by Shana Gray
Bonni laughed and reached out to take Fredi’s hand. “You do have a way of putting things in perspective. But I feel guilty spending time with him when I came here to be with you guys.”
“Looook.” Fredi emphasized the word and pointed at Ava and Celia. “Do you think those two would hesitate if they were in your shoes? We’d have to hog-tie Ava to keep her from rushing to the altar, and Dickhead’s done such a number on Celia, if any man could actually make her feel sexy and desirable again, I’d probably loan him my handcuffs.”
Bonni snickered. “When did you get handcuffs, you kinky thing, you?”
Fredi gave Bonni a mischievous look which made her laugh even harder.
Bonni waved her hand. “Okay. Let’s figure out what we’re going to do tonight and then I’ll text Quinn.”
Fredi picked up her phone and began tapping at the screen. “No worries, B, we’ll make sure you get your Quinn fix.”
Bonni lifted a shoulder. “Do you have to phrase it like that?”
Her friends knew how she felt about substance abuse and addiction. Her older brother had started drinking heavily in college and then started experimenting with drugs. Their parents had managed to get him help before he destroyed his life. Bonni didn’t mind cutting loose and partying with her friends on occasion, but she preferred to be the designated driver.
Gambling was another activity that was fun once in a while, but it was a slippery slope and could easily take over. Her discomfort at Quinn’s profession rose to the surface. It seemed hypocritical to be judging him for gambling when she had won that money playing the slots but, to her, it was different. Just a stroke of luck—being in the right place at the right time. But Quinn, his livelihood depended on the turn of a card. What happened when the cards were against him? But she remembered the thrill she’d gotten when she’d won, how much she’d been enjoying having the extra money to spoil her friends, so maybe she could understand. She sighed and decided she couldn’t think about it anymore.
Fredi chucked a magazine at Celia and it thunked against her knee, barely avoiding falling into her footbath. Celia hardly reacted and said, “Fuck off, Fredi. I’m currently on a beach with a strapping young man named Antonio, who is feeding me grapes, and I’m not worrying about how to replace the cleats Jilly outgrew. She’s such a tomboy.”
Ava took out her earbuds and peeled off the cucumber slices. Lifting her glass of wine, she said, “This is just divine. Not a spreadsheet in sight, just pampering and my best friends.”
Reluctantly, Celia pulled out her earbuds, too. “Goodbye, Antonio.” Balling up her cucumber slices in a tissue, she said, “I love my kids, but it’s been so great being me again and not Mom. You have no idea how much I appreciate this. The whole weekend—the spa, being with you guys.” She let out an exaggerated puff of air. “Oh yeah, this is a heavenly break for me. Bring on the wine!” Celia held up her glass.
Bonni picked hers up and they all did a cheers. Fredi said, “So, I don’t know how Antonio will stack up, but I got us tickets to Thunder Down Under. The 7 p.m, show. I figure we’ll have a fabulous dinner after getting pampered and then go ogle hot Aussie men.”
Celia pumped a fist. “I’ve got no problem ditching Antonio for real-life Hemsworth lookalikes.”
Ava said, “There’s this great sushi place I’ve heard about. Bonni, do you think Quinn might want to come?”
“While I think it’s hot as hell to fantasize about Quinn being an equal opportunist, Bon-Bon might want to cut her losses now, since she doesn’t like sharing.” It was hard, Bonni thought, because, on the one hand, she was glad Celia was reclaiming her spirit but, on the other, she said the most outrageous, embarrassing, things.
“You know perfectly well I meant dinner! Not that there’s anything wrong with being bisexual. Is he bi, Bonni?” Bonni was too busy facepalming to answer Ava, so Fredi replied.
“Dudes, she just met him. I’m sure they haven’t had the sexual preferences and kinks discussions yet. Bonni will stick with us for dinner and the show, and then she can go explore Quinn’s sexual fantasies. And we’re not having sushi, Aves. No one likes raw fish but you.”
Seizing the subject change, Bonni said, “Remember when the most exotic cuisine Ava would eat was quesadillas? City life has changed our baby girl.”
Ava laughed. “Having to accompany David on business dinners forced me to expand my palate, especially since it was free food and living in the city is expensive.”
“And how is David doing? He can certainly fill out a suit in the pictures you posted on Instagram.” Celia waggled her eyebrows.
“He and his wife are very happy, thank you. They just had the most adorable baby girl. Besides, mixing business and pleasure never works.” Ava glanced to the side before draining the rest of her wine.
Bonni changed the subject again. “Fredi, tell me how much the tickets were and I’ll cover them.”
“Part of me wants to argue, and the rest of me knows how damn stubborn you are.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Ava insisted. “It’s not fair you—”
“I mean it, Ava.” Bonni looked pointedly at each one, giving them the fiercest cop stare. “You guys don’t spend any money. Charge whatever you can to the hotel room, and I got everything else.”
They all hesitated, looked at each other, then nodded their heads.
“Thank you.” Ava blew her a kiss.
“You’re the best, Bonni, and you know how much this means to me.” Celia touched her chest above her heart and Bonni thought she saw tears glistening in her eyes.
“Love you, Bons.” Fredi reached over and squeezed her arm.
The attendants came in and did their pedicures while they chatted. Bonni was happy about how things had worked out, that she could spend time with her friends and with Quinn. Ava told a funny anecdote from her morning tour and Celia caught them up on the latest with her kids. Bonni wondered if she could convince Celia to take money for Jilly’s sporting equipment before the end of the weekend. Maybe she should just order the cleats and have them sent to Celia’s house.
“Ladies, please follow me, and I will show you to your respective rooms for your massages.” An attendant led the way and they all followed her down a hallway. The wonderful aroma of massage oils hung on the air.
“Ms. Connolly, you are in here.”
“I can’t wait. I need this.” Bonni waved goodbye to her friends and, as the door was closing behind her, she heard Celia in the hall. “See you all later. Hey, I have a dude! Sweeeet.”
Bonni laughed, and could almost see the big smile Celia would have on her face as she checked him out.
She sat in a chair and waited for her masseuse to come in. Moments later, a mature woman entered. “Hello, I’m Sarah.” She walked over to Bonni and gave her shoulder a squeeze with strong fingers then moved to her neck.
Oh my, this is going to be great.
“You’re very tense.”
“Don’t I know it.”
“Well, we can work on that. I have you for ninety minutes. You can hang your robe on that hook. Are you okay to get on the table by yourself?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’ll be back in a moment then.”
Bonni climbed on the table and slipped under the sheet. The table was warm, and strategically placed pillows supported her body nicely. Bonni rested her face into the draped pillow and relaxed. A soft knock on the door, and Sarah came back in.
Bonni didn’t want to talk and lay quietly as Sarah worked on her. Her fingers were strong and gentle, sweeping and soothing. Bonni lost track of time and fell into a trance under her hands. She thought about Quinn. The way he had touched her last night. The release of endorphins from Sarah’s touch and the remembrance of the pleasure Quinn had brought her was a wicked combination. She couldn’t wait to see him again, and for his hands to be on her again.
Chapter Thirteen
The show had been just as good as advertised, and Fredi had scored the
m great seats.
“Those were worth every penny,” Bonni said.
“When that one guy sidled up to Ava, I thought I was going to die laughing.” Celia giggled, just remembering it.
“Oh, he was hottttt. I swear, I got a contact high just from being near him. And the guy in the SWAT uniform! Bonni, are you holding out on us?”
“Ha, no. They grow them mighty fine in Canada, but none of the guys I work with is quite so…sculpted.”
Celia put her arm around Fredi and gave her a squeeze. “How about the tuxedoed dudes? Wouldn’t they make excellent arm-candy for the models of your wedding dresses?”
Fredi nodded. “They would certainly catch any bride’s attention. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such perfect specimens of men before.” She turned to Bonni. “What do you think? Still settled on Quinn? I think the cowboy was eyeing you from the stage.”
“Okay, enough of that already. Those guys are gorgeous, there’s no doubt about it. They are unreachable. Untouchable. And I bet they’re all gay.”
“Bon-Bon, don’t say that! It completely ruins the fantasy.” Celia frowned, and Bonni could tell she was thinking about it. “Damn. Oh, well, there’s always Antonio.”
“What do you say we head back to our hotel?” Bonni suggested. They agreed and found a cab to pile into.
Back at the Gladiators, Fredi announced: “There are some gorgeous hotels on the Strip, but I’ve become attached to this one.”
They walked through their hotel. Four confident, beautiful women. Bonni wondered if the others noticed the looks they were getting. They were hot, and walking like they owned the place. Bonni was so happy for this girls’ weekend away with her friends. She wanted to make sure they continued to have a great time. But Quinn was on her mind, and she checked her watch.
“What time are you meeting Quinn?” Ava asked her.
“I have about another thirty minutes.”
“Perfect, we have time to go and grab a drink or something.” Celia pointed off to the left. “We haven’t been to that place yet.”
It was packed, and they were lucky to find a row of stools at the bar.
Bonni got her phone out and set it in front of her.
“Where are you meeting him?” Celia asked, as she looked at the cocktail list.
“We haven’t really decided. I told him I’d text him when we were done.”
“Why don’t you have him come here?” Ava suggested.
“Good idea.” It gave her more time with her friends, and Quinn’s room was right upstairs. After sending the text, she put the phone down to order a Hendricks and tonic. Just as the bartender was serving her drink, her phone chimed.
Quinn Bryant: Yep. Ten minutes.
“Was that him?” Ava asked her.
“Yes. It was.”
Celia clapped her hands. “Ohhh, we’re going to meet him again. How exciting.”
“You know where you’re going?” Fredi asked her.
Bonni shook her head. “No, we didn’t really make plans on what we were going to do, just that we would see each other.” She looked at her friends. “Thanks for being so understanding.”
“Of course,” Ava said. “It isn’t every day you meet someone that leaves you breathless.”
“I never said he left me breathless.”
“You didn’t have to. Every time you talk about him your voice gets a little lower and I can hear the breathless.”
“Oh, come on, I do not get like that!” Bonni put her elbow on the bar.
“Uhm, yes, you do. Fredi’s going to be designing your wedding dress any day now.”
Fredi rolled her eyes. “Ava, you are the only one who constantly emails me about what you want your dress to look like.”
“I don’t constantly email you.” Ava pouted.
Fredi mouthed Constantly to Bonni and Celia.
“Well, I’m never getting married again. One dickhead was enough for a lifetime,” Celia declared.
Ava touched her arm. “He was a necessary evil so you could get your babies. One day your knight in shining armor will come along.”
“I don’t need a knight in shining armor. I can take care of my kids and myself and my mother, and I don’t need a man in my life who thinks he knows what’s best!” Celia’s voice was passionate and frustrated, and tears sprang to her eyes.
“Oh, honey…” Bonni wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulders and Celia dropped her head on Bonni’s shoulder while Ava held her hand.
“Don’t be nice to me right now. I’ll really lose it if you’re nice to me. And we’ve had such a lovely night.” Bonni’s heart broke for her friend. She had no idea Celia had bottled up her feelings to this extent, and she resolved to be more present in her friend’s life after the weekend was over.
“Okay. I didn’t think we were going to get all maudlin.” Fredi picked up her beer and took a swig from the bottle. She put it back down and declared, “When Bonni goes off with her Mr. Right Now, Ava and I are going to try to get some action on the Where Will Celia Puke? pool.”
They all broke out into laughter. Trust Fredi to lighten the mood and get them back into party mode. She and Celia started bickering good-naturedly while Bonni took a long sip of her drink through the straw. The fine hairs on the nape of her neck prickled, and she twirled around on her barstool to see Quinn coming. Her heart did a little flip-flop and her body temp rose. He was with Landon. She quickly finished her drink and put the glass down.
“I guess somebody is here,” Fredi said, with a teasing tone in her voice.
Bonni nodded. “And he brought somebody with him.”
Fredi turned to look. “Holy shit! Who the hell is that?”
“That’s his brother.”
Bonni watched Fredi check out Landon, a little surprised at her reaction to seeing Quinn’s brother.
Ava and Celia turned around when Bonni stood up.
“He’s with someone.” Ava looked at Bonni. “Is that the brother?”
Bonni had filled them in over dinner on her bizarre coffee date with Landon and Quinn.
“Yup.”
“Is he single?” Celia asked.
“I didn’t ask him his marital status when he was grilling me, sorry.”
“Well, you should have,” Celia whispered, and Bonni blinked, seeing the sudden shift in Celia’s demeanor.
Very interesting. Maybe, just maybe…hmm. Bonni wasn’t a matchmaker, as a rule, but perhaps she could make an exception. She’d keep an eye on her persons of interest and see if there was any evidence to support the potential seed of a relationship.
The closer the men got, the more nervous Bonni grew. Fredi sidled up to her. “Calm down. I can feel the stress coming off you in waves.”
“You can?” Bonni did her best to regain her composure. Stepping forward, she didn’t even hesitate when Quinn opened his arms for a hug.
“Hey, beautiful.” He kept his arm around her when he turned to the women. “Nice to see you ladies again. This is”—he hooked a thumb at the man next to him—“my brother, Landon.”
“Ladies.” Landon stepped and gave them all kisses on the cheek, which, Bonni could see, went over quite well. There certainly was a drop-dead-gorgeous gene in the Bryant family. The girls were eyeing him like he was a Viking god.
“Where were you last night?” Bonni was a little surprised at Ava’s blunt question. Usually, that was Celia’s department.
“I got in this morning, before Quinn’s tournament.”
“And he won today.” Bonni glanced at Quinn and smiled. She was doing her best to conceal her misgivings about him being a poker player.
“Wow, I’m impressed,” Fredi said. She turned to Landon. “Do you play?”
He shook his head. “Nope, the only gambling I do is with the stock market.”
Celia scoffed, and Landon turned to her. She’d remained rather silent through the whole exchange. “You must be the quiet one?”
“Hardly.”
Landon
smiled at her, and Celia looked up at him, her long hair falling down her back. It was like something just zinged between them. Bonni watched with curiosity.
“So nice to meet you.” Her vulnerability from earlier now hidden away, Celia was ready to eat him up.
“Are you having a good time?” Landon stepped toward her and Bonni noticed that Celia seemed to lean in a little closer to Landon. Yes, this was very interesting indeed.
“How can you not have a good time in Vegas? As long as none of us ends up in jail or married, we’re good.”
Landon laughed. “And I wonder how many times that’s actually happened.”
“Probably far more than we could ever count.”
“I’m sure there’s been a lot of quickie divorces. Maybe that’s why it’s so easy to get a divorce in Nevada. Marriage is for suckers, anyway.”
Bonni looked over at Ava and Fredi and raised her eyebrows. They both nodded and leaned into each other, whispering, before laughing.
Bonni watched them and figured they were talking about Celia. She glanced over to see that Celia and Landon were chatting away.
Quinn tipped his head down to her. “I wonder what that means?”
“I don’t know. But Celia’s a handful,” Bonni warned.
“Landon can hold his own,” Quinn assured her.
“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
Landon turned around. “I know these two have something up their sleeve, but what about you ladies? Any plans for the rest of the evening?”
“Not really. Maybe play some slots, grab a couple of drinks.” Celia answered for them and shimmied a little closer to him.
Landon looked at his watch. “Well, I have a little bit of time, before I have to go up for a conference call.”
“At this time of night?” Celia asked.
“Yes, it’s not night on the other side of the world.” He gave Celia a rather cute smirk which made her shuffle her feet a little bit.
“Well, then,” Ava interrupted. “Since you’re on borrowed time, how about we get those drinks?”
“An excellent idea,” Landon agreed.
“Right, then, since you guys have yourselves all set, I think Bonni and I will move on.” Quinn took her hand.
