“Well, look at Dr. Hottie. They’ve obviously assigned their top … What did you call it?”

“NPC.”

“Top NPC to keep her entertained.” Julia paused. “Not that Kat couldn’t attract the attention on her own.” It was true. Her friend was funny and easygoing and gorgeous.

“If they did, it seems to be working. She looks pretty entertained right now.” Andie chuckled. “And she’s gotten really into character.”

Julia eyeballed Andie’s cosmo. “As have you.”

“I’m hoping it leads to some sex in the city.” Andie raised her glass and clinked it against Julia’s. “Figuratively speaking. About the city, I mean. I’m being totally literal about the sex.”

“Understood, Carrie.” Julia laughed. “Meet any potential Mr. Bigs yet?”

“Nah.” Andie shook her head. “A lot of the people here came as couples. I don’t get it. They’re married. They’ve already found their one. What are they doing at a place like this?”

“Maybe marriage doesn’t always mean you’ve found the one,” Julia said, thinking of her parents. “Maybe they’re here to relight the spark. Or maybe they just really like rom-coms.”

“Maybe.” Andie shrugged. “How about you, Meg? How are you holding up?”

“Honestly? I suck at this,” Julia admitted. “I have to keep pausing to remember to introduce myself as Meg. And more than once, when someone asked me what I liked best about where I was from, I caught myself talking about my favorite places in Chicago. What do I know about stuff in Seattle?” Amazingly, it was one of the few places in the contiguous forty-eight states where she hadn’t lived.

“There’s that tower thing—the needle? And Starbucks,” Andie suggested. “You love Starbucks. Stick to the truth as much as possible. Stop overthinking things.” She tipped her head back and finished off her drink. “Ready for another?”

“Why not.” Julia downed the rest and handed her glass to Andie. “Nothing too bizarre, please,” she warned. Andie’s mixology interests extended to ordering creative drinks as well as making them.

“No promises.” Andie winked.

As she watched her friend disappear into the crowd, Julia considered Andie’s advice. Stick to the truth. Ha. Easier said than done when she was already pretending to be a character—on top of pretending to be somebody else even before the game even got started.

Well, not somebody else. Just not herself. Not the reporter who was here to do a story on the resort. She turned to check on Kat and Dr. Five O’Clock Shadow. They appeared deep in conversation, foreheads almost touching as they stared into each other’s eyes, fingers entwined over the top of the little table where they stood. Julia frowned.