by Anthology
The girl lifted her eyes toward the packed restaurant and gave her a tight smile. “Okay, I’ll check back with you in a few minutes.”
Aubrey bent her head and sipped her shake again, keeping her eyes focused on the entrance. Maybe she should bail. She’d gotten the call from him less than twenty-four hours before and had made the decision to come to Vegas without giving it enough thought. All she could think about during the phone call was the big fat opportunity. She’d known that it would be difficult to be near Lex again, but she trusted herself. She had moved on. She was heading forward.
Then, her mother had to go and screw everything up. Aubrey had called her simply to let her know that she was going out of town for a few days and to ask her to check her mail. Of course, even though her mother had made progress since their chat in the hospital room, she hadn’t had a lobotomy. She insisted on details—where was she going, why, with whom. When Aubrey told her the bare basics, Ella insisted on meeting her for coffee under the pretense of having something for her. Over café au laits and pastry, her mother handed her a card with Aubrey’s name on the front.
“Mom, I’m only going for a few days. I’ll be back before I head out for good. No need for going away cards yet,” she’d told her.
Her mother had shaken her head and frowned. “As if my handwriting would be that appalling. Really, Aubrey. It’s not from me. That musician dropped it in the trash at the hospital after he visited you. I figured you’d want to have it before going.”
Her mouth dropped open. “He visited me?”
Ella shrugged. “Seems so.”
Aubrey didn’t know how to feel about the information. She had spent every day since the accident trying to forget about Lex. Did she really want to read the card when there was no possibility for a relationship anyway? He clearly had changed his mind about giving her the note. Wouldn’t reading what he chose not to tell her just make it hurt all over again?
“Why are you giving this to me now?”
Her mother stared down at her coffee, stirring the sweetener into oblivion. “Because maybe he didn’t want to throw it away. And if you’re going to possibly see him, you should know what he was too afraid to tell you.”
“What if it says to go to hell?”
She lifted her gaze, the prim lines of her face softening. “What if it doesn’t?”
Aubrey had held the card for the first two hours of the plane ride, tapping it on her knee, staring at the handwriting, shoving it in the magazine pocket on the seat in front of her only to yank it out again. The man next to her had given her a wary look then had shifted his weight more toward the aisle as if to signal the stewardess: crazy person, seat twenty-two B.
Aubrey hadn’t wanted to open it. She was over Lex. Done. So moving on. Of course, right after the pep talk, she ripped it open. The get well soon card slipped out of the envelope. Her fingers shook as she opened it.
Aubrey,
I was a complete asshole. You saved Sean’s life by saying something. His problem is his. You just got caught in the crossfire. It wasn’t your place to tell. I’m sorry for everything I said and that I hurt you. The days I’ve spent with you have been some of the greatest I’ve ever had. I have to go back to L.A., but this isn’t goodbye. You owe me one. And you know how I am about bets.
Lex
Tucked inside the card was her napkin cheat sheet from the strip club.
A booming voice interrupted Aubrey’s reverie. “Hey there. Sorry I’m late.”
Her head shot up. She’d been so lost in thought that she’d forgotten her stakeout on the door. She smiled and stood.
He opened his arms and enveloped her in a tight hug.
“Sean, you look great,” she said into his shoulder. His fair hair was slicked back instead of spiked to high heaven, and if not for the tattoos peeking out the cuffs of his button down shirt, he almost looked business-like.
He released her and grinned broadly. “Thanks to you.”
She waved off the thanks as they took their seats in the high-backed booth across from each other. “I’m just glad to see you’re okay.”
He motioned for a waitress. “Me too.”
The waif hurried over, looking suspiciously more pleasant than the last time Aubrey had seen her. The girl gave Sean a smile so bright it could’ve tanned his skin. “What can I get for you?”
Sean ordered a burger and vanilla shake. Aubrey scanned the brief menu of the high-end burger bar. “I’ll go with the Classic.”
After the waitress left, Sean leaned back in the booth and eyed her. “So you left your job?”
“Yeah, yesterday was my last day.” She dug in her purse to silence her vibrating phone.
“Did they, uh, fire you because of…” He seemed to be searching for a non-offensive way of saying it. “Because of what happened between you and Lex?”
She cringed inwardly but kept her face impassive. “No, I quit. I needed a change.”
The waitress dropped off his shake. He nodded in thanks and turned back to Aubrey. “So you’re going to freelance? Live article to article?”
She bit her lip. The plan sounded so risky, hearing it from someone else. “In college, I wanted to be a journalist or a travel writer. See the world, you know? I kept putting it off for one reason or another. But after the accident, I realized that life is just too damn short. I’m single. My parents can take care of themselves. I need to live my life.”
He attempted to sip some of the shake, frowned with effort, and then pulled out the straw to lick the thick cream off it. The corner of his mouth lifted in amusement. “So what you’re saying is you’ve developed a case of wanderlust?”
She groaned as he laughed at his own terrible joke.
“What?” He held out his hands, including his straw, which dripped vanilla shake onto the marble table.
“Lame, Sean. Lame.”
His shoulders bounced with his chuckle. “I thought that was pretty good.”
“Don’t quit your day job for stand-up,” she advised.
His goofy grin turned serious. “No worries. I’ve just gone through hell to keep my day job. I don’t plan on leaving it anytime soon.”
“Rehab pretty rough?”
“Rehab was a fucking cakewalk compared to detox and the cravings I fight every damn day.” He stabbed his straw into his shake again.
Their burgers appeared in front of them. Sean seemed lost in thought, so Aubrey let his statement lie as she busied herself dressing her burger with condiments. They ate in silence for a few minutes.
When it seemed as if he weren’t going to talk anymore, she broke the quiet. “Are you sure you’re ready to talk about everything publicly? If you’ve changed your mind, that’s okay.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m ready. I didn’t drag you all the way out here to buy you a burger. After one of the dudes from my therapy group sold me out and leaked my secret, I knew I would have to talk about it eventually. I need to let the fans know what happened. Plus, I owe you my life. The least I can do is help the starving freelance writer get her first big paycheck. Everyone’s been after me to land this story, even Rolling Stone.”
“Sean, please don’t do this because you think you owe me something. I did what any normal person would do. I should’ve done more, sooner…”
He pointed his burger at her. “Shut up, eat, and accept thanks, reporter girl,” he directed. “Then we’ll get this interview over with.”
She saluted him and took an obedient bite of burger.
***
Aubrey kicked off her shoes and collapsed into her lush hotel bed, exhausted. The interview had gone well. No. Better than well. Sean had laid bare so many details of his descent into addiction that even the toughest person would’ve been moved. The information would make for an amazing story, a story that would sell for more money than she’d expected to make in her first year as a freelancer.
She grabbed a pillow, buried her face in it, and screamed, kicking her feet like an ex
cited child. She really was going to able to do it now. Live her dream. Travel the country, maybe one day the world, eating the foods, meeting the people, checking out the little quirky things that make each city unique. She pictured herself strolling through unfamiliar streets, discovering all the best hole-in-the-wall places. Eating things she’s never tried.
Eating alone.
She removed the pillow from her face and blew out a breath, deflated. Why couldn’t she just enjoy the moment? She rolled over onto her side and pulled her knees up, staring out the window at the dusty mountains that stood guard over the Strip.
It was selfish to wish for perfect. She needed to be content with great.
She closed her eyes, hoping it would be enough.
***
A loud ringing blasted through the quiet whir of the hotel’s air conditioner, startling Aubrey from sleep. She groaned and swung a frantic arm around for an alarm clock, knocking over the phone in the process. The ringing stopped.
“Dammit.”
She rolled to the edge of the bed and searched for the phone through bleary eyes. She grabbed the handset finally and brought it to her ear. “Hello.”
“Hey Aubrey, it’s Sean. Are you okay? Sounds like a wrestling match over there.”
She flopped onto her back, cradling the phone. “I’m fine. I must’ve fallen asleep. I dropped the phone.”
“Oh, sorry about that. But it’s time to get up anyway. You’re coming to dinner with us.”
All dullness from sleep vanished instantly. She scooted into a sitting position against the headboard. “Oh, no, I’m not.”
“Don’t worry, just with me and Pete. We’re not taking no for an answer. I’ll come by your room to get you in half an hour.”
“Wait, Sean—” But she was talking to a dial tone. “Ugh.”
Not only had he hung up on her, but he’d left her with only half an hour to shower and get ready. The restaurants in the hotel were far from jeans and t-shirt kinds of places. She would have to dress up. Within thirty minutes. Men.
Sean, true to his word, showed up promptly at eight. He stood outside her door with a full grin, wearing black jeans and a dress shirt with a few buttons undone at the top—the rock star version of dressy, she guessed.
“Wow, you clean up good, Aubrey,” he said, taking in her pale green halter dress.
She rolled her eyes. “No thanks to you and your ridiculous time limits. Whenever you get a girlfriend, you better make sure you give her more time to get ready.”
He laughed. “Lucky for me, I don’t do the girlfriend thing, so no worries.”
“Where’s Pete?” she asked, grabbing her purse and stepping into the hallway.
“We need to go up a floor and meet him at his room,” he said, indicating the direction of the elevator. She led the way to the elevator and punched the number for the next floor. Sean slipped in and leaned against the wall. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and gave her a pointed look. “So why haven’t you asked me about Lex yet?
She choked and tried to cover it up with a cough. Very smooth. “Why would I?”
“Because that’s the question you’ve wanted to ask me all day?”
He was right. “It is not.”
He snorted. “Sure.”
She crossed her arms, mirroring his pose. “We didn’t exactly leave things on a good note. I think it’s best the two of us let things lie.”
“He was an ass to you because of me. Jared told me. Seems like all that should be water under the bridge at this point. Maybe you two should talk.”
“What? You go to Betty Ford and now you’re a relationship counselor?”
He smiled and the elevator dinged open. “After you. The second door on the right.”
She blew past him, giving him a glare as she passed. She reached the door he had indicated and raised her hand to knock.
Sean quickly caught up with her and grabbed her hand. “One sec. Before you do that. Just know that this isn’t Pete’s room. It’s Lex’s.”
She yanked her fist from his grip and stared at him. “What the hell are you doing, Sean? I said I didn’t want to talk to him.”
“I know,” he said, frowning. “But I think you need to.” Before she realized what he was doing, he lifted his hand and banged on the solid wood. “Lex, man, open up. It’s me.”
Aubrey tried to turn on her three-inch heels and march right back to the elevator, but her body froze. The thought of seeing Lex again glued her to the spot. Nervous energy rippled across her skin. This was it.
The door cracked open and a dark-haired head peered out. The girl blinked at her. “Are you room service?”
Aubrey could see past her into the room. The curtains were drawn but there was a lump of movement on the bed, along with the unmistakable sounds of pleasure. The girl pursed her lips together. “Where’s the champagne? Greta ordered it twenty minutes ago. Right?” she called out to the other girl, who was clearly busy.
“Shit.” Sean grabbed the door handle and told the chick to get back in the room. He turned to Aubrey, but she was already propelling herself toward the elevator. “Aubrey, wait.”
She didn’t stop, couldn’t.
“Leave me alone, Sean. I’ll be eating dinner alone.” She jabbed the Close Door button repeatedly, shutting him out.
Once safely entombed, Aubrey rested her forehead against the elevator wall and let the little hope that had remained for her and Lex’s relationship shatter into oblivion. He hadn’t just moved on, he’d double downed and brought two girls back to his room.
She felt sick.
She felt dumb.
She felt…lost.
CHAPTER 16
“Hit me,” Lex said, tapping his finger against the felt tabletop.
The dealer placed another card in front of him, making his hand twenty-three.
“Too many,” the woman said and swept away his cards.
The guy on his left gave him a sympathetic smile. “Doesn’t seem to be your night, my friend.”
“No shit.” Lex sipped his whiskey and then glanced at his watch. He had left his room an hour ago. He wondered if that had been enough time for Gunner to enjoy the birthday present from Jared.
Fucking Jared. The drummer’s intentions were usually good, but damn if he didn’t do some stupid shit sometimes. Lex rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, thinking back to earlier in the night.
“Dude, you are so going to love me,” Jared had said, clapping him on the back as they walked down the hallway toward their rooms.
Lex frowned. “Uh-oh, what did you do?”
“I got you the best birthday present ever.”
“A Ferrari?”
Jared laughed. “That’d be awesome, but no. This is even better.”
Lex highly doubted that. Not much could top a Ferrari.
“Come on. It’s in my room,” Jared said, stopping in front of his door.
Lex had crossed his arms as Jared fished a key card from his wallet and slipped it through the electronic lock. Jared opened the door with a Vanna White flourish. Two brunettes dressed in leather and lace stood inside the room, smiling coyly.
“Happy Birthday, Lex. I got you twins!” Jared announced. “They’re big fans.”
Lex groaned, but Jared didn’t flinch. He pushed Lex toward his own hotel room and directed the women to follow. When Lex didn’t make any move to unlock the door, Jared grabbed the key from Lex’s hand and opened it for him. “Enjoy, brother. Call me when you’re done. We’ll go out and celebrate after.”
The girls put their hands on Lex immediately, not waiting for niceties. Professionals, he’d guess. He had never slept with a hooker. The whole idea of paying for it turned him off. But he’d promised himself that he would forget about Aubrey tonight, and this would probably be an effective way to do it. But his skin crawled at the thought of jumping in bed with two strange women—sisters at that—to try and erase thoughts of the person he’d rather be with.
T
he girl on his right dragged her teeth against his earlobe. “What would you like first, baby?”
He jerked his head and stepped away from them. They smiled in unison, waiting for his direction. “Ladies, you’re beautiful, but I don’t think I’m up for it tonight.”
One dropped her gaze to his crotch as if he’d meant the statement literally.
“How much was Jared going to pay you?”
The one on the left smiled. “Oh, honey, we’ve already been paid. Now we just want to have fun. We’re big fans.”
“Want to party with another one of the guys instead?” he offered.
Their faces lit up and one said, “For sure.”
He pulled his phone out his pocket and selected a number from speed-dial.
“What’s up?”
“Gunner, J got me twins for my birthday.”
“Nice.”
“I’m not into it. You interested in taking over?”
“Hell yeah, I’ll be right there.”
Gunner had taken exactly three minutes to make it to the room, and the girls had seemed more than happy to exchange a brooding band member for a more enthusiastic one.
Lex’s gambling partner tapped him on the shoulder, bringing his mind back to present. “Your turn.”
Lex stared at the pair of sevens in front of him. “Hit me.”
A queen hit the table. The dealer smiled. “Too many.”
Lex swigged the last of his drink and grabbed what few chips he had left. “I’m done. Happy birthday to me.”
He headed to his room, hoping Gunner was done so that they could all go out and get plastered. But when the elevator opened, Jared and Sean stood a few yards down the hallway, arguing. Jared wore an amused smile, but Sean was red all the way up to the roots of his bleached hair.
Lex shoved his hands in his pockets and sauntered over to them. “What’s going on?”
They both jumped at the sound of his voice and swung their heads toward him.
Sean’s forehead wrinkled. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Lex raised his eyebrows. “My room is on this floor, dumbass.”
