by Rayman Black
Two shots of whiskey later, I wasn’t feeling any better about the situation.
“Let’s go try to find a table,” Lori said, her voice elevated to be heard over the music. “There may be some near the stage.”
“We won’t be able to hear each other,” I argued, stubbornly keeping my place by the bar. It had taken me almost ten minutes to wade my way through the crowd to get here, and I wasn’t inclined to give it up.
Lori rolled her eyes and sighed. “You stay here then,” she said, turning away. “I’m going to find somewhere to sit down.” She walked into the crowd, Judith following behind her.
Tears pricked my eyes. I blinked rapidly, trying to shove down the sob that wanted to rise in my throat. Why do we always end up so damn uncomfortable with each other? I wondered. It was so stupid, and it made me crazy that I couldn’t figure out how to avoid it.
Sabrina nudged my shoulder and I jumped. “Good Lord!” I cried, my hand flying to my chest. “I didn’t know you were still here.”
Sabrina smiled, her eyes gentle. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” She leaned against the bar next to me. “Want to tell me why you’re crying at the bar?”
I shook my head, laughing a little as I rubbed the moisture from under my eyes. “You weren’t supposed to see that, you know. I thought I was alone.”
“Alone?” Sabrina repeated, eyebrows raised. She looked around us sardonically.
I laughed. “Well, in a manner of speaking. It’s not a big deal, Sabrina. Don’t worry about me. What else would you like to do tonight? It is your weekend, after all.”
“Don’t change the subject,” she said mildly. “Does it have anything to do with your difficulty on the plane? Or the way you three don’t really talk to each other?”
I closed my eyes. “Dammit, Sabrina, you weren’t supposed to see any of that.” I shrugged apologetically. “How are you supposed to have good memories of this weekend if your friends aren’t getting along with each other? We’ve been trying to hide it.”
“But you aren’t getting along with each other,” she pointed out reasonably. “It’s kind of hard to hide something like that.” She wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “This weekend isn’t just about me, Katie. I want you to have fun, too. Let go of whatever’s got you down and be free for a couple of days.” She squeezed me once and released me. “Whatever’s going to make you happy, I want you to do it.”
“That’s good advice,” said a voice from behind us, deep and husky. “You should take it.”
Sabrina screamed and turned around, launching herself into Kevin’s arms. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sheer joy on their faces as he spun her in a quick circle and set her on her feet again.
“When did you get here?” she asked, her questions tumbling out like a waterfall. “How long are you staying? Did you know we were coming to Las Vegas, too?” She laid her hands on his face and grinned at him. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
Kevin grinned back, his eyes glued to her face. “We got here late last night, but I had no idea where you were. We leave on Sunday. I can’t believe we wound up in the same city, much less the same bar. What are the odds on that?”
She lifted up on her toes and kissed him. “About the same as finding each other again in Boston ten years later, I guess. It must be proof we’re meant to be.” They grinned at each other.
I could see Thomas and a tall man with brown hair winding their way through the tables, heading for Lori and Judith. I turned back to Kevin and Sabrina, opening my mouth to say something inane, but stopped abruptly. I felt like I couldn’t get my breath.
He stepped up beside Kevin, looked right at me, and smiled. He was tall, taller than Kevin by an inch or two, and solidly muscled under his black button down shirt. He had a thick mop of blond hair and his face was handsome in a rugged kind of way, but his eyes. Oh, God, his eyes. Dark brown, nearly black, piercing and amused. Heat flooded me, rising in my cheeks and pulsing in my core.
Holy shit, what I would love to do with him, I thought.
“Oh, hey, you two haven’t met yet, have you?” Kevin said, keeping one arm around Sabrina. “Chris Owens, meet Katie Halls. Chris worked with me at the station,” he said, elbowing his friend in the ribs. “And Katie is studying psychology with Lori and Judith.”
Sabrina looked at me closely, her eyes widening as she stifled a smile. She winked at me and said, “Come on, Kevin, let’s go find the table. I wonder if Lori knows that Thomas is here yet.” She leaned toward me and whispered, “Now that looks like fun.” With a twinkle in her dark eyes, she pulled Kevin away and disappeared into the crowd.
Chris wedged himself against the bar next to me. “You were at the engagement party, right?” he asked.
I nodded, turning toward him. “Yeah, I was. I think I remember you there, too. Have you known Kevin a long time?” God, I hated the stilted conversation of the newly met. It sounded so forced and scripted. I couldn’t think of anything witty or even flirtatious to say. All I wanted to do was bite him. I hoped he couldn’t read minds.
He shrugged, and I imagined the feel of his powerful shoulders under my hands. “Yeah, awhile. I met him when he started working at the station, so that would be something like six years.”
“Wow,” I said, sipping the last of my drink. I set the glass down and tried to catch the attention of one of the bartenders. What was it about this guy that made my nerve endings spark? “So how do you feel about him getting married? I haven’t known Sabrina nearly as long, and I already feel like I’m losing her in a way.” And don’t get me started on Lori, I thought but didn’t say.
Chris shrugged again. “People get married, right? Things change, people change. I don’t see him as much as I used to when we worked together, and then he’s got a lot going on with Sabrina and his kid. But he’s happy, so I’m happy for him. We still see each other sometimes, and I’m glad for it.”
I envied his calm acceptance. He had to feel so peaceful inside.
“That’s a great attitude to have about it,” I said. “Not everyone handles change with such Zen.”
He laughed. “I don’t know about Zen, but I don’t see the sense in fretting over what you can’t control, you know? People make their choices, even when it affects other people. Besides,” he added simply. “She makes him happy.”
“Yeah,” I said, smiling softly as I thought about my friend’s bliss these last months. “He makes her pretty happy, too.”
He leaned in toward me, his shoulder pressing against mine. I shivered at the touch, the pulsing heat in my core spreading as my breasts tingled.
“Can I buy you a drink?” he asked.
4
Chris
I wasn’t sure about the challenge while I showered and dressed to go out after dinner. Where could we go to find enough for Thomas and Kevin to enjoy while also giving me a chance to scout for a Friday night date? How would I even approach a woman without looking like a total douche bag? It had been a long time since I tried. And was it even right to be planning to ditch my friends for sex on our first night in Vegas?
But Kevin and Thomas had seemed to fully support Joshua’s challenge, so I talked myself up as we left the hotel and walked down the street. It’s nothing serious, I reminded myself. You’re not trying to get a woman to marry you tonight, for goodness’ sake. Just a little fun on vacation. People do it all the time.
Soon we found a lounge connected to some hotel or other’s casino, the open doors spilling people onto the street and allowing the sound of guitars and drums to float out on the alcoholic breeze.
“This looks perfect,” Thomas declared, stopping in front of it. Grumbling pedestrians broke around us like waves.
“I’m down,” said Joshua agreeably, tapping the toe of his boot to the beat. “Everywhere has beer, right?”
“Right,” Thomas said, watching people come out the doors, drinks in hand, and start walking down the street. “And it seems like that means literally everywhere.
” We walked inside and almost ran into Thomas as he stopped short.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he said, but he sounded delighted. We turned to see where he was looking. “Lori’s here,” he told us, his pleasure evident in his voice. “I’m going to go see her.”
He started making his way through the maze of tables. Joshua shrugged. “I’ll go with him. Keep him out of trouble, you know.” He winked and followed our friend to the table where his wife sat with another woman, a pretty and vaguely familiar brunette.
Kevin scanned the room for Sabrina, and I knew the instant that he saw her. He turned to me, his eyes soft.“She’s so beautiful,” he said. “Sometimes I see her and I realize just how damn lucky I am that she said yes.”
I pushed him toward the bar. “Go get us some drinks,” I said. “Go see her. You’ll feel better once you’ve gotten your hands on her.”
He rolled his eyes and grinned. “If only I could put my hands on her,” he said, heading toward the bar. “But they tend to frown on that in public. Then again, does Vegas have different rules about public sex?”
I looked around the room, jammed with bodies and warmth and music. I wanted to give Kevin a minute with Sabrina before I joined them. They were so in love, and the shine of it radiated from them like sunlight. I saw Thomas and Joshua heading straight for a small table where Lori sat with her friend. I looked at the people around me, trying not to stare but trying to find a friendly smile. I didn’t see anyone I might want to get to know better. Turning back to the bar, I felt my mouth go dry.
I remembered seeing her at Thomas and Lori’s engagement party. She had stuck out, the feisty redhead who cracked jokes and had the big, amazing laugh. I hadn’t talked to her then, but I had watched her. Her hair was dark now. It suited her arresting face, highlighted her creamy skin and her pale green eyes.
I had thought about her for days, but it never seemed like a good time to ask anyone about her. Or maybe I was too chicken to ask. We hadn’t been at any of the same events after that. But now here she was, wearing some kind of floaty green dress that made me think immediately of what it would look like drifting to the floor after I pulled it off of her.
I shook my head and started for the bar. “Get yourself under control,” I muttered quietly to myself. “It’s a little early for that.”
I stepped up next to Kevin, his arms wrapped around Sabrina, and I had to admit it. Something in my heart squeezed for what they had with each other. Even so, I couldn’t take my eyes off the green-eyed beauty in front of me. I smiled.
Kevin made some introductions and left, leaving me to make some sort of inane small talk with Katie. Lucky for me, she didn’t seem to mind. If anything, I thought I could read a kind of distracted warmth in her eyes. Could it be possible that she felt the same connection, too? I leaned in to her slightly, feeling every inch of my arm as it pressed against hers.
“Can I buy you a drink?” I asked, gesturing to the nearly empty rocks glass in front of her.
She looked at me levelly for a moment, making up her mind. Then she lifted her glass, drained it, and nodded.
“Whisky on the rocks,” she said, flashing me a smile.
Oh, my God, she drinks her whiskey straight. If she likes classic rock, too, I’m going to marry this girl, I thought. It took a couple of minutes to flag down the harried bartender, but eventually he made it over to me.
“Whisky on the rocks,” I repeated to him, winking at Katie. “Two of them, please.” When he handed them to me and moved away, I turned to Katie. “So tell me, Katie Halls, how do you know Kevin and Sabrina?”
“It’s more that I know Lori,” she said, and I thought I saw a cloud of sadness pass over her face. In a flash it was gone, and she was all smiles again. Did I imagine it? She continued, “Through Lori I met Thomas, and when they got engaged, I met Sabrina at the party. She’s become a good friend.” She took a sip of her drink. “I don’t know Kevin as well, but he seems like a great guy.”
I nodded. “He’s one of the best. Have you been to his restaurant?”
She laughed. “Yes, a couple days after it opened.The poor guy looked like a frantic chicken, running around without a head!”
I laughed, too. I had been in more than once over the first couple weeks after opening, and her description was pretty right on.
“Still,” she said. “It’s a pretty amazing thing, the way he planned out his dream and went for it, and with a baby to take care of, too. I don’t know that I would have the courage to leave a steady job and risk opening my own business like he did. It seems to be doing well for him.”
“His baby is why he went for it,” I told her. “It’s not easy to balance the job and a family. We don’t see the nicest things. People usually aren’t at their best. It can wear on you. Especially since he was mother and father to Kim, he wanted a job that didn’t require so much of him. He wanted to keep most of himself available for his kid. It’s why I can’t be upset that he left the station,” I explained. “Even though I wanted to be at first. How can I fault a man for putting his daughter first?” I felt that same familiar twist inside, but ignored it.
“Wow,” Katie said thoughtfully, sipping her whiskey. “I didn’t know all that. Kevin’s restaurant makes more sense now, and I still think it took a lot of courage to do it.”
“On that point we entirely agree, milady,” I said, bowing gallantly. Well, as gallantly as I could with so many people trying to push up to the bar. Katie laughed, a low and smoky sound that sank deep into my blood.
“So what do you do to beat the stress?” she asked, pressing her thigh against mine. I wanted to reach down and run my fingers over the soft skin of her knee.
“It’s different for me,” I said, trying to focus. “I don’t have a family of my own to worry about. I can be all job.”
“Still,” she said. “You’re only human. It has to get to you, too, sometimes. How do you handle it? What are your tricks? Everyone has tricks for coping.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I haven’t really thought about it. I guess running is a way I deal with things. Good, heart pounding music and a long stretch of road, and I feel right as rain. And I cook,” I added. “It’s better than meditation.”
“I’m not sure if I’m more surprised by the fact that you studied meditation, or that you so freely confess to cooking,” she said, laughing. “You’re a man of many layers, Chris Owens.”
I signalled to the bartender for another round. She was clearly a couple of drinks ahead of me, but I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed, so intrigued, with a woman.
“What do you do?” I asked. “Like you said, everyone has tricks for coping. What are yours?”
“Well, I’m a psychology student,” Katie said seriously. “Which means I’m well educated in the ways a fully functioning, healthy adult can decompress and process their stress.” She flashed a self-deprecating grin. “Which also means my chosen methods include drinking and procrastination.”
I laughed, as she had meant me to, but I could tell her easy banter covered something deeper. I found myself wanting to know what it was, and how I could help her. Something about this beautiful, vibrant woman tugged at my protective instincts. I wondered if she would let me in, and then I wondered why I wanted in when this was supposed to be a simple fling.
I need more alcohol, I decided. It’s obviously been way too long since I’ve done this. I tossed back my drink and felt the warmth spread through my chest. I signalled for another.
Katie turned toward me then, angling her body closer to mine. “So tell me,” she began, toying with her glass. “What’s your favorite part of Vegas so far?”
Taking a chance, I reached out and laid a hand on her waist. When she didn’t pull I away, I slipped it around her back, pulling her close to me. She held my gaze, her eyes darkening with clearly interested pleasure at my touch. I felt myself harden.
I leaned in closer, brushing my lips against her ear as I m
urmured, “So far, you’re hands down the best part.”
She shook her head, but her voice was husky when she answered. “Impossible. I’m not a Vegas thing. You could still meet me in Boston. I meant a purely Vegas thing.”
I slid my hand slowly up her back, then cupped her chin and tilted her face up toward mine. “Maybe,” I agreed, staring into her eyes. “But like Kevin said, what are the odds of us ending up here at the same time? Seems like pure Vegas magic to me.”
I leaned down and laid my lips gently over hers. She tasted of whisky and honey, and she pressed against me, her mouth moving under mine, exploring me as I was exploring her. I wrapped my arms around her slender body and tilted my head, angling the kiss deeper. I licked the seam of her mouth and she opened for me, arching into me as I delved my tongue into her mouth.
Her breasts pressed against my chest as she clutched my shoulders and moaned in her throat. That small sound of pleasure, almost more felt than heard, threatened to shatter my control completely. I didn’t care that we were in a bar, surrounded by strangers. I didn’t care that our closest friends were likely looking at us right now. All I wanted was her skin under my hands. I dropped them lower on her back.
“Chris,” she said breathlessly, pulling back slightly. She glanced around us. “Oh, God, Chris. We can’t do this here.”
I closed my eyes and nodded, but I kept her body pressed against mine. She felt so damn good in my arms. “Yeah,” I said gruffly. “Yeah, you’re right. Should I apologize?”
“Fuck no,” she said, and I laughed, opening my eyes and looking down into her mischievous face. “I was just thinking, I’ve never had sex in a Las Vegas bathroom before.” She wiggled her eyebrows and rolled her hips slightly. “What do you think?”