by T. K. Rapp
“Good for you,” she said as she turned back to her machine. “So back to the kiss.”
“Will you drop it already?” I laughed.
“Just tell me that Will isn’t the only guy who made you feel something when he kissed you. Please,” she begged dramatically. “It might actually ruin my night to know he’s the best kiss you’ve had.”
“He’s not,” I finally answered, but didn’t look at her. I could feel Dani’s eyes on me, questioning without actually voicing it, so I said the one name I wanted to forget for the weekend. “Wyatt.”
“Oh shit,” she muttered and went back to focusing on the button in front of her. “That sucks.”
“You’re telling me,” I groaned.
I had one more spin on my machine, but hers was still loaded because she had won some and lost more as she played.
I pushed the button and spun to face her while the reels spun. “You were right. I did this, and I’ll be fine. Wyatt won’t be the last guy to make me feel all weird and giddy and make me think that maybe there’s more out there.”
Dani was about to respond when her eyes went wide and she pointed at my machine. At the same time the last reel was falling into place, the machine started ringing and chiming.
“You won!” she shouted. “How much did you win?”
I looked at the key and matched my reels with the win amounts and did some quick math.
“A thousand maybe?”
“Damn! Drinks are on you,” she laughed and then cashed out of her machine. “Let’s go find Callie and Jo and get out of here before this place takes your money back.”
“Sounds good to me. I’m ready to go to the hotel and get ready for tonight.”
“What’s tonight?”
“We’re celebrating my best friend being engaged!”
Chapter 20
“I can’t believe you won,” Jolie said. “And on a slot machine of all things. You never play slots.”
I looked at Jolie and giggled as I held my martini glass in the air. “And I never will again.”
It was my second cosmo and I knew there were more to be had before our night was over. After my nice win at the slot machine, which ended up being more like twelve hundred dollars, we changed into our evening outfits and decided we needed to eat before doing anything else.
We let Callie decide what she wanted to eat, since she’d never been before. I was the only one not surprised when she chose a steak. The girl grew up in Oklahoma; Jolie and Dani couldn’t really be that surprised.
As it turned out, earlier that night I’d met a couple while I was playing roulette who introduced themselves as Dimples and Gorgeous. I hoped those were nicknames and not their given names, but then again, I wouldn’t be surprised. The two were in Vegas celebrating his birthday and started raving about a place where the food was as amazing as the ambiance. They talked about it so much that I told the girls we had to try it. Gorgeous had said that we’d have fun and make sure we didn’t have any plans that limited our time.
We waited forever to get a table at The Cave, but considering we didn’t make reservations and had nothing else going on, it was fine. While we waited for a table, I ordered a round of drinks for the four of us so we could people-watch.
The restaurant was so loud that we were shouting to carry on a conversation, but the music more than made up for it. I couldn’t tell if we were in a nightclub or a restaurant—more like two in one. Everyone was dressed up as if they were in a club, and I could tell from the pleased looks on their faces that my friends were happy to be there.
We sat down at our table and Callie was downing another drink, telling Dani the story of how she ended up in L.A.
Turned out, Las Vegas and being with my friends was the distraction I didn’t know I needed. We spent so much time walking, drinking, and talking that I forgot about my problems. For the most part.
It wasn’t until the three went to the restroom, leaving me at our table alone, that my thoughts caught up with me. Seeing Wyatt with Emma the night before had been tough, but I figured it would get easier with time. Getting away from one loud city and visiting another afforded me at least a different view.
“Whatcha thinking about?” Jolie asked as she climbed into our booth.
“Where is everyone?”
“Callie’s at the bar and Dani felt the need to babysit her,” she laughed.
“Good. Because I have a feeling we need to look after that one.”
“So, you were saying?”
“Nothing. I was just people-watching,” I said as I looked around.
“That face was not people-watching. That was your thinking face, and I have a feeling it has to do with a certain relationship.”
“I don’t want to talk about Wyatt,” I said. “I want to have fun and not think about missed opportunities.”
“Well I’m glad to hear that…except I was talking about Will and your divorce.”
Jolie was watching me carefully and there was nothing I could come up with to cover my gaffe.
“I figured the divorce would be hard for you, and I’m not saying it’s not, but I’m glad to see you’re moving on.”
“Do I have any other choice?”
“Not as long as I’m around. But…what are you going to do about Wyatt?”
I smiled and shook my head before meeting her eyes again. “Nothing, Jo. I want him to be happy, and Emma really cares about him.”
“And he really cares about you.”
“A guy can only take so much. I made sure he understood that nothing was going to happen anytime soon.”
“That’s fine, but did you really have to do the whole martyr thing and set him up with someone else?” she scoffed.
I didn’t have an answer for her. I could have said no; I’d wanted to tell Emma no, but I didn’t.
“That night, when I told him we were just friends…he said that he wasn’t in a rush. He would have waited for me to be ready.”
“Jeez, woman,” she said loudly, causing a few heads to turn our direction. “And you didn’t run and throw yourself into his arms?”
When I didn’t answer, Jolie waved the waitress down and ordered us both a shot. I knew, as well as she, that things would have been different had I said what I wanted or even been honest with myself.
“Drink up, baby!” she said as she raised her glass in the air. “It’s gonna be a long night.”
***
“Let’s ride the big wheel-thingy,” Callie said as she pointed to the massive Ferris wheel.
“I might puke on everyone down here,” Jolie said.
“I’ll go with you,” Dani said and walked to the ticket counter. “C’mon, you two!”
I shook my head and laughed. “I’m staying here with Jo. Where the only reason my head is woozy is the liquor.”
“Losers!” She turned to Callie and waved her over while Jolie and I found a table nearby.
“I’ve never known you to back down from a challenge,” I said to Jolie.
“Don’t start with me. You’re a bigger wuss than me.”
“Did you see that guy who looked like Johnny Depp over there? I love me some Captain Jack,” I said.
“Where?” Jolie asked, looking around.
“Over…” I turned around, trying to spot him. “I don’t know.”
She stood up and grabbed my hand. “Let’s go find him.”
I started to follow but stopped and looked back for Dani and Callie who were waiting in line.
“They’ll be there a while. Let’s go find this guy.”
We walked toward The Strip and saw so many people in costumes posing for pictures. Admittedly, some looked better than others, but it didn’t seem to stop the tourists.
“Is that him?” Jolie asked, pointing to a man who was talking to several ladies.
“Are we supposed to pay the guy?” I whispered to Jolie.
“I guess.”
I pulled out a ten and handed my phone to Jolie so I could get
a picture. The man smelled of booze and cigarettes…and bad body odor. Still, in my inebriated haze, I dismissed it and smiled as I stood next to him.
“’Scuse me,” I slurred, talking to the man who looked like a pirate. “Did you know you look like Johnny Depp?”
“You don’t say?” he asked, his speech sounding as slurred as mine. “I’ll be whoever you want me to be, love.”
I started laughing so hard, while trying to compose myself, but it wasn’t working.
“You even sound like him,” I gushed and waved Jolie over. “Listen to him talk.”
“What are you two doing tonight? Want some company?” he asked.
I started to nod, but Jolie grabbed my hand and pulled me away. “We’re good. Thanks, man. Have a good night.”
She continued pulling me down the street despite my efforts to go back.
“What the hell, Jo?”
“I think you’ve had too much to drink,” she laughed.
“Hey, what if it was really Johnny Depp dressed up like a pirate and he just offered to hang out with us?” I argued.
Jolie stopped walking and put her hands on my shoulders, looking directly into my eyes. “Honey, I’m pretty sure that was a creepy dude and that wig was hiding a pet rat in it.”
“It was not,” I scoffed.
Jolie opened my phone and scrolled to one of the pictures she took, revealing two red eyes on his shoulder peeking out of the wig.
“Gross!” I shouted as I shivered in place. “I need to be fumigated and I need a shower. That’s so nasty!”
Jolie linked her arm through mine and insisted I needed another drink to help me forget the nightmare that had happened.
We walked up one side of The Strip, stopping by a table at each casino along the way. I’d managed to lose a hundred dollars, though I wasn’t sure I ever actually gambled.
It was an hour later when we finally met up with Dani and Callie again.
“How was it?” I asked.
“It was awesome. You two missed out,” Callie answered.
“What did you two do while we were gone?” Dani asked.
“We—” Jolie started.
“Nothing,” I interrupted. “We did nothing but gamble a little. That’s all. Nothing weird or gross happened.”
“What she said,” Jolie said. “Let’s go next door. Maybe they opened up another table.”
Dani and Jolie exchanged a look and I knew they’d discuss the pirate and the rat later…and I’d never live it down. Callie and I followed them into the casino and stood behind the chairs they were occupying. I was too impaired to be a good blackjack player, so I decided to watch.
As I stood there, boredom began to sink in and I opened up my phone to look at the pictures that Jolie had taken earlier. I smiled at the one we took in front of the fountain and the selfie we tried to take with the lights behind us. I refused to look at the imposter pictures, and even tried to delete them, but Jolie had already texted them to herself anyway.
“Ma’am,” a man in a suit called out behind me, but I kept looking at my phone. “Ma’am.”
I turned around and saw he was talking to me.
“I’m not a ma’am,” I balked. “I’m a Viola. Vi-ooo-la.”
I squinted and looked at his nametag. I hoped it would be still so I could make out what to call him, but it kept moving.
“Bob. Is that your name? I can’t tell.”
“I’m sorry, but you can’t be on your phone at the tables.”
I looked behind me to see Jolie and Dani still playing a hand of blackjack and I remembered his words. My eyes went wide and I stepped away.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine, ma’am. If you’re going to be on your phone, I need you to move away from the table.”
I nodded and stepped away, calling after Jolie and Dani. “I’ll be over there with Callie and Jake.”
Callie had met the black-haired, tatted guy earlier at our hotel, and as luck would have it, he was staying there too. Well, lucky for her anyway.
They spent a lot of time flirting and hanging out together. Our girls’ weekend had been infiltrated by a dick and there was nothing we could do to change that…not that we wanted to. In the time I had spent with Callie, she got a lot of attention from guys, but it was as if her head was somewhere else.
Dani and Jolie waved me off without another thought, and I carefully walked toward Callie while she flirted shamelessly with the cutie in front of her.
“Hey,” I whispered loudly to get her attention.
Callie looked at me and then lifted a finger dismissively.
“Callie Jane Hooker, get over here,” I said sternly.
She whispered something to Jake and walked over to join me.
“Callie Jane Hooker?” she repeated. “Hanes, Vi. My last name is Hanes. And my middle name is not Jane.”
“I know,” I lied. “But you look like a hooker. And I had to call you three names so you knew I meant business.”
“Whatever,” she laughed. “What’s so important that you’re dragging me away from that gorgeous guy over there?” She waved at him, only giving me part of her attention again.
“Should I call him?”
“Who?”
“Wyatt.”
“Yeah,” she answered. “Sure. Whatever.”
I glanced down at the phone in my hand and back to Callie. “What if he doesn’t answer? Or what if he does…? What do I say? Do I tell him that I was wrong, that I lied? Maybe I’ll just call like nothing happened and say hi.”
“Sure,” Callie said as she started walking away. “Is that all?”
I looked up to answer her and Callie was already back fawning all over Jake. The others were still at the blackjack table, and I momentarily considered waiting to get their opinion but decided against it.
I found his contact information in my phone and called it before I could change my mind.
“Hello?” he answered on the first ring.
“Hey, Earp. Are you busy?”
Chapter 21
WYATT
“Vi? Are you okay?” I looked over at Emma and she moved closer, her concern evident on her face.
“Yeah,” Vi giggled. “I’m great. Just great. I’m in Vegas with the girls and we’ve been out all night.”
“Do you know what time it is?” I looked at the clock and it was almost one in the morning.
“You weren’t in a rush, huh?”
“Excuse me?”
“You said you weren’t in a rush, that you would have waited for me to get my shit together,” she spat somewhat angrily.
There was no doubt she was drunk, but calling me and looking for a fight over a conversation we’d had almost two weeks ago was over the top.
“But then I see you and Emma the other night and I realized you’re really good with the lines.”
“If you want to talk about this, then let’s do it when you’re sober.”
“Had you just listened to me, really listened, then maybe you would have known that everything I said to you was a lie.”
“What are you talking about?”
“All of it. Everything. But that’s what happens when you try to be the nice guy.”
“Vi?”
“You hide behind all the things that went wrong, even when the right things come along, because you’re too scared. And then you’ve gone and messed everything up so much that the right one leaves, because he’s a good guy and you told him to.”
“Viola, can I say something?”
“I’m sorry, Wyatt. I shouldn’t have called. I’m sorry if I woke you up,” she said. “I need to get back to the girls. I…I’ll…see you.”
“Vi,” I called out, but she’d already hung up the phone and left me staring at a blank screen.
“Is everything okay?” Emma asked.
I shook my head and set the phone on the counter.
Emma, Busy, and I were busy doing inventory—one of my least
favorite things of owning the coffee shop. I’d willingly accepted when they offered to help out, but I had no idea it would take us into the early morning hours.
“She and the girls went to Vegas for the weekend. I guess she’s had a bit too much to drink,” I said.
“Does she know about us?”
“I haven’t had the chance to talk to her,” I answered.
“What happened at Mood Swings?”
“I tried to get some time with her, but she was with that Owen guy.”
Busy walked over and joined us. Never one to keep her mouth shut, she spoke up. “She probably thought you two were together.”
“She’s right,” Emma said. “I didn’t even see her after she walked off with that guy.”
Busy laughed and nudged her arm. “You were probably too busy flirting with Mike to even notice anyone else.”
Emma’s cheeks were bright pink and I laughed.
Two weeks earlier, when Vi had told me about Emma and pushed me to give her a chance, I went back to my place to think. At first I was pissed because she didn’t give me any sort of say in the whole conversation. Her mind was made up and I needed to move on.
But the whole time she was talking, I knew every word she said was meant to push me away. We’d spent enough time together and I was breaking through the walls she’d built up to protect herself. I’m sure what her husband did put her through the wringer and she was scared. So I didn’t pursue her the way I wanted to; I played it cool and waited.
She was so adamant that I not wait for her, and I was pissed off enough that I decided to go for it. The next morning, I talked to Emma and asked her out. She was surprised by my invitation, but agreed. Only, we weren’t able to go out that night because she was closing and I told Dallas I’d help him move the living room furniture.
After days of trying to make it happen, we finally had our first—and only—date. We went to dinner at a sushi restaurant that Emma liked. I hated sushi but I went along, figuring I’d find something I liked. We spent the evening in easy conversation, but it was all platonic.
When I drove her home that night, I got out to walk her to her door and was surprised when she kissed me. It took me all of a second to return the kiss, but when we separated, something had changed.