Well Hung Over in Vegas: A Standalone Romantic Comedy

by Kimberly Fox

  I keep my eyes on my father, watching as his stern face gets even sterner as the conversation goes on. When Nick admits to stealing millions, my father looks ready to put him through a wall.

  His skin is turning an angry red as he glares at Nick, looking furious that he supported and trusted this man who is openly bragging on tape about stealing money from him.

  “I’ve heard enough,” he says when the tape is almost finished.

  I turn the tape off as Jason stands like a bouncer by the door in case his brother tries to leave. Jason would never betray my father. He’s proven his loyalty time and time again.

  My father stands up from his desk and walks up to Nick with a high chin and a hard tightness in his eyes. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

  “It’s all lies,” Nick says, trying to put the blame on me, but his body language is giving him away. His breathing is quicker, and he keeps shifting from foot to foot, darting his eyes around the room nervously. “He made that tape.”

  “Dad,” I say, looking him dead in the eyes. “He’s stealing from the company. Look closely at the financials in his departments and you’ll see it too.”

  “That’s not true!” Nick shouts defensively. “He had sex in his office. He shouldn’t even be allowed in this building.”

  Jason steps forward. “I’ve seen the financials too, Mack. I think Tyler is right.”

  Nick shoots an accusing look at his brother. “You’re going against your own family?” he spits out.

  “Tyler and Uncle Mack are my family too,” Jason says, “and I’m not going to sit around while someone steals from them.”

  “Even if it’s your brother?”

  “Especially if it’s my brother,” he answers.

  My father grabs the phone off of his desk and dials security. He asks them to come, and a few seconds later they come rushing through the door.

  “Am I getting arrested?” Nick asks indignantly. “You can’t arrest me. I’m the head of this company!”

  “Not anymore,” my father says, shaking his head. “You’ll never step foot in this building again.”

  Nick starts to look panicked as the three security guards start closing in on him. “Uncle Mack,” he says, sounding desperate. “I’m sorry. I’ll give the money back. I promise.”

  My father ignores him and turns to the security guards. “Put him in the holding room and call the police. I want to press charges.”

  “No!” Nick shouts as he shakes his head in denial. His eyes are bulging, and his body is tense. “Please, don’t do this.”

  He makes a desperate run for the exit, but I put out my foot and trip him. Before he even slams into the ground, the security guards are on him, cuffing his hands behind his back.

  The whole top floor of the building is gathered in the main area, watching as he’s being dragged out.

  “You should probably go with him, Jason,” my father says to my younger cousin. “Make sure he gets a lawyer. He’s going to need one.”

  Jason nods and then joins his brother and the security guards by the elevators.

  My father steps out into the main area where everybody is gathered. “Get back to work!” he shouts, and they all scatter like frightened mice.

  He sighs. “I’m really going to miss doing that when I’m retired.” He turns to me with a tight expression on his face. “In my office. Now.”

  He storms back into his office, and I follow him in, closing the door behind me. His eyes are locked on me like heat-seeking missiles as he sits behind his massive desk.

  “I still can’t give you the company,” he says as I sit down in front of him. “Not after what you did.”

  “I know,” I say, exhaling hard as I sink into the chair. “I don’t want it anymore. From now on, I’m putting my heart first.”

  “With your fake wife?”

  “With my real wife,” I say, staring him down. “I love Dahlia. More than anything. She’s the one for me, and we’re going to stay married.”

  My father looks skeptical. “If this is another scam of yours to get me to sign over the compa—”

  “It’s not a scam,” I say, interrupting him. “It’s true we didn’t know each other when we got married, but we know each other now, and she’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. She’s the one for me.”

  His face softens, looking like he finally believes me. “I thought you two were good together,” he says, nodding. “I didn’t believe Nick when he told me it was all a sham. You two looked genuinely in love. Dahlia’s eyes always light up when she looks at you, and I’ve never seen you so focused on one girl before.”

  “Is Mom really mad?”

  “She’s upset,” he says, making me sigh. I really didn’t want to hurt her feelings or make her upset. “But she’ll be happy to know that you two are in it for real now.”

  “I’ll talk to her.”

  We sit in silence for a minute until my father exhales and leans back in his chair. “I really wanted to retire,” he says, staring up at the ceiling.

  “You still can.”

  “I can’t give you the company,” he says, looking sad as he looks at me.

  “I told you, I don’t want it,” I say with a laugh. “I think you should put Jason in charge.”

  “Jason?” he says, jerking his head back. “He never showed the slightest interest in having the position before.”

  “He backed off because he knew that both Nick and I wanted it,” I explain. “He’s one of the smartest people in this building, and he’s completely trustworthy. He’ll make an excellent CEO. He has a level head, and he’ll always do what’s best for the company and the employees.”

  “Jason,” my father whispers, nodding his head as he thinks about it. “He would make a fine choice.”

  “You’ll be able to sit back and relax during your retirement with him at the helm of the ship. He’ll do you proud.”

  My father seems to really like the idea, and I can tell that the wheels and cogs in his brain are turning.

  “I think you’re right,” he says with a grin.

  “I am right,” I answer, driving the point home. “He’s going to do great.”

  “And what about you?” he asks. “What do you see as your future role in McMillan Worldwide Inc?”

  I don’t see my future here at all anymore. I see it with Dahlia in the town that we both love.

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” I say, wringing my hands nervously. “I have something I want to ask you.”

  31

  Dahlia

  “So?” Susan the gossiper says as she walks over with a big grin on her face. “What’s this I hear about a video of something?”

  Oh, God.

  “What did you hear?” I ask with a sigh.

  “Why don’t you tell me what you know, and I’ll tell you if that’s what I heard?” she says, trying to fish for information. Well, she’s not going to catch anything from me.

  Just in time to save me from the company’s official gossiper, the elevators open and three security guards walk out, escorting Nick. His brother Jason is walking behind them, looking disappointed.

  “You want a video,” I say, pointing at Nick. “There’s your video.”

  Susan gasps when she sees him with his hands cuffed behind his back, being escorted through the lobby. She yanks out her phone and starts filming as she rushes over, leaving me in peace.

  I can’t help but grin as I watch him get escorted into an area that’s reserved for security only. I guess my husband’s plan worked.

  A few tense minutes later, Tyler walks out of the elevators with a big beautiful smile on his face. I run up to him with my heart pounding. “Tell me everything.”

  I can’t stop smiling as he tells me how he played the audio tape for his father and how Mack finally believed him about the missing money.

  “What about the company?” I ask with a fluttering feeling in my stomach. “Did he reconsider you for the job?” />
  He shakes his head no but he has a smile on his face. “I’m not getting the company. Jason is.”

  It feels like I got punched in the stomach. My breath catches in my throat as I fight back tears. My beloved factory will be closed down, and the town that is the only home I’ve ever known will be ruined. My friends, coworkers and neighbors will all be jobless, just like me.

  “Why are you smiling?” I ask with a trembling chin. My eyes are burning from fighting back tears. I can’t believe this is happening.

  “The factory is staying open.”

  “What?” It doesn’t make sense. “Why would Jason agree to that? It can make more money overseas.”

  “It’s not up to Jason anymore,” he says with a widening grin. “It’s ours.”

  “What?”

  “I bought it. For us.”

  I’m speechless. Utterly shocked as I stand in front of him.

  “You bought it?” I ask slowly. It’s still not sinking in.

  “Consider it a wedding present,” he says with his jade green eyes sparkling. “A real wedding present.”

  My thoughts are so fuzzy. I wasn’t expecting this at all and now I seem to have lost my ability to think. So I just stare at his gorgeous face with my jaw hanging open.

  “Hospitech is no longer a part of McMillan Worldwide Inc.,” he says. “It’s a separate company, and it’s all ours. Well, as soon as you come upstairs and sign the papers.”

  “But you live in Vegas.”

  “Not for long.”

  “You’re moving? To Summerland?”

  “If you’ll have me.”

  My heart is racing in excitement.

  “There are no mansions in Summerland,” I say.

  “Good.”

  “No Ferrari dealerships either.”

  He shrugs. “I have a free ride on a bike whenever I want.”

  “You’re getting your own bike from now on,” I say with a laugh. “I don’t want my calves to be more muscular than yours.”

  “Deal.”

  A flush of adrenaline is tingling through my body as I try to process all of this. “Where are you going to live?”

  He just stares at me with a grin.

  “You want to move in with me?” I ask, staring up at him in disbelief.

  “You are my wife.”

  “But you’ve seen my house,” I say, suddenly feeling ashamed. I live in a cute but simple house. I don’t have a five-car garage, an inground pool, or a penthouse condo overlooking the Vegas strip. My television is as thick as a microwave, my couch is the same one that I bought secondhand in my twenties, and my lawn mower doesn’t start without hitting it with a hammer first. I don’t live in the same level of luxury that he’s accustomed to. It’s not even close.

  “I love your house,” he says, stepping forward. He takes my hands in his and stares me in the eyes. “Most of all because you’re in it.”

  “But your condo,” I say with my pulse racing, “and your amazing kitchen. I can’t compete with that.”

  He shakes his head. “No. They can’t compete with you. The nice condo, the expensive toys, and cars are nice, but what I really want is a home. And when I’m with you, I feel like I’m at home.”

  I jump into his arms as tears of joy stream down my face. All I’ve ever wanted was a place to call home, and now I have it for real. I’m part owner of the best company in the world, in the town of my dreams, with the man that I love. It can’t get any better than this.

  “I love you, Tyler,” I say, staring into his eyes.

  He leans down and gives me a soft slow kiss on the lips.

  I pull away with my cheeks flushing red. “We shouldn’t. We’re at work.”

  He pulls me in even tighter. “We don’t work here anymore,” he says before giving me another long romantic kiss on the lips. This time I let him.

  When we finally pull away, I see Susan videotaping us from the other side of the lobby. Normally I would get upset at the lack of privacy, but I flash her a smile and then kiss my man again. Our video collection of the two of us needs some new additions that we can show our kids one day, and this is a great time to start.

  “So,” he says with a grin as he holds me in his arms. “Want to be part owner of Hospitech with me?”

  My heart starts pounding in my chest. “I can’t believe this,” I say with a wide grin on my face. “I have so many ideas for growth and for expanding our distribution. We can add a new wing to the factory for diagnostic equipment and one for biomedical equipment.” I keep rambling on, spitting out ideas and future plans until I’m blue in the face.

  “Hold on, Pumpkin,” Tyler says, putting a hand up. “First things first, you have to sign the papers.”

  I grab onto his thick forearm and squeal in excitement. “Let’s go!”

  He laughs as I practically drag him to the elevators and pull him inside.

  As soon as the doors close, I jump back on him, kissing every inch of skin that I can find.

  “Is your father still mad at us?” I ask when the doors open on the top floor. I hesitate, not wanting to leave the safety of the elevator and face Mack McMillan’s wrath again.

  Tyler takes my hand and pulls me out. “We’re happy and in love,” he says, looking like he doesn’t have a care in the world. “What can he possibly be mad at?”

  “The lying, the video, breaking your mom’s heart.”

  He smiles as he pulls me down the hall to the big man’s office. “As for the lying, we’re in love and staying married, so we’re not lying anymore. Our wedding video was horrific, but it will get funnier the more times he watches it. And as for breaking my mom’s heart by not giving her grandkids, well, we’ll just have to take care of that for her.”

  “Wha—” I mutter as I try to process his words. Children? With Tyler? It’s two thoughts that shouldn’t go together, but for some reason, it sounds perfectly natural. For the first time ever, I can see myself pregnant with his children, and it brings a smile on my face.

  He pulls me into Mack’s office and I straighten my back, staring at him as nerves ripple through me.

  “Dad,” Tyler says, presenting me. “I would like to introduce you to my wife, Dahlia. My real wife.”

  Mack lowers his reading glasses, looking over them and at me with skeptical eyes. “I believe we’ve already met.”

  “You met my fake wife,” Tyler says with a firm voice. “This is my real wife. The woman I love. The woman I want to have children with. The woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

  Mack takes off his glasses and drops them on his desk. “I don’t know what to believe anymore,” he says, rubbing his eyes.

  “Believe that I love your son,” I say, stepping forward. “And believe that he loves me. Believe that against all odds, the universe found two soulmates on opposite sides of the country and brought us together. Believe that we started off rocky but finally found our groove. And believe that we’ll be together forever. Or believe whatever you want, but know that all of that is true. I love your son with all of my heart, and I would love to be a part of your family, if you’ll have me. For real this time.”

  Mack’s eyes are narrowed on me as he listens with a blank face. I can’t tell what he’s thinking. It doesn’t look good.

  “I’ll tell you what I believe,” he says, taking a deep breath. “I believe that my son has never looked happier. I believe that my son is a changed man and that he now believes in the power of love. And I believe that it’s all because of you, Dahlia.”

  “Really?” I ask, breathless. “But the wedding video…”

  “Is exactly what I expected from my son,” he says with a laugh. “You should have seen his college graduation video.”

  Tyler is grinning. “I was naked under my robe.”

  “Of course you were,” I say with a chuckle.

  “It’s not important why or how the marriage happened,” Mack says, standing up. “What is important is that you two are in it for real no
w, that you love and respect one another, and that you are in it for the long haul.”

  “I am,” I say with a nod.

  “I am too,” Tyler says, smiling at me.

  It’s the closest we’ve come to saying our I do’s sober, but it’s good enough for me.

  “Good,” Mack says, walking around the desk to join us. Mack the billionaire is gone as he walks straight up to me and Mack my father-in-law takes his place as he gives me a warm hug. “I’ve always wanted a daughter,” he says with a smile. “I’m so glad that I have you.”

  “Thank you, sir,” I say, fighting back tears. “I mean, Dad.”

  He smiles at me. “Kirsten and I never gave you two a wedding present. I heard there’s a company you’re interested in.”

  “You’re not giving us Hospitech, Dad,” Tyler says, waving his hand. “It’s an eight-million-dollar company. I’ll buy it off of you.”

  “Save it to spoil your beautiful new wife,” he says, giving me a little wink.

  But Tyler doesn’t back down. “It’s too much.”

  I step back and watch as the two master negotiators dig their heels in and attack. It’s clear that Tyler got his father’s incredible negotiating abilities. That’s going to come in handy when we’re running Hospitech together.

  When it’s all said and done, Mack drafts up a contract for the insanely unreasonable price of two dollars. Tyler and I split it, a dollar each, and after signing our names, we are the new owners of Hospitech.

  I collapse into the chair and stare at the contract with my head spinning as all of the pent-up worry, stress, and fear just washes away.

  The town is saved, the company is ours, and I have Tyler.

  Best dollar I’ve ever spent.

  32

  Dahlia

  A month later…

  “Congratulations,” I say, grinning as I look up at my man. “You’re officially a resident of the best town in the world.”