Tempt Me, Taste Me, Touch Me

Carrie's big engagement drama had been the main focus during the drive to Napa, and Rose had been perfectly happy to let her breakup with Elliot-the jerk-fade into the background. It had been so embarrassing. So humiliating. She hadn't wanted to confess that she'd almost canceled on Carrie and Vanessa to go to a monster truck rally with Elliot instead. She hadn't wanted to admit that she'd apologized to him for having other plans and had planned to surprise him Sunday night with his favorite meal of fried chicken, gravy, and mashed potatoes, even though her hips couldn't afford more than a bite of it.

Because although Carrie and Vanessa now knew that Elliot had dumped her on Thursday night, she'd left out some details. Like how he'd dropped by her apartment Friday morning to pick up a shirt he'd "forgotten about" with an emaciated blond on his arm. Rose cringed at the memory of how she'd stood there in her doorway, her coffee sloshing in her shaking hands, as the two of them had pushed past her. Like she didn't count.

A bolt of pain hit her square in the gut, and she reached into her purse for a roll of Turns. She popped one into her mouth, and as she chewed she chastised herself for being such a wimp that she hadn't kicked Elliot and his teenage Barbie out.

Vanessa had called Elliot a "boring, balding loser with a roving eye:' But Rose felt like the biggest loser of all, because she was the one dating the losers, wasn't she? And then she couldn't hold on to them. Nobody would ever think that a short, round accountant was exciting.

Vanessa turned from the check-in desk and waved her room key at Rose and Carrie. "I'll see you both at the pool in five." Although lying on a chaise lounge next to her slim friend was the last thing Rose's ego needed, the allure of the sun on her skin was too much to resist. Maybe she'd take a little nap and finally catch up on the sleep she'd lost Thursday night when Elliot left.

Thinking about being dumped made her crave something fatty and sweet, like cinnamon buns. Which was exactly why she was going to stick to the low-calorie spa menu for the next three days. This weekend was all about detox. From bad food. And worse men.

She felt more pure, more virtuous, already.

Carrie finished checking in and turned to her, saying, "I'm feeling restless after the long drive. You don't mind if I go out for a walk and meet up with you two later, do you?"

Rose instantly felt selfish for wasting so much energy feeling sorry for herself when Carrie was hurting over her situation with

James. Wonderful, brilliant, gorgeous Carrie could have had any man she wanted. Too bad she'd chosen one who'd been more interested in how she looked on his arm than what was in Carrie's heart and mind. Rose pulled her friend into a warm hug. At the very least, her softness was good for offering comfort. "Take all the time you need;' she said. "I'm sorry about how things turned out with James."

"It's okay. I'm okay;' Carrie insisted. But Rose could see the

sheen of tears in her friend's eyes. "I'll meet up with you both in a bit. And I promise I'll be all smiles;' Carrie said, moving quickly toward her room.

Rose's top priority this weekend was to boost Carrie's spirits.

Which wouldn't leave her any time to feel sorry for herself.

She stepped up to the counter to check in. "Hello. I'm Rose Morgan. I've reserved a nonsmoking queen for the weekend:' The woman's face lit up. "How wonderful to meet you, Ms. Morgan. And congratulations! You're our grand-prize winner for the weekend "I won something?" she asked, pleasantly stunned by the unexpected news.

"Private lessons with Jack Gerard At Rose's blank stare, the woman said, "He's one of the top new chefs in Napa The woman fanned herself and leaned forward to whisper, "Not only is his food to die for, but he's gorgeous. What I wouldn't give to be alone in a kitchen with that hunk."

Food? With a hunky chef? The very last thing she needed was cooking lessons. Clearly, the Universe was out to get her.

The woman mistook Rose's horrified expression for confusion, hurrying to explain, "The Napa Valley Visitors Bureau automatically entered every hotel guest checking in throughout the valley this afternoon into the drawing. I know you're going to have a fabulous time. Spending an entire weekend with Jack Gerard and eating his food. It's truly a dream weekend:' The woman winked. "He's the hottest bachelor in the valley, if you ask me."

Pasting a smile on her face as the woman quickly typed something into her computer, Rose said, "Thank you so much, but I really can't accept the prize. I'm here for a weekend with my girlfriends, and we've got a lot to catch up on. Would it be possible to swap the cooking lessons for a session with one of your personal trainers?"

The woman frowned and looked at her computer. "I just sent the Visitors Bureau an email telling them that you'll be meeting Jack at his restaurant in thirty minutes to arrange your lessons. It's all set:' Rose opened her mouth to say, "Send another email saying there was a mistake," but the words sounded horribly rude in her head. For the rest of the weekend the staff would probably gossip about the ungrateful and bitchy frumpy woman with the gorgeous friends from San Francisco. They'd spit in her soup. and give her wet towels by the pool. It really wasn't fair that the one time she won a prize it was something she absolutely couldn't indulge in.

She pasted a wide smile across her lips. "Well, urn, this is great.

Thanks. Wow." Now she was going to have to meet with the chef and somehow grow enough of a spine to turn him down in person. At his restaurant.

"Gerard's is one block down, on your right. You can't miss it.

There will be plenty of people waiting out front tonight, vying for one of his coveted tables:' Rose nodded and turned away from the counter, dragging her bag behind her. She was going to have a quick drink of no-calorie seltzer water with the chef and then she'd politely decline the prize. In all likelihood, turning him down would be far easier than saying no to the perky woman behind the front desk. She probably wouldn't get a chance to finish her seltzer water before he escorted her out the door so that he could go have wild sex with a size-two tourist. He'd probably thank her for canceling. She slipped the key card into her door and walked inside the luxurious room, but before the door latched shut behind her, \ Vanessa breezed in wearing a tiny white bikini that left nothing to the imagination.

"Ready to head out to the pool!" "I can't:'

Vanessa shook her head. "One complaint about appearing in public in a bathing suit and I'll smack you. I don't care what that idiot you were dating said, you've got the curves of an old-school pinup. Besides, once we get enough of these into you;' Vanessa said as she held up a freshly topped up glass of bubbly, "you'll forget all about him