Sin City Vows

by Zuri Day

  As the plane neared the airport and began to descend, she looked out the window. The gray skies and raindrops sliding down the small windows seemed appropriate as they mirrored her feelings exactly. Conflicting emotions warred inside her, and it was hard to know what to feel. In the moment, she was numb, feeling nothing at all as thoughts chased memories, bumped against each other and then melted together, becoming one endless scenario of despair and ecstasy, frustration and chaos.

  The pressure in her ears increased as the plane continued lower. She worked her jaws to pop them, watched as the silvery ribbons turned into highways and the green swaths became lawns and trees. Was it really less than two months ago that she flew to where Christian’s jet had been customized, and then touched down in Vegas on his birthday to escape her old life and search for a new one? Where her preteen crush turned into the greatest whirlwind romance of her life only to dissipate in an equally short time? And the biggest question of all: Could they rise above the drama, have their lust turn into love, and have their flickering desire become a lasting flame?

  Unlike Thanksgiving or Christmas, Easter travel was the same as any regular weekend in the nation’s capital. Lauren had only brought a carry-on for the long weekend she’d be at home and made it through Washington National rather quickly. On the way from the Jetway she’d texted her mom, who pulled up curbside within minutes of her nearing the exit. She withstood the steady drizzle sans umbrella, threw her carry-on into the back seat and gave her mom a hug.

  Faye hugged her back tightly. “It’s so good to see you, honey.”

  “It’s good to see you, too. Although honestly, I was less than excited to come back home.”

  “Given the circumstances, I’d feel the same way.” Faye checked her rearview mirror and eased away from the curb. “I’m so sorry about everything that’s happened. So is your father. After what happened in Las Vegas, he took a good look at Ed, asked around about him. The coworkers didn’t hold back.”

  “What did they say?” Lauren asked.

  “That he’s a jerk, basically, the same as you said. Paul went to Ed and told him that he no longer supported his desire to marry you. Despite what may happen to him, Paul demanded he leave you alone.”

  “That couldn’t have been easy.”

  “No, and it didn’t go over well.”

  “What happened?”

  “Ed reiterated his threat to tell Gerald about the embezzlement. That’s when your father turned the tables.”

  “How?”

  “Just yesterday, he called a meeting with Ed and Gerald and told him everything.”

  Lauren whispered, “Oh my God.”

  “From what transpired after that, the man upstairs was definitely present. Gerald isn’t going to press charges, honey.”

  Lauren dropped her head in her hands. “Thank God!”

  “He was hurt, very hurt, and disappointed. But Paul told him the whole story without holding back—about the fledgling business, even after Gerald’s investment, the mortgages on the house and Ed’s threats. Gerald was really angry about that. He couldn’t believe his son would try to blackmail someone into marrying him. I think that’s what really gave Gerald the compassion to forgive Paul and accept restitution instead of pressing charges.”

  Lauren sat silent, too stunned to react. This news changed everything! With Ed’s threat no longer a cloud over her head, she could reveal the sham to him and then go on with her life. She could think about a future in Breedlove, Nevada. She could think of a lifetime with Christian.

  “Did Dad lose his job?” she finally asked.

  Faye shook her head. “Paul offered his resignation but Gerald refused it, again showing what kind of true friend he is. It’s hard to believe an apple like Ed fell from that tree. He did order a full audit, though. And there will be financial oversight from an outside company for the next five years. Paul will have to pay for that. But all in all, given what could have happened, this is an outcome beyond what we could have dreamed.”

  As the conversation shifted to other topics, Lauren’s mood lifted. She took in the city with brighter eyes. She noticed the last of the cherry blossoms on thin, bobbing branches and appreciated the blending of old and new in the city’s regentrifying neighborhoods. They reached the wide avenues of Brandywine, with its large manicured lawns and white oak and Virginia pine trees. The Harts’ home on the corner lot anchored their block. Tall, white and imposing with black shutters and gleaming glass, multicolored flowers against the wrought iron fence, and a red cobblestoned drive made it stand out, a fitting tribute to what the upper-class builders had in mind when development of the tony area began. Lauren’s heart swelled with gratitude. The threat was over. Her parents would not lose their home.

  After placing her luggage into her old bedroom, now a guest room, Lauren called Ed. She put the call on speaker, pacing as she waited for him to answer the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Ed, it’s Lauren.”

  “Lauren. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  Lauren ignored the attitude in his voice and responded as pleasantly as she could. “I just talked with Mom. She told me what happened, that Dad told your father the truth. I wanted to share a truth as well.”

  “What, that you’ll marry me?”

  Lauren plopped on the bed she’d slept in for years. “Ed, you don’t want to marry me. You just don’t like to lose. There is someone out there for you. Someone who can do more for you and your image than I ever could. I know you love moving and shaking in the tristate area, and I’ve extended my contract in Nevada. I’ll be staying out west. You need someone here, a socialite, someone who’ll look good on your arm and wants to be there.”

  She waited, hoped for a civil exchange. No matter how she felt about Ed, his father, Gerald, was a man she greatly respected. Not many in his position would have forgiven her father and kept him employed.

  “What if I’m not ready to let you go?”

  “You can’t hold on to what you’ve never had. There is no chance of a romance between us. We need to end this madness, now.”

  “Or what?” Lauren could hear Ed’s rising anger through the phone. “You going to sic the Breedlove brothers on me? Well, let me tell you something, baby. I’m not afraid of those effeminate dudes. And if they ever come east, on my turf, they’ll find that out.”

  She ignored the jab, refused to take the bait. “Speaking of the Breedloves, I have a confession to make.”

  “You’re not married to that asshole,” he hissed. “I already know.”

  “I lied because I felt pressured, like my back was against the wall.”

  “Lies can get you into trouble.”

  “I know, which is why I wanted to clear everything up.”

  “Consider it cleared.”

  “So this is it? The harassment’s over?”

  “You have nothing I want,” he said.

  “I wish you the best, Ed.”

  “Have fun out west.”

  The cordiality in his voice was obviously fake, a tone that gave her the chills. She tried to dismiss the foreboding feeling. But as she ended the call, she couldn’t deny the truth: that was much too easy.

  * * *

  A veritable feast was being prepared at the Breedlove estate. The family gathered for a down-home cooked meal on the northwest side of the property at Papa Will Yazzie and Grandma Breedlove Yazzie’s rambling single-story farmhouse. It was one of a few times of year that Grandma Jewel forbade “chef anybody” or “catered anything” to darken her door. Christian knew that Easter was one of his grandmother’s favorite holidays. It reminded her of childhood—frilly dresses, colored Easter eggs and speeches at a small Methodist church.

  For Papa Will, Grandma’s second husband who had Native American roots, the holiday held less meaning. But he’d do anything to make “my Jewel” happy. An
d so would she for him, which is why the following weekend they’d head to New Mexico for the Gathering of Nations annual powwow.

  Today, extended family from both sides had traveled from as close as California and as far away as Texas. Inside, the women ruled and in the kitchen, Grandma Jewel’s domain, she was the captain of a mountain of sides—dressing, salads, macaroni and cheese—and it was all hands on deck. Even Victoria, who rarely stepped into any of the three kitchens located in her home, sat at the table, chatting with her mom Sylvia, dutifully and daintily separating the yolks from the whites of hard-boiled eggs for her sister’s famous deviled eggs.

  Outside, the brothers enjoyed hanging out with their cousins and friends. Nick and Noah played touch football with a group of their peers while Adam and some of the others attempted polo a short distance away. Others sipped beer and other libations on the wraparound porch. That’s where Christian sat, keeping company with Papa Will, watching as he carefully basted a slow-roasting pig on a spit and listening as he spilled secrets on how he and Jewel kept the home fires burning and the love alive. “Humor and humility, mostly,” he crooned, while basting the beast.

  Cuts of beef and whole chickens sat on the grill; a whole turkey set dressed for the fryer, the smell of hickory and burning wood filling the air. His gaze drifted from Papa Will to the mountain in the distance, the one where after visiting their childhood cave Lauren had been thrown from the horse. He allowed the truth of the matter to fill his mind. He missed her, desperately. Reaching for his phone, he walked a distance into the yard as he hit the speaker button.

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Christian, hi!”

  “Wow, you sound happy. The East must be agreeing with you.”

  “I’ve never felt better.” She gave Christian an update of what had happened over the past few days. “I can’t believe that it’s over. I’m so relieved.”

  “So am I.”

  “I know I’ve said it more than once but again, I’m really sorry for lying and putting you in such an awkward position.”

  “You did what you had to do. That’s behind us now. Let’s have it stay there. When are you coming home?”

  “My flight leaves at seven and arrives at McCarran just after eleven,” she answered.

  “Text me the itinerary. I’ll pick you up.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I want to. And just so you know, you’re coming home with me and spending the night. No argument. No excuses.”

  “I wouldn’t offer any because there’s no other place I’d rather be. I’ll see you later, then?”

  “You can count on it, beautiful.”

  Christian hung up the phone and joined the rest of the family gathering on the porch as dinner was served. There was more food, drink and laughter than he’d seen in a while. He was happy, almost giddy. There was one reason. Lauren.

  At a little past nine, he hugged everyone goodbye and headed home to shower and change to meet Lauren at the airport. He was pleased to see her smiling face within moments of reaching the passenger pickup lane. Before he could exit the car she’d opened the back door and thrown her carry-on inside.

  “I was going to do that for you,” he drawled, soaking her up with his eyes.

  She leaned over. “I know. I’m in a hurry. It’s time to get wet.”

  The verbal nod to their earlier encounters was all the encouragement Christian needed to test his car’s horsepower. He didn’t have to check the speedometer to know that night he broke the law. Conversation was minimal during the short drive to Breedlove. They exited the car, giggling like teenagers as they pulled at clothes and each other from the garage to the great room. That first coming together was urgent, almost frantic, Lauren splayed across the back of the leather couch, urging him to take her from behind.

  He pressed his tip against the wet entry beckoning him forward, then stopped.

  “No!”

  “Wait, baby. I need a condom.”

  “I can’t wait,” Lauren panted as she turned and reached for the massive hard shaft that was hot to the touch.

  Her pleading was something he couldn’t deny. He placed his hands on her hips, spun her back around and sank into paradise. The unfettered rawness of skin against skin drove the relentless pounding, along with Lauren’s moans and growled commands. He squeezed her cheeks and slowed the rhythm to match the swivel of her hips. It was a perfectly executed dance for which they hadn’t rehearsed, yet performed as though having done it a thousand times. When he reached for Lauren’s silky folds, slid a finger between them and massaged her pearl, she came undone. He wasn’t far behind. The reunion was super climactic, but they were just getting started.

  “Come here,” Lauren whispered when she’d regained her breath.

  “Where are we going?”

  She didn’t answer, just reached for his hand and headed to the master suite. Once there she continued to the customized shower, stared at the various knobs and showerheads.

  “How do you work this thing?”

  Christian laughed. “What do you want? A single flow, duel pumps, a rain forest effect?”

  “Definitely the rain forest.”

  Christian turned on the water and joined Lauren beneath the flow. She poured bath soap into her hand and then, forgoing a sponge, used her body as the friction to unleash the bubbly scent. That done, her eyes locked with his, she began a trail of kisses. His neck, pecs, abs, hips, until taking his hardened heat in her hands and stroking its length as she stuck out her tongue and outlined his perfectly mushroomed tip. Over, and again, before taking him in, her warm cavern causing goose bumps all over his skin. She lavished him from head to toe. Then he returned the favor. As trails of orange, purple, pink and blue announced the dawn, Christian and Lauren climbed into his bed, wrapped themselves around each other and fell into what was for both the first night of dreamless sleep in a while.

  Twenty-Two

  Lauren awoke with a smile on her face. She looked over at Christian, who was also awake, also smiling and looking at her.

  “Hey.”

  “Hello, beautiful.”

  She rolled into his arms. “Did last night really happen?”

  “All the way into the morning.”

  “Ha!” Lauren sat up and stretched. “I feel amazing! Oh, but wait a minute.”

  “What?”

  “What about our stateside rule?”

  “What about the friends-with-benefits exception?”

  “Right. It’s kind of like having our cake and eating it, too.”

  Christian shifted his body and kissed her breasts. “Speaking of...are you hungry? Because I could definitely eat again.”

  “Something tells me you’re not talking about a dish that the chef can cook up.”

  “Naw, you rule this particular kitchen.”

  Lauren slid down alongside Christian. Just as they began to kiss, his cell phone rang. He looked over, saw that it was Adam and declined the call with one of the prepared messages. Busy. Call you later. Within seconds, his text and email notifications began going off like crazy. He frowned, reached for the phone and placed his finger on the fingerprint scanner to unlock it. Figuring that the texts and emails could be part of a scam, he instead tapped the screen to return Adam’s missed call. He put the call on speaker and pulled Lauren into his arms.

  “What’s up, bro?” he asked.

  “There’s no easy way to tell you,” Adam replied. “But you need to brace yourself. Because your fake wedding is all over the news.”

  “What?” Adam’s words sat Lauren straight up.

  “Is that Lauren?” Adam asked.

  “Hey, Adam. Yeah, it’s me. What’s going on?”

  “That’s what you need to tell my brother. Christian, I sent one of the links to your phone. You need to check it out... ASAP.”


  The line went dead. Christian turned and looked at her. His expression was confused, yet cold. She could tell he fought to stay calm.

  “Well?”

  “Christian, I swear I don’t know what’s going on.”

  He got out of bed, donned a pair of shorts and reached for his phone. He scrolled the face, reading whatever Adam sent him, she presumed. His jaw clenched in anger. She got out of bed.

  “What does it say?”

  “You didn’t talk to anyone back east?”

  “Only the conversation with Ed that I told you about. Where I admitted to having lied about being married.”

  “Where did the conversation take place?”

  “Over the phone. What are they saying in the article?”

  “Not what you said you told Ed. Put on your clothes. This party is over. I’ll take you back to your place where you can read it for yourself.”

  Lauren went in search of her clothes. By the time she’d slipped into them Christian was dressed, too, with keys in hand.

  “Christian, wait.” She whipped out her phone, did a quick internet search on Christian’s name and clicked on the first link that appeared.

  “You can’t possibly believe I had anything to do with this,” she said, after reading the first damaging paragraph.

  “You told me the conversation with Ed was cordial, that he agreed to leave you alone.”

  “He did, but...” Lauren’s words trailed off as she remembered the feeling that came over her when their call ended. “He said everything was fine and I desperately wanted to believe it, so I convinced myself that saga was over and done. But I felt something was wrong, off, about his demeanor. Like the resolution was almost too easy. This had to have been Ed’s doing, Christian. He probably had it planned all along, as revenge if I told him no.”

  She looked at Christian, her eyes filled with regret. “Baby, I’m so sorry.”

  “I am, too. Let’s go.”

  “I don’t want to leave you, Christian. Not like this. Why don’t I stay so that we can work through this together?”