Turn Towards the Sun Book Two: After the Rain

by Jennifer Domenico

  The two of us change back into our clothes and pay for our dresses. Mine costs a ridiculous amount of money, but inside my head I’m giggling at the massive dent I’m making in the fifty thousand-dollar challenge.

  “Where to now?” asks Cassie.

  “Well, we need shoes and maybe some pretty under things,” I say.

  “Yes, we all need sexy things. It’s New Year’s, no?” remarks Francesca, laughing.

  We spend the next few hours buying shoes, lingerie, perfume and anything else we see fit. Then we walk back towards the entrance of the Bellagio, ready to grab a cab back to the Arabesque.

  While we wait, Cassie wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Well, you were very spendy today.”

  “I’ve been spendy before.” I hope that doesn’t sound as defensive to her as it does to me. “It was fun, no?” I ask her.

  “A ton of fun,” Cassie agrees. “I like you being this way, so carefree, and enjoying your newfound lot in life.”

  I smile. “Thanks. I’m trying.”

  Whew. She bought it. Cassie is going to kill me when she finally finds out what I’m up to.

  When our cab pulls up in front of the Arabesque, a bellboy comes out right away and starts loading our bags onto a cart. I insist on paying the cab driver and, of course, I slip him a large tip.

  “Yes, ladies, let’s find the boys in the casino,” Francesca suggests.

  “Good idea,” I say.

  We all head into the casino and walk towards the high stakes area. There, we find all five men, sitting around various tables with serious expressions. None of them look up at us, but remain intently focused on the dealer in front of them.

  I’m surprised to see so many people at the tables at this time of day. Suddenly, there is a large commotion at one of the tables, Grayson jumps up and starts giving high fives to everyone at his table. Smiling, I assume he won his hand.

  Another man, who is sitting at the table with Calvin and Chris, lets out an excited holler and claps his hands. Another winner, I assume. I glance at Enzo, who is still looking at his hand. I watch for a moment, waiting for a reaction. Finally he frowns and folds. Not a winner.

  Grayson, noticing Marisa, waves and she blows him a kiss. Aw, that is so cute. Enzo spots me and motions for me to come over.

  “How’s it going, Mr. High Roller?” I ask, kissing his cheek.

  “Up and down,” Enzo replies. “Just lost, but I won twice earlier. I’m down a little overall.”

  “How much is down a little?”

  He ponders and appears to be counting. “Thirty.”

  “Oh, God, you mean thousand?” I gasp.

  He smiles in response.

  “I thought I was the only one with a challenge?”

  “I don’t need a challenge, amore. It comes quite easy for me. And how have you done on your goal today?” he asks.

  I grin at him. “Quite well. I think you’ll be impressed.”

  “I’m always impressed with you. Do you want to play a hand or two?” He motions to a seat next to him.

  I shake my head and start to back away, but he catches my wrist.

  “No, Enzo,” I protest. “I don’t want to affect anyone else’s game.”

  “Do you know how to play poker?”

  “Yes, my dad taught me, but I’ve never played with money.”

  “Mr. Milano, are you playing this hand?” the dealer asks.

  “My wife is taking my spot,” Enzo replies. Pulling me into his seat, he places several chips on the table.

  “Are you sharking us, Milano?” one of the men at the table asks and then laughs.

  “Not at all, I’m just giving my wife a chance to play.” He grins.

  I play two hands and lose my ass. It doesn’t feel like fun at all.

  “I’m ready to go, Enzo,” I tell him. “I don’t like losing.”

  “Play one more hand. I like watching you.”

  I sigh. “Alright.”

  The cards are dealt, and I contain my gasp as I peek at mine and spy two aces in my hand. Holy shit, this could be good!

  At my turn I raise the bet. Two people across the table from me look up and eye me, and I smile sweetly in response. My reaction has been the same every round. This is one place where my poker face might just work out for me. Daddy taught me well.

  Enzo leans over and whispers, “Stai forte,” in my ear.

  Strong. Yes, I’m going to be strong. I pick up my next card and it’s another ace. No way.

  I realize there is no chance that anyone can have a better hand. Well, technically, someone could, but come on, what are the odds? One guy across the table decides to fold, but the other one stays in, and raises his bet.

  Breathing in, I take my last card. I raise the bet and smile. Always a smile. My opponent looks pissed off. I guess he wants me to back off, but I’m not going to. I’m holding four aces and a king, which has to be the winning hand.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I spot the girls, all hanging back and watching intently. The dealer calls it, and I place my cards down triumphantly. My opponent’s face falls as he lays down a full house: three queens and two tens. I beat his ass! The pot is mine.

  “Winner,” the dealer calls out and pushes all the chips in my direction.

  “Yes,” Enzo says loudly. He kisses me and I hear people calling out congratulations. I don’t even know how much I’ve won and I really don’t care. The game was so much fun.

  “Do you want to cash out, bella?” he asks. “I’m going to stay and play some more.”

  “No, I think we’ll go grab some drinks or something. I have plenty of money if I want to gamble a little.” I lean in to kiss his cheek.

  “Va bene. See you soon.”

  I walk over to Grayson and ask him, “So you won?”

  He nods. “Yes, ten,” he replies, his face blushing.

  I already know that means thousand. Good for him. Marisa rubs his shoulders and smiles. I watch Cassie and Gabby talking to their guys. Judging from their reactions, I’m guessing it’s not a winning table.

  “Come on, let’s go get some drinks and hang out for a while,” I suggest to the girls.

  After saying our goodbyes to the guys, we head out into the casino.

  “Man, Ava, remember how we used to bring two hundred dollars for the whole weekend? The only way we got any drinks was by sitting at the machines or getting some poor guy to buy us a drink.” Cassie laughs.

  “Oh, I remember. Hey, what about that time I was obsessed with that one-nickel machine? Oh, what was it called?” I ask her.

  “Rock around the clock,” she laughs. “I remember! I couldn’t get you to get off the chair. Your eyes were bloodshot, but you were positive it was going to pay out.”

  “Did it?” Gabby asks.

  “Um, yeah… no,” says Cassie, cackling. “She blew her entire gambling budget on that machine.”

  I shake my head. “Yeah, I was pissed. But Cass, being a good friend, hooked me up and shared some of her winnings with me.”

  “That’s because you practically sat on my lap every time I tried to find a machine to play.”

  I laugh. “Okay, that’s true. That was a fun trip until Skye’s ex showed up.”

  “Who is Skye?” Marisa asks.

  “She was a friend of ours. We came out here for a girly trip and her stalker ex-boyfriend showed up and picked a fight with the guy she was talking to. The next thing we know, she clocks him with a beer bottle and gets kicked out of the hotel. Her ex gets arrested and, unbelievably, she goes and bails him out of jail, and takes him back,” Cassie explains.

  “Geez. Really?” Gabby asks.

  “Yeah, that’s why she was a friend. We disassociated with her after that trip,” I add.

  “But, like you said before, without all that happening, you might not have found out about Steve’s cheating ways,” Cassie points out.

  I nod. “True.”

  Cassie then tells the others the story of how I came home and fou
nd Steve with another woman. Francesca looks shocked. I love her exaggerated reactions. We walk into the hotel lounge and find a table.

  “If we had known what he was up to, you could have hooked up with that hot bartender that was making the moves on you,” Cassie says with a wink.

  “That bartender was definitely hot, but I’m sure I wasn’t the only girl who got his attention. This is Vegas, after all.” I roll my eyes and laugh.

  “I don’t know what that guy looked like, but have you seen your husband? I’d say you held out for the grand prize,” Gabby teases me.

  “I’ve seen him, yes,” I say, laughing. “And I agree that he’s definitely smoking hot. In fact, I think all of us have done quite well in the handsome men department.”

  “Well, look at us. We are some fine ass bitches!” Cassie cackles, and the looks on the faces of Marisa and Francesca make me explode into laughter.

  “Birds of a feather,” Gabby adds giggling, recalling creepy Dax’s comment.

  I then tell Marisa and Francesca about the Dax Experience. “I don’t like him or trust him,” I add.

  “You shouldn’t trust him. He is good at his work, but not so good with the women,” Francesca says, and then whispers, “One time he made a pass at me. I grabbed his balls and twisted until he screamed like a girl. He leaves me alone now.” She lets out a throaty laugh.

  I knew she was a firecracker!

  After a few drinks, I feel ready to chill out in my room for a while, take a shower and get ready for dinner tonight. Maybe even ravish my husband again.

  “Ladies, I’m going upstairs. See you later for dinner.” I stand up and walk back towards the poker area, where Enzo is sitting in the same chair I left him in. His pile of chips is very small now and the only other friend still playing is Calvin.

  “Enzo, I’m going upstairs. Care to join me?”

  My husband glances briefly in my direction and motions for me to wait a minute. Is he seriously ignoring me right now? He never ignores me.

  “Enzo?” I say again.

  He looks up with an irritated look on his face. Okay. Wow. I turn on my heel and head off. I think he might be taking this gambling business too seriously. I walk quickly towards the elevator and suddenly feel a hand on my arm.

  “Ava, wait.”

  I raise my hand up in the same way he did and keep walking. I make it to the elevator and push the button. Enzo is right behind me, standing silently. The doors open and a group of people step out, leaving the elevator empty. We enter and Enzo presses the button for our floor.

  “You always make me chase you,” he says, softly.

  “You choose to chase.”

  “I always will.”

  He pins my arms behind my back and pushes his body into mine. “Bella, don’t be mad,” he says, sliding his hand up my sweater. He’s turning on the Italian charm – my kryptonite.

  “I’m not mad.”

  He kisses my neck. “You look mad.”

  I lean my head back. “Right now I’m turned on.”

  “Good,” he says. “So am I.”

  Arriving at our floor way too soon, we walk back to our hotel room and go inside. Right away, I start to undress, but Enzo grabs me around the waist.

  “I’m sorry, Ava. I get a little carried away with the game sometimes. It’s a once-a-year fascination.”

  I nod. “I get it. You’re not used to the distraction.”

  “Distraction?” he asks. “Is that what you think you are to me?”

  “Just now? I would say yes.”

  “That’s my fault then. You are not a distraction.”

  “Listen, babe, this is what you do every year. It’s your ritual. I don’t want to get in the way of that. I’m just not used to not having your full attention. It threw me,” I explain coolly.

  “Hey,” he kisses me softly, “you have my full attention always. Something took it away for just a moment. Now it’s back.”

  I laugh. “Okay, babe, but I want you to have fun while we’re here.”

  “I am having fun. When you played with me was fun, but balance is good. You reminded me of that.”

  There is a knock at the door and Enzo answers it. He walks back with the package I purchased earlier.

  “How appropriate as it’s for you,” I say, smiling.

  “You bought me something?” he asks, surprised.

  “I did. Hope you like it.”

  Enzo opens the bag and pulls out a box. When he opens it, his eyes widen and a grin spreads across his face.

  “Ava, this is unbelievable. I love it.”

  I laugh. “It’s just a little something I picked up on a whim.”

  “And how much did it cost?”

  “I have no idea. How’s that for meeting a challenge?”

  “Very good,” he says, grinning.

  Enzo puts the watch on his wrist and it looks fantastic, as anticipated. I pull all of the day’s receipts out of my bag and start to tally things up. When I find the one for the watch, I choke.

  I add everything up quickly on my phone and show Enzo the total. “Look, I only have to spend a little over thirty thousand dollars now.”

  “Really? Well, you really rise to a challenge, don’t you?”

  “I warned you,” I reply, giggling.

  “You did. How did it feel?”

  “Awkward and fun… and exhilarating and strange, but it was a great day.”

  “Good. Can you continue this tomorrow?”

  “I hope so.”

  “I have something for you, too,” he says.

  I watch him open the safe in our room and pull out a red, velvet box, which he hands to me.

  “What is it?” I ask, excitedly.

  “A New Year’s gift.”

  I open the box and cannot believe my eyes. I’m staring at a diamond bracelet, but this is no dainty tennis thing. More like a cuff, it has six rows of princess-cut diamonds set in platinum. It is an unbelievably beautiful piece of jewelry, and it’s for me. Wow.

  “Enzo, this is amazing.”

  “You like it?” he asks, clasping it around my wrist for me.

  “Like it? I love it. What red-blooded woman wouldn’t? Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome.” He strokes my cheek. “I want to see you in this and your heels, and nothing else.”

  “That can be arranged,” I say. “I brought my Suzette dress to wear to dinner tonight. What do you think of that?”

  “I think I’m not sure you’ll make it out of this hotel room wearing it.” He grins with a most seductive expression on his face.

  I pull my sweater over my head and let my hair down. Running my hands down Enzo’s hard, muscled chest through his crisp, white shirt, I stand on my tiptoes to kiss his chin and his neck, inhaling the scent of his cologne.

  “Baby, you turn me on so much just being near you,” I whisper to him.

  He grabs my ass and pulls me towards him. “The feeling is mutual.”

  I throw my head back and enjoy the sensation of his hands roaming over my body. Enzo unclips my bra and slides it off. His hands grasp my breasts and gently squeeze.

  “Ava, your body is so luscious. I’ll never get enough of it.” Bending his head down, he sucks a hardened nipple into his mouth.

  I let out a small moan. “I hope you never get enough.”

  “Never,” he repeats, pressing his face into my cleavage.

  We both jump, startled by the sound of his phone.

  “Shit,” he says.

  “It’s okay, baby, you can answer it.”

  He looks down. “It’s Dax.”

  “Answer it.”

  “Enzo,” he answers, and paces the room while I finish undressing.

  I start the shower, hoping my handsome prince will join me soon. I lay out my Suzette dress and the shoes I plan to wear. Pulling the new lingerie I bought out of a bag, I select something to wear.

  Enzo walks into the room and smiles at the sight of me standing naked, laying out
my clothes for the evening. “A beautiful sight, Mrs. Milano,” he says, grinning.

  “Why don’t you take off your clothes and join me? I’m rather fond of the sight of your naked body as well.”

  “Happily…”

  “Everything okay?” I ask.

  “Oh, yes, it’s perfect,” he replies. “In fact, Dax called because he has good news. We were able to get some additional permits approved, so we can progress. At this rate, the hotel is going to be finished well ahead of schedule.”

  He slips out of his pants and shirt.

  “That’s good news. Little Vegas needs a name soon, no?”

  “Yes, this is true. I just can’t decide. I want it to be iconic, but I don’t know what it is.”

  We step into the shower.

  “What about a name?” I ask. “Is there a name you really like? Or an Italian word that is really meaningful to you?”

  “Hmm, I don’t know. I like your name.”

  I shake my head. “That’s not a good hotel name. What about the Milano?”

  “I don’t know. That doesn’t feel iconic to me.”

  “Hotel Milano? Calabrese? Calabrian? Florentine? Tesoro? Amore? That’s all I’ve got,” I say, exhausting every word I can think of that is associated with my husband.

  His face lights up. “That’s it. Yes, Ava, that’s it!”

  “Um, what did I say?”

  “You’re thinking of all these words that are related to me, but it’s a word that’s all about you – Bellissima. The hotel will be called La Bellissima. Perfetto.” He kisses me and pulls me close. “Do you like it?” he asks.

  “Actually, I love it.”

  “Then that’s it. I’ll call the marketing people later, and tell them to get started on designing a logo.”

  “It’s iconic,” I say and giggle.

  “I think so, yes.”

  “We should ask Francesca and our friends, too, for a little focus group testing, no?”

  “Yes. Good idea. You’re not only stunningly beautiful, you’re extremely bright.”

  “And wrinkly,” I reply, giggling. “Can we get out now?”

  He laughs too. “Certo.”

  We climb out of the shower and dry off. Enzo is brimming with excitement now that he’s found a name for his hotel.

  “How much time do we have before dinner?” I ask.

  Enzo looks at the clock. “One hour. Is that enough time for you?”