I pause in front of the mirror to check my hair one last time before stepping out into the hallway. I managed to get cleaned up and dressed with three minutes to spare to make it to the party bus but I’m sure my mother will still consider me late but I’m still buzzing enough from this morning to care about that.

The door barely closes behind me before I nearly get run over by a housekeeping cart.

“Whoa!” the girl jumps back, catching it at the last moment. “I’m so sorry. I totally didn’t see you!”

I look up and smile, recognizing Carly from the night before. “Oh, hey!” I say with a wave. “It’s all right. I’m okay.”

She exhales hard at my face. “Good. It’s just you. Not that it wouldn’t hurt you or anything but if I smack another old lady with one of these carts by accident, Faye’s gonna have my ass.”

I laugh. “Don’t worry about it. I’m a tough broad.”

“Yeah, you are.” She pauses and rests her elbows along the handle. “Last night was fun. It was nice having an extra lady at the table for once.”

“It was awesome. Thanks for having me.”

“I’d ask you come back next week, but...” She shrugs.

“Yeah, my family is just here through the weekend, unfortunately. I would otherwise, though. I had a blast.”

“Well, I just mean... you know...” Her head tilts. “You were Hayden’s date.”

I pause. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t mean anything negative by it! Don’t get me wrong,” she says. “You’re awesome. Hayden’s awesome. He’s just a… one night only kind of guy. Usually.”

“Oh, so you two have…?”

She snorts. “God, no! He wishes. No, I just hear things from other ladies on staff. Guy basically uses the room chart like a bingo card.”

“I see…”

“So, if you guys do end up hanging out again, you can consider yourself a pretty lucky lady. Or unlucky, depending on your perspective, of course.”

I nod slowly. “Right.”

Carly lets out a deep breath and gives her cart a little push. “Anyway, I’ve got rooms to clean. See you later, Penelope!” She looks me up and down. “Cute dress. I like it!”

I step back and glance down at my blue sundress. “Thanks. Bye, Carly.”

Make that two minutes to spare to make it to the party bus.

Unfortunately, now I’ll have to get there without as much of my morning buzz.

A one night only kind of guy?

Does that mean last night was all we’d have?

If so, then why did he agree to get together later?

Or is he just hanging around to get sex and then bounce over to the next room to mark off on his bingo card?

No, Penelope. This is Hayden you’re thinking about here. Sweet, lovable, fake boyfriend Hayden.

Actually, that doesn’t make me feel any better.

That would mean he’s faking and none of this is even real, just like two of you agreed upon in the first place.

I jolt out of my trance. Shit.

Make that one minute.

I rush to the elevator and slap the call button. Thankfully, the doors open automatically and I begin the slow trek down to the lobby.

“Well, it’s about time.”

I hear my mother before I even step up onto the rented bus. She sits in the front row next to my father with her sunglasses balanced on the tip of her nose.

“Sorry,” I say as I pass the driver. “I got mowed down by a runaway housekeeping cart.”

She pushes her glasses up her nose and gestures to the seat across from them. “Well, sit down. We’re all very hungry.”

I look forward at the thirty heads scattered around the bus and what was left of my morning buzz practically fades to nothing when I see the only empty seat she’s pointing at.

Right next to Dylan McCoy.

Lord, kill me now.

He smiles wide and taps the seat with his palm.

Or, you know, just kill him instead.

I step forward and slowly lower myself into the seat. Maybe I won’t have to talk. Maybe he’ll just sit quietly until we make it to the breakfast diner and then I can bolt away to sit by Trudy and the girls instead.

“Couldn’t find you last night.”

Dammit.

I glance at Dylan out of the corner of my eye. “No?”

“I was hoping we could talk,” he says.

“We talked at dinner,” I point out.

His smiles, his chin flat and uninteresting. “I meant something more private. Just the two of us.”

I stare daggers at the driver. What the hell is he waiting on? Let’s go.

“Sorry,” I say. “I met up with some friends.”

“Well, how about tonight?” he asks. “We could meet at the hotel bar. Have a drink. Catch up.”

“I have plans tonight, actually,” I say, embracing what’s really true. “I’m hanging out with Maggie and Trudy.”

“How about after?”

I exhale slowly. “Dylan…”

“It’s him, isn’t it?”

“You mean my boyfriend?”

His jaw flexes. “He’s not your boyfriend,” he spits, his voice so low even I can barely hear him. “Any moron can see that. You’re not fooling anybody, Pen. Especially not me.”

The bus revs with life as the driver finally decides to do his damn job.

I grit my teeth, tasting the words on the tip of my tongue.

Piss off, Dylan.

It’s never going to happen.

Get out of my life.

Dylan’s face softens. “Christ, I’m sorry, Pen,” he whispers. “I just… I really think we’d have fun together. If you’d just give me another chance. Just one drink. As friends. Tonight.”

I turn my head toward my mother across the bus. She smiles the moment we make eye contact and gives me a gentle push with her gaze.

One of these days, I tell myself.

But I can already tell that day is not today.

If I don’t agree to this, he’ll just keep bothering me. He might even tell my parents about his obvious suspicions about Hayden and then this weekend will get even more awkward than this ambush.

“Yeah, sure, Dylan,” I say in his direction. “One drink. As friends.”

He throws up a fucking scout’s honor and smiles. “As friends,” he says with a nod. “As you wish.”

I swallow my groan.