“Precious little prince?” Wyatt repeats.

I grit my teeth. “Call me that and I’ll throw you off the balcony.”

“Sorry—” The receptionist calls for our attention. “Here’s your room key. Let me know if you’ll need more than two. You’ll be on the top floor, single-bedroom suite with a queen bed.”

“Thanks.” I slide my key into my pocket, giving the second one to Wyatt. “Here, don’t lose it.”

“I won’t.”

“Good, now come on. I want to shower.”

*  *  *

“Whoa, this is nice,” Wyatt says when we see the room for the first time. It’s basic, a small kitchenette, double doors that lead to the bedroom, a large balcony that thankfully faces the ocean, so we’ll have a nice view.

And, most important, there’s a plush couch.

“You haven’t stayed in many hotels, have you?”

“No.” Wyatt drops down onto the couch, testing the springs. “Cozy.”

“Good, ’cause that’s where you’re sleeping.”

“What?”

“There’s only one bed,” I say, walking into the bedroom and throwing my bag onto the bed as if to say I’m claiming it as my own. “Plus, my family paid for this room.”

“No one paid—it’s your mom’s hotel!”

“And don’t you forget it.” I leap onto the bed, letting the soft pillows and cushy comforter envelop me. If this bed wanted to swallow me whole, I wouldn’t mind.

“Aren’t you going to shower?” Wyatt asks. He’s standing in the doorway to the room now.

“In a bit. I’m resting my eyes first.”

There’s a pregnant pause. “Your mom seemed nice.”

“Don’t let that fool you. Once she’s got her claws in you, she’ll never let go.”

“Seemed okay.” His accent is coming out again.

“A wolf in sheep’s clothing, Fowler,” I dare to sit up again so I can look him in the eye. “You’ll find that’s a required lesson for meeting my family.”

“They can’t all be bad.”

“Prepare to be surprised,” I say before I reach into my suitcase and pull out my shower bag. “I’m going to get out of these clothes.”

“Should I get changed?”

“Yes, please. But we’ve got some time.”

“What’s this dinner for, anyway?”

“Michael and Ashley—that’s his fiancée, by the way—their engagement moved fast, the wedding even faster. So this will be the first time she’s meeting a lot of my family. Same for him meeting hers.” I’m hoping all these introductions will keep people busy enough to simply ignore the both of us. Maybe we truly can just have a nice dinner to ourselves.

“Sounds fun.”

“Right. Just wait until you meet my grandparents. Then again, they probably won’t ask you what’s in your pants.”

“They actually ask you that?”

“They most certainly do.”

“And you put up with it?” Wyatt asks.

“Put up with what?”

“Their transphobia.”

I pause, staring at him, running my tongue along the top row of my teeth. Be nice, Neil. Be nice. “What do you mean?”