Only in Vegas

by Lindsey Brookes

  Checking in on her was more like it.

  Cindy and Kathy were like a couple of mother hens when it came to Angie’s personal life. “Thanks.”

  “You going to Friday’s with us tonight?” her co-worker asked.

  Several of the still single girls from the travel agency were heading over to Friday’s after work for dinner and their usual ‘manhunt’.

  She considered it for all of two seconds before deciding she had enough man trouble as it was. There was no way she was going to go out looking for more.

  “Not tonight,” she replied. “I’m tired.”

  Cindy shrugged, then handed her the newsletter. “Okay, but if you happen to change your mind…”

  “I won’t. But thanks.”

  Her friend gave her the same I’m-worried-about-you look Kathy had given her moments earlier. “Hope you know you might be missing out on meeting Mr. Right.”

  How could she when she had already found him? Angie smiled. “Don’t you have a fan cruise to plan?”

  “Hint taken.” Laughing, Cindy turned and walked out.

  Angie glanced down at the colorful flyer in her hand. Staring up at her from bottom right hand corner of the front page was an ad for a temporary opening of the office manager’s position at Sunset Travel’s Miami agency.

  She skimmed the ad, the reread it once more. There was no question she met all the qualifications of the offered position. It would be the perfect opportunity to get away from Rick for a couple of months. Maybe even force Rick to turn his unwanted attention elsewhere.

  Her leaving would also give Trey the space he seemed to need right now. If only Miami weren’t so far away.

  *

  “Hold up,” Trey said as he switched the phone to his other ear. “Care to run that by me again?”

  His sister huffed at the other end of the line. “I said you are such a man!”

  For some reason that didn’t sound to him like a compliment. “I’d say the chromosomes point that way.”

  “Don’t be a smart ass, big brother.”

  Trey sat back in his office chair and propped his feet up on the corner of his desk. He wasn’t in the mood for one of his sister’s PMS emulating rants. Not after two weeks of sleepless nights.

  The first week’s deprivation had been the result of he and Angel spending every night in Vegas making love. But the past week’s had been because he’d lain awake every night since returning home, wishing he was still with Angel, making love to her.

  Seeing her in Rick’s arms that day at the airport had been like a punch to the gut. One that still hurt. He’d waited until Rick left to approach Angie, hoping to collect himself before hearing her tell him she’d decided to give Rick another chance. But she’d said nothing. And they’d always told each other everything. There was only one reason she wouldn’t have mentioned seeing Rick, no make that kissing Rick, at the airport. She still had feelings for him.

  Trey’s mood rapidly descended, not that it had been that good in the first place. He couldn’t do this. Not now. “I’ve got to go.”

  “Don’t you dare hang up on me, Trey Landers!”

  He paused midway to the phone base that sat at the far edge of his desk and brought the receiver back to his ear with a heavy sigh. “Make it fast, Kathy. I have a company meeting starting in about twenty minutes.”

  “Why are you giving Angel the brush-off?”

  “I’m not.”

  “That’s not how I hear it.”

  He frowned. “I’ve just been busy.” Avoiding Angel.

  Kathy snorted. “Sounds like a typical male excuse to me. Why is it you’ve always found time for Angel in the past and now suddenly you are so bombarded at work you barely have time to come up for air?”

  He never meant to make Angel feel that way. He just needed some time to sort things out. And when he was near her, his ability to do that was severely hindered. All he could think about was how much he wanted to make love to her again and knowing her ex, that slimy son-of-a-bitch, had somehow weaseled his way back into the picture again had him questioning where he stood with Angel.

  He loved Angel enough to want her to be happy, even if that meant her being that way with someone else. If only that someone else wasn’t Rick-the-Dick.

  “Look, Kathy, you’re my sister and I love you. But my relationship with Angel is my business.”

  “I know I’m prying,” she admitted. “But Dad and I want to see you and Angie happy.”

  Trey rolled his eyes. She was going to bring their father into this? Mike Landers had taken early retirement the year before and moved to North Carolina where he was indulging in his love of fishing. But Trey knew a big part of his father’s leaving was to escape the memories of losing his wife. He couldn’t blame him. The memories were hard at times.

  “I am happy,” he muttered halfheartedly.

  “Well, that makes one of you.”

  Her reply took him by surprise. He’d crossed paths with Rick in his apartment hallway more than once since returning from Vegas. It was all he could do to keep from wiping that cocky, guess-who-has-Angel-now, smile off the guy’s face.

  “Are you telling me Angel’s not happy?”

  “Hello. What planet are you living on?” she replied. “Oh, wait, the Planet of Too Much Work. How could I forget?”

  “Kathy,” he warned.

  “No. Angie’s not happy. She hasn’t been since the two of you returned from Vegas a week ago. The poor thing is miserable and confused.”

  Yeah, about what man she really wants.

  That embrace at the airport and Rick’s visits pretty much answered that question in his mind. Trey gave a surrendering sigh. “I’ll call her.”

  “Do you love her?”

  “As a friend.” Liar. Hell, yes, he loved her, but his sister didn’t need to know that. She’d just take that information back to Angel and make the situation worse.

  “Bull,” she said, not the least bit fooled by his emotional cover up. “Look, big brother, you had better get over this male commitment panic attack you’re having before you lose the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”

  “Maybe I’m not the best thing for her.” Not that he considered Rick ‘good’. But Angel seemed to still want the ass.

  “Why don’t you let Angie decide what she wants? Although we both already know it’s you.”

  “She wants Rick,” he blurted out in frustration.

  His sister burst into a fit of laughter. “As in The Dick?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “I wish to hell I was.”

  “First of all, Angie’s too smart to go back to a guy like that. And, secondly, you’d never just stand by and let her do something so incredibly stupid.”

  Her words hit home. That’s exactly what he had been doing, backing away and allowing Rick the opportunity to worm his way back in to Angel’s life. It wasn’t Rick she had made love with in Vegas. It was him. That meant something. Hell, that meant a lot. He’d be damned if he was just going to walk away from what he and Angel had without at least letting her know how he really felt about her. About them.

  “Hey, Kath…”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks for giving me a knock upside the head when I needed it.”

  She laughed. “Anytime. You know where to find me if you need another.”

  Then the line went dead, quickly replaced by the low hum of a dial tone. Trey leaned forward to return the phone to its cradle, but hesitated in pulling his hand away. He should call Angel at work and lay everything out on the line.

  No. He would romance her. Women liked that and Rick-the-Dick certainly wouldn’t go that route. Guys like him were too into themselves to think of doing that. And even if Rick managed to come up with the idea, he was too damn cheap to ever follow through with it.

  Yep, romancing her was the way to go.

  Trey released the phone and reached into his desk drawer for the pho
ne book. He thumbed through it until he found the listings for FLORISTS. He would send Angel flowers and let her know how he really felt about her. How much he wanted to be with her. How much he loved her. After that, it would be up to Angel to decide where she wanted things to go between them.

  *

  “Enjoy your lunch?”

  Angel turned from the open filing cabinet drawer to find Rick standing in the doorway of the file room, clutching a large bouquet of deep red roses.

  “It was good, thank you,” she said, turning back to her work. Not that she had eaten much. The stress in her personal life had pretty much killed her appetite.

  Surviving mentally had become her first and foremost goal each day. Eating ranked somewhere at the bottom of the list. That is, with the exception of the double chocolate chunk ice cream she comforted herself with every night. Chocolate was very therapeutic.

  “These are for you.”

  She was really hoping he would take the hint and go away, but he hadn’t. Angie turned around with a sigh.

  “Don’t say anything. Just take them.” He crossed the room and held the bundle out to her.

  “You bought me flowers?” There was no disguising the surprise in her voice. Rick had never sent her flowers when they were dating. Now here he was handing her the most beautiful bundle of long stem roses she’d ever seen. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late.

  He smiled. “I thought they might brighten up your day.”

  How could they with his shadow looming over her constantly? “My day is fine.” She wasn’t about to encourage him.

  “Don’t you want to read the card?”

  No.

  She reached for the attached miniature florist’s envelope and withdrew the card, then looked up at him questioningly. “Your business card?”

  “I switched cards when they arrived,” he replied with a glance back over his shoulder. “You know, to make it more personal. Read the back.”

  Did she have to? Wanting him gone, Angie gave in and turned the card over. His written declaration of love for her made her want to gag. She was so over him.

  “They’re beautiful, but I can’t accept them.” She attempted to give them back, but Rick waved her off.

  “They’re for you and besides I can’t very well return them to the florist now, can I?”

  Angie frowned. She didn’t want to give Rick any reason to believe there was a chance for them.

  He leaned against the filing cabinet she had been working at, hovering as he had since they’d returned from Vegas. “Angie, I can’t get you off my mind. Tell me you’ve given some thought to us.”

  “Rick–”

  “If you’re going to tell me you’re in love with Landers then think about what you’re saying. Do you really want to be with a guy who has no time for you?”

  “He has time for me,” Angie argued halfheartedly. Why couldn’t it be Trey who was here with the flowers? Trey who was professing his love to her?

  “Not as much as I’m willing to give to you.”

  “Rick, will you let it go,” she snapped, tears stinging her eyes. “I don’t love you.” I love Trey. But she kept that information to herself.

  “Like is a start,” he insisted.

  Angie let out a frustrated groan and stormed out of the filing room and along the row of cubicles to her office. She had reached her limit.

  Tossing the flowers into her wastebasket, she reached for the phone. Trey wanted her out of his life. She wanted Rick out of hers. There was only one answer.

  Miami.

  *

  “She’s what?” Trey nearly shot out of his chair.

  “Leaving,” his sister repeated, clearly as shaken by the news as he was.

  “What do you mean Angel’s leaving?”

  “I just received a call from corporate telling me Angie’s temporary transfer to our Miami office has been approved, effective immediately.”

  Trey sank back into the plush leather of his office chair and dragged a hand through his hair. He couldn’t have heard her right.

  “There must be some kind of mistake. Angel never mentioned anything about leaving Pittsburgh, temporary or not.”

  “As if you’ve given her the chance to.” She paused as if trying to compose herself. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I’m just as floored by this as you are. Apparently Sunset Travel’s Miami office was looking for someone to fill in for their office manager who will be off on maternity leave and Angie applied for the opening.”

  He frowned. What was she thinking? “So we’re talking a couple of weeks?”

  “I’m afraid it’s going to be more like three months.”

  “Three months?”

  “Maybe longer,” his sister hesitated to add. “What happened when you talked to her?”

  He swiveled in his chair, frowning as he looked out the window at the city outside. “I didn’t.”

  “But you said—”

  Trey ran a hand through his hair. “I decided to go the more romantic route. I had a dozen long stem roses delivered to her yesterday, right after you called and talked me into putting myself out there.”

  “Angie never mentioned anything to me about getting any flowers.”

  “Join the crowd. She never responded to the gesture.”

  “That’s not like Angie. Maybe there was some kind of mix up and they never got delivered. That would explain her not saying anything.”

  He had hoped the same thing. Trey turned from the window, shaking his head. “No. I called the florist when I got in to work this morning and they verified the roses were delivered to Sunset Travel yesterday afternoon.”

  “Then Angie didn’t know they were from you. She would have thanked you for them.”

  “She knew. I sent a card with them.” He’d laid his heart on the line and now Angel was leaving. Not a good sign.

  “There has to be an explanation. You can ask her when you come here to talk her out of leaving.”

  “I’m not going to stop her.” No matter how badly he wanted to jump in his car and drive over to Sunset Travel to talk her out of going.

  “I don’t understand. You love her. I know you do.”

  “I do.”

  More than anything.

  The thought of Angel leaving, even for a few months, was already tearing him apart. “That’s why I won’t stop her from doing this.”

  “You’ve lost me.”

  “Angel has always backed any decision I’ve ever made in regards to my career. I’m not about to start acting like that bastard ex of hers and think only of myself. If this is what Angel wants then I have to let her do it.”

  Even if it kills me in the process.

  “The old ‘If you love something’ adage,” his sister replied.

  “Yeah. I’m hoping the time away will help her to decide where her heart is.” And get her the hell away from Rick in the process.

  Kathy groaned. “I’m so sorry, Trey. I feel like this is all my fault. If only I had come home and gone to Vegas with her instead of pushing the two of you together.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I’m glad I went,” he answered honestly. “That week I spent in Vegas with Angel was the best week of my life.”

  “But now…”

  “I’m not going to give up on her, Kathy.”

  His sister sighed in relief. “Thank God.”

  “I just have to find some way to make Angel realize that we belong together…” His voice trailed off.

  “Trey, what are you thinking?”

  He smiled determinedly. “I’m thinking that all’s fair in love and war.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  It had been four weeks, three days and fourteen hours since Angie had said her goodbyes to everyone back home and drove to Florida to begin her temporary managerial position at Sunset Travel’s Miami office.

  Leaving Pittsburgh - no, make that leaving Trey - had been the hardest thing she ever had to do. Granted, Rick’s never ending attempts to win her
back had pushed her very close to the brink of sanity, but her decision to transfer was made with Trey in mind.

  Trey had made it clear that he needed space from her right now. It seemed he had yet to deal with the feelings he had for her. More than friendship kind of feelings. She could only hope that distance really did make the heart grow fonder.

  Though she and Kathy talked daily, she had only spoken to Trey a few times since arriving in Miami. She missed him more than she would have thought possible. She had not only left Trey behind, but a big piece of her heart.

  During her calls with Trey, they talked about everyday things like work, weather, and, of course, the Steelers. She never brought up the status of their relationship, not wanting to pressure him as Rick had done her. It was best to let nature take its course.

  If only nature hadn’t decided to take its good old time about doing so.

  No matter what, when this transfer was over and she went back to Pittsburgh, she was going to let Trey know exactly how she felt about him. It was something she felt better said face to face, not over the phone. Unfortunately, that moment was still months away.

  Angie pulled into her covered parking space at her new, though only temporary, apartment building and shut off the engine. The tune to “White Christmas” was still playing in her head as it had been since she’d heard it on the radio that morning at work.

  As if she wasn’t homesick enough already.

  She never thought she’d be missing the cold, wintry holidays, but at that moment she’d give anything for a white Christmas! The only white she would be seeing this year was sand and lots of it.

  She hurried across the sunbaked parking lot and stepped through the ivy-covered archway leading from the private parking stalls to her apartment complex. The sight that greeted her stopped her dead in her tracks.

  “Hot pink,” Angie groaned.

  The smell of paint still lingered thick in the air. Just when she thought nothing could be worse than the god awful shade of sea foam green her apartment building had been when she first moved in.

  Flamingo pink!

  Was there some kind of law in Florida prohibiting the use of any normal colors? She had a whole new appreciation now for colors like beige, grey and white.