I抦 still not sure why she wanted to come to Vegas other than maybe the shows and dancing, but we could抳e done basically the same thing in Manhattan. Sometimes it gives me a headache trying to get inside her brain.
The music changes and I抦 not feeling the song, so I head back to the bar, careful to let the girls know where I抦 going first. Stranger danger is a real thing no matter how old you are梐t least if you抮e female. I don抰 think men really have to worry about that kind of thing. At least not the way we do.
I order my drink and wait, leaning against the bar.
揌ey,?a deep voice says to my right.
I turn, making eye contact with a hot guy. He抯 probably a few years younger than me, maybe twenty-two, with closely cropped brown hair and striking green eyes. With sharp cheekbones he looks like he could be a model.
揌i,?I say, practically yelling to be heard above the music.
揑抦 Dylan,?he says.
揝alem.?
揝alem,?he repeats, licking his lips. He looks me over, standing there in my silky orange dress. It covers more than probably anyone else抯 dress in this club, only showing a hint of cleavage and ending right at my knees. But the way he抯 looking at me makes me think I抦 very much naked in his eyes. 揕ike the Salem Witch Trials??
揟he very one.?I slide some cash to the bartender, taking my drink.
揑 was going to pay for your drink,?Dylan says with a pout.
揟hat抯 okay. I抦 taken.?I hold up my ring finger.
His smile grows, and he looks a tad high on something. I probably don抰 want to know what.
揑 don抰 care. We can still have fun. Your man doesn抰 have to know.?
揟hat抯 okay.?
揙h, come on,?he grabs my wrist, 揹on抰 leave so soon.?
揑抦 okay, really.?I try to move away but his hold tightens. 揕et go.?
揊uck you.?He releases me, moving on to another woman to annoy.
Rolling my eyes, I carry my drink back to the section where a few of the girls are sitting. Lauren is still out on the dancefloor along with Kelsey.
Sabrina eyes my drink. 揙oh, what抯 that? It looks yummy.?
揑 honestly don抰 know,?I admit, stirring my drink up. 揑 just picked something random.?
She stands, tugging down her dress. 揑抦 going to go get another. Be right back.?
I sip happily at my drink, but my mood is soured when Sabrina returns with Dylan.
揟his is Dylan,?she introduces him to us. 揥e抮e going to dance. Do you mind holding this for me??She doesn抰 wait for a response, just shoves the drink at me. I don抰 complain, because I plan on staying right here anyway.
Dylan winks at me before she pulls him into the crowd. I flash my engagement ring again. I can抰 believe this dude actually thinks I care.
Checking my phone, I frown when I see nothing from Thayer.
I shouldn抰 text him, besides it抯 probably like ?I try to do the math in my head of what time it is back home. I can抰 seem to figure it out, so I text anyway.
Me: I miff zoo
Me: Huh
Me: Mizz too
Me: I MISS YOU
Me: R u tripping?
Me: Stripping?
Me: Zipping?
Me: Sleeping?
My phone rings in my hand and I jump like I抳e been scalded. Thayer抯 name lights up in the glow of the screen like a beacon.
揌i,?I answer.
揂re you drunk??He doesn抰 sound accusatory, only amused.
揧es,?I hiccup. 揑 started my period tonight, so I抦 definitely not pregnant. I didn抰 drink at all yesterday, just in case.?My lower lip trembles with the threat of tears. 揑 had to tell Lauren we抮e trying. I didn抰 have tampons, so I had to borrow some and I棓
揝unshine,?he says tenderly, and just with that one word I feel like I抳e been enveloped in a blanket of warmth. 揥here are you??
揤egas.?
He chuckles in amusement. 揑 know. But what club??
揢h ?hang on.?I look at my texts from Lauren, scrolling back to where she mentioned what club we were going to tonight. I take a screenshot and send it to Thayer. 揟hat one.?
揑抦 coming to get you. Stay put.?
揌ow? You抮e in Massahootest. No, that抯 not right,?I mumble to myself. 揇amn, these drinks are strong.?
揓ust promise you抣l stay there.?
揑 don抰 know. I really have to pee.?
揧ou can go pee, Salem,?he sounds like he抯 trying not to laugh. 揑 only meant don抰 leave the club.?
揙h. I got it. I won抰 leave, promise.?
The call ends and I stare down at the screen. But wait, how is he supposed to get me if he抯 not even here?
I shake my head and go to find Lauren or at least one of the girls and let them know I抦 going to pee. Elizabeth is quick to join me.
The bathrooms are packed, and we have to wait in line to finally make it to a stall. Thankfully I remembered to put some tampons in my clutch. I need to run by a drug store and get more before we go back to the hotel.
When I leave the restroom I run face first into a wall梬ell not a wall, but a person. For a moment I panic, thinking it抯 Dylan or another creep, but then the familiar scent of wood and pine and all things manly invades my senses.
I look up, up, up into Thayer抯 face. I drunkenly touch the heavy scruff on his cheeks.
揗y lumberjack.?His lips quirk. 揑 must be dreaming. What a weird dream, though.?I look around at the club.
揧ou抮e not dreaming, Sunshine.?
揧ou抮e really here? In Vegas??
揑 am.?
揥hy??I ask, stunned.
揑 thought you might need me.?My jaw slackens. This man got on a plane and came to Vegas this weekend just in case I needed him? He must think because I抦 silent that I抦 mad, so he hastens to add, 揑 wasn抰 going to just show up and crash your weekend. If you were fine, I was going to be back in Massachusetts before you even left tomorrow, but I棓
Standing on my tiptoes I grab the back of his head and pull his mouth down to mine. He doesn抰 seem to care that I taste like alcohol. He kisses me back, his hands on my hips, pulling me impossibly closer.
揑 love you,?I murmur.
I say it because I mean it, I say it because I can. Our love is no secret anymore. It抯 the most beautiful thing and deserves to be celebrated.
When I finally stop kissing him, my cheeks redden in embarrassment when I find that Elizabeth has joined us from the restrooms. 揥ho抯 this??she asks in amusement.
揙h, um, Elizabeth this is my Thayer. My boyfriend. My fianc? Yeah, that one. Thayer, this is Elizabeth. She抯 Anthony抯 sister.?
He knows all about Anthony now and has been looking forward to meeting him at the wedding.
揑t抯 nice to meet you.?Thayer holds out his hand to Elizabeth.
揕ikewise.?She gives me a look that says she thinks I picked a good one. I can抰 help but laugh. Thayer抯 oblivious to the effect he has on women. He turns us all to mush.
We make our way through the club, finding the other girls, and I let them know I抦 going back to the hotel with Thayer.
Lauren sends a smirk my way like she knows exactly what抯 about to go down. I roll my eyes. I抦 on my period, in case she hasn抰 forgotten. I抳e never had sex on my period, and I doubt tonight will be any different
揑f I had known our guys were invited, I would抳e told Anthony to tag along,?she jokes, sipping on a pink-hued beverage.
揢gh, no, I don抰 care if you抮e marrying him, my brother would rain on my parade.?
揧eah, sorry about this,?Thayer says sheepishly. 揑 just棓
揋o on.?She waves us away. 揌ave a good night. I抦 going to call it quits soon anyway. I can抰 party like I used to. I like my sleep too much.?
I give her a quick hug goodbye and let Thayer guide me through the throng of people to the exit.