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She didn’t want it under these circumstances. Any of it.

Without giving it another moment of consideration, she flipped onthe light, retrieved her suitcase, and set to packing for the third time in twomonths. She found a reasonable fare home on the internet, if she didn’t mindtraveling early. She definitely didn’t. She needed to get the hell home.

Chapter Eighteen

Carly rolled her shoulders as she walked through the lobby of theHilton. She smiled at a few of the tourists who’d turned immediately in herdirection the second she walked by. She posed for a selfie with a teenagerwaiting alongside her at the elevator bay. As she rode to the fourteenth floor,her nerves fired. She had what she wanted to say prepared in her head. She’dspent the morning at her kitchen table getting her thoughts in order, eventaking notes on one of Lauren’s Post-it pads.

At Carly’s request, Alika had booked her on bothCelebrity Game NightandPyramid,for which she would begin practicing soon. She decided to shed her stupid egoand now looked at them as a truly fun opportunity. Why not enjoy herself alittle? Maybe reminding the world that she was out there would jump-start hercareer. Maybe not. That part mattered less.

She knocked on the door to room 1422—Lauren’s room. Lauren hadtexted her the room number the night she’d checked in. She waited, realizingshe should have called first, given that Lauren clearly wasn’t in. Behind her,a housekeeper arrived with a cart. He was an older gentleman and smiled at herlike they were best friends.

“At first I thought,Iknow you, but nah, you’re a movie star.”

“Yes, hi. I’m Carly. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Henry. Pleased to make your acquaintance, as well.” He smiledsome more as he turned and opened the door to Lauren’s room. He gestured towardit. “You were knocking on this one?”

She nodded. “But my friend is out, so I’ll give her a call andcome back later. Thank you.” She turned to go.

“She checked out.” He headed inside, but the cart propped open thedoor.

Carly frowned and peeked her head around the door into the hotelroom. “Checked out? Are you sure?”

“Yep.” He pointed at his clipboard sitting on top of the cart.“This morning.”

“Do you know where she went?” It was a dumb question.

“Sorry. I just get a list of vacated rooms to turn around.”

“Thank you,” Carly called over her shoulder and left in confusion.Maybe Lauren had returned to her place, which would be ideal, because it waswhat she wanted anyway. As Carly waited for the valet to return with her car,she turned to the doorman on a whim.

“Did you see this woman leave earlier?” She turned her phonearound and showed him a photo.

He pointed at the screen. “Ah, yep. She had trouble getting herUber driver to pick her up in the right spot. Had me talk to him fordirections.”

She crouched in excitement. A lead. “Any idea where he was takingher?”

“Yep. The airport. That was a few hours ago.”

“No.”

He winced apologetically, sensing it was not the answer shewanted. “Yes.”

Carly’s spirits fell from her chest to the pavement. How was thatpossible? She took out her phone and called Lauren, something she now felt likean idiot for not doing over the last few days. No answer, which made sense. Shewas likely on a flight. She looked to the doorman again, whose name tag readMike. “So what am Isupposed to do now?” She had no idea why she thought Mike would know.

“I always find a nice breakfast cheers me up. I’m a flapjacksguy.”

That’s the sentence her brain decided to play for her over andover as she returned home, directionless.I’ma flapjacks guy. I’m a flapjacks guy.It was not at all helpful, butmaybe what she deserved, to be haunted by one of the lowest moments in herlife, reminded of it over and over. She poured a cup of coffee she didn’t havethe stomach to drink.I’ma flapjacks guy.

She sat outside next to her pool without a coat because she neededto let the cold pelt her in punishment. The empty hotel room had been a wake-upcall. She saw the parallel now between her behavior over the last few years andher behavior toward Lauren. She seemed to think everyone would wait for her.Lauren most certainly had not, and why should she have? She’d never let Carlyget away with her bullshit. It was one of the many things that was so great abouther.

Carly called again. Nothing. She walked through each room in herhome, alone with her thoughts that she sorted through one at a time. She neededa sounding board, and she knew the one person who would give it to herstraight.

“How’s your day looking?” she asked, when Fallon picked up hercall.

“Pretty slow around here. I was thinking of knocking off early.”

“Want to go out for a cocktail and knock me around a little? I’veearned it.”