Hello Adventure

Chapter 19

"Golly!" Miles hollered, only making the moment more surreal. "Golly gosh damn!"

I just blinked. Over and over, I just kept blinking, not processing what I was seeing.

"Golly, I'm terribly sorry!" said Miles.

My brain was all like, whaaaaaaaaaaat?

Miles was in my face, rattling at me: "They told me this was Brooke's room? Say here, didn't you say this was Brooke's room?"

I blinked again at the couple in the bed...only Brooke was not there...Instead, it was Dale...and Cairo. Together in bed. With no shirts on.

"No, dude," Dale interrupted, clearing his throat. "This is Brooke's room, we were just, um borrowing it."

What was Cairo doing up here? Hold up: Did this mean Cairo was the one sleeping with Brooke this whole time?!

At this point, I simply could help but burst out in uncontrollable laughing and everyone turned to look at me stunned. Dale glared at me hard with don't-blow-it eyes.

Holy shit, it was just fucking brilliant: Dale must have found Cai and Brooke in bed together, kicked Brooke out the bed and jumped in himself to cover for her!

Dale is not with Brooke, I remembered suddenly, exploring his defined bare chest with my eyes, wet with tears of relief. Dale is single.

"Sorry!" I yelped suddenly, coming back into my body. "Miles, I just remembered, Brooke said she was going to the spa!" I grabbed his elbow. "Come along now. I'll show you the way!"

I wondered where Brooke was hiding. Was she under the bed? In the closet? But there was no time to guess: I had to get Miles out of there fast.

"Sorry again," Miles muttered at Dale and Cai before pulling shut the door behind us.

"Thank you!" I mimed to Dale, but he just rolled his eyes and gave me a little shrug, smiling ever so slightly.

I rapidly led Miles and Sookie downstairs to the spa where we sat down on a marble bench, and I pretended to call Brooke. "She should just be getting out of her reiki session now. That was pretty awkward," I said to him.

"Sure was!" Miles agreed.

"Oh, can you delete those pictures, Sookie?"

She nodded. "Of course, sorry. I acted reflexively. My photojournalist instinct took over."

A few minutes later, Brooke rushed into the spa foyer with a misty face, fluffy robe, and a towel turbaned on her head. Somehow, she even smelled the part.

"What are you doing here, Miles?" She asked out of breath, fist planted on her tiny wasp waist.

"That's our cue to leave," I said standing, gesturing at Sookie. "Let's give Miles a chance to chat alone with his little petunia." I tried not to smirk at the ridiculous pet name.

Brooke met my eyes. And Sookie and I left to the noise of their hushed talking.

I left Sookie poolside, and I rushed back upstairs to Brooke's room.

"Let me in," I knocked. "It's Sloane."

Dale opened the door. He had put his shirt back on and I vaulted into his arms without thinking. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

He stiffened but then after a moment, he hugged me back, lifting me off the floor. He was a good hugger—nice and all consuming. This was the first time I touched him since the first night we met, I realized, his solid body feeling familiar against mine. But then I let go, growing self-conscious.