Giggling, I tried to look away, but he held my chin in place. “I won’t leave. You want me to pinky swear?” I asked, and now he was laughing again, too, a deep heartfelt laugh filled with relief. I held my pinky up to let him know I meant business, and he hooked his finger comfortably into mine and pulled me into a deep gentle kiss.
“Thank you.” His lips lingered. “Now I really do have to go before I change my mind and ruin the surprise. Call Alex. She’ll help you get ready.”
Get ready? This whole time I’d been so distracted I never let myself think about what “the surprise” might be. Now I was curious. “That’s it? You’re not going to tell me anything else?”
“Nope,” he replied smugly, heading for the door, or where the door used to be. He picked it up and set it against the wall. “Sorry about this. I’ll get someone up here to fix it for you.”
A few minutes later he kissed me goodbye one last time and headed out the door acting more mysterious than ever. Damn him! Not knowing what he had planned was killing me. I really suck at surprises I thought to myself as I dug through my purse for Alex’s number. Maybe she would give me some kind of clue.
I went in search of my phone and heard it ringing from the bathroom counter where I’d left it after trying to call Nina. I shook my head. It seemed like my life was a whirlwind since the moment Parker Blackwell came back into the picture. First I learned that Evelyn wanted to sell her shares of The Grand, then Jake and I went our separate ways, then I discovered my family attorney moonlighted as a pimp before finally accepting an indecent proposal. And to think this all happened within a matter of days. Now here I was in Las Vegas where I learned that not only did Parker hire escorts, but his sex life was much more twisted than I could’ve ever imagined. I felt like I was on a roller coaster blindfolded. The ups and downs came so quickly I didn’t know what to expect next, and this was a perfect example. A little while ago I was ready to run away, and now I was getting excited about some mysterious surprise. It all seemed so crazy.
I looked at the phone thinking it was Nina. I was wrong. The caller ID flashed Sarah Blackwell O’Conner. What? Sarah was Parker’s cousin, and the third Musketeer all those summers ago. She was still one of my dearest friends, but her timing couldn’t be worse. How could I explain what was going on right now? It’s not like I could tell her the truth. I could lie, but I really didn’t want to. I hesitated as I suddenly realized the phone was on its last ring before voicemail. Unsure of what to say I decided to let it go. The thought of telling Sarah anything right now made me uneasy. I would call her when I got back home. Now where did I put Alex’s number?
I was about to dial Alex when my phone rang again. Annoyed, I stared at the screen. Sarah again. I quickly sent it to voicemail just as the sound of the doorbell sent me jumping to my feet like I’d just been busted. Shit! Calm down, Lo! Maybe it was something to do with the surprise, or maybe Parker ordered room service. My stomach growled as if to vote for room service as I made my way to the door. Hindsight…
Ten
PLACE YOUR BETS
I unlocked the door, expecting a clue about my surprise, the possibility of food or maybe both. Little did I know that neither of those things were on the other side. In fact, if I had only looked through the peephole first I would have thought to hide my phone before opening the door to none other than Sarah Blackwell O’Conner. I wanted to hide at the sight of her standing there smiling at me, probably wondering why the hell I didn’t answer her last two calls.
“Oh my gosh, Lo! It’s so good to see you!” she crooned, and I immediately noticed the soft southern drawl she’d developed after moving to Alabama with Eric was more pronounced. Everything else was the same, though. Sarah was just like her mother—beautiful, classy and wearing her old family money with a side of pure southern charm. Back in college she saved my ass more than once. I was the risk taker, and she was my voice of reason. I missed her so much since we graduated. I could hardly believe she was standing right in front of me.
“Sarah?” Recovering slightly from the shock of seeing her there, I held my arms out, and we hugged like we hadn’t seen each other in years. Well, it felt like years, anyway. The last time I saw Sarah was when I stood up in her wedding last June. Sure, we’ve had a few phone calls since, but it wasn’t the same. I was so happy to see her, but I was equally confused. What was she doing here?
When we finally let go I glanced down at the phone in my hand. Before I could explain Sarah gracefully let me off the hook.
Rolling her eyes she said, “It’s okay. Lo. I told Parker to let you know I was coming, but he wanted you to be surprised.”
“I’m surprised,” I laughed nervously. “Well, come in. Come in. This is really strange.”
“What’s strange?” Sarah came in and set her purse on the counter as she took in the details of Parker’s penthouse suite.
“It’s strange that I’m letting you into Parker’s house. I mean you two are practically brother and sister, and I never thought I’d be…”
“Staying with Parker?” She giggled.
I looked down shyly. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“It’s okay. He told me why you’re here.”
“He did?” I tilted my head waiting for her response. This should be good.
“Yeah, he said things have been stressful for you lately, and you needed to get away so he invited you to Vegas. The timing couldn’t be better either. The annual benefit is tonight and Parker…ah shoot!”
Wide-eyed and waiting for more detail, I looked at her expectantly. She was about to reveal something about the surprise tonight. Although I knew she was a part of it, I still didn’t know what “it” was. A benefit? “What do you mean, “shoot”? You can’t keep a secret from me. You never could. What kind of benefit? Where?”
“Oh, no. Not this time, Lo. I promised Parker I wouldn’t ruin the surprise. He’d be so mad at me!”
Disappointed, I quickly relented, “Great! So, I guess I should call Alex now.”
“Who’s Alex?” Sarah looked confused.
Shit! Think fast, Lo! “Oh, Alex? Alex is…Alex is…ah…Parker’s assistant. He told me to call her after he left, and she would help me get ready.”
“Okay. When the front desk brings my bag up we can get ready together.”
Alex was all business as usual, and to my disappointment didn’t give me as much as a clue. She did, however, tell me that Sarah and I had appointments in the salon downstairs for hair and make-up at three o’clock and that a limo would arrive to pick us up at five. She also told me which dress, shoes and jewelry to wear from the wardrobe she helped me pick when I arrived. By the end of our call I knew we were attending some type of important formal event. Apparently a benefit according to Sarah’s slip up earlier.
I filled Sarah in on the plan, and since we had an hour to spare we decided to order room service and catch up over lunch. It felt like forever since we’d had a chance to talk in person, and I suddenly felt grateful to Parker for setting the whole thing up. It’s funny how he seemed to know just what I needed. Sometimes before I did.
“So where’s Eric?” I finally asked when I realized the newly wed Mrs. O’Conner was all alone.
“Oh, he’s here,” her eyes dropped to the floor nervously. “He um, he’s not here obviously, but he’s here in Vegas,” she stammered.
“He’s not coming tonight?” I prodded, sensing there was something she wasn’t telling me.
“No. He’s having dinner with a potential client tonight. Something he set up at the last minute I guess. Before that he wasn’t going to come.”
“I see.” Something wasn’t adding up. Sarah was head-over-heels for Eric. They did everything together the last I knew. There had to be a reason they weren’t together. What newlywed stays home while his wife goes off to Vegas? Better yet, what newlywed goes to Vegas with his wife and schedules a business meeting? I gently pressed for more information, “Anything we need to talk about?”
“No, why?” She giggled nervously. “Everything’s fine.”
It clearly wasn’t, but I knew she would tell me when she was ready. Sarah could be very private about things, but when she was at the end of her rope she always leaned on me. I would have to leave it alone until she came to me, and I would. For now. Time to change the subject, Lo.
“I’m starving. What should we order? Do you still like Chinese?”
“Of course! It hasn’t been that long, has it?” She plopped down onto the couch, and the stress seemed to leave her face the more we talked about something other than Eric.
Note to self: don’t bring up Eric for the rest of the night.
We decided on orange chicken and spring rolls, and I made us a drink while we waited for room service to arrive. Fifteen minutes later we were sitting Indian-style in front of the oversized glass coffee table enjoying our food and catching up.
“So, how are things with you and Jake? I was really surprised when Parker told me you were here …alone.”
Suddenly the mouthful of delicious chicken didn’t taste so good, and I struggled to chew it before washing it down with a big gulp of my martini.
Sarah noticed. “Ohhhh gosh! I’m sorry, Lo. I had no idea.” She picked up on my body language the same way I picked up on hers when Eric’s name came up.
I smiled to reassure her. “No worries, really. To make a long story short, he wanted me to sell The Grandview. I said no. He took a job in Tennessee. End of story.” I wiped my mouth with my napkin. It wasn’t Sarah’s fault, but I lost my appetite at the thought of Jake and me splitting so abruptly.
Sarah was studying me during the awkward silence that developed between us. She pushed at the pieces of rice on her plate for a few minutes before dropping her fork and throwing her napkin on the table. She looked straight at me. “So, why don’t we talk about everything BUT Eric and Jake? How does that sound?”
I started laughing. “Sounds perfect,” I said, and we lifted our glasses and emptied our drinks as if it was the best toast we’d heard in our entire lives. Soon, we were laughing so hard it felt just like old times.
Three martinis later, we were both a little tipsy as we made our way down to the salon. One thing I noticed about Vegas was there were slot machines everywhere. We walked past a row of Blazing Sevens and Sarah grabbed my arm.
“What are you doing?” I giggled, “We have to get to our appointment.”
“I know. I know. Relax!”
I could tell by the way she was slurring her words she was more than a little buzzed. Besides, this was totally out of character for her. I was usually the one telling her to relax. Happy to see her having fun, I quickly decided to go with it. I plopped down on the stool next to her and watched as she slid a fifty dollar bill in the slot.
“Okay, let’s make this interesting.” Her eyebrows wiggled up and down causing me to laugh so hard I almost fell off my stool.
“Yes, let’s.” I replied, although I had no idea where she was going with it.
“Let’s make a little bet. Shall we? If I win big on this machine, then you’ll consider, just consider mind you…you’ll consider dating Parker.”
I looked at her in disbelief. She had no idea what was going on between Parker and me. She was totally clueless. When I thought about why I was really here several action words came to mind, but dating wasn’t one of them.
“Oh, that’s very funny, Sarah! I almost forgot how alcohol goes straight to that otherwise sensible brain of yours!”
“Come on, Lo! Just for fun! You never used to back down from a bet. Maybe you’re getting old!” she teased, knowing I couldn’t resist the bait.
“Okay, fine! I’ll consider it!” I stuck my tongue out at her to show her my displeasure. After all, what were the chances of this machine “hitting big” anyway?
She looked at me with the best I mean business look she could muster after several martinis. “Pinky swear.”
Here we go again! Until Parker came back around I had almost forgot how important this seemingly meaningless gesture was to our little group back then.
I hooked my finger into hers and pulled it close to me. “BUT! If you don’t hit big you have to promise to never suggest or even so much as hint about Parker and I dating again! Ever!”
“Deal!” She said and ripped her finger quickly away to pull the lever.
I shot her a smug little smile as the reels stopped on seven, bar, bar. Nothing. Undeterred, she pulled the lever again. That’s when I realized she was betting ten dollars a spin. This would be over quick!
The second spin landed on bar, bar, double bar. As the fifty dollar credits racked up she tilted her head and raised her eyebrow.
“You said it had to be a big win,” I reminded her.
Full of sassy sarcasm, she starred me down and watched my face as she pulled the lever for the third time. I watched in amazement, my eyes narrowing as I saw seven, seven, seven appear on the screen before us. Fuck! The machine started sounding off as the screen blinked, and a small crowd gathered around us while the credits continued to skyrocket. Five hundred, six hundred, seven hundred…Sarah was exchanging congratulatory high-fives with a couple of onlookers as we waited for the final total. One thousand dollars. She had officially entered “big win” territory.
In her excitement she screamed and shook my shoulders, effectively snapping me out of my haze. Then she hit the cash out button. “Oh, I’m so cashing in on your promise, Lo!” she squealed, “I can’t wait! My mother has always insisted that you two were meant for each other. Now we can finally find out!”
I scowled. “Slow down, Sarah! The bet was that I would consider it, remember? Why do you keep forgetting that part?” I was a sore loser.
“I know. I know.” She rolled her eyes and folded the ticket into a neat little square and gave it an over exaggerated kiss.
“What the hell are you doing?” I asked as I starred at her still scowling.
“Keeping this of course.”
“For what?” Who keeps a thousand dollar ticket?
“For insurance of course.” She winked as I watched her slip the little white ticket into her bra.
At a loss for words I said the first thing that popped into my head, “Classy, Sarah Blackwell O’Conner. I’m sure your mother would be proud!”
Sarah laced her arm through mine and started to drag me off toward the salon. “You can bet your ass she would be!”
I had no doubt she was right.
I couldn’t help it. I pouted through the entire salon appointment, and was thankful that the lady doing Sarah’s hair and makeup couldn’t seem to shut up. I was silent, choosing to wallow in my own self-pity for losing the bet instead of enjoying myself. But by the time we were standing in front of the limo in our designer gowns, the anticipation of the night ahead had me starting to come around.
As we waited in the long procession of cars in the valet parking lane I spotted Parker standing on the curb waiting for us. I couldn’t rip my eyes away from the sight of him in his black fitted tuxedo and that hair that looked like he just came from a wild romp in the sack. He looked like he belonged in one of those perfume ads in Cosmo, you know the ones where the guy is obviously airbrushed to look like a perfect Greek God? Only he was real. And he was mine, at least for tonight.
When the limo stopped in front of him, he opened the door like a perfect gentleman, but seconds later I was inhaling sharply as he grabbed my hand and pulled me roughly against him, whispering in my ear, “You look so fucking beautiful. I can’t wait to get you home tonight.”
He held my hand tightly as he turned his attention to Sarah, catching her in his other arm. “Thanks for coming, cousin. You look amazing!”
Sarah and I exchanged glances with Parker sandwiched between us. I couldn’t help but notice the smug smile on her face when she realized how friendly we’d become, and I was relieved when Parker led us into the building arm-in arm.
I didn’t know if I would ever get used to all
the glamour of Las Vegas, I thought as I took in the glitter and elegance in the room. There were a lot of important people here by the looks of it. The expensive jewelry in the room was enough to make me go blind if I starred at it long enough. Parker shook hands with a few people and introduced Sarah and I as we made our way through the crowd and around a circular hallway to a set of huge wooden doors. That’s when I noticed the sign.
Welcome to the 10th Annual Bachelor Auction for Breast Cancer
I squeezed Parker’s hand. When our eyes met I looked toward the sign and then back at him. Just then the door opened, and Parker’s friend Cole appeared. His face lit up instantly when he spotted us.
“Cole, you’ve met my cousin Sarah before haven’t you?
Right on cue, Cole reached his hand out to Sarah. “Yes, how are you, Sarah?”
“Would you mind showing Sarah to our table? Lauren and I will be there shortly.”
“Of course not,” Cole replied and held out his elbow to escort Sarah into the room.
Parker pulled me further down the hall away from the steady stream of people that were now entering the event. My eyes went back to the sign.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” I demanded, not know what to make of the whole thing.
“Because I wanted it to be a surprise, and I was afraid you wouldn’t come.”
I ripped my hand out of his grasp and turned my back to him. “Is this some kind of sick apology, Parker? Did you really think that bringing me to something like this would make up for the fact that you left me when my mother was dying of breast cancer?” My mind was spinning with emotions.
“No. It’s not like that at all, Lo. Why do you always assume the worst from me?”
He was right. I did, but only because I couldn’t find a way to forgive him.
“I started participating in this auction five years ago when one of the guys I see on the poker circuit asked me to help out. At first I was hesitant, but after I tried it, I felt really good about it, and for some reason it made me feel like I was doing something…”
Falling Free: What happens in Vegas... (The Fall Series) Page 8
