Wes looked at me expectantly.
“I guess I’ll get it.” I groaned as Wes rolled off of me and I climbed off the bed, straightening out my top. I’d changed into sweatpants and a T-shirt after another long day of meetings. My last night in Vegas and I was holed up in my fancy suite. At least I had someone to keep me company.
I threw open the door, expecting there to be a cleaning lady with a big cart, but instead it was Abbi and Pam standing in the door way in going-out clothes with their hair and makeup fully done.
“Hey, guys.”
Abbi did a once-over of what I was wearing. “Are you seriously going out in that?”
“Uh, no, I wasn’t exactly planning to go out.”
Abbi peered around me and her mouth dropped open when her eyes landed on the bed. “Oh my God! I thought you were joking about him still being here!”
Abbi and Pam somehow took that as their cue that they could barge into my suite and walk over to the bed to stare at Wes.
“Uh, I did tell you that he was coming back with me to Chicago, didn’t I?”
Abbi and Pam looked at each other like I just told them the Pope wasn’t Catholic.
Wes scooted down to the end of the bed, standing up and giving both the girls a large grin. “Hey, ladies. It’s Pam and Abbi, isn’t it?” He held his hand out.
Abbi and Pam pried their gaze away from each other and onto Wes, both shaking his hand lightly.
“Yes, yes it is.” Abbi raised an eyebrow at him before dropping her hand. “Wes, is it?”
“Yes, ma’am. I thought you’d remember that since you were the matron of honor at our little wedding.” He had an all-out grin on his face that really helped to slap on the charm. No wonder women couldn’t help but stuff money in his underwear. The guy was too damn cute for his own good.
Pam covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, but it still came out loud and clear. Abbi glared in her direction before looking back at Wes. “And what exactly are your intentions in coming back to Chicago with my Valerie?”
“Whoa, Abbi, since when did you become my mother?” I held my hands up, but Abbi wasn’t even looking at me. Her gaze was completely focused on Wes and not in a good way.
“Hey, I’m just hoping to help to speed up the divorce process and if we can have some fun in the meantime then so be it.” His smile was forced, like it was taking everything he had in him to keep it on his face.
“And you aren’t just hoping to have a sugar mama? Because if so you’re barking up the wrong tree, dude.” Abbi raised her eyebrows.
Wes sighed, sliding his hands in his back pockets. “You know, you can think whatever you want of me, but I guess you’re stuck with me for at least the next few weeks. You don’t have to like it, but I’m here as long as Valerie lets me.”
Abbi’s gaze fell from his to mine and then back to him. Her eyes were focused, like she was deep in thought, before she nodded. “Okay, then. If he’s sticking around his ass better be useful. Is he going to help us find a place to go tonight?”
“Actually ...” I said. “I was kind of thinking of calling it an early night.”
“What?” Abbi and Pam’s eyes practically bugged out of their sockets.
I shrugged. “It’s better to stay in than end up with a second husband.”
Wes put his arm around me, pulling me close to his side. “Now, darlin’, I don’t think we have to worry about that happening.”
A small smile went across Abbi’s face. “Oh, I see what this is. You’re just trying to kick us out so you two can continue on with your honeymoon. I get it.”
I shook my head. “I totally didn’t say that.”
Pam laughed. “But you made it more than clear.”
“If that’s what you want to believe.” I shrugged. “Then, yes. Yes, I want to stay here and screw my stripper husband. Happy?”
Abbi laughed. “Yep.”
She and Pam headed for the door before she opened it. “We’ll see you at the shuttle tomorrow. Don’t be up too late.”
With that they shut the door behind them.
West turned toward me, his brows slightly furrowed. “Are you just going to call me your stripper husband forever?”
“Um, what?” I blinked.
“When we go to Chicago tomorrow, are you going to tell everyone that I was the mistake you made in Vegas? Because that’s not what I’d prefer to be called.”
“Seriously?” I thought my jaw might have completely dropped to the floor. “We got drunk and got married in Vegas. I didn’t know your last name. You thought I had a better job than I do, and I got your name tattooed on my ass. We are a walking, talking romantic comedy trope. I don’t even know what else to call it.”
He took a step toward me, interlacing our fingers. “I know it’s not perfect and if you don’t want to refer to me as your husband, that’s fine, but I don’t want to just be known as your mistake or your stripper husband. That shit stays with someone forever. You can tell people I’m your new boyfriend and then after the divorce is final I’ll leave, you’ll never see me again, and you can tell people whatever you want. Does that work?”
There was something in his eyes I’d only briefly saw the night before. It was a hint of vulnerability. There was definitely something he wasn’t telling me. I didn’t think he was exactly hiding something, but there was certainly something I would need to dig beneath the surface to find.
“Okay, Wes, I won’t call you a mistake.” I rubbed my thumb along his. “And we can figure out what to tell people in Chicago. And what happens afterward. Okay?”
He leaned in and placed the lightest kiss on my lips. “That’s all I can ask of you.”
The Next Morning
The hotel shuttle was ready bright and early to take us to the airport. Besides me, Pam, and Abbi, there were two other guys from our firm that traveled with us. I never saw them outside of the meeting room and when I walked up to the shuttle with Wes by my side, they did a double take.
“Valerie? I didn’t think you brought a guest?” the older of the two, Rodney, asked, giving me a look like I was some high school girl who showed up with a creepy boyfriend for dinner. He probably wasn’t far off from the truth.
Pam quickly jumped in the conversation. “He’s her husband, Wes. He flew in to surprise her. They’re newlyweds. Young love and all that.”
So much for trying to keep the marriage a secret. I probably should have told Abbi and Pam that’s what we were doing.
“Valerie’s married?” The younger guy, Donald, rubbed his hands on his plaid shorts. The guy was a total goober. Every time I saw him around the office he was adjusting his glasses and talking to me like I was a little kid.
Wes didn’t miss a beat, grinning and putting his hand out to Donald. “Hi, I’m Wes.”
Donald and Rodney shook Wes’s hand before Rodney climbed into the shuttle. But Donald wasn’t about to give it up. He crossed his arms over his chest, sizing Wes up. “Valerie, you never told me you were married. I thought Wilder was your maiden name?”
Wes put his arm around my shoulder. “It is. She’s a modern woman and wanted to keep her own name. I couldn’t complain. She usually just bats those big green eyes at me and I agree with whatever she says.” He squeezed my shoulder. The guy was laying it on thick.
Donald opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Abbi was there to the rescue. “Hey, we don’t have all day to chat. Let’s get in the shuttle so I can get frisked by some TSA people.”
“Sounds good to me.” Wes picked up his guitar case and shot a wink at me.
Donald finally closed his mouth and walked to the shuttle.
“You’re way too good at this,” I whispered to Wes.
“Just trying to make you happy, darlin’” He took my free hand in his and we piled with everyone else into the shuttle. Ready to get back to reality.
A Few Hours Later
“Wesley Cockrell to the desk, please. Passenger Wesley Cockrell!”
&n
bsp; Shit. Why did they have to call his name? God, I hoped my credit card wasn’t overdrawn and they were declining his ticket.
Wes stood up, slowly, but I sprang from my seat like my ass was on fire. He just shook his head with his adorable grin on his face as we walked up to the counter.
“Is there a problem?” I asked the dark-haired woman, who was staring down at her computer.
She glanced up, but then did a double take when she saw Wes. I guess the cowboy hat and goofy grin made people take notice.
“Are you Wesley Cockrell?” she asked, barely even registering that I was next to him.
“Yes, ma’am.” I noticed he laid on the accent thicker when he was trying to charm someone. That’s how I ended up agreeing to marry him in the first place. Damn his sexy accent.
“It looks like we had an overbooking in coach, so we’re moving you up to first class. I hope that’s okay?”
My eyes practically bugged out of their sockets. “You’re moving him up to first class? Are you charging extra for that?” I didn’t even want to think about the extra cost to my credit card.
She shook her head, smiling warmly. “Oh no, there’s no extra cost. We’re just terribly sorry about the inconvenience.”
“And it’s just him moving up, or me too?”
She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, your name?”
“Valerie Wilder. That’s what the credit card is under for both of our tickets.”
She typed in a few keys, her eyes flickering to the computer below her. “You two aren’t married?”
Wes opened his mouth, but I intercepted first. “Newlyweds. I just haven’t changed my last name yet.”
She nodded, a tight-lipped smile on her face. “I see. Well, Mrs. Cockrell, it doesn’t look like we have another opening in first class, so it would just be Wesley. Is that okay or I can see if I can get you both on a later flight?”
I sighed. “No, that’s fine.”
We turned and went back to our seats. Once we sat down, Wes leaned over and whispered. “Thought you didn’t want to tell people that we were married?”
“Yeah, well, when a flight attendant is looking at you like you’re a piece of meat, I have to step in. It’s for your own protection.”
His laugh tickled my jaw line. “I kind of like this mama tiger instinct you have going on.”
“Don’t get to fond of it. I just did what I had to do to explain our tickets.”
He nodded and slowly pulled back. “Okay. I understand.”
I let out a deep breath and put my head back, slowly closing my eyes. It wasn’t the first time that day I had to explain who Wes was and it probably wouldn’t be the last.
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Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. When not writing she spends her time fighting over fake boyfriends via social media.
You can find her online at http://www.maganvernon.com
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One Wild Night (Forever Wild) Page 5