With a wink, she saunters away.

I exhale in relief. Next time? Maybe it was my singing backup last night, but clearly, Zelda’s finally come around. No risk of her rescinding her trust approval, at least.

The trust.

I remember the real reason I’m down here, and my spirits sink, just a little. If this was all pretend, and now the game is over, who knows if Dash even will want to see me again back home?

It’s not a question I want to think about right now, so I head to my room, shower off the hangover, and dress in travel-friendly jeans and a tank top. I call Lorelei as I’m throwing my stuff back in my suitcase and fill her in on the past whirlwind forty-eight hours.

“I knew it!” she exclaims in delight. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to keep your hands off that fine hunk of man-flesh.”

“It is pretty fine,” I admit with a grin. “But what happens now?”

“What do you want to happen?”

“I don’t know!” I exclaim. “Except maybe lock him in a room for a week and tear off all his clothes. We barely got started before the interruption last night.”

Lorlelei laughs. “So what are you waiting for? I say go for it!”

“I would, except…” I trail off. “Now I’m getting all these feelings for him. I don’t want to set myself up for rejection. I signed up to pose as his fake girlfriend,” I remind her, “not audition for the part of a real one.”

“Okay, but when you signed up, you weren’t looking for romance with him either, right?” she reasons.

“Absolutely not.” I wince, remembering what an arrogant asshole Dash seemed to be.

“So, if you changed your mind, how do you know Dash hasn’t, too?” Lorelei points out. “Maybe he’s in his room right now, having this exact same conversation with one of his buddies.”

I laugh. “Somehow, I don’t think so.”

I wander out onto my balcony and admire the last of this stunning view. “The thing is, it’s not just that this was a whole ruse,” I confide, “Dash has… a history of wild flings. You’re the one who saw the gossip pages,” I add, “the man isn’t capable of a real relationship.”

“And that’s what you’d want with him?”

I feel that twist of emotion inside me. “I’m scared that’s what I will want, if I get in any deeper. I mean, I’m pretty much melting for the guy, and it’s only been a weekend!”

“You don’t want to get hurt.”

“No. And I really don’t want him to be the one who does it,” I sigh. “Maybe if I keep things light, and just have fun, then we’ll be able to stay friends.”

There’s a knock in the room. “Callie, you in there?” Dash’s voice comes.

“Gotta go,” I tell Lorelei quickly. “Talk later.”

“If I haven’t throttled Brando by then!”

I hang up. “Come in,” I call, stepping back into the room as he enters. I’m wondering if it’s going to be awkward, or if things will be weird after last night—