Maybe the weight of his accomplishments hadn’t sunk in yet. He was sure sometime soon, maybe later in the week, he’d finally understand that he’d knocked one hell of an item off his bucket list. For now though, it didn’t feel the way he’d expected. When he’d rehearsed his acceptance speech, he’d thought sheer joy would be the main emotion to take over, but that hadn’t happened at all. From the moment he’d heard his name fill the theater he’d been dealing with a low-grade panic attack. He hadn’t had a chance to consider what the hell that was all about before he’d been whisked off to perform the rest of his duties as an award winner.

The pressure on his chest had lifted a little when he and Walls had ended up back in the limo. Walls had been determined to make him celebrate his win. Sam couldn’t fight his infectiously boisterous demeanor. He’d snapped himself out of the strange haze that had come over him and focused on the night of partying before him. He hadn’t realized he’d been going through the motions until he’d spotted her dancing, laughing, and smiling with her friends. Sam wasn’t into that hotep shit, but there had been something about that girl’s energy. In a room full of people trying to get close to him and the other winners, the other important names, it had been clear that she’d just come to have a good time.

When Sam had seen her again at Kata and Rina’s after-party, he’d known he had to say something. He hadn’t been sure what the fuck he was gonna say when he’d crossed the room, but as soon as he opened his mouth, she’d solved that problem for him. Cha-Cha hadn’t wanted to talk. She’d just wanted to dance. So they’d danced until it became clear that whatever had been happening between them needed to continue somewhere else. He’d seen the doubt in her eyes when he’d suggested she join him back at his hotel, but just as quickly the hesitation vanished and she’d taken over the plan as they made their way toward the exit: He should leave first and then she’d follow. Man, he’d been glad when she’d actually shown up instead of leaving him standing in the hotel hallway looking like a fool.

And then she’d dipped out sometime in the morning, never to be seen again.