Bianca gave her a teasing grin. “You know who ain’t too happy with you right now?”
“Who?”
“Ana. She says Logan gave her sister the brush-off and broke her heart.”
“Oh.” Meadow dropped her eyes to her lap, fidgeting with the silver charm bracelet they’d given her at the adoption center. “I’m sorry.”
Jess snorted. “Girl, what are you apologizing for? It’s not your fault that man doesn’t want anybody but you!”
Bianca laughed. “Jess is right. All’s fair in love and war.” She gave Meadow a twinkling smile. “Ana doesn’t blame you at all. She says she could tell by the way you talked about Logan that there were feelings involved, and she would never want her sister to be any man’s afterthought or consolation prize.”
Meadow didn’t know what to say. “Um, well, I, uh…”
Nadia met her gaze in the rearview mirror and smiled sympathetically, then cranked up the music to discourage any further conversation. When Meadow flashed her a grateful smile, Nadia winked.
Everyone sang and bopped along to the music as they cruised down the busy Strip, passing famous luxury hotels and glitzy restaurants. Professional hockey teams traveled on private jets and enjoyed five-star accommodations when they were on the road. So it was no surprise that the Rebels were staying at the Bellagio, one of the most opulent hotels on the Strip.
When the girls arrived at the Bellagio, they valet parked and headed inside wheeling their luggage. The super posh lobby was bustling with guests arriving and departing. A spectacular chandelier made of colorful glass flowers dramatically adorned the ceiling.
As they started across the lobby, they were intercepted by a gorgeous thirtysomething blonde decked out in expensive designer clothes, her hair and makeup done to perfection.
After hugs and kisses had been exchanged, Nadia introduced Meadow to the blonde. Her name was Jenna Vasiliev and she was married to the team’s goaltender. With her sexy hourglass figure, she looked more like an adult film star than the mother of two young children. And she was rocking five-inch stiletto Louboutins that made Meadow feel slovenly in her ripped jeans and ballet flats.
All her insecurities dissolved when Jenna stepped right into her space and wrapped her up in a big, warm hug. “You must be Logan’s Meadow. It is such a pleasure to meet you!”
Meadow smiled into the blonde’s perfumed hair. “Nice to meet you, too.”
Jenna drew back and tweaked her nose. “I’ve heard such good things about you. Namely that you’re making our Logan a very happy boy.”
Meadow’s cheeks heated. “Um…well…”
Jenna laughed, taking pity on her and switching gears. “I’m so excited about Friday night’s party,” she gushed to the group, clapping her manicured hands together. “I was able to reserve the Bellagio Ballroom for our Ocean’s Eleven-themed casino party. The dress code is red-carpet chic. Tuxedoes for the guys, evening gowns for the ladies. The glitzier, the better.”
Nadia grinned. “Scarlett and Jess and I bought our dresses while we were in New York last weekend. So we’re good to go.”
“Woohoo! Awesome!” Jenna’s blue eyes sparkled. “I hope you girls are ready to par-tay.”
Her excitement was so contagious, everyone chirped enthusiastically, “We’re ready!”
“All right now. That’s what I’m talking about.” Jenna grinned approvingly. “Well, let me get back upstairs to my kiddos. My mom tagged along to babysit so Sergei and I can drink and gamble to our hearts’ content. But you didn’t hear that from me,” she said, winking mischievously. “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
Everyone laughed.
“Let’s hit the spa tomorrow morning while the boys are at practice,” Jenna suggested. “We can play catch-up while getting pampered.”
“Sounds good.” Everyone stood smiling and waving as the sultry blonde strutted off in her red-bottom heels, turning heads left and right.
Jess sighed. “She has to be one of the hottest MILFs on the planet.”
Bianca grinned. “Isn’t she? Goals.”
“Totally,” Nadia and Scarlett agreed with grins. “Jenna’s amazing.”
Jess wagged her finger at them. “Take note, ladies. Becoming a wife and mother doesn’t mean you have to start dressing frumpy.”
Bianca snorted. “They can’t afford to. Have you seen the guys they’re marrying?”
“I know, right?” Jess grinned. “The first one of them I see wearing mom jeans is getting her ass kicked.”
“Girl, please.” Scarlett put her hand on her hip and stuck one shapely leg out. “Do you really think I’d ever let all this sexy go to waste?”
The others laughed.
“I know you won’t lose your sexy,” Jess said teasingly. “But I’m not too sure about Nadia. I can totally see her in mom jeans.”
“Ha ha.” Nadia smirked and flipped her the bird, making everyone laugh.
Meadow, Nadia, Scarlett and Jess were staying in one of the hotel’s highly coveted Chairman Suites. So they had private registration inside the Chairman’s Lounge, which boasted a stunning view of the botanical gardens.
Bianca and Nelson’s room accommodations were less glamorous because their hotel stay was on The Denver Post’s dime. Nelson couldn’t get off from work until tomorrow, so Bianca was hanging out with the girls until he arrived.
Once everyone finished checking in, they headed up to the suite. They had to cross a suspended walkway over a reflecting pool to reach the entrance. As a result, they were positively giddy with anticipation by the time they entered the suite and looked around in stunned amazement.
“Oh my God!” Jess squealed excitedly, articulating what everyone was thinking. “This is so freaking awesome!”
They all laughed as she started dancing and twirling around the luxurious living room before rushing to the floor-to-ceiling windows. “Look at this view!”
The others headed over to admire the sweeping views of the famous Bellagio lake and fountains. Directly across the street was the Paris Las Vegas Hotel with its scale replica of the Eiffel Tower.
They took a tour of the humongous suite, oohing and aahing over everything. There were two master bedrooms with Gucci toiletries, two and a half bathrooms, a formal dining room that seated ten, a fireplace and wet bar, a separate lounge and dining area, and a private solarium with a garden and fountain.
Jess was practically hyperventilating with excitement. “As many times as I’ve been to Vegas, I never thought I’d be able to stay at the Bellagio—in the Chairman Suite, at that!”
Meadow chuckled. “I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve barely ever stepped foot in the Bellagio.”
Everyone laughed as they wandered back into the living room.
“No wonder this bad boy costs six grand a night.” Jess grinned at Scarlett. “Viggo’s paying for the suite, right?”
Scarlett nodded.
“And Reid’s paying for that sweet Benz.” Jess sighed and plopped down on the deeply cushioned couch with her arms draped over the back. “Dating a rich athlete is definitely the way to go.”
Bianca harrumphed. “Then I guess I’d better level up and get me one, too.”
“Hey, hey, none of that,” Nadia protested half jokingly. “You’re dating my awesome twin brother. It doesn’t get any more leveled up than that.”
“Aww,” the others cooed. “That’s so sweet!”
“And absolutely true.” Bianca shared a warm look with Nadia.
Scarlett sighed, twirling a purple lock of hair around her manicured finger. “I wish the fellas weren’t getting in so late. I miss my baby.”
Nadia sighed. “I miss mine, too.”
The Rebels had a game that evening in neighboring Arizona. They wouldn’t arrive in Vegas until close to midnight.
Meadow hadn’t seen Logan since the night of the cocktail reception. Days later she could still feel the heat of his mouth on hers, could still feel the erotic sweep of his finge
rs between her thighs. Just thinking about the sizzling encounter made her knees tremble and her palms sweaty.
When her phone buzzed, she pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the screen. She told herself it wasn’t disappointment she felt when she saw that the text was from Ephraim, not Logan.
Really enjoyed our phone chat yesterday, he wrote. I’m counting down the days until our date. Have fun in Vegas…but don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!
Meadow smiled, wishing she was as excited to see him again as she was to see Logan.
“Who’s got you smiling over there?” Bianca asked with sly amusement.
“I bet it’s Logan,” Jess predicted.
Meadow glanced up from her phone. “Actually, it’s a guy I met on Saturday.”
Everyone looked at her with keen interest. “You met a guy?”
She nodded.
“Does Logan know about this?” Jess joked.
“Um, he was there. We were at a cocktail reception—”
“You met another guy while on a date with Logan?” Bianca interrupted.
“It wasn’t a date,” Meadow said defensively. “Logan wasn’t even standing with me when the guy approached. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, he and I are just friends.”
The others exchanged dubious glances.
“Anyway,” Meadow went on determinedly, “the guy’s name is Ephraim Fleming and he teaches physics and astronomy at the University of Denver.”
Nadia smiled. “A professor? That’s nice.”
“Sure,” Jess said, wrinkling her nose, “but what kind of name is Ephraim?”
“It’s a biblical name.” Meadow was beginning to wish she’d kept her mouth shut.
Jess turned around on the couch, dangling her arms over the back. “Have you checked him out on social media?”
Meadow shook her head. She didn’t feel like explaining her no-social-media policy.
“I always check out guys’ social media pages before I start dating them,” Jess declared. “You never know what might pop up, and you don’t wanna be blindsided.”
“Mmm-hmm. Very true. Let’s see if the good professor is on Instagram.” Bianca whipped out her phone, pulled up the app and searched Ephraim’s name. “Oh, good, he has a public profile. Let’s have a looksie.”
Everyone crowded around her to look at her phone screen.
“He’s cute,” Bianca said.
“Meh. He aight.” Jess was unimpressed. “He’s about a five out of ten.”
Scarlett winced. “Harsh.”
“I’m just saying,” Jess laughed. “You guys know how picky I am. Plus I’m not a fan of glasses.”
Nadia gave her a wry look. “Nelson wears glasses and you think he’s hot.”
“He is hot. He could totally get it if he wasn’t madly in love with Bianca.” Jess grinned at Bianca, who gave her a look that warned her not to get any ideas.
“Anyway, glasses do nothing for this Ephraim guy,” Jess said with a dismissive wave at the phone. “He’s just average. Nothing special.”
Meadow took umbrage. “What’s wrong with average? Most people are average.”
“Not me. Anyway, I think you can do better. I mean, why are you even considering other guys when you have that fine ass Logan giving you postgame shout-outs? Did you not see him looking all delicious as he winked into the camera and said your name in that sexy voice? Girl, my ass woulda rushed back to Denver that same night to get some of that good dick!”
The others cackled and nodded vigorously in agreement.
Meadow sighed. “For the last time, we’re—”
“Just friends. We know.” Jess smirked and rolled her eyes.
“Hmm.” Bianca frowned as she resumed scrolling through Ephraim’s Instagram photos. “Are you sure he even dates black women? Because, uh, I see nothing but pictures of him with white chicks.”
“I noticed that,” Nadia murmured.
Scarlett chuckled. “I wasn’t gonna say anything.”
Meadow pursed her lips, reserving judgment as she studied the pictures.
Bianca tapped the screen. “Here he is skiing in Aspen with a Becky. Her name is literally Becky,” she chortled. “And here’s another photo taken in China with a white woman. Oh, and here he is in Africa, where he went on safari with—you guessed it—a white woman.” Bianca laughed and shook her head at Meadow. “I swear I’m not being a hater. I just think it’s worth noting that he seems to have a type.”
“And you’re not it,” Jess said bluntly.
“That’s not necessarily true,” Nadia objected. “He approached her at the cocktail reception, so obviously he liked what he saw.”
“And why wouldn’t he? Meadow’s beautiful. He’d be lucky to have her.” Bianca winked at Meadow and then sighed. “Honestly, I’m leery of men who never date the women of their own race. Having a preference is fine, but to completely exclude women who share your ethnicity?” She twisted her lips to one side. “C’mon now.”
“Seriously,” Jess agreed. “My dad is black and my mom is white, and even I give major side eye to black guys who don’t date black women. Sorry, but that’s a red flag to me.”
“Exactly,” Bianca said.
Meadow forced a shrug. “I don’t think it’s a big deal. I mean, Ephraim lives in a state with a majority white population, and he works in a STEM profession that’s dominated by white men. He probably doesn’t encounter too many black women—”
“Then he needs to start hanging out with Logan,” Jess advised with a laugh, “because that white boy manages to hook up with all races of women! White, black, Latina, Asian, Native American. Dude does not discriminate.”
“He sure doesn’t,” Scarlett laughingly confirmed. “Logan’s an equal opportunity manwhore.”
“Seriously! You can find tons of pictures of him with all sorts of different women. Granted, most of them look like lingerie models, but at least they’re racially diverse.”
“I know, right?” Bianca grinned. “Remember those pictures that went viral last year? The ones with Logan and Mr. Tavárez vacationing at their beach house in the Dominican Republic? They threw one of their famous beach parties. In the photos, all you saw were these gorgeous Afro-Latinas dancing and strutting around in bikinis. The picture that got the most attention was the one of Logan with those dark-skinned twins who looked just like Amara La Negra. They were sitting on his lap, one on each leg. And he was grinning from ear to ear, looking as happy as the cream filling in an Oreo cookie!”
The room rang with laughter.
“One of the twins was on Twitter bragging about their wild threesome with Logan,” Jess recalled with a grin. “She said it was the hottest thing she and her sister had ever done.”
Bianca chortled. “And Logan had the nerve to like the tweet and tell them he’d be back next summer!”
As more laughter erupted, Nadia caught Meadow’s strained smile and rubbed her back consolingly. “Okay, girls! Let’s put our bags in our rooms and head out to do some shopping!”
As the others whooped and cheered, Nadia smiled and winked at Meadow.
She smiled back shyly. She was liking Nadia more and more.
* * *
They hit the strip, joining the throngs of tourists and thrill seekers that crowded the sidewalks. They wandered in and out of kitschy souvenir stores and strip malls before ending up at The Shops at Crystals, an upscale luxury mall filled with high-end designer brands.
Meadow never shopped at Crystals. Everything there was way out of her budget. Just looking at the inflated price tags gave her heart palpitations.
Her soror Bianca, on the other hand, was an extravagantly fashionable girly-girl. Her hair and makeup were always on point, and her high salary enabled her to afford designer labels. So she wasn’t intimidated by snooty salespeople or eye-popping price tags.
She waltzed confidently into the Dolce & Gabbana store, her Prada shoulder bag bumping against her swaying hip. The others followed her,
Meadow bringing up the rear.
The store’s security personnel made her feel painfully self-conscious, as if they knew she couldn’t afford the exorbitant merchandise and were secretly mocking her.
As they browsed the selection of swanky designer clothes, Scarlett mused aloud, “So this is how the other half lives.”
Bianca grinned at her. “Um, I hate to break it to you, Soon-To-Be Mrs. Sandström, but you’re part of that other half now.”
Jess snickered. “Not that she was ever a pauper as the daughter of a Boeing executive. Same goes for Nadia, lest we forget that her daddy owns a successful dental practice.”
“That may be true,” Scarlett said almost defensively, “but our fathers are very frugal. Our families have never lived extravagantly.”
“Nope. Never,” Nadia confirmed. “Uncle Lavell and my father made us work hard for every dollar we earned growing up. We all got summer jobs as soon as we were old enough to work, and they never let us quit for frivolous reasons. They taught us the value of a dollar so we would never take money for granted.”
“I can vouch for that,” Bianca said with an amused chuckle. “I’ve heard all the stories from Nelson. He might not make a lot of money as a reporter, but he sure as hell knows how to stretch a dollar.”
Nadia chuckled. “To this day, even the simplest displays of wealth make me and Scarlett twitchy. I remember when we were hanging out with the fellas during All-Star Weekend. We had dinner and drinks on some yacht with a bunch of other hockey players. When it was time to settle the bill, all of them just casually pulled out their Amex Black Cards—”
“Black Cards?” Jess perked up. “Isn’t that what celebrities use to close down stores so they can shop in private?”
“Girl, yes,” Bianca confirmed. “Only a limited number of people have them. You have to spend and pay off at least $350,000 every year.”
“What?” Meadow sputtered in disbelief. “That’s crazy!”
A saleswoman approached with a haughty smile. “May I help you, ladies?”
“Actually, yes,” Bianca said, returning her fake smile. “We’re attending a big party on Friday night, and I want to look like a million bucks. Can you help me find something that dazzles?”
Sin Bin Page 27
