“Are you serious?” I fake a yawn. “I’m not talking about your member. I’m referring to guys being charming and attentive and—”

“Who have you been dating, Ms. Solis?” He frowns and then chuckles. “I’ll use this weekend to set a new standard for your dating pool. After this, you’ll be looking for real men—not stupid twenty-something-year-old boys who have no idea how to treat a woman right.”

“We’ve already gone from fake dating to real dating?”

“Nah, I don’t do serious relationships,” he reminds me.

“Casual, platonic, and just to keep your family off your case,” I remind him. “That’s our deal.”

“We could take it a step further,” he proposes. “You and I both know you’re looking for more during this trip. What is it you told your friends in the lounge? ‘I’m here to have fun and all the sex I haven’t had since Jordan.’”

“Were you spying on me?” I shriek.

“Babe, you weren’t exactly quiet.” He flashes a playful, sexy smirk. “Are you always so vocal?”

My cheeks heat up at the thought of having sex with him. Thankfully, I spot my friends walking toward us.

“Finally, I thought we’d be stuck on that plane forever,” Madeline says, walking toward us. “You, lucky bitch. Next time, I’m getting the first-class ticket.”

“Maybe on our next vacation,” I say, as a way to lead into my change of plans while Miller fetches the bags.

“We’re planning the next one already?” Courtney’s eyes shine, but her shoulders slump immediately. “I can’t afford another trip. Not until next year.”

“Miller here is paying for a trip to wherever we want,” I say.

I recount to them the plan Miller and I have agreed on for the weekend. They don’t interrupt until the end when Madeline says, “You can’t lie for shit.”

“I told you,” I give Miller an apologetic look. “You are on your own, Mr. Archer.”

“You don’t have to lie. Just follow my lead. I promise to pay for this vacation too,” he says, adding more incentives to the table.

“You can do it,” Courtney assures me. “It’s just a couple of days and a free vacation. What could go wrong?”

Seven

Claire

When I agreed to this plan, he promised to switch all of us to the hotel where the wedding is taking place. Unfortunately, the hotel was fully booked. We ended up dropping Courtney and Madeline off and then heading to his final destination.

“Sorry, sir, there are no suites available,” the concierge apologizes. “However, your room is ready.”

“This isn’t what we agreed to,” I say.

Miller clears his throat and says, “Ready or not, here she comes.”

I don’t have time to ask what he’s talking about as I hear someone calling him out.