by Kaylee Ryan
Another knock.
“I’ll get it. I’ll keep him occupied until you’re ready. She slides off the bed, comes to my side, and gives me a big hug. “Have fun, Say. Let me know when you make it there, so I don’t worry.”
“O-okay,” I say, choking back tears. I close my eyes and focus on breathing. I know I don’t have a lot of time until we need to get to the airport. Inhale, slowly exhale. Opening my eyes, I steel my emotions and take one more mental inventory of what I’ve packed, making sure I didn’t forget anything. Then I grab my suitcase and head to the living room.
Rhett’s eyes snap to mine as soon as I open the door. His smile lights up his face. “Saylor.”
“Hey, Whiskey.” I wheel my luggage to where they’re standing. “You sure about this?”
“Positive,” he says immediately. “You ready to go?”
“Yeah, this is it.” I look down at my small suitcase.
“You never cease to amaze me, Short Stack.” He chuckles.
“What did I do?” I ask, very aware that Molly is standing beside me soaking up our conversation, our interaction, like a sponge.
“You’re refreshing, Saylor. You’re a fucking breath of fresh air.” He grabs my bag. “I’ll take this out to the truck.”
We stand there and watch him leave. “Oh, honey,” Molly says. “You’ve got that man all kinds of twisted.”
“Let’s go, crazy girl. I’m already nervous about flying. I don’t need to add rushing through the airport to the list.” She laughs and follows me out the door.
The ride to the airport is quiet. Rhett and I make small talk. I ask how his Grandpa is and his parents; otherwise we’re both quiet. Not uncomfortably so, but quiet all the same. Rhett parks in long-term parking and hops out. He has both of our bags, his thrown over his shoulder and pulling mine. He holds his hand out for me, and I take it, needing the connection to hopefully calm my nerves.
I let him lead me into the busy airport. I don’t say a word, just let him guide me to where we need to be. Rhett hands me a ticket once we reach security. I follow the motions, taking off my shoes, while Rhett does the same, placing our bags on the conveyor belt. Luckily, we make it through security without incident. I release a deep sigh once we’re both through and cleared.
“You okay, Short Stack?” he asks, holding his hand out for me.
I take it. “Yeah, just nervous, I guess.”
He gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “You want a drink before we board?”
“No, actually, I was hoping to find a restroom. I don’t want to have to use the restroom on the plane.”
He nods. Two minutes later, we’re standing outside of the bathrooms. “I’ll be right here waiting for you,” he says.
Pulling out of his hold, I rush inside and take care of business. Looking at my refection, I’m shocked at what I see. You can tell I’m a little nervous, but my eyes are bright. I admit, I’m equal parts nervous and excited, and it shows. I find Rhett right where he said he would be, waiting for me. He doesn’t say anything, just holds his hand out for mine. I take it, and we continue on to our gate.
“We’re first class,” he says, taking a seat in the waiting area outside our gate. “That means we get to board first, and we’re the first off the plane.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“First on, not so much, I guess. First off, I think you’ll enjoy,” he says.
“I’m thinking you’re right.”
“There’s not a direct flight, so we’ll have to do this all over again.”
“Ugh!” I say, plopping down in the seat next to him. “You failed to tell me that.”
“I admit. I was afraid you would back out.”
“I wouldn’t have, but I would have stressed over it, so you made a good call.”
“Good to know.” He leans back against his seat. “We should be boarding in thirty minutes or so. You need anything?”
“No, thanks. I’m good. My belly is too nervous.”
Reaching over, he rests his hand on my knee. “It’s going to be fine, Say. I promise.”
“You can’t promise me that.”
“You’re right, I can’t. What I can promise is that I’ll be there the entire time. I won’t leave your side.”
I nod. Sometimes, with the things he says, it’s hard to ever remember asshole Rhett, the guy I used to throw barbs with. He’s been showing up less and less. I have to admit, I like this version a whole hell of a lot.
Pulling out my phone to distract me from the flight and from Rhett, I send Molly a text.
Me: Waiting to board. Apparently I have to do this again before Vegas!
Molly: LOL. Not many direct flights from where we live.
Me: You could have warned me.
Molly: #sorrynotsorry Love you. Have fun!
Me: You too.
I don’t say I love you. I’ve only said it to one person, Elaine, and that wasn’t while she was alive. Regrets, I have them in spades for that alone. I know that she knew, but I should have told her. Whispering it to her grave isn’t the same thing. “You too” is all I’ve ever been able to convey. Molly is a great friend. I know it’s only been a few months, but she’s become a very important person so me. I tried to call Tara on New Year’s Day. She hadn’t responded to any of my texts. She didn’t answer, and I didn’t leave a message. Her silence tells me all I need to know.
“Saylor,” Rhett says. Looking up, I see him standing. He reaches out for my hand. “It’s time to board.”
I let him pull me to my feet and follow him to the line. We flash our tickets and then walk down a long hallway. As soon as we pass the flight attendant, my anxiety peaks.
“You want the window or the aisle?” Rhett asks me as he steps into the first row of the plane.
“I don’t know,” I confess.
“Let’s go window. We can shut the shade, so you don’t have to look unless you want to.”
“Okay,” I agree meekly. I take the window seat and hurriedly pull the shade. Rhett opens the above compartment and shoves our bags inside.
“Let me help you.” He reaches over and helps fasten me in my belt, then does the same to himself.
I sit quietly, watching passenger after passenger file onto the plane. Rhett pulls his phone out of his pocket and switches it to airplane mode. He holds it up to show it to me. “I turned mine off,” I tell him. “I wasn’t sure if I should have it on, and anyone who would call me already knows I’m going to be in the air.” I gulp at the thought.
The flight attendant introduces herself and welcomes us to the flight. She goes through safety procedures, and I listen and watch, taking it all in. “Settle in and thank you for choosing our airline,” she croons with a big-ass smile. She chooses to do this on the daily. Crazy woman.
I feel the plane start to move, and I grab the arms of the seat, close my eyes, and focus on deep, even breaths.
“Saylor,” Rhett says. Slowly, I open my eyes and turn my head to look at him. His whiskey eyes darken as he leans in and cups my face with his hands. He presses his lips to mine. His tongue traces my lips, taking his time tasting me. I open for him, this time without an ounce of hesitation. His hand slides under my hair, holding me to him. He takes control, caressing my tongue with his, exploring my mouth, nipping at my bottom lip, then tracing it with his tongue. It’s the hottest kiss of my life. On a fucking airplane. Suddenly, I pull back, and his eyes are hooded. I watch as his tongue darts out and swipes across his bottom lip, as if he’s trying to get more of me. “We’re in the air, babe,” he says.
“You’re good,” I tell him. I didn’t notice takeoff at all. Nothing past the second his lips touched mine.
“I’ve got you, Saylor. Always,” he says cryptically. “So, you want to look out?”
“Yeah, I think so.” Just then, the light goes off, letting us know we can take our belts off. Rhett unbuckles his and leans over, lifting the shade just a little.
“Take a look,” he says, poin
ting to the now partially uncovered window.
“Wow,” I say, seeing the clouds below us. “That’s amazing.” I turn to him with a smile.
He’s watching me. “It is,” he agrees. “If you could go anywhere, where would it be?”
“Hawaii,” I say automatically. “That’s where my parents took their honeymoon. Elaine said they saved for a long time to be able to go for just a short three days. I’ve wanted to go there ever since.”
Reaching out he grabs my hand and pulls it to his lips.
Turning back around, I feel unsettled, but not from the flight. I lift the shade completely and take in the scenery below. This flying thing isn’t so bad after all. Not when you fly with Rhett Baxter.
Watching her experience flying for the first time was a riot. She stared out the window for the entire first flight. When it came time to fasten our belt to land, I effectively distracted her again. Then again on our connecting flight for both takeoff and landing. Yes, flying with Saylor is a good time for sure.
“I’ll go check us in,” I tell her.
She nods. “I’ll be right over there.” She points to a lobby of chairs a few feet from the registration desk.
I’ve already given her the “don’t go anywhere without me” speech. I’ve heard of some crazy-ass things happening in Vegas. Not on my watch, not with Saylor. I’m going to be stuck to her like glue. Waiting in line, I look over my shoulder just to make sure she’s still there. She’s a grown woman, I know, but you hear about disappearances all the time. You can never be too cautious.
“Hi, Rhett Baxter checking in.” I hand over my license and the company credit card.
“Welcome, Mr. Baxter. We have you in the presidential suite.” She types furiously on her keyboard. I’m surprised by this. Gramps isn’t one for flashy, unless you count the house. He always said he did that for Grams. He built her her dream home.
“There should be two rooms,” I tell her.
“Yes, sir. The suite is actually a three bedroom,” she says, never looking up, keeping her eyes glued to the screen.
Dorothy did me a solid. Saylor will be in my suite where I know she’s safe. Paranoid, yes, but everything is different with Saylor, it’s more.
“Here you are. Do you need help with your bags?” she asks, handing me a key.
“No thank you. Which elevator?”
She points across the hall to a golden set of doors. “This is the only one that will take you to the presidential suite. If you are on another floor, you’ll have to ride down to catch this one. It’s for security purposes,” she explains.
“No complaints.” I nod in thanks and turn to join Saylor. She’s sitting in the same place, but now there are three guys sitting around her. One on each side and one on the table in front of her. They’re about our age. The one on the left is wearing a bright green shirt with white lettering that says, “Buy this guy a shot, he’s tying the knot.” The other two are wearing shirts that are white with bright green lettering that says, “Groom Squad.” Great, that’s all I need is drunk guys trolling for pussy hitting on her.
Strolling up behind her, I place my hands on her shoulders, bend down, and kiss the top of her head. “Ready, baby?”
Titling her head back, she looks up at me, a smirk on her lips. “Yeah.” She stands.
“You’re leaving?” one of the groom squad asks.
“Yeah, my fiancé and I are just checking in. It’s been a long flight,” she says.
He mumbles “lucky bastard” under his breath but still loud enough that we can all hear him.
Sliding my arm around her waist, I pull her close. “Thanks for keeping my girl company,” I say, driving the point home that she’s mine. Well, not mine technically, but when it comes to them she is. I’m working on the technical part. Slow and steady wins the race.
In the elevator, there is only one button. “Uh, are we in the right one?” Saylor asks.
“Yeah,” I say, hitting the “P” button. “Apparently Dorothy booked us the Presidential Suite. It’s a three bedroom.”
“Wow, okay then. So we’re staying in the same room?”
“Not the same bedroom. I mean, unless you want to, you know, snuggle with your fiancé.” I dip my shoulder into hers, laughing.
“Hey! You were the one puffing out your chest, acting like you had to stake a claim. I was just playing along.”
“They looked shady,” I tell her.
She throws her head back in laughter, and two things hit me all at once. One, I want to make her laugh like that every day, and two, there is no sweeter sound.
“They did not,” she says, smacking my arm playfully. “You’re something else.” She smiles up at me.
“I’m telling you, trust no one in this town. Stay close,” I remind her.
“Yes, sir.” She salutes me with a playful grin.
“So what do you want to do first?” I ask as we reach our floor.
“Um, you’re asking me? The girl who has been to two states her entire life?”
“Yeah, I promised to show you around. What do you want to see?” I ask, setting our bags in the living area.
“This place is bigger than my apartment,” she says, looking around.
“You can choose whichever room you want, and I’ll pick what’s left.”
“Oh, I’ll take any of them. I’m not picky.”
“I know you’re not, but I want this to be an adventure for you. Go look at the rooms and pick yours. I’ll bring your bag once you’ve decided.” She hesitates for a brief few seconds before going to explore the rooms.
“Rhett!” she calls out for me while still in the first room. I follow the sound of her voice and find her in sitting in the middle of a huge bathtub. “This thing can fit like eight people, and look at the shower.” She points behind me. “It’s huge!”
“That’s what she said,” I retort.
“This is my room,” she says, leaning back and closing her eyes.
She didn’t even notice my lewd remark; she’s too excited to let it faze her. “I’ll get your bag,” I say, leaving her to her daydreaming.
After leaving her bag in her room and telling her she has thirty minutes to freshen up, I force myself to go choose a room of my own. Since she wasn’t sure what she wants to do, we’re going to go explore the city, maybe pick up a show if we can find tickets. I have no agenda, other than getting out of this suite. I can’t be trusted to be in here for the rest of the night with just the two of us. Hell, sleeping is going to be hard, considering the last time she slept across the hall from me, I ended up holding her all night long.
“Ready,” she calls out twenty-five minutes faster than I told her she needed to be.
She’s excited, and that makes me smile. “Give me a minute,” I yell back. I shake off thoughts of her sleeping in my arms and change my clothes.
“So what are we doing?” she asks when I step into the living area. She’s bouncing with excitement.
“We need to grab some dinner. I thought we could walk around until we find something, and then maybe catch a show.”
“It’s late,” she reminds me.
“This is Vegas, Short Stack, the city that never sleeps. Some of the shows don’t even start until eleven.”
“Wow. Okay then, let’s do this.” She stands and shoves her phone in her back pocket.
I do the same then hold my hand out for her. She takes it without hesitation, and that alone has this shaping up to be a great night. “Which way?” I ask when we’re standing outside of our hotel.
“Left,” she says, smiling.
We take off in that direction. Saylor’s smile is blinding. I’ve been to Vegas many times, but it’s like I’m experiencing it all over again for the first time through her eyes. She’s fucking gorgeous on the daily, but the smile that lights up her face takes my breath away. I sound like a putz waxing poetic shit in my head, but I can’t seem to prevent it when it comes to her. She’s got this hold on me, like her kisses hav
e cast a spell.
“There.” She points to a sign for a burlesque show.
“That what you want to do?”
Her face turns a light shade of pink as she nods. “Yeah, it should be fun, right?” she asks hesitantly.
Unable to stop myself, I pull her into my chest and bend down to kiss the corner of her mouth. “It will be fun,” I tell her. Pulling away is a feat, but I manage. We walk to the end of the block, and I’m able to secure us two tickets to tonight’s show. “So we have a couple of hours. Let’s go find some food.” We settle on a steakhouse right on the strip. We’re seated at a booth in the back of the restaurant. Saylor slides in her seat across from me, her smile still firmly in place.
“Thank you for this, Rhett.”
“You’re welcome, but I should be thanking you. You’re doing me a solid by being here on such short notice.”
“It worked out,” she says, opening her menu. She doesn’t say anything as she reads over her choices.
Once we’ve ordered, our salads are delivered and conversation flows. She asks me about the distillery and the brewery. She talks about working at the Corner Pocket and how she’s happier there than she ever was at her job in human resources with her ex’s family’s company.
“Why do you think that is?” I ask her.
“I assume it was us, our relationship. I always felt as though I was out of place. I didn’t realize it until we were broken up. When we were together, I chalked it up to never feeling like I belonged. Even with Elaine, there was always this nagging feeling that she felt sorry for me and her connection to my parents was what prompted her to take me in. I know that’s irrational, but it’s hard to train yourself to think otherwise.”
“What about your ex?” I ask her. “He chose you.”
“He did, but looking back, it’s what I could bring to the table. I could work for his family’s company. I fit the mold, I guess you could say.”