I smoothed down my red dress, adjusting the slit that ran straight up my thigh. My hair was swept up into a tight bun, keeping my neck bare. It wasn't my first date, but my hands were shaking. After the humiliation with Max and the disaster with Desmond at the bar, I didn't know what to expect tonight.

Jason had asked me to meet him at Star’s Hotel at nine p.m. It was twenty past nine, and I was still standing alone near the grand archway of the outdoor terrace.

I hated meetups. This was exactly why. I reached into my clutch, pulled out my phone, and was about to...