Date

"Zip me up." Stella jumped up behind her. "You distracted me with that whole sex-in-the-elevator thing. What's the rest of the story?"

"Excuse me, I distracted you?"

"Semantics. Continue." Livia reached into her purse for a lipstick and a mascara.

Stella slid her now-much-emptier purse over her shoulder and her right foot into a shoe.

"To make a long story short: I'm going to be his date to a wedding this weekend."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY??"

Livia froze in place with lipstick only on her bottom lip.

"Well." Stella smiled. "I shocked you now. That's a first."

Meanwhile.....

Inside another room, of the hotel....

Mike tossed his bag on the hotel bed and grinned at the view from his window. He pulled out his phone and texted his buddy in L.A., Carlos, who had heard everything there was to hear about the saga of this wedding.

Mike: Finally, found a date for the wedding.

Thirty seconds later, his phone buzzed.

Carlos: Dude, didn't you swear off women? Like, specifically because of this wedding?

Oh right, he had done that, hadn't he?

Mike: Ok yes! But this is an exception.

He investigated the sure-to-be-overpriced minibar. What the hell. He opened a beer and sank down on the bed.

Carlos: Uh-huh. Where'd you find this one, in between Airpory and your hotel? Nothing about you should surprise me. And yet.

He knew Carlos would appreciate this.