others can go to Danielle Marin’s room.”
“Eighteen twenty-two,” Danielle added.
“We’ll take care of it. Have a good night, ladies.”
They thanked the limo driver and made their way into the brightly lit lobby.
“They’re in the Ace High Lounge,” said Katrina.
“Who?”
“Reed and the rest of the guys.”
“You’re not going near that place, are you?” Danielle had no desire to go anywhere near a bachelor party at midnight.
“It’s my husband, my brother-in-law and two brothers.”
“And thirty-five other men.”
“Who won’t dare look at us sideways.”
“What do you mean us?”
“Come on.” Katrina studied a brass sign. She pointed down a hallway. “This way.”
“I’m tired,” Danielle protested. She was. “I want to go to bed.”
Katrina linked her arm and tugged her forward. “Too bad. You have to come and keep me company.”
“Who says?”
“I say. And I just paid for your sexy pictures.”
“I thought we agreed never to speak of them again.” Danielle wanted to get them safely locked away as soon as possible. She was beginning to worry about carrying them through airport security. What if someone searched her luggage? How embarrassing would that be?
Katrina laughed, still tugging her along the hallway. “Your secret’s safe with me. Come on. You owe me.”
“I paid for dinner,” Danielle pointed out, but she gave up and kept walking.
“Aren’t you at all curious?”
“About what men do at bachelor parties?” asked Danielle. “I honestly don’t want to know.”
“Maybe someone jumped out of a cake.”
“I hope not. That’s so eighties.”
“I’m sure they kept it tasteful.”
“Travis did the planning.”
“Good point. This might be more exciting than I thought. Here we are.”
Danielle hesitated. If it turned out there were strippers in there, it was going to be mortifiying.
Before they could pull on the door, it opened from the inside, loud music thumping from the depths of the dim room. Caleb appeared, jerking back in obvious surprise at the sight of them.
“Katrina. Danielle.” He gave a wide grin. “What are you guys doing here?” It was subtle, but his speech was measured, as if he was being careful to properly enunciate his words.
The door swung shut behind him.
“Having a good party?” asked Katrina.
“Fantastic,” he responded. “You want me to get Reed?”
“We want to find out what’s going on inside,” said Katrina.
“No, we don’t,” said Danielle.
“You always were the smart one,” Caleb said to Danielle.
“Thank you.”
“What’s going on in there?” asked Katrina.
“We’re drinking DFB beer and watching a game.”
“Are you drunk?” asked Katrina.
“I am not.”
“Is Reed drunk?”
“Reed doesn’t get drunk.”
The door opened again, bashing into Caleb’s shoulder and sending him stumbling.
This time, it was Travis who appeared.
“Danielle,” he grinned heartily. “You’re back.”
“We’ve been shopping,” said Katrina.
“So, I heard, baby sister.”
“And out for dinner,” she continued.
Danielle held her breath, fearing Katrina might mention the pictures. But the door opened again, and Reed joined them.
He zeroed in on Katrina. “Hey, sweetheart.” He moved to stand next to her, putting a hand on the small of her back and giving her a quick kiss on the temple. “Did you have a good time?”
“It was great. I got you a birthday present.”
Danielle stilled, bracing herself. She couldn’t help a fleeting glance at Travis, and found herself shifting from one foot to the other.
“What did you get me?” asked Reed.
“Oh, no,” Katrina teased, waggling a finger. “Not until your birthday.”
“Yeah?” he growled on a challenging note.
“Yeah,” she responded saucily.
“We’ll see about that.” He looped an arm around her shoulders. “Good night, boys,” he called to Travis and Caleb, as he steered her down the hall.
Their departure
“Eighteen twenty-two,” Danielle added.
“We’ll take care of it. Have a good night, ladies.”
They thanked the limo driver and made their way into the brightly lit lobby.
“They’re in the Ace High Lounge,” said Katrina.
“Who?”
“Reed and the rest of the guys.”
“You’re not going near that place, are you?” Danielle had no desire to go anywhere near a bachelor party at midnight.
“It’s my husband, my brother-in-law and two brothers.”
“And thirty-five other men.”
“Who won’t dare look at us sideways.”
“What do you mean us?”
“Come on.” Katrina studied a brass sign. She pointed down a hallway. “This way.”
“I’m tired,” Danielle protested. She was. “I want to go to bed.”
Katrina linked her arm and tugged her forward. “Too bad. You have to come and keep me company.”
“Who says?”
“I say. And I just paid for your sexy pictures.”
“I thought we agreed never to speak of them again.” Danielle wanted to get them safely locked away as soon as possible. She was beginning to worry about carrying them through airport security. What if someone searched her luggage? How embarrassing would that be?
Katrina laughed, still tugging her along the hallway. “Your secret’s safe with me. Come on. You owe me.”
“I paid for dinner,” Danielle pointed out, but she gave up and kept walking.
“Aren’t you at all curious?”
“About what men do at bachelor parties?” asked Danielle. “I honestly don’t want to know.”
“Maybe someone jumped out of a cake.”
“I hope not. That’s so eighties.”
“I’m sure they kept it tasteful.”
“Travis did the planning.”
“Good point. This might be more exciting than I thought. Here we are.”
Danielle hesitated. If it turned out there were strippers in there, it was going to be mortifiying.
Before they could pull on the door, it opened from the inside, loud music thumping from the depths of the dim room. Caleb appeared, jerking back in obvious surprise at the sight of them.
“Katrina. Danielle.” He gave a wide grin. “What are you guys doing here?” It was subtle, but his speech was measured, as if he was being careful to properly enunciate his words.
The door swung shut behind him.
“Having a good party?” asked Katrina.
“Fantastic,” he responded. “You want me to get Reed?”
“We want to find out what’s going on inside,” said Katrina.
“No, we don’t,” said Danielle.
“You always were the smart one,” Caleb said to Danielle.
“Thank you.”
“What’s going on in there?” asked Katrina.
“We’re drinking DFB beer and watching a game.”
“Are you drunk?” asked Katrina.
“I am not.”
“Is Reed drunk?”
“Reed doesn’t get drunk.”
The door opened again, bashing into Caleb’s shoulder and sending him stumbling.
This time, it was Travis who appeared.
“Danielle,” he grinned heartily. “You’re back.”
“We’ve been shopping,” said Katrina.
“So, I heard, baby sister.”
“And out for dinner,” she continued.
Danielle held her breath, fearing Katrina might mention the pictures. But the door opened again, and Reed joined them.
He zeroed in on Katrina. “Hey, sweetheart.” He moved to stand next to her, putting a hand on the small of her back and giving her a quick kiss on the temple. “Did you have a good time?”
“It was great. I got you a birthday present.”
Danielle stilled, bracing herself. She couldn’t help a fleeting glance at Travis, and found herself shifting from one foot to the other.
“What did you get me?” asked Reed.
“Oh, no,” Katrina teased, waggling a finger. “Not until your birthday.”
“Yeah?” he growled on a challenging note.
“Yeah,” she responded saucily.
“We’ll see about that.” He looped an arm around her shoulders. “Good night, boys,” he called to Travis and Caleb, as he steered her down the hall.
Their departure
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