“You really think I’m a con artist?” I erupt. “We’ve spent an entire week together. Iconfidedin you. Isleptwith you. That’sit. That’s my crime. Wanting to spend time with you. A guy who apparently sees me as some desperate broke girl trying to find a meal ticket.”
He laughs humorlessly. “So you can imagine how I feel, having told my entire raw, dark, barely behind me past and all my shaky dreams to someone who likes me for what’s in my bank account.” He inhales deeply. “I don’t want to say something I’ll regret,” he says with an icy politeness that only a British person could pull off. “So I’m just going to say that I find this upsetting, and I’d like you to leave.”
His tone feels like a punch to the gut.
“Okay. Wow. If that’s what you think of me, we’re done,” I say. “This is done.”
“Yeah,” he says. “I think it is.”
I pull the duvet around me, stand up, and start collecting my clothing. I go into the bathroom to change.
When I come out, he’s gone.
Which means it’s safe to start crying.
I sob as I walk back to my suite.
“Hopie!” Lauren chirps from the bedroom when she hears me come in. “You’re back! I have so much to tell you. Come snuggle.”
The sound of her voice makes me cry harder.
“Wait, are you crying?” she calls.
She rushes into the room clad in a gauzy blush maxi dress that swirls around her legs.
“Jesus, Hope,” she says, doing a double take that would be comical if I weren’t verging on hysteria. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“Your Instagram posts!” I shout.
She chews her lip. “Oh. The ones with you in them?”
“Yes, the ones with me in them.”
She winces. “Sorry. I was going to tell you about them once we got off the cruise.”
“Why the fuck would you post that stuff?”
“Well, it was supposed to be a surprise. Because you know how you’re always feeling guilty about borrowing money? I thought I would tag you in some sponsored posts. That way we’re even and you can let it go. In fact, now I oweyoumoney.” She smiles reassuringly at me.
My anger at her abruptly stops my tears. “So you decided to make me look like a gold digger on the internet for ad dollars? Do youhearyourself?”
“Well, I have to stick to the brand messaging. I mean, you work in PR, you know how it works. But it’s cute. All my followers are rooting for you!”
“Oh how wonderful. I’ve gone viral as a conniving sugar baby. Thanks so much.”
She looks confused. “You know it’s not serious. Most of my followers are in on the joke anyway.”
“Yeah, well, you know who isn’t? Felix. Who youalsoposted without his permission. How did you not think this through, Lauren?”
Her face wrinkles in distress. “Hopie, don’t be mad. I was just trying to do something nice. I didn’t realize you’d be upset.”
“No? Felix literally kicked me out of his room when he saw these.”
She gasps. “Sorry? He didwhatnow?”
“You heard me!”
“What a fucking asshole.”
