Whiskey and Scotch

Chapter 23

DING!

My eyes fluttered open to a dark room, and I groggily wondered if the beep of the phone was just a dream or if it had actually happened. Henrik's breathing was steady against my neck and his arm was heavy around my waist, so I carefully shifted over to the edge of the bed and felt around on the side table for the phone. As my fingers made contact with the device, I heard another beep in the room. And then another.

What the hell is going on?

I finally caught hold of the phone and pulled it towards my face, squinting at the screen as I opened the message.

'Josie, today you and the girls are going on a mini-break. You must all get ready and meet at the entrance without waking the boys. #catsaway #micegonna'

A mini-break? What does that mean?

"What's this about, then?" Chelsea's voice seemed extra loud against the contrast of the quiet room, only Noah's snores breaking the silence.

"Shhh!"

For a minute there was only silence and the glow of phone screens as each of the girls read the texts they had received.

Hope broke the silence with a loud whisper. "Girls. Dressing room, now."

There was a rustle of sheets and shuffling of bodies as the girls slipped quietly out of their beds. I carefully lifted Henrik's arm from around my waist, freezing as he mumbled into his pillow. He stopped and I slowly rolled out from under him, placing his arm gently down on the mattress as I stood to my feet. I followed the other girls as we tiptoed out the bedroom, closing the door gently behind me as Chelsea burst into giggles.

"Good work being so quiet, everyone," Hope said as we entered the dressing room. "Excellent teamwork. That is what I'm about!"

I rolled my eyes. Thanks, mum.

"Can you imagine all the boys' faces when they wake up without us?" she continued. "I wish I could see it. It's gonna be so funny."

"Alright, let's get ready and get out of here, quick," Lottie said, picking up her cleanser and heading into the bathroom.

The dressing room and bathroom became a frenzy of activity as we got ready for the day.

"What do we even wear?" Marisol mumbled as she looked through the jumble of clothes in her wardrobe. "We don't know where we're going."

"Just prepare for anything, I guess," Priya replied, pulling a one-piece swimsuit and shorts out of her cupboard.

I changed into a navy-blue bikini and covered it with a pair of denim shorts and a sheer, lacy white tank top. I finished the outfit with strappy yellow 4-inch sandals, and pulled my hair up into a messy bun. I applied a quick layer of makeup, but figured that since it was just a girls' trip I didn't need to put too much effort in. I finished ahead of the other girls, so I decided to get out of their way and headed downstairs to wait for them.

As I sat on the bottom step, my eyes wandered over to the bedroom door.

We're not supposed to wake the boys, but... where's the harm in saying a quick goodbye?

I slipped off my shoes and noiselessly tiptoed to the door, opening it slowly and entering the room. I snuck over to my bed and gently lifted the covers, sliding in next to Henrik. I lowered my face to his and kissed his cheek, my lipstick leaving a mark behind. He stirred, but didn't wake. I ran my fingers through his long hair, and his eyelashes fluttered briefly before his eyes finally opened.

"Hey," I whispered softly.

"Oh, hey," he smiled, the look on his face turning to confusion as he took in my appearance. He propped himself up on his elbows, looking around the dark room and noticing the girls' absence. "What's going on?"