The Fling

4

The girls and I exited the hot yoga room, toweling the sweat from our faces.

"El and I have off until dinner," Mia said. "What's on your schedule, Abi?"

"I have an hour, presumably to shower, and then I have guided meditation."

A door ahead of us swung open and several people stepped out in the hallway. Shawn was among them, but he didn't turn in our direction. He walked approximately twenty feet ahead of us with two men, as I panicked over the possibility of facing him in front of my friends. It was probably inevitable, but I didn't want to experience the awkwardness so soon after our tryst.

"Oh my god!" Eloise whispered. "Do you see who that is?"

Mia giggled. "He is so sexy in person."

I stopped dead in my tracks. "Please don't say anything to him. He's probably here to unwind, so the last thing he needs is people staring or asking for photos."

"Don't worry. We know how to be chill," El said with a hint of irritation since LA natives hate being accused of not knowing how to handle a celebrity interaction.

I noticed a bathroom, so I pointed to it. "I'm going to pee. Meet up before dinner?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Mia replied brightly. "Come on, El! Maybe we can ride in the same elevator as Shawn Mendes."

They hurried away and I went into the restroom. After using the toilet (so that my escape plan wasn't a lie), I proceeded to my room and took a long hot shower. The resort provided a complimentary fruit basket, and once I was dressed in clean clothes, I grabbed a banana, which I ate before sitting down in a chair to check my phone. I didn't have any messages other than my mom asking how the getaway was going, but as I was replying to her, a call came in from Lizzie.

"Hi, sweetie! How's it going?" I asked.

"Terrible. Ugh! This is the worst, Abi! The absolute worst."

Sixteen year olds could be so dramatic, but I sensed she was being serious. "Was the reception food good at least?" Given the time of the ceremony, they'd undoubtedly eaten by now.

"It was meh. I snuck a glass of champagne, so there's that."

"Do not get tipsy!" I warned her. "Your dad will flip out."

"So what? He dragged us all the way to Florida for this stupid wedding. The only good thing is that our trip to Disney World with Nanny and Gramps starts tomorrow."

"You're going to have a great time. Have they kept Bertie and Hannah under control?"

"I guess. They've been with me a lot. Bertie spilled punch on Han's dress and she cried, but Nanny got the spot out," she told me.

"Are they close by? Can I say hello?"

"Ummmmm...I don't see either right now. Want me to call you back if I find them?" she asked.

"I'm headed to a meditation session, so no. Can you send me some pics, though?"

"Will do." She hesitated a second. "I miss you so much. Sorry if that's weird."

"Lizzie, it's not weird at all. You know I love you and always will," I said, my voice catching.

"You're still my stepmom. I refuse to acknowledge Reagan as a parental figure since she's only six years older than me. She can fuck off."

"You need to try to get along with her because you are living in the same house."

She groaned loudly. "Why can't you have custody of me? I can stay with you, Han, and Bertie and do the every other weekend thing with dad and his child bride."