The Gamble

by Alice Ward

  CHAPTER TEN

  Dani

  You two are fucking married.

  The words rang in my head even as the three of us sat in the bedroom laughing for what felt like hours. My stomach ached from the effort, and my head was pounding worse than ever, but I ignored all of that. The only thing I couldn’t ignore was my confusion. I was still unsure about how everything went down. Talen and I were married. Married. And I barely remembered any of the ceremony, if there even was a ceremony.

  After our laughter subsided, I squeezed my eyes closed and tried to focus. I thought about the previous night’s events. Madison dragged me to Vegas with her, and suddenly, it was Saturday night, and I was in a strip club. I remembered the bartender pouring me countless drinks, and I even remembered Talen joining me at the bar. I concentrated hard, but nothing else was clear. I knew Talen and I kissed at the strip club, but that was it. Everything else was a void of blackness. I remembered nothing but the tiny glimpses that I longed to forget.

  My anger came back hard and fast. I no longer felt the desire to laugh or even smile. I just wanted this nightmare to end. I wanted to go back to sleep and wake up in my own bed. I wished my entire adventure in Vegas had been a dream. Anger coursed through my veins as I looked back at Brandon and Talen. They were staring at each other, communicating silently the way Madison and I did.

  “This is a disaster,” I said.

  Brandon shrugged. “It’s not that bad.”

  “Not that bad?” I half yelled then pressed my fingers to my temples. “That’s easy for you to say. You aren’t the one wearing a wedding ring!” And when I tried to rip the damn thing off my finger, it wouldn’t budge. “Shit!”

  Brandon rolled his eyes. “Look. You guys can just get the marriage annulled, okay?”

  “We can?” Talen asked, then brightened. “We can.”

  “Of course, you can,” Brandon laughed. “Do you really think you’re the first two people to ever get married in Vegas? Come on. This happens. Just go get it annulled and put it behind you. Go today.”

  “It’s Sunday.” I was instantly annoyed with Brandon. He was standing there in his ridiculous Elvis costume, and I just wanted him to leave. Or, at the very least, shut up.

  “It’s Saturday,” Talen corrected with a frown. I looked at him blankly. Was he kidding?

  “He’s right,” Brandon said. “We came to Vegas yesterday, which was Friday, so today is—”

  “Sunday.” I searched for my phone and found it on the nightstand. I opened the calendar app and threw my phone at Talen. He looked at it and frowned.

  “Holy shit,” he said. “How did we forget an entire day?”

  “I guess you guys were drunker than you thought,” I snapped. “But that doesn’t really matter now, does it? What matters is that it’s Sunday, and we can’t get an annulment today. So, what are we going to do?”

  I felt panicked. In my entire life, I’d never done anything so stupid. I wasn’t perfect, and there were times when I even acted crazy, but getting married in Vegas was something different. I never imagined I would find myself in this situation. Here I was, sitting on a hotel room bed with two total strangers staring at me. One of which was my husband. Husband.

  Just thinking the word made me want to throw up. I was livid, both with myself and with my husband.

  “Maybe we should talk alone,” Talen said softly. “Dani?”

  I looked at him. His eyes bored into mine, and I could see the fear in them. I was terrified, but so was he. It wasn’t fair of me to blame him for everything. We were both drunk. We were both responsible for what happened. I sighed and nodded slowly. He was right. We needed to talk.

  “Let’s get freshened up and go get something to eat,” he suggested.

  “I ordered room service,” Brandon reminded us.

  “You can eat it,” Talen snapped. “Dani and I need to talk.”

  “Okay.” Brandon held up his hands in surrender and left the room. I watched him go, happy to see the back of him. Every word that came out of his mouth pissed me off.

  I pushed my hair back from my face. “I’m going to shower.” Even though I didn’t have any fresh clothes to change into, getting the smell of alcohol off me had to help.

  “Okay.” Talen nodded. “I’ll get dressed and wait for you.”

  I hurried into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. Wasting no time, I undressed and jumped into the shower, trying to wash off the stink of the night.

  ***

  Downstairs, Talen and I sat down for lunch. We hadn’t realized how late it was when we woke up but breakfast was long over. Our meal was awkward, but we tried to make small talk. I remembered very little, and Talen remembered even less. Part of me was angry with him, but another part felt bad. He’d clearly had a rough weekend, and our marriage wasn’t entirely his fault. Still, I wished he remembered at least some detail from the previous night. Instead, he only remembered my name.

  “I know,” Talen said. “I should remember more, but I—”

  “It’s fine. It’s not like I remember much either.”

  “I can’t believe any of this happened,” Talen said softly, sounding like a record on repeat.

  “Me neither.” I took a sip of my coffee and tried to think of something else to say. “I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah,” Talen said. I expected him to apologize too, but he didn’t. He just stared down at his plate of food with a blank expression. I could tell he was thinking about something, but I didn’t know how to ask him what it was. After all, we barely knew each other.

  “I remember meeting you at the strip club where my friend Madison works.”

  “Right.” Talen nodded. “I went there with Brandon.”

  “And I guess we all left together,” I said. “Though the only thing I remember after that is being in the chapel when Brandon bought the Elvis suit off that minister.”

  “I wish we knew more, but I guess it doesn’t matter now.” Talen shrugged. “It’s over.”

  I sighed. “You’re right.”

  We fell silent again, each of us picking at our food. I wasn’t hungry, but I knew I needed to eat. My stomach was still weak from the alcohol, and food would help. Still, I had to force it down my throat a bit, and it didn’t leave much time for talking. From the look on Talen’s face, he felt the same way. He grimaced each time his fork hit his lips.

  “God, I hate hangovers,” I groaned.

  “Me too,” Talen agreed. “I think this is my worst.”

  “Mine too. Easily.”

  Talen smiled at me, and I smiled back. His blue eyes looked darker this morning, but I didn’t know if that was just the light. As I stared at them, I remembered kissing him the night before. The memory hit me hard in the chest, and suddenly, I could almost feel his lips on mine. I even tasted the tequila on his tongue, and it made my stomach churn again. It felt so real that I wanted to kiss him again.

  As we looked at each other, I wondered if he was thinking the same thing. He was even more attractive in the daylight. His black hair wasn’t styled anymore. It hung limp on top of his head, but it still looked nice. It complemented his eyes. I cleared my throat and looked away. I didn’t want him to know what I was thinking.

  “Your father…” Why had that suddenly sprung to mind? “Did you say something about him last night?”

  “What?” Talen asked, a dark expression crossing his face.

  “Yeah, I remember now. You were talking about your dad and how much you hated him. Or something like that. You were really angry with him. Right?”

  Talen didn’t speak. He stared at me in disbelief, and I watched while his expression became more and more enraged. In a second, his face was red, and his eyes were dark. He glared at his plate, and I slowly leaned back. I didn’t know what was making him so upset. My confusion was worse than ever.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just remembered it, that’s all.”

  “We need to take care of this,” he
said bluntly. “Immediately.”

  My heart began to beat faster. “What?”

  “This,” he said, waving his hand in the space between us. “Our marriage. First thing tomorrow morning, we need to end it.”

  “Okay.” I agreed with him, but I didn’t understand his anger. “I don’t have a problem with that.”

  “I mean it,” he snapped. “You aren’t leaving here until we get divorced. Is that understood?”

  I glared back at him now. Who did he think he was? He didn’t have the right to lay down orders and expect me to follow them. I felt the lava of anger boil to the surface, and my hangover didn’t help.

  “Look,” I said. “I want this over as much as you do, okay? You don’t have to be an ass.”

  “I’m not being an ass,” he barked. “I just don’t want to be married to you.”

  I threw my napkin down. “And you think I do?” I scoffed. “Come on. This is a nightmare for both of us.”

  He groaned and rubbed his face with both hands. “No. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Then why don’t you explain yourself?”

  He shook his head and stood up. Reaching into his pocket, he threw money onto the table and took a few steps away.

  “I’ll book you a room for the night. Charge any food you want and some clothes from the shop to the room. Toiletries. Whatever you need. I’ll take care of it.”

  “But…” I licked my lips. “I don’t even know your name.”

  He sighed and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. With a deep exhale, he pulled out his wallet and tossed his business card onto the table. “Talen Gaston. That’s how I’ll book the room. And seriously, get anything you need.” He looked so sad, and I wanted to reach for him. “See you tomorrow.”

  He walked away, and I watched him go in surprise. All I did was mention his father, and he’d changed so suddenly. I didn’t know why, and at that moment, I didn’t care. I just wanted this all over so I wouldn’t have to see him again.

  I sat at the table for a long time, not wanting to bump into him at the reception desk. The last thing I wanted to do was follow Talen’s orders, but I knew he was right. If we were going to get our marriage annulled, then we would have to do it in the morning and I couldn’t afford a room in this type of hotel on my own. I could drive to my apartment, but I didn’t want to do that either.

  Sleep. Maybe a long bath. Then more sleep.

  Talen had secured me a room just like he’d promised, and I stopped by the gift shop for only the things I absolutely needed. And as hot water ran in the tub, I vowed not to think about my husband until the next morning.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Talen

  I didn’t sleep at all that night. My mind was racing. All I could think about was how stupid I’d been. Not only did I let Brandon drag me to Vegas and get wasted, but I married a strange woman. The worst part wasn’t even the marriage. It was the deep sense of failure sinking into my stomach. Even when I rebelled against him, somehow, my father still got exactly what he wanted. He demanded that I get married within the next month, and boom, I did.

  As the sun rose, I gave up on sleep. I climbed out of bed and slowly made my way into the bathroom. I showered, brushed my teeth, and got dressed. It was far too early for Dani to be awake, but I couldn’t stay in that room for another second. I needed to move, to do something other than dwell on my predicament. Once I was ready, I strode into the living room, where I found Brandon passed out on the floor. He was right next to the front door, so I’d have to step over him to leave. I sighed and bent down, slapping him on the forehead.

  Brandon jerked awake violently. I stepped back to let him get accustomed to the light. He squinted at me and then groaned, rolling around on the floor.

  “You look like hell,” I grumbled.

  “I’ll be fine,” he said, slowly pushing himself to his feet. “I’ve had worse.”

  “Haven’t we all.”

  “Man, you should have been there last night,” Brandon said as he flopped onto the couch. “It was crazy, but in a good way. No one got married, so that’s a plus.”

  “Shut up,” I groaned. “You know I couldn’t go out last night.”

  “Hey, it might have taken your mind off everything.”

  I looked down at my hand, at the ring I’d yet to take off for some damn reason. “Not likely.”

  “Did you get any sleep?” Brandon asked.

  I shook my head. “No. I’m heading down to the lobby to meet Dani. We’re getting the annulment today.”

  Brandon nodded but didn’t say anything. He watched me closely with narrowed eyes. He looked like he wanted to say something but was unsure if he should. “I have an idea,” he finally said. I was immediately worried. Brandon’s ideas were never good. “Just hear me out.”

  “I’m right in the middle of fixing all the problems from your last idea,” I reminded him. “Remember? I wouldn’t even be in Vegas right now if it wasn’t for you.”

  “Oh, don’t blame me for your poor decisions,” Brandon defended.

  “I’m not, but—”

  “Will you just listen?” Brandon asked, frustrated.

  “Fine.” I folded my arms over my chest and waited for him to continue.

  “Well,” he began. “I was just thinking that getting an annulment may not be your best option.”

  I wasn’t sure I’d heard him right. “How?”

  “This marriage could be your answer. Think about it. Your dad wants you to be married when the investors arrive, right? Well, man, you’re already married! Check that fucking box.”

  “Married to a woman I don’t know,” I reminded him. “A woman who doesn’t want to stay married to me.”

  “But you can convince her.” Brandon pretended to shell out dollars from his hand. “Just offer her money or something. She’ll totally be up for it.”

  “That’s insane,” I scoffed. “There’s no way I’m doing that.”

  “Why not?” Brandon demanded. “This is your golden ticket, Talen. This is the way you get your father off your back.”

  I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. My first instinct was to walk out without so much as entertaining Brandon’s idea. Then, I stopped myself. He wasn’t entirely wrong. If by some miracle, I managed to convince Dani to stay married to me, my father would be pleased. He would get off my back, and I wouldn’t have to worry about being cut out of the business. As crazy as it was, Brandon’s plan was good. Still, I couldn’t help but feel guilty for even considering it.

  “I can’t do that to her,” I said with a shake of my head. “Dani seems like a nice person. How can I use her that way?”

  “It would only be for what, a month?” Brandon asked. “That’s nothing. Besides, you could pay her enough money to make anything worth her while.”

  “Not everyone caves for money,” I said.

  He rolled his eyes. “Most people do. All you can do is ask her.”

  Why was I even considering this? “That’s true.”

  “And if she says no, you can always threaten her. Just say you won’t give her an annulment. You’ll make her take you to court.”

  “No.” I pointed a finger at him. “I can’t do that.”

  “Okay, fine,” Brandon said. “I’m just saying, court proceedings would take a month anyway. So, either way, you’d be married for the perfect amount of time.”

  “I don’t think the investors would be impressed with a snarling wife at my side.”

  He threw up his hands. “Then make her happy, dipshit. Turn on that Gaston charm. Wine her. Dine her. Shell out some dough. Presto chango, she’s smiling and batting her lashes at you.”

  Again, he wasn’t wrong. I hated to admit, even to myself, that Brandon’s logic made perfect sense to me. As I turned to leave the penthouse, I let my mind run through all my options. I could either give Dani the annulment that we both wanted, or I could coerce her into staying married for a few weeks. Just a
few weeks.

  My declining morals argued with my sense of self-preservation the entire way down to the lobby. When I arrived in the main waiting area, I looked around for Dani. She wasn’t there, but I wasn’t surprised. It was still early. I sat down to wait for her.

  The minutes ticked by slowly, and I couldn’t help but formulate a plan. I never consciously decided to follow Brandon’s advice, but somehow, that’s exactly what I was going to do. When Dani came into the lobby, I planned to invite her to breakfast and offer her a deal. If she didn’t like it, I would give her the annulment. I refused to threaten her. That just wasn’t my style. Despite Brandon’s insistence, I didn’t want to be a total dick to Dani. She didn’t deserve that.

  “Morning.”

  I jumped up quickly and offered her a smile. “Hey!” She looked taken aback by my pleasant greeting. She didn’t smile back. But she was still lovely. Even though she clearly hadn’t slept any more than I had, something about her was so attractive.

  “Well, we should get going,” she said, gesturing toward the door.

  “Why don’t we get some breakfast first?” I asked, looking at the restaurant behind us.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Oh, come on,” I pushed. “It’s the least I can do after everything.”

  Dani thought about it for a second before she shrugged. I led the way to the hotel’s restaurant, and we were seated immediately. It was still early, and no one was up yet. Dani and I ordered breakfast and sat in silence until it arrived. I wanted to talk to her, but I didn’t know how to begin. The longer we sat there, the crazier my plan began to feel. Still, I knew I had to try.

  Taking a sip of my coffee, I prepared myself for the worst. I cleared my throat and set my mug down. My food was in front of me, but I hadn’t touched it. Dani was eating silently, not looking at me.

  “Listen,” I said softly. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”