by Rosanna Leo
By the time she’d lost twenty dollars, she was annoyed. Rather than waste any more of her hard-earned cash, she abandoned her machine. She texted Bea and let her know she was going for a short walk and then did her best to find one of the casino exits. It wasn’t easy because the place meandered, discouraging gamblers from leaving.
She spied an open doorway in the distance. Two huge displays of lilies and greenery indicated a shift in energy as the intensity of the casino gave way to something more ethereal.
“That looks more my speed.”
As she walked toward it, a sign became visible. It said, “Paradise Chapel.”
Dana paused.
So this was where couples came to get married at Vice. She’d never seen the chapel in person before, only in online photos.
A new throb began taunting her above her right temple. It was probably just the lights in the casino playing havoc with her eyes again. It had been a few hours since she glimpsed anything resembling natural sunlight, and she knew for a fact those slushies were still messing with her system.
When she tasted bile, she knew it wasn’t just the slushies coming back to haunt her.
Memories of Tommy intruded, specifically of the night he asked her to marry him. She’d known something was up from the start. He was a terrible actor and had been sweating. He’d taken care to dress in his best suit, the one he only hauled out for weddings and funerals. He’d brought her flowers too. When he’d begun to suffer palpitations over their appetizers, she’d known. She remembered feeling such excitement and had done her best to contain herself so he could have his moment.
The more she thought about their engagement, the more her head hurt. Pulsing with a beat that refused to be ignored, it seemed to have a voice.
Tom-my. Tom-my. Tom-my.
She rummaged in her purse, hoping she had a bottle of Tylenol in there. Unfortunately, the only things she found were her wallet, a wad of unused tissues, three shades of lipstick, a Minnie Mouse pen sent to her in a Walt Disney World tour operator press kit, and a few Band-Aids in case she got blisters from walking the Strip.
Tom-my.
She gritted her teeth. “You’re better than this. Mind over matter.”
Despite the increasing pain in her head, she wandered toward the chapel.
The hallway leading to it was long and quiet, taking her far away from the constant thrum of energy in the casino. The purple color scheme of the casino lightened, transforming into soft neutrals and pale flocked wallpaper. Enlarged photos decorated the corridor. Some were close-ups of diamond rings. Others focused in on clasped hands or intricate pieces of lace. Huge bouquets of flowers stood sentry every few feet. There wasn’t a single wilted bloom among them. She couldn’t imagine how much it cost to keep the arrangements looking fresh.
Alex must have a battalion of florists at the ready.
She hadn’t even entered the chapel yet but the atmosphere was peaceful and soothing, very nice as far as Vegas wedding locations went. No cheesy photos of Elvis here.
If only its tranquility had an effect on the tumult in her head.
Figuring a few minutes in a quiet chapel would help her feel better, Dana passed through the open door.
Alex stood at the top of the aisle with a woman.
What the hell? Everywhere she went, she ran into the man.
She couldn’t face him now, not after what happened yesterday.
She turned, hoping he hadn’t seen her. At the same time, she couldn’t help being curious about his female companion. A beautiful Latina, she was well-dressed, held herself high and had an amazing head of black hair.
No doubt she was fertile too.
Stop it, just stop it. Keep moving.
“Dana.”
She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around. “Hi, Alex. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything. I was just snooping.”
“Snoop away.” He headed toward her, fire in his eyes. “It’s nice to see you. Are you having a good day?”
“Yeah. I just tried my hand at one of your slot machines. The machine won.”
“I’ll let you in on a secret.” He leaned in and whispered, winking. “They usually do.”
His pleasing scent teased. It wasn’t overpowering like some men’s colognes. With herbal undertones, it reminded her of the scents men wore in the old days.
“How was your evening?”
“Oh, that. It was fine. At least, what I remember was fine.”
Gentle creases formed at the outer corners of his eyes. “And how are you feeling today?”
“A little sick. And mortified.”
“Don’t be. We’ve all been there. Come. Let me introduce you to someone.”
He put his hand on the small of her back and walked her down the aisle, in a weird parody of the wedding march she would never have with Tommy.
Only it was hard to think of Tommy with Alex’s hand on her back. Heat shot into her body and into all her extremities. All from one innocent touch.
If he put his mind to it, he was likely capable of incinerating a woman.
As they marched down the aisle, for one crazy moment, she thought of her aborted wedding plans.
She would have carried roses, scarlet roses, and she would have worn a stark white gown…
Yeah, you need to throw that fantasy into the trash.
“Dana Hamill.” Alex gestured to the other woman. “This is Marissa Flores. She’s head of design here at Vice. She’s the brains behind Covet. I’ve asked her to give our wedding chapel a makeover.”
“Nice to meet you.” Marissa shook Dana’s hand.
“Likewise. I wouldn’t have thought the chapel needed a makeover. It looks brand new.”
“In this line of work,” said Alex, “not only do we have to keep up with trends, we have to invent new ones. Weddings are a huge part of our business.”
“Of course.” Even though Dana dealt with business travel in her work, she was just as familiar with the numbers when it came to leisure travel.
“Marissa wanted my opinion on color schemes but if she left it up to me, I’d probably just paint everything builder’s white.”
“Alex, you’ve never given yourself enough credit. You have a great head for design.” Marissa laughed and touched his arm.
The brief contact made Dana bristle.
They seemed to know each other well. She never touched any of her co-workers like that.
Alex and Marissa clearly had history but what kind?
Really? Girl, you’re too messed up to be jealous of this woman.
“Can I ask your opinion on the paint and fabric swatches?” asked Alex. “Marissa has already made recommendations, but I could use a second opinion before I sign on the dotted line.”
“Sure.”
Marissa spread out a number of coordinated swatches. Some featured bright, eye-catching colors but Dana’s eye went straight to the more classic, muted shades. They were all laid out on a small table.
“What do you think?” Alex’s hand made contact with her lower back again.
Dana edged away from him. She couldn’t think with his fingers anywhere near her skin.
He cleared his throat and put his hands behind his back.
“I, uh, I like this grey and lavender palette. It feels modern but also retro. The colors blend well with some of the other shades around the hotel.”
“My thoughts exactly,” said Marissa. She ran her hand up Alex’s arm. “See? Your friend has great taste.”
Seriously. Did she have to keep touching him?
Alex didn’t seem to care about Marissa’s straying fingers. “All right, then. Let’s do it.”
“Consider it done. It was lovely to meet you, Dana.” With a nod, Marissa walked down the aisle and out the chapel door.
“Yeah, you too.” Tired for a number of reasons, she sat on one of the chairs meant for wedding guests. “This is quite the place. I can see why weddings are such big business for you.”
“Thank
s. It’s worked well for us, but I think we can do better.”
He sat next to her. The chapel lights made his hair look brilliant with highlights and so touchable. She’d always liked Tommy’s shaved head and he wore it well, but something about Alex’s locks invited a caress.
Stop making comparisons to Tommy.
Volley upon volley of pain made Dana’s head want to explode. She didn’t want to draw attention to her headache in front of Alex, but it was getting hard to hide. Hoping she was discreet, she touched her temple, gently rubbing.
“Are you okay?”
She dropped her hand. “It’s just a headache. Those slushies looked innocent but they packed a punch.”
“Let me see if I can find you some water.” He stood and walked toward a door in back. “I think we keep some bottles in a fridge in the back room, you know, in case any of our grooms faint.”
“Don’t go to any trouble.”
“It’s no trouble.”
“Alex, I’m okay. Really. I don’t need any water.”
What she needed was to get out of this place. What made her think she could saunter into a wedding chapel and not feel an ounce of regret? She’d been numb for months, unfeeling and uncaring. Was it any surprise her emotions were now manifesting in cruel, new ways?
I now pronounce you man and barren wasteland.
He sat back down next to her, frowning.
“What do I have to do to get you to stop glaring at me like that?”
“I’m not glaring.”
“Alex, you are glaring so hard I might turn into stone.”
“I’m just trying to figure you out.” His features relaxed, just barely. “You don’t accept help very well, do you?”
If anything, she had always been the helper, the problem solver. She’d always taken pride in it and liked being the one others looked up to. In her eyes, no matter how faulty her reasoning, accepting help always made her feel diminished. “No, I guess I don’t.”
“That’s going to be an issue between you and me.”
“I didn’t realize it affected you at all.”
“Yeah. It kind of surprised me too.”
She needed to change the subject, pronto. This man put strange thoughts in her head, ones she couldn’t afford to contemplate. “So, Wade was popular with my friends.”
“He’s a good guy.”
“A little overprotective, maybe.”
He bit his lip. “Did he stop you from having fun?”
“Not exactly, but let’s just say all the dancers from the House of Sin are going to be looking over their shoulders from now on.”
He almost smiled. “Mission accomplished.”
“So you were trying to stop me from having fun?”
“No. I was just hoping Wade’s presence would discourage anyone from taking advantage of you in that state.”
“And what state was that, exactly?”
“Come on, Dana. There are a lot of bad people out there, ones who wouldn’t think twice about putting something in your drink. Wade knows how to keep an eye out for those people so they never get a chance.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard.”
“I never said you did. I’ve worked in the nightclub scene a long time. I know what goes on, that’s all. I wanted to make sure you and your friends didn’t have any reason to worry.”
“Your concern is touching, but unnecessary.”
“If you say so.”
It grew quiet in the chapel, so quiet Dana was tempted to find an organ and pound out a tune. Something, anything other than having to endure the shocking heaviness between them, the pregnant pauses that seemed to say so much.
“Who hurt you?”
Those three little words hit her with the impact of a speeding Mack truck. She couldn’t have felt a greater wallop from I love you or Donkeys fascinate me.
“Tommy broke up with you three months ago but you’re still torn up. Something else is wrong.”
“You shouldn’t make assumptions.”
“I agree. Why don’t you fill me in so I don’t have to?”
“There’s nothing to say.”
“Right. The thing is, Dana, the only times I’ve spoken with you, you’ve either been angry or crying in dark corners or sneaking alcoholic drinks. And then there was that time you begged me to fuck you against a bathroom wall. It’s not hard to draw conclusions.”
“Well, you shouldn’t. And I didn’t beg you. You were up for it too.”
“I was. Believe me, I was totally up for it. I’m just concerned you’ve been hurt.”
“People get hurt all the time. They move on.”
“Is that what you’re doing? Moving on? Because I can think of better ways to do it.”
Damn. Her Aunt Gladys had a term for someone like Alex. She called them “onion peelers.” She always said her Uncle Maurice was an onion peeler, that she fell in love with him because he stripped away all her layers. Well, she wasn’t ready or willing to shed any layers for Alex or anyone else, for that matter. If she allowed him to see her sensitive inner core, the weeping heart of her, he wouldn’t like what he saw.
“Dana?”
She swallowed past her raw throat and smiled. “So, grey and lavender for the chapel, huh? It’ll look nice.”
As tempting as it was to flee from his gaze, she returned it. Others might cower before Alex Markov, but she wouldn’t.
He passed a hand over his face. His eyes narrowed and she thought she saw a measure of appreciation in his eyes. Maybe he liked stubbornness.
She crossed her arms. “I should get back to Bea. If I don’t, she’ll take over my slot machine and win my twenty bucks.”
“Of course.” He checked his watch. “I have to get back to work anyway. Unfortunately.”
“Why’s it so unfortunate? You’re too new here to be jaded about the job already.”
“I like talking to you. I don’t want to stop.”
His voice, already deep and rich, must have dropped an octave when he said those words. She wanted to tell the rest of the world to screw off and luxuriate in his velvety baritone for the rest of the day. It even alleviated some of the ache in her head. “You know, you should think twice before saying those things to women.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because it sounds an awful lot like you’re flirting with me.”
His lips twitched and she found herself hanging on his promise of a smile. She hadn’t seen Alex smile yet, teeth and all, and suddenly couldn’t stop wondering what his smile looked like.
And what it would do to her.
“What if I am flirting with you?” He looked her right in the eye. “Is it working?”
She tried to articulate a response, but had none. “I really should go.”
“You already mentioned that but you’re still here.”
Trapped in his gaze, she couldn’t move.
He stood and held out a hand to help her up. Seeing as her knees were gelatin, she accepted his hand and rose to her feet.
“There. I’ll put you out of your misery.”
Only she wasn’t miserable. Far from it.
“Before you leave, I have a question for you.”
“Okay.”
“Have you been to Covet yet?”
“Your new club?”
“Yeah.”
“No. I hear it’s impossible to get in.”
“It can be, but on Thursday night, I’ll be hosting a party there. I’m bringing in a new DJ and, well, I’m worried no one will come.”
God bless him, he managed that entire speech without cracking a smile. Dana stifled her own grin. “You’re Alex Markov. I’ve never been to your clubs and I’ve still heard about your parties. Do you honestly expect me to believe no one will attend your event?”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m expecting you to believe. Sad, isn’t it?”
“Oh, it’s almost tragic.” Her mood was starting to lighten and she suspected it had a great deal to do with him and his
crazy bid for sympathy. “Don’t worry. I have no doubt people will be banging on the doors, demanding to get in.”
“Who knows? It never hurts to pad the numbers. Better safe than sorry.” He looked up at her from under his eyelashes. “I was wondering if you and your friends would like to attend, as my special guests, of course.”
“Your special guests?”
“Yeah.”
Alex’s New York soirees were legendary. If she wasn’t mistaken, his last New Year’s party was attended by everyone from supermodels to politicians. They got write ups in People Magazine. His special guests were typically the starlets of the day.
And he wanted to pass Dana and her pals off as his VIPs? “Are you joking?”
“No.”
“Right.” She chuckled. “Well, I’ll be sure to mark it on my calendar. See you around, Alex.” As Dana turned, he touched her elbow, a quiet plea that compelled her to stop and confront the fireworks exploding behind her eyes.
“Dana, I’m not joking. I’d like you to come.”
He was serious.
Did she even have the right wardrobe for this kind of party?
“I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.”
“What’s there to think about?”
“Well…I’ve arranged a whole itinerary for my sister and her friends.” She’d even had it laminated but she left that detail out. “I made plans to take them clubbing Thursday night.”
“Great. So do it at my club.”
“But—”
“But what?”
“Thursday’s tomorrow.”
“Yes, it is.”
If she told Anise and the girls about this, they’d flip. Bea would kill her if she said no. And yet something warned her away. “I hate to change our plans at the last minute.”
Alex cocked a golden eyebrow. Even he knew how ludicrous that sounded. Who in their right mind would give up an Alex Markov party for some other club? “It’s not the last minute.”
“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I do appreciate you asking.”
He drew closer and pretended to pout. “Why don’t you want to come to my party, Dana?”
Why didn’t she?
At the very least, she could rationalize it as a chance to network. In her line of business, having Alex as a connection would be extremely beneficial. Through him, she could arrange all sorts of perks for her convention delegates and he would no doubt appreciate her sending customers his way. It made sense.