Well Hung Over in Vegas: A Standalone Romantic Comedy

by Kimberly Fox

  “The problem is I buy you a half-million-dollar car and you expect me to ride on a rusty old bike,” he says, crossing his arms as he stares at my beloved bike with an unamused look on his face.

  “You mean Lightning over here?” I ask, slapping the seat. “She’s reliable and sturdy.”

  “So is a Ferrari.”

  My cheeks turn a guilty red as I look away.

  “I got a call from the dealership,” he says, tilting his head as he stares at me. “Why did you return it?”

  I sigh. “It was too much, Tyler. And I couldn’t replace poor Lightning like that? She would have been devastated.”

  He rolls his eyes and laughs. “Rainbow and Lightning,” he whispers to himself, clearly amused. “She’s a tad rusty.”

  I shrug my shoulders as I get up on her. “Perhaps she could use an upgrade, but I like to ride around town on a bike. I’m not a Ferrari kind of gal.”

  “All right,” he says, dropping his arms to his sides. “I have to try out this bike that rides better than a half-million-dollar Ferrari.”

  I grin as I scooch forward. “Then hop on.”

  He’s looking at me in shock. “I don’t get to drive it?”

  I shake my head. “Nobody drives Lightning but me. You couldn’t handle her.”

  He smiles as he climbs on the back, sitting on the long seat as I stand up. “She’s not the only one I can’t handle,” he whispers as I start pedaling.

  I take him on a tour of the town and he seems to love it. We ride through the huge park in town, riding around the lake where the kids are feeding the swans and past the volleyball courts where the factory’s janitors are taking on the factory’s marketing department in a competitive game of beach volleyball.

  “This is the opposite of Vegas,” Tyler says as we head down the main street past the mom-and-pop Hardware store and the old firehouse, which is now a cute little library.

  “I know,” I say, smiling at the complete lack of obnoxious blinking lights. “Isn’t it great?”

  Tyler doesn’t answer, but I can tell he likes it. He keeps looking around and pointing at the old Victorian architecture, the kids playing street hockey, and the neighbors who are out on their lawns actually talking to each other.

  “I can see why you like it so much,” he says when we pull into town and take a break. My legs are killing from pedaling for so long with his huge body on the back.

  “It’s worth trying to save,” I say as I rest my bike on a large maple tree. “And you haven’t even experienced the best part of Summerland.”

  He looks right at me and smiles. “I think I’m experiencing it right now.”

  I grab his hand and pull him down the cobblestone sidewalk. “I’m talking about Lou’s submarines. They’re absolutely phenomenal.”

  “What about your bike?” Tyler says, looking back over his shoulder. “Don’t you have to lock it up?”

  I chuckle. “Not in Summerland.”

  We walk over to Lou’s submarine shop, and I order two large subs with everything on them and two root beers to go.

  Tyler insists on paying since I did all of the pedaling, and I’m not about to argue about that. We walk to a nice bench under a beautiful weeping willow tree and sit down to eat our sloppy but delicious dinners.

  “Wow,” he says, staring at me with wide eyes after he takes the first bite. “Incredible.”

  “I know, right?” I say through a mouthful of chewed-up food. This is my favorite dinner in the world, and it tastes even better with Tyler by my side.

  We sit in a comfortable silence as we eat and watch the people casually walking around with a relaxed vibe that only a small town like Summerland can provide. I’m surprised how nice and natural it feels to have Tyler sitting here with me in my town. It feels even more homey than usual.

  “What happened to your parents?” he asks as he crumples up the wrapping after he’s finished his sub.

  “They probably took off to God knows where again without saying goodbye,” I say, taking a deep breath. “If you’re looking for your six-hundred-dollar investment, I’m afraid it’s blown up in smoke.”

  He laughs. “That’s what I was expecting.”

  “I’m sorry again about them,” I say, feeling embarrassed like I always do when I think of my parents.

  Tyler shakes his head. “Sorry for what? They’re super cute together. After all this time, all they need is each other. You can tell how absolutely in love they are.”

  I take my last bite as I watch an elderly couple in the distance, shuffling through the park. My parents never needed careers or a fancy house or expensive cars. All they needed was each other. All they needed was love.

  I crunch up the brown paper bag and toss it in the garbage. And they left me to do everything else.

  “All right,” I say, pushing the thoughts of my parents out of my head. “Your tour is almost finished. My legs are starting to get tired.”

  “I can drive.”

  “No way,” I say, shaking my head. “Nobody rides Lightning but me.”

  Tyler gets up and we walk back to my bike, enjoying the gorgeous evening, and enjoying each other’s company.

  “Back to Aunt Wilma’s Inn?” he asks when I climb onto my bike. “Want to come hang out with me? The flowered curtains are sick. You won’t regret it.”

  I’m sure I wouldn’t. But if we end up hanging out in private, we’re definitely going to end up having sex.

  “I don’t think so,” I say with a laugh. “I don’t want all five rooms and poor Auntie Wilma herself to hear us having sex through the thin paper walls.”

  Oh, shit. That just slipped out.

  Tyler’s face lights up like the Vegas strip at midnight. “I didn’t say anything about sex,” he says with a grin, “but now that it’s out there, let’s figure out where we want to do it.”

  “Forget it,” I say, looking forward. “I changed my mind.”

  “Too late,” he says with a grin. “It’s out there. We’re doing this.”

  “We just had dinner, we went on a walk, so technically this is our first date,” I say. “And I never put out on a first date.”

  He sighs. “That’s fair,” he says, looking understanding but also a bit disappointed. “But now that I have you on a first date, what would you like to do?”

  “Let’s rent a movie,” I say, climbing off my bike. I grab his hand and pull him across the street. “There’s a video store a block away from here.”

  “I didn’t think they still had these,” he says, looking awed as we walk into the video store. “I thought they were extinct.”

  “They are,” I say, smiling at the guy who’s reading a comic book behind the counter, “but Summerland is one of a kind. It’s frozen in time.”

  “I can see that,” Tyler says, picking up a cheesy action movie and looking at the back.

  “It’s part of its charm,” I say, taking the action movie from his hands and putting it back on the shelf. “Let’s watch something good.”

  We walk through the aisles of the small shop, browsing the movies and arguing over which movies are good and which are bad. I’m shocked when we reach the romance section and he hasn’t seen any of them.

  “Even The Notebook?” I ask, holding up the DVD with a disbelieving look on my face.

  “Haven’t seen it,” he says, crinkling his nose up when he takes the DVD from my hands. “I wouldn’t take you as the type who likes romantic movies.”

  I’ve heard that before. You can’t have romance and a career, but just because I’ve chosen the latter doesn’t mean I don’t need a fix of romance once in a while. I can’t have it in real life, so I watch the movies instead.

  “We’re getting it,” I say, ripping the DVD from his hands and heading to the cash.

  “Hey!” Tyler says, opening his arms in protest. “Don’t I get a say? It’s my hotel room. I should get a say.”

  I shake my head as I plop The Notebook on the counter and pull out my wallet.
“Then we’ll watch it at my house. Now you get zero says.”

  I pay for the movie and we head back to my place. This time I let Tyler bike and I sit on the back, wrapping my arms around his hard stomach. With abs like these, I’ll let him pedal more often.

  This is starting out as a really good first date.

  22

  Dahlia

  “I wrote you every day for a year,” the hunky Ryan Gosling says. I whisper the words as Tyler sleeps softly behind me. We’re spooning on the couch watching The Notebook, and my favorite movie has never been as good as it is right now. It’s probably the thick muscular arm wrapped around me that’s bringing it to the next level.

  “You wrote me?” a soaking wet Rachel McAdams asks.

  “Yes. It wasn’t over. It still isn’t over.”

  My heart swells as they kiss in the rain, but I’m not sure if the lightness in my chest is from the movie or from the beautiful moment around me.

  I grab the remote and turn off the TV, just enjoying the relaxing sound of Tyler breathing softly behind me, his warm breath tickling my neck, and the crackling and popping of the fire in my stone fireplace.

  The toasty fire is casting a warm orange glow in the room, and I smile as I watch it eating my decorative logs.

  It’s the first fire I’ve ever had in the fireplace. I never knew how to start one, so I never did, but Tyler insisted on making one.

  “You’ve never used this fireplace?” he had asked, staring at me like I’m crazy. “Look at the stone. It’s so beautiful. You should be using it every day.”

  “I don’t know how,” I said as I knelt down in front of the DVD player, getting it ready.

  “Then what’s this?” he asked, pointing at the pile of logs beside it. “Why do you have logs if you don’t make fires?”

  I cringed, suddenly feeling very foolish. “They’re decorative.”

  He laughed as he grabbed a few logs and opened the glass doors. “Well, I’m burning your decorations.”

  And I’m glad that he did. My house has never felt so warm and inviting, so cozy and full of love.

  The warmth seems to radiate out from the fire and into my body, making me feel weightless in Tyler’s arms. He mumbles something in his sleep and shifts on the couch, squeezing me tighter with his thick arm.

  I smile to myself as I look down at his tattooed arm wrapped tightly around me like he never wants to let me go.

  This feels so natural and safe and perfect. When we take away all of the complications around us, all of the evil cousins, angry parents, factories, businesses, drunken nights, and cult members who are strangely fascinated with us, and it’s just us—it feels nice.

  It feels like I could do this every day. It feels like I could fall in love with this man.

  A feeling of breathlessness hits me when I look down at his forearm that’s holding me tight and see something hidden in one of his tattoos. On the tattoo of a rose, in one of the pink petals, my name is written in cursive.

  It’s simple. Six small letters, but it changes everything.

  Dahlia.

  He did get my name tattooed on his arm during that drunken night, and it’s absolutely perfect. I’m marked on his body, like he’s marked on mine.

  Tyler lets out a soft moan as I trace my fingertip over my name as love fills every inch of my body. I slowly turn around, spinning in his arms until we’re face to face.

  His eyes are closed, and he has a faint smile on his face as he dreams about what? Me? I hope it’s me.

  I want to give us a chance. I want to see what my life could be like with Tyler in it for real, but I’m afraid all that I’ve worked for will go down the drain if I try.

  Will I turn out like my parents? They found love, but it took them over, ruining everything else in their lives. They could never hold down a job or stay in a town for more than a few months. I don’t want to go back to that. I’m afraid to return to that kind of life.

  But a life with Tyler holds so much promise. If I can be held in his arms every night like this, wouldn’t it be worth giving up everything else?

  I guess I can try it for one night.

  I take a deep breath and give him a soft kiss on the lips. His eyes slowly open when I pull away, and he moans contently as he licks my taste off of his lips.

  “Are you kissing me or are you pretending that I’m Ryan Gosling?” he asks with a groggy voice. He smiles as I kiss him again.

  “We should watch The Notebook every night,” he says with a satisfied smile on his delicious lips.

  “Sounds good to me,” I answer, running my fingers through his hair. “But one of these days, you’re going to have to stay awake through it.”

  He smiles. “You have yourself a deal.”

  I take his arm and run my finger over his rose tattoo. My body tingles as I see my name on him once again.

  “Did you know you had this?” I ask, showing him.

  His brow furrows as he raises his arm and looks at it. “So, that’s where it is,” he says with a warm smile. “I love it. Now you’ll always have a place on my arm and a place in my heart.”

  I kiss him once again, long and passionate until I’m ready to break my first date rule. “I’m glad you’re here with me,” I whisper to him once we pull away from the kiss.

  “I’m glad I’m here too.”

  We kiss for a few heavenly minutes until arousal begins coursing through our veins and our bodies start demanding more. Our hands begin to wander, touching skin, sliding under clothes, and it’s all making me lightheaded. My heart starts thumping when his hand slides under my shirt and over my breast.

  He hardens against my leg and the feeling makes me even wetter than I already am.

  Our bodies shift until I’m on top of him, straddling his sexy body as the fire roars beside us.

  “You’re so sexy,” he says as I sit up and pull off my shirt. His hungry eyes are focused on my breasts as I lean down and kiss him once again.

  Our kiss is deep but soft, passionate but romantic.

  Tyler reaches behind me and unclasps my bra.

  “Fuck,” he moans when he pulls it off and my breasts spill free on his hard chest. He caresses them softly in his strong hands as our lips connect with another deep kiss.

  I’ve done this with Tyler before, but it’s never been like this. It’s more than just pent-up sexual frustration this time. It’s more than just lust. There are feelings here, perhaps even a hint of love. This euphoria can only be the beginning stages of love. It has to be.

  In the next few moments, we undress each other between kisses until we’re both lying on the couch naked, me on top of him.

  “I thought you don’t put out on the first date,” he says with a smirk as I reach down and stroke his hard cock.

  “We’re already married,” I whisper on his lips as I squeeze his thick shaft, making him groan. “It’s a little late for first dates.”

  “Lucky me,” he says, sliding his hand behind my head and pulling my lips down onto his.

  I shift my hips forward until my throbbing pussy comes down on his hard shaft. We both moan into each other’s mouths as I press my aching clit onto his hardness.

  I’m so wet. He’s so hard. I haven’t been able to stop thinking of the sex we had and how good he felt rooted deep inside me. It was quick and hurried in his office, but now we have time to take it slow. We have time to properly enjoy each other’s bodies.

  He runs his hands down my sides, grips my hips, and starts rocking my body back and forth along his length as he takes my nipples into his hungry mouth and sucks on them, making me moan.

  I place my hands on the side of the sofa to stabilize myself as I enjoy the feeling of Tyler’s masculine hands on me, his warm tongue coating my tingling nipples, and his long cock sliding through my folds, teasing my clit.

  With one last soft kiss, he releases my breasts and pulls me down until we’re face to face. His green eyes look mesmerizing in the light of the fire as he looks
at me with all the emotion that I’m feeling for him. “I want to make love to you,” he whispers, making my chest swell.

  I run my hand through his messy hair and kiss him softly on the lips.

  This isn’t just about sex. It’s more. We’re sharing a deep human connection on a level I didn’t know was possible. I can’t quite wrap my head around it.

  I think it may be love.

  “So, what are you waiting for?” I ask him with a smile on my wet lips.

  I arch my hips up as he reaches down and grips his cock. He slides it through my folds until his thick head is pressed up against my opening, making me moan with anticipation.

  “Oh, Tyler,” I moan as I sink my hips down on him, taking in every heavenly inch of his cock. My body shudders as he stretches and fills me, making me hyper-aware of every tingling cell in my body.

  My pussy is soaking wet, dripping for him, but his huge size still makes me cry out with every slow inch that I take in.

  My body molds against his as my burning clit reaches his hard pelvis. I wonder how long it will take to get used to his size. He feels so fucking big.

  His strong hands slide down to my ass and he grips me hard as he guides me back up the length of his cock. My hands are on his sculpted abs as I slide up and down, my pussy easing into it with every stroke.

  He’s so beautiful. I can’t get over it. His chiseled abs, his wide muscular chest, round tattooed arms, and gorgeous face. It all helps to build up the pressure inside me.

  I slide down on him, rocking my hips and just enjoying the feeling of him deep in my pussy. I want to hold him here forever. I never want to let go. I’ve never felt so happy and at home in my whole life than I do in this moment, and I never want it to stop.

  I want Tyler with me forever.

  He groans as I move my hips back up, shivering as his beautiful cock hits every spot in me. My body is on fire. It’s a heavenly burn that roars through my veins, and I can’t get enough of it.