Lizzy sat back and threw up her hands. “Go for it. I need another drink anyway. I’ll see you both later.” She stumbled over a chair and caught herself. “Still upright.”

“Ignore her. Want to go somewhere private where we can chat and not have everyone bother us?” Bristol tried to look innocent, but when Annie lifted her eyebrow at her, she laughed and pulled Annie closer so she could whisper in her ear. “Okay. It’s a trick to get you alone.”

“I’ve been waiting all night for you to whisk me away,” Annie said.

Annie’s words sent a shiver along Bristol’s spine. “I know the perfect spot.” It took them longer than she would have liked to make their way down the long hallway to Bristol’s suite, but once they were inside with the door locked, Bristol felt both relief and excitement.

“Are they going to miss you?” Annie sat on the couch. She placed her drink on the coffee table and looked at Bristol expectantly.

“They see enough of me. This is just a little preparty before next week’s finale. Top Shelf will throw that down in Los Angeles.”

“Tour schedules confuse me. Why not just have three concerts in a row there to end instead of bouncing around state to state, city to city?”

“It’s all about space. Trying to map out a tour and find the size arenas we want is difficult. We’re up against graduations, sporting events, other concerts, speaking tours. We squeeze in where we can,” Bristol handed Annie a water before sitting next to her.

“Planning a tour must be stressful.”

“It’s one of the things Top Shelf does right. They have a team of schedulers who figure it all out.”

“It sounds intricate.”

“Can we talk about something else?” The last thing Bristol wanted to discuss was the tour. It already ate up most of her time.

Annie groaned. “I’m so sorry. Lizzy just got me thinking about the whole process.”

Bristol reached for Annie’s hand. “Let’s talk more about you. Tell me about your day today.”

“I got to see the ocean for the first time in a long time.”

“But the mountains are beautiful where you live.”

“I love seeing them every day, that’s true,” Annie said.

Bristol scooted closer to Annie and touched the hem of her dress. “You went shopping today. I love the color.” Bristol took her time appreciating the form-fitting dress and ran her finger along the hemline just above Annie’s knee. The energy in the room changed.