Once our gazes caught, I held up my phone. He dipped his head once and kept running. I knew people saw the exchange. There was no way they couldn’t have. I ducked my head as I noticed a few cameras pointing my way.

Hadley touched my arm. “You want a hat? Owen brought one he didn’t wear.”

“Maybe that’s a good idea.”

I pulled my hair around my face, tugged the hat down low, and tried not to look up until we’d left our seats. There were two guys following me, one holding a camera in front of him.

We were nearing a bathroom, and I grabbed Hadley’s hand, ducking inside, then circling around a group. The exit was at the other end. The guys were waiting outside the second door, trying to look inside. I held back. When a big surge of people went past them, I moved us into the middle. Hadley was right with me.

She laughed, her beer breath blasting me as she twisted to look behind us. “Who was it?”

“I don’t know, but they were following me.”

“I hate to say it, but if you and Reese do become something, that’s going to happen more and more. People watch him like a hawk.”

I nodded and squeezed her hand. “Let’s just get through the ‘we’re friends who bone’ stage. I’ll worry about that later.”

She laughed, patting my arm. “Sounds good to me.”

A guy pointed at us. “Hey. It’s the lesbian chicks.” He turned and yelled at us, “You guys are hot. Keep kissing.”

His friends thought he was so funny. One added, “Yeah. Always keep kissing. Without clothes.”

Hadley flicked her eyes up. “Is it wrong to want to dump beers right on their crotches?”

“Then step back and yell, ‘Oh! Who smells like piss?’”

We were both laughing when I remembered I wasn’t supposed to be leaving with them. “Shit. I have to go somewhere else.” I pulled my phone back out, but Reese hadn’t texted yet. I began backing away. “I might have to go that way?”

We had separated from the group, so I was torn. I was good with directions. Hadley wasn’t. She could get lost in a Super Target, and since I didn’t see Trent or Grant or any of the others ahead, I decided to take Hadley to where we first came in, then make my exit to wherever Reese told me to go. He probably needed time to shower.

My phone buzzed.

Reese: Leaving from the main floor exit, in the back. Go out where you were sitting, and go left. Keep going left until door 16. Take that down a floor, and you’ll see a group gathering. Press is here, by the way. If you want, you could come to the hotel and we’ll meet there?

I was still with Hadley, so that worked best.