Nothing Stays In Vegas (13 page)

And it was my job to keep it that way. He was too young to notice the cracks in our family. But for how long.?

Exhaustion settled over me so I left a kiss on Ben's forehead and backed out of the room. I'd tell Andrew about Vegas in the morning.

Chapter Eleven

As it turned out, I didn't tell Andrew about Nicole's wedding for almost a week, which meant there were only three left before we were supposed to leave. I meant to. There just never seemed to be a good time. And the more time that went by without me saying anything just made it harder to tell him. It should have been exciting. I should have been excited. And I was. 

Except, I wasn't. I had gone to bed with the idea that a trip would be just what we needed, but when I'd woken, all I could think of was Leo. Being there with Andrew might destroy my memories of him. I couldn't take the risk.  Memories were all I had and I wasn't ready to let it go. Not yet.

I knew that the longer I waited to tell Andrew about the trip, the harder it would be for him to get time off work. He would need time to organize and make arrangements. I knew that. Was that the point? Yet, day after day went by and I still couldn't find the words. I resolved to tell him the next chance I got.

"Hey, hon," Andrew said and gave me a kiss on the cheek when he came in the kitchen. "You have a good day?" 

"It was pretty good, nothing exciting," I said instead of my rehearsed speech. I was such a coward.

"Mine was insane," Andrew said and launched into the details of whatever account he was working on. The details of what he did every day were often lost on me so I listened with half an ear and went back to stirring the tomato sauce, trying to prevent the spaghetti water from boiling over and simultaneously searching for the salad tongs. 

When I'd told Ben that Daddy would be home for dinner, he insisted I make their shared favorite, spaghetti and meatballs.

"The next few weeks will be crazy," he was saying, "until this account is closed."

"Hey," I said before I chickened out. "I have some-"

The phone rang.

"Can you grab it?" I asked and gestured to the phone.

Andrew leaned back in the kitchen chair to grab the cordless receiver. "It's Nicole," he said, looking at the caller ID.

"Take a message. I'll call her back after dinner."

"Gotcha," he said and clicked on the phone. "Hi, Nicole."

I located the salad tongs in the back of a drawer and put them in the bowl right as the water I'd been so carefully watching, started to bubble over the edge of the pot. 

As I turned down the flame I heard Andrew say, "Well congratulations. It must have slipped her mind." 

I froze. 

"Well...I have been working late a lot lately."

I turned around and offered him a sheepish smile. Well I guess that solved that problem. 

"Of course I will," he said into the phone. "Bye, Nicole." He pushed the power button and set the phone on the table. 

"Anything you forgot to mention?" he asked. The smile on his face was huge. I'm sure he thought it was hilarious that I could forget something so important.

"I know, "I said. "It's been crazy around here and we haven't really had a chance to talk. I was going to tell you as soon as-"

"Don't worry about it." He laughed and stood up. "It happens. At any rate, I think it's great news. I didn't think Ryan was ever going to pop the question. Oh, and she called to tell you that there's a seat sale on right now. What's that about?"

"She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"The wedding's in Vegas," I blurted.

The smile on Andrew's face grew even larger. I knew he'd be excited. He's wanted to go to Las Vegas for years. "I'm assuming you need to be there?" he asked cautiously.

I nodded.

"Excellent! When do we leave? I'll have to take a few days off. And of course I'll need to brush up on my black jack skills, not that I have any. Hey, maybe we can-"

"Three weeks," I said and turned back to strain the pasta through the colander.

"Three weeks?"  

"Yup, she didn't want to wait."

"Wow," he said and some of the enthusiasm left his voice. "That doesn't give me much time, Lex. I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner. You knew I'd need time to organize things."

I knew.

I tasted the sauce instead of answering him. Perfect. I dished out three servings, just like the three bears, with the smallest saved for Ben. 

"I'm sure it will be fine, though. I've been working so hard, I should have some extra vacation time coming," Andrew said.

Or any time at all. 

I turned around, a smile pasted to my face. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

Andrew moved from the table and wrapped his arms around my waist. "I think so too. We could use a vacation."

His breath was warm against my skin as he bent down to kiss my neck. It felt good. It had been a long time since he'd kissed me. He trailed his lips up, pushing my hair over my shoulder until his mouth met mine. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him back.

When it was over, which admittedly was too soon, Andrew pulled away but didn't let go of me. "That was nice," he murmured. "It's been too long."

"It has."

"And Vegas will be perfect, I don't know if we've ever had a holiday with just-"

"Mom," Ben called as he ran into the kitchen. "Scooby Doo's over. Is dinner ready? Hi, Dad." He spared a glance for Andrew.

I pushed away from Andrew and caught Ben in a hug before he could crash into my legs. 

"Just the two of us," I heard him mumble as he grabbed the salad bowl and patted Ben's shoulder with the other hand as he walked by.

###

Wedding dresses all looked the same. At least that was my assessment after three hours of shopping. White, off white, eggshell, alabaster, oyster, pearl. They were all the same. The chiffon, satin, lace, ruffles, and tulle were all beginning to blend together in a mass of marshmallowy fluff. 

With so little time before the wedding, Nicole couldn't order the perfect gown. Instead she was relegated to buying a sample dress right off the rack. Which would be fine for me but had incited a small panic with her. Fortunately for Nicole, she had the best maid of honor ever and I'd found a giant warehouse type of store that had hundreds, if not thousands of gowns. The prices seemed reasonable as well; the trade off of course was that there were no understanding and infinitely patient sales consultants to wait on Nicole hand and foot. She was stuck with me. And my patience was wearing thin. 

I pushed aside a dress and lifted another garment bag from the racks. 

Beading? Check.

Sweetheart neckline? Check.

Strapless? Check.

I pulled out the bag and hoisted it over my shoulder. I might as well take this one. Nicole had rejected all of my choices so far, despite the fact that they'd each met with her ever increasing list of requirements. I navigated my way to the back of the store where the changing area was.

"Here," I said and shoved the dress through the curtain where Nicole was waiting. "Try this one."

"It looks like the last one."

I sighed. "It's nothing like the last one. This one has a much deeper neck line and a little less beading." I was making it up, but she wouldn't notice.

"Okay. Here." A bundle of satin came through the curtain. "Hang this up."

I picked up the gown and wrestled it into a garment bag. "Nic, I really didn't take you for the bridezilla type," I said.

"Lex!" Nicole's head popped out. "I am not a bridezilla. I can't believe you would say that."

"I was kidding."

"You were not," she said her lower lip coming out. "I can see it in your face. It's just that the dress has to be perfect. It's my wedding."

"I know," I said. "Seriously, I was kidding. Go. Try that one on." 

She ducked back into the change room and I started back towards the other end of the store to begin my search for the next one. I only got a few steps when a flash of blue caught my eye. 

It couldn't be. 

Color was so rare in this sea of creamy whiteness; I must be hallucinating. I blinked and took a second look. It was color. I changed course and headed for the dress. It was gorgeous. A satin a-line, it was trimmed in the most beautiful shade of royal blue satin. The v-neck bodice was covered in gems that matched the trim perfectly and created a very elegant, very Nicole dress. It was just the thing for a Vegas wedding. 

"Stop," I called. "Don't try that one on." I snatched the new dress, the perfect dress off the rack and did my best to hurry to the back of the store.

"What are you talking about?" Nicole said. "This one looks good. Besides, I've almost figured out how to get into it."

"Trust me," I said, trying very hard to control my excitement. "I am holding
thee
dress."

"What?
The
dress?"

"Yes," I said. "But before you look at it, you have to promise me you'll reserve judgment until you've tried it on. Believe me, it's perfect."

"Okay, okay. Show me already."

"Promise?"

"I said, yes."

I unzipped the garment bag and handed Nicole the dress. She didn't say anything. Nothing but silence came from behind the curtain. Soon, I heard the rustling of fabric. I held my breath until I remembered I'd have to breathe. Still, silence. And then finally, a shriek. 

I threw back the curtain and let out a shriek of my own.

"It's perfect," I breathed.

I could see her face reflected in the mirror and from the tears in her eyes there was no doubt that she thought so too.

The dress was made for her. It nipped in at her waist, accentuating her feminine curves, pushed up her breasts just enough to be sexy and clung to her hips in all the right ways before falling to the floor.  

She didn't say a word. She didn't have to. She had that look, the one you get when you've found the dress you know you'll wear on your wedding day. Tears came to my eyes as I watched her staring at her reflection. She must be thinking about walking down the aisle, seeing her groom for the first time, picturing their life together. I knew this because I had that moment too. 

Almost ten years earlier I had tried on my wedding gown and been hit with the sudden realization that my life was changing forever. There was a magic when it came to brides. They were so full of hope for the future, envisioning how perfect their life would be. And all because their wedding day, their gown, would be perfect. No one told them there was no such thing as perfect.

"We'll have to find you some hot blue heels to go with it," I said and the moment was gone.

###

After Nicole paid for the gown and we bundled it into the car, I still had an hour before I had to be home to relieve the babysitter. 

"Let's go for coffee," Nicole suggested. "The least I can do is treat you to a latte. Since you found my dress and all." 

The idea of a caffeine-infused drink was appealing. I was dragging. Shopping sapped my energy on the best of days, never mind a wedding dress excursion of this magnitude. And Ben would be ready to play when I got home, no doubt amped up from all forms of sugary treats. There'd be no rest.

"That sounds better than you can imagine," I said and let her lead me to the coffee shop where we ordered fancy coffees that cost way too much and I found a table outside where we could enjoy the sun.

"So," Nicole said after we sat down, "do you think Andrew will be okay wearing a blue shirt to match my dress?"

"Andrew?" I set my drink down before sipping it. "What are you talking about?"

"I can't believe I didn't mention it," she said. "Ryan needs Andrew to stand up for him. Do you think he'll do it?"

"Why? I mean, doesn't Ryan have brothers?"

"Well, that's the thing." She took a sip of her own coffee and used a napkin to wipe the foam from her lip. "It's only going to be the four of us."

"Since when?"

"Since Ryan's family decided that a Vegas wedding wasn't classy enough. They wanted a huge, black tie, formal affair. And since that's not happening, they're not coming. It seemed strange to have one family and not the other, and my parents don't really like to travel so we decided it was easier to keep it small."

"Nicole, that's crazy. You have to have your family there."

"You think so?"

"Of course I think so. You can't get married without your mom. Is she okay with this?"

"Sure." Nicole shrugged but wouldn't look me in the eyes. "Besides, Ryan's family decided to throw us some sort of dinner in our honor when we get back and I think my parents will be happy to have a BBQ or something to celebrate. So, it's going to be an intimate affair. Nice and simple. Plus, it means that I get to wear my dress again. It's perfect."

I took a sip of my latte letting the warmth spread through me. I closed my eyes and willed the caffeine to do its work. "Of course it'll be perfect," I said when I opened my eyes. "As long as you're sure."

"I'm sure. And then I won't have to worry about my mom driving me crazy with all the details. You know how she can get. It's obsessive, really."

"You're her only daughter. It's normal." My thoughts flashed to my own mother. Would she have loved to help me plan my wedding? There were few times in my life that I'd missed her more than I had on my own wedding day. "Nic, are you really sure about not having your mom there? It's a pretty big deal. You should be really certain."

"I totally am," Nicole said. "Ever since I made the decision, it's like a big weight has been lifted off me. I can breathe again. I was so worried about making sure mom was happy. This way, she can organize her own party and have complete control. Trust me. It's so much better this way."

"Okay. If you're sure, then I'm on board. So, Andrew's really going to stand up for Ryan? Did you ask him?"

"Actually, I think Ryan phoned him a few days ago but he hasn't gotten back to him yet. He didn't mention it?"