“It’s too perfect,” Penelope insisted, mouth set in a stubborn line. “You already know what song to sing and everything.”

He shook his head. But even as he refused, he knew his sister was right.

“Fine,” he groaned. “But I think I’m going to need a drink first.” He groaned again. “Maybe two.”

CHAPTER 20

JULIA

“Red or white?”

“Pardon?” Julia peered around the blank canvas set up in front of her.

A server held out a tray of wineglasses. “Would you prefer red or white?”

“Is ‘both’ an option?” Andie asked, answering her own question by two-fisting it. She set the glasses down in the tray of her easel.

Julia laughed and selected a glass of white. “Romantic comedies where one of the characters is an artist—go!” Julia ordered, pointing her finger at Kat.

Kat squeezed her eyes shut, thinking. “Oh!” Her eyes snapped open. “Kat!” She giggled. “From 10 Things I Hate About You.”

“She wants to go to art school. Very good.” Julia pivoted. “Andie?”

“Hm.” Andie fidgeted with the blank canvas on her easel. “The heroine in Austenland keeps a sketchbook. What was her name?”

“Miss Erstwhile,” Kat said, then paused, nose wrinkling, “Wait. That was her character name. Her real name was Jane.” She grinned. “Kind of like what we’re doing here, huh?”

“Yeah, but at least they managed to remember their role-playing names,” Julia pointed out. “We gave up on that by like day two.”

“The costumes probably helped,” Andie snorted. “Though it also made things more immersive. Harder to remember it was all just a game.”

Julie caught the note of caution in her friend’s voice and glanced up curiously.

But whatever Andie had been thinking, she let it slide. “Your turn, Jules.” She tapped her easel. “Rom-com featuring an artistic character.”

“All I can think of is Jane from Jane Eyre,” Julia admitted. “I don’t think that counts.”

“Yeah, no.” Andie shook her head. “Definitely not a rom-com.”

“More like a rom-sad,” Kat agreed. “Or rom-traum. Is that a genre?”

“If not, it should be,” Andie said, reaching for her wine. She drained one glass and waved the server over, holding up the now empty glass for a refill while starting on the other. By the time the woman had finished pouring a second red, Andie was ready to have the white refilled as well.

“Efficient,” Julia noted.

“Always.”

“Going for the drunk artist aesthetic, I see,” Kat observed.

“No.” Andie grinned. “I simply require a bit of liquid inspiration.”

“If I was Zach, I’d need some liquid courage,” Kat admitted, letting the server top off her glass.

“That’s right,” Andie purred. “He’s going to be our model for the evening.”