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“Shut up,” Sage muttered, but she couldn’t stop smiling.
Isabelle snorted as she peeled off her top. “Whatever. If I had a body like yours, there’d be no shame in my game.”
It was hard to believe that only an hour ago they’d stepped off the helicopter in Missoula.
The limo had smelled like rich leather and quiet money. The hotel didn’t even have a sign out front — just the warm scent of eucalyptus, smooth stone, and something faintly floral drifting through the air like a secret. Everything felt clean. Open. Luxurious in that effortless way that made Sage feel like she’d wandered into someone else’s fairy tale. The woman at the front desk smiled like she already knew all their names and handed them thick, cloud-soft robes like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Sage had clutched hers like a lifeline.
“This robe,” she’d whispered.
“I know,” Annie had said beside her.
“It feels like being hugged by an angel.”
“I know.”
Isabelle had taken the tablet from the concierge, signed it without blinking. When Sage saw the number at the bottom, her stomach did a full somersault.
“Holy shit, Isabelle—”
“Don’t.” Isabelle’s voice was warm steel. “It’s a number on a screen. It doesn’t mean anything.” She handed the tablet back and turned, her eyes soft but final. “This is a gift. From me to the people I love. You’re allowed to just receive it.”
Sage swallowed hard. “I love you too,” she managed, her voice smaller than she wanted.
Isabelle had pulled her into a fierce hug right there in the lobby. “I know, babe. Now come on before I cry in this very nice lobby and embarrass us both.”
Back in the present, Isabelle smiled as she began to undress, looking at Sage and Annie. “What are you two waiting for? Get naked.”
Annie and Sage looked at each other. “Huh?”
“Strip,” Isabelle said, removing her top and reaching back to unhook her bra.
Sage bit her lip, glancing over at Mary Sue and Annie. Mary Sue just shrugged and started undressing. Annie gave Sage a look that clearly said, I will if you will.
“Izzy… So… This massage… How exactly— hey! What are you doing!?” Sage burst out laughing as Izzy suddenly grabbed the hem of her shirt and started pulling it upward.
“Sis… seriously… It’s a massage, not an orgy,” Sage tried to protest, but half-laughing as she lifted her arms anyway.
“I’ve read about orgies,” Mary Sue said matter-of-factly.
Everyone froze and stared at her. Annie blushed bright red and whispered, “Me too…”
Isabelle looked at both of them and then said “Okay, new rule…all books that have to do with orgies must be shared with the group from here on out.”
Annie and Mary Sue looked at each other and nodded like it was the most reasonable suggestion in the world.
Sage couldn’t help giggling. “Fine, fine, fine! I wasn’t exactly planning on stripping in front of all of you today.”
Izzy snorted as she shimmied out of her bra and jeans. “Don’t overthink it, sis.”
Annie took a breath and began to undress too. Sage looked down at herself, smiling softly, and slowly started removing her own clothes. As she bent to step out of her jeans, Annie’s eyes widened. “Wow, Sage! Those tattoos are amazing.”
Isabelle walked by naked and completely secure in herself. She raised her hand with a mischievous grin. “Sorry, sis, you keep making it easy—”
Smack.
A resounding slap filled the locker room. Isabelle froze mid-step, wincing.
