"Tara, you were about to go back with him," Keesha says, concern creeping into her voice. "And you barely know him!"
"Yes." The admission makes me feel reckless and alive. "But I didn't."
"Good thing we found you," Zaza mutters, though she sounds almost disappointed. "Come on, let's get you home before you turn into a pumpkin."
As my friends help me to my feet, I steal one last look at the luxury surrounding us. The marble, the gold, the plush carpet that made me feel like royalty for twenty magical minutes.
Tomorrow I'll go back to being a student who collects dirty glasses as a part-time job. But tonight - tonight I was Cinderella, and Prince Charming kissed me like I was worth everything.
Maybe the tea reader knew something after all.
CHAPTER 5
CAMERON
TWO WEEKS LATER
I wake up to Edison's wet tongue dragging across my face like sandpaper. My head pounds like a bass drum at sound check.
The morning light streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows feels like silver daggers.
"Jesus, Eddie."
I push my black Lab away, but he whines and paws at my chest urgently. His tail isn't wagging. This isn't playful morning energy. This is desperation.
It takes a minute, then last night's club comes flooding back to me. The afterparty. Too many whiskeys. The endless parade of faces wanting selfies.
I need water. Coffee. And from the way Edison's yipping at me, he needs to be taken out for a potty break. Badly.
"Okay, Ed, I'll call the hotel reception desk and have Max take you out.”
As soon as Edison hears the name "Max," he yelps a sharp reprimand. Which means my dog doesn't want a replacement walker. Even though Max is the one with the bribery biscuits.
I rub my temples. “No, buddy. Not this morning.”
A groan escapes my lips as my head continues its pounding beat. I reach for the bottle of water the housekeeping staff always leaves on my bedside table.
My phone beeps so loudly it nearly vibrates off the nightstand. I grab it, struggling to focus on the caller ID. Radha Kumar. My attorney.
"What's this? Why are you calling so early?" I say without preamble.
"Cameron, I'm downstairs in your lobby. We need to talk.”
I squint at my watch through the pounding in my skull. It's 11 a.m. on a Sunday. Very early by rockstar standards. "Can we meet later today?" But even as I speak the words, I'm curious why she's asking to meet me instead of scheduling an appointment as she usually does.
"It's important, Cameron. I really need to talk to you. Now.”
Edison barks sharply, his bladder apparently reaching critical mass. "Okay, buddy." I gesture for him to be quiet. Ridiculous. As if a dog understands gestures. But he gets it somehow.
"All right," I tell Radha. "I'll have reception send you up.”
"Okay.”
Once I finish the call, I breathe deeply and dial the reception desk to send Max up for Edison's walk and to escort Radha to my penthouse. Thirty seconds later, I'm in the shower, letting the scalding water pound some life back into my skull.
I towel off and slip into one of the fluffy white bathrobes the hotel provides, complete with the gold Mandarin Oriental insignia.
When the doorbell rings, I see them both through the peephole: Max in his crisp white bellman uniform trimmed in gold, and Radha wearing a high-end Armani pantsuit that shows off her slim, yet curvy figure.
