Alright! We’ll tell you all about it when we get back.”
Kayla laughs. “Oh, you won’t have to. I’m a waitress on the ship when I’m not helping guests. How do you think I got you tickets?”
Great. Perfect. So now we’re going to have to act like Mr. and Mrs. Cutecouple all night. Maybe I can fake an allergic reaction right before we have to leave and tell Kayla I’m barfing too much to make the cruise…
“Ok…well…hopefully we’ll see you tonight!”
I turn to leave, but Kayla grabs my shoulder before I get too far away and leans in close. “By the way, just so you know…I heard a rumor that Jason Hayward is going to be on the cruise tonight.”
My eyes widen with shock as I look at Kayla. “The Jason Hayward?”
Kayla shrugs. “That’s what I heard. Too bad you’re taken, right?”
Kayla and I laugh for totally different reasons, and as soon as she walks away, I hurry down the hall towards the elevator. Forget barfing. I need to get on that ship.
***
At this point, I’m basically expecting Travis to be naked as soon as I walk into the suite, so I’m actually relieved that he’s just shirtless and doing push-ups in the middle of the floor.
But I guess it says a lot about the past two days that the sight of him half-naked and dripping sweat is actually a relief. Unfortunately, he does not look like a guy that’s planning on being on a cruise ship in a couple of hours…and that needs to change. Fast.
I plop down on the couch and noodle around on my phone for a couple of minutes while he finishes up, trying not to sneak peeks at the way the tattoos on his back twist and bulge with every push-up he does. Luckily, he seems like he’s at the end of a long workout, and it isn’t too long before he hits the floor and flips over, pecs heaving up and down with his breath.
He looks at me and grins. “Have fun in the sauna?”
I roll my eyes. “Way too many people making out. I looked super out of place.”
“Well…we could fix that.”
Normally, this is where I’d call Travis a pervert and throw a shirt at him…but I should probably stay on his good side if I want to get his oversexed butt on that ship with me.
“Well, I would, but then we wouldn’t be ready for the cruise tonight.”
Travis looks surprised. “Wait, the cruise?”
“Yeah, remember how Kayla gave us those tickets yesterday?”
“Right, but you actually want to go?”
I put on my best innocent, nothing-to-hide face. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
Travis narrows his eyes at me. “Something weird’s going on here. You want to go on a romantic, overnight cruise…with me.”
I shrug. “Free food. Free drinks. A cool view. It sounds like fun.”
“Jason’s going to be there, isn’t he?”
Crap. Now he’s going to figure out that he’ll be doing me a favor by coming with me. “Uh…well, I don’t know that for a fact…”
Travis smirks. “Alright, we can go on the cruise. But I get to pick out your dress. We’re going to have to look like a real couple, or someone’s going to figure out what’s up.”
I bite my lip as I try and remember which dresses I packed. I’m pretty sure I just kind of threw everything in there…but hey, it’s not like I’m really in much of a position to negotiate.
“Fine. But please tell me you packed a suit.”
Travis laughs. “Oh, I did. Trust me, we’re going to be the hottest couple on that whole fucking boat.”
I don’t know if I like the sound of that.
***
I glare at my reflection, thoughts of revenge on Travis running through my head. Naturally, he went through my whole suitcase dress by dress until he found the most revealing possible thing he could stuff me in: a dark blue dress that shows off way, way more cleavage than I remember. I look like I’m trying to find a husband, not trying to ditch one.
When I walk out of the bathroom, Travis openly stares at my cleavage and smirks. I look down at my chest, and then back at Travis. “Happy?”
Travis’ eyes blaze blue. “Over-fucking-joyed.”
I shrug. “I don’t know why you’re torturing yourself by making me show off something you’re never going to get.”
“Never say never, sis.”
I shake my head. “There’s no way anyone’s going to buy us as a real couple.”
“Sure there is. All we have to do is relax, have fun, and not fucking fight. We do that, we’ll be fine, you’ll get your story, and you might even enjoy yourself.”
Travis grabs his suitcase and heads into the bathroom. A few seconds later, after I hear the shower turn on, I start thinking about what I’m going to say when I see Jason.
Should I tell him I’m his biggest fan? Probably not, he’s here to get away from fangirls. Should I act like I know he’s famous but not what he’s famous for? That doesn’t sound like a great idea either.
Maybe Travis is right. Maybe all I need to do is relax, have fun, and not fight with him. I look around the room and take a deep breath, reminding myself that I’m in a luxury suite specifically designed to be fun and relaxing. Then, before I know it, I’ve poured myself a glass of wine and I’m sitting on the couch, waiting for Travis to get out of the shower so we can get on that ship.
But I’m definitely not prepared for the sight of Travis walking out of the bathroom in a ridiculously nice-looking suit. Holy crap, he cleans up well. I was expecting him to look like his usual foul-mouthed, immature self stuffed into a tacky suit, but no, his hair is actually combed, his stubble is gone, revealing a smooth, powerful jawline where it used to be, and his suit fits him perfectly, hugging his body in all the right places…
Who’s this guy, and what has he done with my stepbrother?
Travis offers me his arm. “Ready to go, honeybuns?”
I down the rest of my wine and take it. “You know it, loverboy.”
You know what? I think I’m starting to have fun with this.
Hopefully, I don’t have too much.