Cassidy kept talking beside her, but Reese heard only the soft, distant hum of the restaurant—cutlery, chatter, the clink of glasses—as if someone had turned the world down a notch.
Then Sloane’s gaze landed on their table.
The reaction was small, but Reese caught it: a pause too long to be casual and a flicker of something unguarded in her eyes before she shifted her attention back to Veronica. Professional mask in place. Shoulders straight. Nothing out of line. She was hard to read.
Yet she kept glancing back. Just enough to betray that something was pulling at her.
Reese sat back in her chair, pretending still to be a part of their table’s conversation. She laughed at Marissa, nearly missing her flight because she couldn’t live without her favorite travel pillow, and was ready to sacrifice all to go back for it. “No. I get it,” Reese said. “Some things are sacred.” But all the while, she couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe whatever preoccupation she had with Sloane Foster wasn’t entirely one-sided. They were sitting across the room from each other, but the sizzle of whatever bounced between them was palpable. She no longer believed she was imagining it. Reese took a very slow inhale.
“Okay, why are you staring at a wall?” Delaney asked, leaning into her line of sight.
“What?” Reese blinked. “I’m not.”
“You absolutely are.” Delaney took a strategic sip of her lime soda. “I’d ask if you saw a ghost, but ghosts don’t usually wear strappy dresses.”
“Delaney,” Reese said, a word of warning.
Before Delaney could push further, Cassidy’s eyes widened. “Um. Veronica’s here and walking this way.”
They turned and smiled like dutiful soldiers as Veronica owned the room on her way over. Her designer dress and the way she wore it turned quite a few heads. “Popular place,” she said as she arrived at their table.
“Cassidy finds us all the best spots,” Delaney offered.
“Well, welcome to Singapore. How are the accommodations?”
“I don’t have any complaints,” Marissa said, “but I do have four twin beds in my room.”
“I have five,” Delaney offered.
Veronica nodded. “Miranda does have a knack for choosing the most interesting locations.”
You can say that again, Reese thought. She also had an army of twin beds and a feeling that Veronica had upgraded her own lodging and was likely at a five-star hotel, sipping top-shelf cocktails. It also made her wonder where Sloane was staying, which of course made her imagine Sloane’s hotel room, and then Sloane’s bed, which was a train of thought she needed to get in front of before it spiraled out of control in the presence of a room full of people she was supposed to be socializing with.
“Well,” Veronica said, touching the table, “don’t leave without trying the pandan chiffon cake. It’s a national treasure. In fact, I’ll send over a couple. My treat.”
“Thank you,” Reese said.
“That’s incredibly thoughtful,” Marissa chimed in.
“My pleasure,” Veronica said. “All I ask is for one amazing race weekend to show the world who we are. Think we can manage it?”
“That won’t be a problem,” Reese said and exchanged a fist bump with Delaney, who would be right there with her, aiming for more points for Ravensport.
“I think they’re ganging up on us,” Marissa told Cassidy.
Veronica grinned. “A little competition is healthy. I’d better get back to my dinner companions. Don’t stay out too late.” But she said it in a singsongy tone that said she thought they might anyway. Not Reese. She wanted to be rested and clear-eyed when it came time to fight for starting positions tomorrow.
While her friends waited for the desserts, Reese slipped away from the table, weaving through clusters of diners until she reached the dimly lit hallway near the restrooms. The hum of conversation faded behind her, replaced by the soft splash of a fountain and the distant clatter of dishes.
She pushed open the door and stepped inside, letting it click softly behind her.
For a moment, she just stood in front of the mirror, tugging at a stray lock of hair and taking a slow breath. The humidity had tousled her hair, her cheeks still warm from laughing too hard, and she allowed herself a small grin. Alone, at last.
The stall next to her opened. Reese froze.
Sloane stepped out, calm, poised, everything Reese knew her to be. But there was a spark in her eyes. She moved to the sink beside Reese, glancing at her reflection before flicking a smile to Reese.
“Practicing your prerace look, or just checking if Singapore’s humidity has defeated you?” Sloane teased.
