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And it wasn’t like something was going to happen between us. This wasn’t a secret code for a booty call. He really did want to talk. About our so-called engagement, apparently. Which I needed to keep in order to make my boss happy.

That got me a football and a ref doing the touchdown sign emoji. He was such a dork. I was glad he couldn’t see me smiling right now.

The how part of that might give me some trouble. I didn’t know if it would be as easy as getting on an elevator and just going to the twenty-seventh floor. Did they have security?

I was about to ask him when he texted me.

Both cute and annoying.

The how got worked out quickly. When I returned to the group, Nia grabbed me by the arm and led me off into the kitchen so we could chat.

“Talk. Now,” she commanded as we sat down on two of the barstools surrounding the island.

So I filled her in on most of the details of my encounters with him after the basketball game and at dinner. I told her the pictures were misleading but that Evan wanted to talk to me about them before any official denials were made.

“He likes you,” she said, sounding shocked.

“He does not. He’s just trying to ease his guilty conscience or whatever. He feels bad about what happened between us years ago, and he wants to make amends.”

“You keep telling yourself that.” Nia sounded like she did not believe what I’d just said. “I think there’s something there.”

“You mean besides my resentment and inability to forgive?”

At that she just shook her head. “Things can be worked out.”

“The only thing I need to work out right now is how to get up to his room to see him.”

“Oh, that’s easy. Go to the front desk and ask for Mickey. Tell him Nia sent you, and he’ll get you onto the twenty-seventh floor.”

I raised my eyebrows at her.

“What? Malik and I don’t like to be apart. There’s a whole work-around for anyone who wants to find it.”

“Do you think Evan’s had any girls use the work-around?” And for some reason the answer felt desperately important. Not just because of my job. I didn’t want to explore why that little jealous emotion had bubbled up.

“Who knows? And why would you care? Since he doesn’t like you, and you don’t like him.”

What I didn’t like was her implication, but she was doing me a solid, and I wasn’t going to give her a reason to be angry with me.

I currently had enough negative emotions in my life.

Later that evening I drove over to the Davenport Hotel, leaving my car with the valet as I didn’t intend to stay for very long. I found Mickey, and just as Nia had promised, he took me up to the Jacks’ floor, bypassing all the security.

And I found myself standing outside of Evan’s room, not sure if I wanted to knock. I sucked in what I hoped was a calming breath and rapped lightly on the door.

It opened almost immediately, as if Evan had been standing behind it and waiting.

“Hey, Ashton. I’m glad you made it.”

His dark hair fell forward onto his forehead. He brushed it back, and I noticed that his bright-blue eyes somehow managed to sparkle in this dim hotel hallway lighting. His shirt was tight, clinging to a row of laddered abs that I remembered all too well.

At that moment Reggie walked by, almost smacking into me because he was once again glued to his phone. He glanced up, looked at me, and then held out a hand to Evan for a high five. “Yeah, Dawson! Get some!”

Had it really only been four days since Reggie had pretended to be my date? Was I that forgettable? I was about to tell him off for being so completely offensive in what he’d just said but realized he wouldn’t have heard me since he’d returned all of his attention to his tiny screen.

Evan was trying not to laugh as he held the door open, gesturing for me to come inside.

Not wanting to sit on his bed, I sat on the couch directly across from it. Evan walked over, and I noticed that he was barefoot. And that he had really nice feet. Attractive, even. I’d never particularly noticed a man’s feet before.