Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 76759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76759 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
And the airline lost his luggage.
What a shitty trip so far.
But I don’t feel too bad for him.
He could’ve flown first class with the rest of us. He just had to get over himself. Cage and Jake finally got over themselves, and the two of them are bright and jovial, enjoying a beer in the limo that Brock ordered.
Maddie and I aren’t drinking. We decided only to drink in the evenings during this trip, and even then to keep it to a small amount. We want to soak in every bit of culture and enjoy every minute of being here without any interference from alcohol.
Brock is also having a drink. Other than him, Cage, and Jake, no one else is drinking.
Not even Jesse, who looks like he could use one.
He’s sucking down a bottle of water.
Flying does dry you out, but the flight attendants in first class kept us well hydrated, refilling our waters practically every five minutes while we were awake.
I got four and a half hours of uninterrupted sleep, and then the flight attendants served us an amazing breakfast of bacon, eggs, and oatmeal. Plus I had a few cups of coffee, so I’m feeling great.
Maddie and I are determined to stay awake until the actual bedtime here in London. That’s the best way to get over jet lag.
Looking at Jesse, though? He’s going to crash as soon as he hits his room.
Jeez…here I go.
I am feeling bad for him. It’s kind of like a little ache at the back of my neck.
I don’t want Jesse to be uncomfortable.
I want him to have a good time.
I’d love it if he were going to have a good time with me, but apparently that won’t happen.
The limo stops in front of an ornate building.
“Is this our hotel?” Maddie gasps, gaping out the window.
“Yes, it is, Maddie,” Brock says. “This is where Emerald Phoenix is staying at this very moment. They arrived a week ago.”
“They flew on New Year’s Eve?” Maddie asks.
“Yeah,” Rory says. “Apparently they wanted to be sure they were over any jet lag by the time the tour started.”
“Jet lag? Surely they all flew first class,” I say.
“Jet lag is still a thing, Bree,” Brock says. “We all got some sleep, but not the normal amount. Be sure to stay awake until at least nine o’clock tonight. That’ll get you over the hump quickly.”
“Yeah, but it’s more important that you guys get over the hump quickly. You’re the ones who are performing.”
“Very true,” Rory says. “I’ll be hitting the sheets at nine o’clock sharp tonight. But before that, we have reservations at a pub.”
“What do we do between now and then?”
“Settle into your room,” Rory says. “Take a little walk if you want to do some sightseeing, but under no circumstances should you take a nap.”
Maddie and I nod.
“That goes double for you, Jess,” Rory says to her brother. “You look like you just got run over by a truck.”
“I’m fine,” Jesse grumbles.
“I’m sorry about your luggage,” I say to him.
He simply rolls his eyes and doesn’t give me the courtesy of an answer.
Fine. He wants to be like that? He wants to forget the best kiss either of us has ever had?
I don’t know if it’s the best kiss he’s ever had. I only know it’s the best one I’ve had. I’ve been saving myself for him all this time, but maybe…
Here I am in a foreign country. Maybe I need some fun.
We get out of the limo, and a bellhop takes our bags.
Once Maddie and I are inside our room, I strike. “I think I might want to have some sex on this trip.”
Maddie gasps. “Bree!”
I shrug. “Yeah. I mean, why not have some fun? I’m on the pill. I’ll make sure the guy uses a condom. What do you think?”
“I think you’re letting your libido do the talking. Let’s just have fun.”
I sit on the edge of one of the beds. They’re full beds, not queens—apparently the standard in the UK. “What better way to have fun than to have fun?”
“I’d like to be able to talk you out of this. I won’t be having any sex here.”
“Why not? Are you seeing someone?”
“If I were seeing someone, I doubt I would have hopped on a plane to be gone for four months.”
“True.”
Maddie was in a long-term relationship the first couple years of college with a guy from Wyoming. They called it off about a year ago.
“Have you dated anybody since you and Lance broke up?”
Maddie pulls her carry-on onto the bed and unzips it. “Every so often, but I never got intimate.”
“So was Lance your first?”
Maddie’s cheeks burn. “Yeah. My first and only. Who was your first?”
Now my cheeks burn. The awesome foursome—plus Maddie—are sorority sisters and besties…but we don’t talk about our sex lives very often. Except for Sage. She loves telling us about her exploits.