Shirley Valentine Goes to Vegas

by Michelle Betham

  ‘Okay.’ He shrugged, sticking his hands in his pockets. ‘I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but… You take care now, darlin’, you hear?’

  I nodded, giving him one more smile before I turned and started to walk away, bumping straight into Finn, who was quite obviously on his way to find me.

  ‘Where the hell have you been?’ he asked, taking a beer from me. ‘Thought you were brewing the stuff yourself… What?’

  I took a quick glance behind me, and Finn’s gaze followed mine.

  ‘What am I supposed to be looking at?’

  My eyes were still on Eddie as he disappeared back into the mass of people. ‘That guy over there. The one in the black-leather biker jacket… He’s pushing a hand through his hair now, look! Him.’

  Finn frowned. ‘Yeah? What about him?’

  I took a second or two to let that totally unexpected encounter sink in a little more before I spoke again. ‘He just asked me out.’

  ‘Fuck off!’ Finn laughed, his expression changing only when he saw mine. ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes, really.’

  ‘And what did you say?’

  ‘I said I couldn’t.’ I closed my eyes and threw back my head, letting out the longest groan. ‘Why did I say that?’

  ‘Beats me, kiddo.’

  I looked at him. ‘You’re no help.’

  ‘What do you want me to do? I can go check him out for you, if you like. You know, do the brotherly thing, find out if he’s got any dark secrets…’

  I threw Finn a look. ‘I just got a shock, you know? It was a bit of a surprise, that’s all. I mean, it’s not like it’s been an everyday occurrence for me, has it? Men asking me out.’

  ‘Only because you’ve shied away from any attention of that kind, Lana. Believe me, sis, there’s a queue of people back home all gagging to ask you out, but that look you give sometimes… it kind of warns them off. You do know you’re doing that, don’t you? It’s like a fucking death stare…’

  ‘I’d just walked out on Adam.’

  ‘That was a year ago, Lana.’

  ‘I’d just walked out on my life, and I’m still trying to get used to a new one. Relationships have been the last thing on my mind.’

  ‘And now?’

  ‘My divorce has just come through, Finn.’

  ‘And your point is?’

  I threw him yet another of my withering looks. ‘I turned him down, okay? Conversation over.’

  ‘Why –did you turn him down, I mean?’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Yes. Why?’

  It was a question I’d probably be asking myself for days to come, if I was honest. ‘Look, the ink isn’t even dry on my divorce papers…’

  ‘What’s that got to do with anything? Listen, Lana, it really is time to start living again. I know this year’s been tough on youand I know you’ve tried to move on, but you haven’t really made all that much progress, have you?’

  I stared at him with wide eyes, indicating my tattoos, my black-tipped hair; my skinny jeans and biker boots. ‘This isn’t progress?’

  ‘That’s all wrapping paper, kiddo. I’m talking about what’s going on inside.’

  ‘You’re very perceptive, all of a sudden.’

  He pulled a face, downing another mouthful of beer. ‘Why not take a chance now and again? That’s all I’m saying.’

  I looked back out into the crowd, even though I knew Eddie would be long gone and the slight pang of regret I’d felt since he’d walked away intensified. Why couldn’t I just have said yes? There’d been something about that manand not just the way he looked, all edgy and rough and, quite frankly, hotashell. There’d just been something about him… the way he’d looked at me. There was a connection there and I’d just severed it, dead. ‘Should I have accepted?’ I asked quietly, still staring out into the crowd, as though willing Eddie to reappear. Eddie Fletcher – the kind of Prince Charming who wouldn’t so much ride up on a white stallion, he’d be more likely to cruise up on a Harley, and I’d turned him down!

  Oh God! I’d said no! How could I have said no?! Lana, you idiot!

  Finn shrugged, his voice pulling me back to reality. ‘All I’m saying is, you’re trying to build this new life for yourself, right? And I can only do so much, you know? I mean, I’ve given you one hell of a kick-start…’

  I playfully nudged his arm. ‘Don’t sell yourself short or anything.’

  ‘I really am being serious now, Lana. Sometimes in life you’ve just got to take a risk. And this could have been one of those times.’

  I sighed. ‘I’m not looking for any kind of relationship, Finn, you know that.’

  ‘He asked you out, sis. He didn’t propose.’

  He put his arm around my shoulders again and I hugged his waist tight as we walked. ‘It just all feels a bit… I dunno. Odd. Surreal.’

  ‘Truthfully, did even the tiniest part of you want to say yes to him?’ Finn asked.

  ‘Yeah. It did. It really did.’

  ‘Then you should have gone with your gut, girl.’

  ‘I know,’ I sighed, because regret was kicking in big-time now.

  ‘I mean, what happened to that fun-loving, kick-ass woman you told me you were gonna become? I thought you were someone who was determined to take life by the balls and live it.’

  ‘I am. It’s just… it’s still hard for me, sometimes, to get my head around the fact that this is me now. You know what I was like before, and this – this is so different.’

  Finn flashed me a huge grin. ‘Yeah, but just remember how boring your life was before you started hanging out with me again.’

  I smiled at him, knowing he was kind of right. But my life hadn’t been that bad before. It just hadn’t been the life I’d wanted in the end. ‘Even if I was looking to start all that dating crap again, Finn, I’m not sure… Look, all of this is pointless. I said no, he’s gone, it’s over.’

  Finn gave my hand a little squeeze. ‘You’ve still got me.’

  ‘Yeah. I’ve still got you.’ I leant over to kiss his cheek. ‘And I’ve still got this weekend in Vegas.’

  But what kind of weekend could it have been? The chance to find out was gone now. I’d blown it. Whoever Eddie Fletcher was, I’d probably never see him again. And that was nobody’s fault but my own.

  Pulling the hem of my dress, which I still thought was a little too short, down over my thighs, I quickly looked around as I waited for the elevator to arrive. Black, strapless, and just about skimming my arse, I couldn’t deny I loved the way it made me feel, despite its slightly daring length. I’d teamed it with knee-high, black, spike-heeled boots, which made my legs look pretty much incredible, even if I did say so myself, and with my long blonde-and-black hair hanging in large, loose curls down my back, my make-up all dark eyes and pale lips, those tattoos I was so proud of all on show, I felt every inch the wannabe biker chick I’d always dreamt of becoming. I was slowly getting used to the fact that I could scrub up pretty well for a woman about to hit forty. I still had it, and I was damn well going to make sure I flaunted it, while I still could.

  Taking a quick peek in the full-length mirror on the wall beside the elevator, I studied my reflection carefully. The woman staring back at me was one I still wasn’t all that familiar with, but I was getting a little more used to her as each day passed. And a lot of that was down to Finn. He’d made me realise it wasn’t a crime to change, if that was what you needed to do. He’d given me a strength and a confidence I’d never had before, and I loved him so much for that. So much. Because, without him, I wasn’t sure I’d be where I was right now.

  As the elevator doors slowly slid open I pulled the hem of my dress down again, wiggling my hips slightly to help it on its way.

  ‘Whoa!’

  That voice, accompanied by a long, low whistle, made my head shoot up and I could have died of embarrassment as I saw him standing there, leaning back against the handrail. Eddie Fletcher. Bold as brass and twice as hot as I remembe
red him being a few hours ago. Shit! I wasn’t prepared for this. I mean, it was like all my prayers were being answered now, bumping into him again after I’d spent the entire afternoon berating myself for letting him go. But a little bit of warning would have been nice.

  ‘Looking good there, darlin’.’

  Jesus! That accent! I’d never found a Glaswegian accent sexy before. Never. But on this guy it was like honey dripping off a hot crumpet…

  What the hell was I talking about?

  I quickly brushed down my dress, shook out my hair, and walked into the elevator, displaying what I hoped was an air of confidence, which was more difficult than it should have been thanks to boots I wasn’t quite used to walking in yet.

  Leaning back against the rail beside him, I watched as the doors slid shut, neither of us saying anything for a second or two. But I was more than aware of my heart picking up a rhythm that was faster than I’d have liked it to be.

  ‘Where’re you heading?’ he asked, taking his hand out of his pocket and hovering his finger over the buttons on the wall to his left.

  ‘Ground floor.’ It was taking every ounce of strength I had to keep my voice steady. I hadn’t expected to see this man again, and yet, here we were, sharing an elevator. Just the two of us. Was I going to mess up a second time? I wasn’t planning on it.

  He pulled his hand away, shoving it back in his pocket. ‘Me too.’

  I took a sneaky sideways look at him. He wasn’t dressed all that differently to how he had been when I’d seen him earlier, still wearing those battered jeansand biker’s jacket, and those heavy black boots I found strangely sexy.

  As he took his left hand out of his pocket again, raking it through his hair, I tried to see if he was wearing a wedding ring, and then quickly turned away as I realised I was probably staring. Again.

  ‘I’ve never been married,’ he said, as though reading my mind, which made me squirm slightly. Was I that transparent? Still, at least that was one question answered. ‘Never felt the need.’

  I turned my head to look at him again, and he was smiling at me, a smile I really liked because it reached his eyes – those beautiful, dark eyes… I really had to get a grip here. I was in Las Vegas. This place didn’t exactly epitomise reality, and what was happening here, this wasn’t real. And even if the invitation to go out with him was still open, which I had yet to find out, in a few days’ time he’d be heading back to wherever he came from, and I’d be on my way back to England. That was the reality of the situation. So was it even worth me telling him I’d changed my mind? That I would, after all, like to go out with him? And what if he’d already found a woman more willing to take him up on his offer? It wouldn’t surprise me if he had.

  ‘What about you?’ he asked, his voice pulling me back to the here and now. ‘You never did answer my question earlier. When I asked if you had a boyfriend.’

  I dropped my gaze, his question making Adam and my past life come rushing back to the forefront of my mind – a place I’d wanted to try and keep both well away from.

  ‘I’m divorced,’ I replied, the words falling from my mouth before I could stop them, my eyes back on his. ‘Finalised a few days ago.’ He hadn’t really needed to know that. And I had no idea why I’d told him.

  It was his turn to lower his gaze, his hair falling down over his eyes as he dropped his head. Once more I felt the strangest feeling flood through me, something I couldn’t really explain, it just felt – I don’t know – like there was some invisible spark between us that kept firing off little shots of, well, it was like a heady mixture of excitement tinged with fear and… I was confusing myself now. It just felt – it felt nice. Really nice. Different.

  ‘I’m sorry.’ He looked back up, pushing his hair away from his face. ‘I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, I just… I guess I let my mouth run away with me, huh?’

  I smiled. I couldn’t help it. Once more he was just making me feel like smiling, and I wasn’t fighting that. ‘It’s okay. We’d been separated for a while and…’ I stopped talking, because this really was information he didn’t need to know. And I really didn’t want to talk about it.

  He returned my smile, his eyes looking right into mine, and all I wanted now was a drink. Something to calm the sudden nerves that had taken over, caused by the close proximity of this darkly attractive man. A man I wanted to get to know better, and I wasn’t going to lose this opportunity a second time.

  So when the elevator reached the ground floor, shuddering to a halt with a light thud, I almost willed him to ask me again; the same question he’d asked me this morning, because this time my answer would be yes. A huge, enthusiastic yes. Looking briefly down at my boots I waited for the doors to open, longing for him to ask that question, and wondering whether I should just make the first move myself before it was too late.

  But I didn’t get the chance, because all of a sudden the elevator started moving again…

  4

  My head shot back up and I stared at him. Mainly because I couldn’t quite work out what was happening.

  ‘Sorry, darlin’, but I’m not giving up without a fight.’

  I continued to stare at him. ‘Not giving up what?’ Feisty Lana was starting to emerge now. Which was good. I had a feeling I was going to need her.

  ‘You.’

  The way he said that, with that accent of his and that mean and moody look on his face, it was so sexy I actually felt my knees give the tiniest of wobbles. Or that could’ve been because I hadn’t eaten all that much since breakfast, which in a place like Vegas, with its wall-to-wall mega-buffets and endless restaurants, was quite a feat. But I preferred to believe it was because of Eddie.

  I gripped the rail behind me tightly as the elevator started to rise again. ‘Where are we going?’ Not that I cared. Not really. Anywhere would be good. I was just relieved I hadn’t messed up again, because there was something about Eddie Fletcher that was drawing me to him, more and more, with each second we spent together.

  ‘There’s a bar at the top of this hotel,’ he replied, his hands in his pockets, his eyes focused on the elevator doors as we continued to ascend. ‘You get an amazing view of Vegas from up there. And I think we could both do with a drink, don’t you?’

  He’d got that right. Those nerves still needed steadying.

  I looked down at my boots again, raising one leg up, resting my foot against the glass wall behind me. ‘I could call this kidnapping, you know.’ I slowly raised my head, my eyes meeting his, a slight smirk on my face.

  ‘You want to call security?’ He raised that eyebrow again, causing me to grip the rail even tighter, but at least I was managing to hold his gaze. Good. Feisty Lana was holding her own here.

  I shook my head, a slow smile starting to spread across my face. ‘No. You’re alright. I kind of trust you.’

  ‘Kind of?’ He still had that eyebrow arched.

  ‘Well, I still don’t know you, do I?’

  He smiled again. But thankfully he’d lowered the eyebrow now. ‘Stick around for a couple of hours, sweetheart, and you’ll know enough.’

  I wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that, but just trying to get my head around this whole scenario was exhausting enough without asking any more questions. I’d decided to just go with it now. See where the night took us.

  The elevator doors finally slid open and he held out his hand. And, like an idiot, I just stared at it, not really sure if I should take it. But that’s obviously what he wanted me to do, right?

  ‘I won’t bite,’ he said, that smile still there on his really quite handsome face, if you went for the rough, weathered, bearded look,which I did. Oh, I really, really did.

  I paused for just a second longer before tentatively slipping my hand into his, his fingers tightening around mine, and I took a small but deep breath as my stomach fluttered. ‘You okay there, darlin’?’

  I looked up at him, my eyes once more meeting his. No. This definitely wasn’t a drea
m. He was very, very real. The fact he was squeezing my hand was telling me just how real he was.

  ‘I’m fine. I’m just… It’s been a while, that’s all. Since I’ve done this.’

  ‘Done what? Embarked on a night out with a stranger?’ He’d raised that eyebrow. Again. And my stomach acted accordingly.

  ‘How do I know you don’t make a habit of this?’ I asked, not realising I’d just voiced my thoughts out loud until I heard the words. Still, I couldn’t take them back now, could I? ‘I mean, you could pick up different women on a regular basis for all I know.’ I figured I might as well get it all off my chest, because it was something I’d been wondering.

  He threw me another smile. ‘Come on. Let’s get that drink.’ He didn’t even attempt to answer my question, but what the hell. I wasn’t going to push it.

  I clung onto his hand as he led me through some wide double doors into the busy bar, a space that seemed to go on forever – but the view! He hadn’t been wrong about that. The walls surrounding a huge, circular counter in the centre of the room seemed to be made of nothing but pure glass, meaning that everywhere you looked you could see the lights of Las Vegas down below, the city spread out like a colourful blanket. I gasped as I tried to take it all in.What a view! It was utterly mesmerising.

  ‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’ He turned to look at me. ‘Just like you, Lana.’

  Jesus Christ!I wanted him to say my name over and over again, just keep saying it, because he was making it sound like the sexiest thing in the world right now.

  ‘Beer!’ It was a statement rather than a question, as if he’d known me for ever.

  Okay. One word and the mood could change in an instant, but… Did he know me that well already? All that stuff about fate – maybe he was right. ‘Yes. Please.’ I was grateful for the lovely, comfy couch behind me to sink into as his hand slowly slipped out of mine.

  ‘I’ll be right back,’ he said, his expression suddenly turning serious. ‘Don’t go anywhere. Okay?’