My body goes hot at the suggestion. “Yeah, separately of course.”
She snorts. “Sorry, I think my brain is a little foggy. But yeah, of course, separately.”
The driver’s eye catches mine in the review mirror. “You know, because we’re such good friends.”
He raises an eyebrow but returns his eyes to the road, and I hear Eloise snort in her spot beside me. “Yeah, that’s true, too.”
I feel like I need to melt into the seat of the car. There’s soft music playing in the background that is lulling us into a sense of security before we’re deposited outside of the hotel. “I’ll check us in,” I say to her. She nods, blearily blinking. “I didn’t think that you’d be so sleepy with the time change? You should be wide awake; it’s only like 9 back home.”
She shudders. “I don’t like waking up halfway through my sleep,” she says through a yawn, which makes me yawn in turn. “Once I’m sleeping, I like to sleep through the night.” She grabs our bags. I follow her in, blinking at the harsh light in the lobby andsmiling at the receptionist.
“Hey, the room should be under Matthews and Harper,” I say, handing over my phone with the texted confirmation code that Fallon sent us. The woman, pretty and tall, nods. I try not to let my eyes look at the way her hips fill the pants she’s wearing.
It’s not the same as Eloise.
When I look up, I realize she’s staring at me expectantly. “Sorry, could you repeat that?”
“I just need your card for a hold. It’ll reverse at the end of your stay.”
“Yeah, of course. Here,” I scramble for it, handing it over and listening to Eloise sigh heavily. She starts leaning on the counter, crowding us, and I try to ignore the way she smells.
Her standard perfume gives off the freshness of cedar notes that makes my stomach twist.
“Here are your keys,” the receptionist says, “You’re in room 1209. That’s the twelfth floor. The elevator’s just to the side. We’ve got a breakfast buffet from 6 to 9 that’s included with your room.”
I give her a smile, but it feels fake.
Itisfake.
I think I’m starting to catch Eloise’s fatigue.
“Thanks,” Eloise says, grabbing the keys. “Have a good night.”
The receptionist waves, and I swear she’s giving me a dirty look, but I don’t know what for.
The click from the door is the sound of sweet relief as Eloise pulls back. Swinging the heavy door open, we shove our bags in. I run into Eloise’s back, but she doesn’t snap at me in return.
She grunts instead, and I nudge her. “Come on, El, let me in. I want to get ready for—” My brain goes blank.
It’s a singular bed.
Oh.
“Oh,” she echoes my thoughts.
“I... well,” I say, stumbling through my words. “I’ll go back down and–”
“We can call from here,” she grumbles, although she looks wide awake right now. “I know you’re not comfortable–”
I shake my head. “No, I am.”
She releases a snort that seems derisive, and I hold back whatever retort I wanted to spit her way. It’s late, and if I say something nasty, it’ll spill over into tomorrow, and that would be tough for everyone involved. “Let me call.”
“Fine, but I’m going to get changed as you do,” she says.
“Fine.”
I watch her roughly place her suitcase on the spare office chair and unzip it. There are flashes of bright colours and lace, and I look away quickly, my cheeks heating up. Picking up the phone, I dial and wait for the receptionist to pick up.
