Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 377(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“Oh,” Mari says again. “Mark?”
I shake my head. “I’m attending the conference as well. It’ll be great networking for me and an escape from all of this craziness. I’m hoping to be done with the first draft of my dissertation by then so that I can relax.”
“That’ll be really nice.”
Mari won’t meet our eyes. I wish John would just come out and say it! He didn’t tell me he was going to draw it out like this. But I should have known: he loves a good game.
“It will. I love Alaska. Have you ever been?”
“I’ve never been away from the East Coast,” Mari admits.
John gasps. “Seriously? Well, we can’t have that. You should come with us.”
Mari stares at us, wide-eyed. “What?”
“Come to Alaska for the conference!”
She bites her lip. “I would love to, but I can’t afford it. Things are kind of tight because of room and board…”
“That will be covered. Don’t worry about it.”
“I can’t let you pay for me. That would be so expensive!”
“About an hour of cards for me, and it’ll be paid for. It’s really not a big deal, Mari. Let us do this for you. We want you to come.”
“What about school? How many classes would I miss?”
“A week’s worth, but you should be able to get your work in advance. Of course, anything you miss in my class will be excused.”
“But I can’t tell anyone I’m going, right?”
“You can’t say you’re going to the conference with us. That you’re going to Alaska doesn’t need to be a secret. You can tell your professors you’re going on a vacation.”
Mari goes quiet as she thinks it over. I understand her hesitation. We haven’t been together long, so us asking her to go on this trip might be a bit too much too soon. I warned John of this, but he insisted.
That’s why I’m letting him do all of the talking.
“Okay,” Mari finally says. “I’ll come with you.”
My heart swells with surprise and excitement. “You will?”
She nods. “I’ve always wanted to travel, and the conference might be interesting. Plus, being with you two…”
I completely agree. It’s going to be an amazing trip now that Mari is joining us. I just hate that it’s so far away. I want to go now!
“We’ll handle the details, and I’ll email them to you. From my personal account.”
“Okay,” Mari responds with a smile. “I can’t wait.”
Neither can I. I’m counting down the days until we get a week away together.
It can’t come soon enough.
11
Mari
The last two weeks have dragged on. Ever since our date when Mark and John invited me to Alaska, I’ve been waiting impatiently for this day to arrive.
Now, it’s finally here.
I spent a lot of the time between getting ahead on all of my homework for this week. My professors aren’t excusing me since it’s just a vacation, so I need to stay on track with my work. I have a bunch of assignments I need to bring with me as well. A week is plenty of time to fall behind, especially in my math class.
My suitcase and carry-on sit by my feet as I wait for John and Mark to pick me up. They hired a car to pick them up at John’s and then swing by campus for me. I offered to meet them at the apartment, but they insisted this would be easier. We haven’t even left yet, and I’m already being spoiled! Not that I’ll complain. I’m loving every second of this.
As I wait, I run through my packing checklist for the hundredth time. I hope I have everything. Alaska is still the U.S., but John said our hotel is in the middle of nowhere. I don’t want to forget something essential and not be able to buy it.
I have a winter coat because it’s cold in Alaska. Sure, it’s cold here, but it’s even worse there. A bathing suit because there’s a pool at our hotel. New lingerie for my quality time with Mark and John. Business clothes for the conference. And a few different shoe options.
I think I have everything. But knowing that doesn’t make me less nervous. My stomach is in knots. I’m terrified and excited at the same time.
I’ve slept with Mark and John a few times since they invited me, and we’ve gone on five more dates. I enjoy being with them so much. We have a ton of fun together. We usually go out to restaurants so we can talk, but we’ve also gone for walks in Central Park. We even took a trip to the beach on Long Island, despite the cold. John wanted to go visit his parents, so while he was with them, Mark and I enjoyed the Long Island Sound.
This trip, though, is completely different. We’ll be together twenty-four/seven. What if the guys get sick of me after our first day?