This. Now this was the life.

I sighed, happily sprawled across one of the dozens of poolside loungers, sun basking on my face. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt this relaxed. I wanted to stretch and mewl like a happy kitten. I settled for a slight hum as the sun's rays warmed my exposed body.

I didn't know when the last time I'd been so scantily clad in public and not performing was. Each puff of air on my midriff made me feel like I was two seconds away from my stage manager coming out to yell at me and tell me to get in line, but the yelling never came. Of course it didn't. I was far away from Vegas, far away from everything I'd ever known. For once, I was the tourist. For once, I was the one who everyone else had to please.

I'd come straight down to the pool after checking out my room. Our room, I supposed. I noted the lack of a second bed with a hint of displeasure, realizing I should have specified sleeping arrangements when I was making my demands. I'd been so giddy at the prospect of getting a free vacation that I hadn't considered how that would work on the ground, and now I was just going to have to deal with it. It was a king bed, so it shouldn't be a problem. Except it was a problem, because a teensy part of my heart skipped every time I thought about how later tonight Chad and I would be getting into the same bed together.

I consciously removed myself from thoughts of the bed and turned them back to thoughts of this sunbed. My interest in Chad had blossomed into a schoolgirl crush, and I felt just as silly as a schoolgirl for having it. Every breath of sea-soaked air was a reminder that this business arrangement had nothing to do with romance. It was about a free vacation and a bit of acting, that was all.

My phone dinged and my hand darted for it instinctively. I was a little disappointed to see it wasn't Chad who had texted me. Kimberley was anxiously awaiting news of my trip, and though I didn't have much to tell her yet, I needed to hear her voice. I called her without even replying to her text.

"Tell me everything!" she answered. "What's the hotel like? Are there any cute guys? Besides the one you're dating, of course..."

I laughed. She was nearly as excited about this whole thing as I was. As it turned out, I was just better at covering it up.

"The hotel is incredible," I replied, pulling the lounger up into a reclined position. I let my head loll to the side and stared down at the sandy path that wound down to the beach. It was lined with Birds-of-Paradise orchids, and I decided that would be the next place I explored.

"I'm sunning myself beside the pool right now like a happy lizard. The only thing missing is my best friend by my side."

She laughed. "I don't know, Brin. If I got the choice between going on vacation with you and going with a sexy Internet celebrity, I'm not sure we'd be sharing the sights right now."

"Rude. You would totally take me. What does he have that I don't?"

"Money, fame, money, gaggles of adoring fans... Oh, and did I mention money?"

"I'll admit he does have me beat there." I brought my head back up to center and watched a group of kids splashing each other in the shallows. "This place must've cost a fortune. How he can just casually toss cash at another person to come with him on a whim is insane."

Kim hummed in agreement. "Ain't that right. I did a little Internet sleuthing on your adventurous amore and his estimated earnings place his fortune in the millions. Has he told you how much he makes exactly?"

"Not something we've discussed," I replied.

"Ask him. I'm curious."

I let out a bark of laughter. "As if! He already thinks I'm some poor charity case based on my complete inability to play it cool about how nice everything is. The last thing I need is for him to think I'm out to get his fortune."

"Boo. In any case, he's rolling in it. If he's going to age as well as Richard Branson, I suggest getting that locked in now."

"Now you're just being ridiculous. I'm not even his real girlfriend."

"Yet," she joked. I could practically hear her wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. "What could be more romantic than three weeks in Hawaii together? Is it too soon for me to start working on my maid of honor speech?"

This time my laugh was more of a cackle, attracting the attention of the kids in the pool. I slapped a hand over my mouth and stifled my outburst into a giggle.

"You're killing me, Kim. There is nothing, and will never be, anything between Chad and me. We're parting ways after this and that's that. It would never work between us anyway."

"Whatever you say, hon. I'll make sure to include that in the speech."

"You're incorrigible."

"I've been told it's my best feature."

"Whoever told you that has obviously never seen your ass."

Kimberley laughed, and I was smiling so hard that my cheeks started to hurt.

"I miss you already, babe. I'm glad you're having a fabulous time though."

"I am having a fabulous time, aren't I?" I sighed and closed my eyes, letting the sun sink into my pores. "It's too bad I can't just marry Chad and live like this for the rest of my life. It beats coming back to stinky Vegas any day."

"I wouldn't say that just yet," she replied. "You haven't seen what adventures he's taking you on. Any word on what to expect?"

I groaned. "Not a peep. He's very tight-lipped about the whole thing."

"Hold on. Let me practice something." Kim cleared her throat and continued in a high, strained voice. "I don't know, officer. The last time I heard from her she said she was about to go deep sea diving with sharks during a tornado off the coast of Waikiki. I really don't know what could have happened to her."

I laughed so hard that tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I didn't care if anyone was staring. God, I loved this woman.

"Oh, stop it," I chastised. "It's not going to be anything like that, and I have full veto rights."

"Just don't fall down a ravine because you're staring at Chad's ass and not where you're walking."

"You're almost having as much fun as me and you're not even on vacation."

"I'm not having fun at all. My life is an empty husk when you're not here."

"I'll be home before you know it, Meryl Streep," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'll try to update you as much as possible, though I imagine I won't get service at most of the places we go out to on the day trips. I'll be safe though, I promise."

"Yes, be safe," she said. "Remember, one night of passion could lead to a life sentence."

"Oh my god! You cow. I'm hanging up now."

My face reddened at the thought of Chad and I getting into bed together. Why did Kim have to push her agenda so hard? It was bad enough that he was smokin' without my best friend constantly eliciting a mental image of us in bed together.

"Moo. Love you!'

"Love you too!"

I hung up the phone and set it beside me, chuckling. Kim had been my rock since the first day I met her. That was my first day in Vegas too, and my first night living out on my own. I experienced a lot of firsts at eighteen, but I had a feeling I was going to experience even more firsts during this brief three weeks with Chad.

I spent another hour or so by the pool, periodically wading into the cool water to cool myself off. I kept half expecting—and half hoping—that Chad would meander down here and we'd bump into each other, but there was no trace of him or either of his crew. I didn't know if they were still in their meeting or what, but before long I was starting to feel the sun a bit too much and decided to head indoors for a little lie down.

The closer I got to the room, the more my heart pounded in anticipation of what I might find on the other side of the door. Would Chad be in there? I hadn't seen him anywhere else, so it wasn't too outrageous a guess that he might be relaxing in the room. After all, these kinds of resorts were probably quite pedestrian to him now. He'd been living this life for years. Maybe he'd be lounging on the couch, reading a book or a watching something on TV. Maybe I could sneak in beside him and we could just hang out for a bit without any pressure, without any expectations. It sounded like heaven.

The slapping of my flip-flops echoed down the marbled hallway. Everywhere in this place seemed to have an echo. I liked it. It made me feel like I was in some fancy palace in a fairytale land, alone with only the servants and the prince. This fantasy was ruined by the fact that in no way would I ever be considered a princess but hell, fantasies were called fantasies for a reason.

I flashed my keycard over the lock and waited for the green light, then turned the handle and strolled into the room casually, like I wasn't even expecting anyone else to be in there when I entered.

Which turned out to be the case.

I checked the sitting room, bedroom, and even the bathroom, but there was no sign of Chad. His stuff was still untouched by his side of the bed. He probably hadn't been up to the room at all yet, and I felt silly for entertaining such girlish notions. He was here to work, so obviously he was elsewhere working. Or hanging out with his friends. There was no reason for him to stick around in the room. It wasn't like he wanted to spend time with me or anything. And I definitely shouldn't have been wanting to spend time with him.

I started undressing, already dreaming a dream of a warm shower and a cozy bathrobe, when I noticed my pants on the floor. There was a note lying on top of them, scrawled on the hotel's stationary. I picked it up and read.

Dinner tonight? Meet me at the hotel restaurant at 7. No pants allowed.

I gasped at his cheek, but my stomach warmed all the same. I tossed the note into the trash and strolled off for the shower, whistling a jaunty tune.