Nothing Stays In Vegas (16 page)

I couldn't. 

The bell sounded, announcing our arrival in the lobby and the doors slid open revealing a bustling scene. Nicole grabbed my hand and together we made our way through the casino floor. 

"Where do you think they'll be?" I asked.

"Ryan and I had drinks at a place last night. Let's start there." 

The lounge was decorated in luxurious woods and plush chairs. It felt very decadent and luxurious. And the guys were there. Andrew and Ryan sat in the centre of the space at a table for two. Andrew had changed and was wearing a fresh pair of black pants with a crisp white shirt rolled up to his elbows. He looked casual in a practiced put together way. 

In contrast, Ryan wore dark jeans, and a black t-shirt. Even with stubble covering his cheeks and chin he still managed to look dressed up in a very rock and roll way. He spotted us first and got to his feet letting out a low whistle. "You two are a sight for sore eyes. Damn," he said and pulled Nicole close giving her a very passionate kiss.

Andrew swiveled around and popped to his feet. He looked me up and down and after a moment he leaned forward to give me a kiss on the lips. It felt cold and obligatory next to the passion going on beside us. 

"Wow," Nicole said breaking away from Ryan. "That was nice."

"I'm just so glad you're feeling better, baby," Ryan said. He glanced at me and mouthed "thank you" over Nicole's head. "Shall we eat? I'm starving." 

We all agreed and Ryan led the way out of the lounge, holding tight to Nicole. Andrew and I trailed behind them. 

"You got our room alright?" I asked.

"I did," he answered his voice tight and controlled.

"Is something the matter?" 

Andrew stopped short and grabbed my arm causing me to spin around and face him. "Is there some reason you're dressed like that?" 

"Pardon me?"

"Why are you dressed like...like a..."

"Like a what, Andrew?" I jerked my arm away from him and stood up straight. "I happen to think I look pretty good. We're not at some company function. We're in Vegas. So what's wrong with dressing up a little bit?"

"It's just, don't you think you took it a little far?"

"No. I look good, and I'm pretty sure there are others that would agree. Should we ask someone?" I didn't want to ask some random guy if he liked how I looked, but I'd do it just to prove to Andrew that he was being an asshole.

"No," he said. "You don't have to do that. The dress just seems a little much."

"That's probably because you're drunk," I muttered under my breath.

"I've only had a few."

"Whatever, Andrew. Let's just let it go."

I really didn't want to get into it with him any more than I already had.

Andrew's face morphed, the anger gone. A sure sign he'd had too much to drink. He probably couldn't remember why he was angry in the first place.

"I'm just not used to seeing you like this," he said. "But I think I could get used to it." He reached an arm around me and his hand squeezed my ass. 

"Cut it out," I said an smacked his hand away. It was confirmed. He was drunk.

Andrew released me and tried to take my hand. 

I pulled away and said, "Come on, let's go eat." 

I led him towards the restaurant on the other side of the black jack tables. The whoop of a winner at a table to my right caught my attention and when I glanced over I almost stopped breathing for a second. My feet stopped moving and Andrew, his reflexes slowed, ran into me. 

"What's wrong?" he asked. 

I didn't answer, just shook my head. 

It couldn't be. 

The man stood in profile, his dark hair a sharp contrast to his white shirt. I couldn't see his face but it was him. He looked the same. But no, that was ridiculous. I was just imagining things this wasn't even the same hotel.

"Lex?"

"Nothing," I managed. 

"What are you looking at?" 

The man turned his back to me. I knew that back. I knew how it felt under my hands. I knew... 

"Nothing," I said again. "Let's go. I must be hungrier than I thought."

Chapter Fourteen

Lexi. 

It was her. It had to be her. I hadn't thought of her in years. Oh, who was I kidding? I thought about her every bloody day, every time I turned around and caught a flash of long blond hair or stopped to watch the Bellagio fountain show. 

I managed a smile at the pit boss who was looking my way and ducked around a bank of slot machines where I caught sight of her again. That thick blond hair, it was shorter. Her legs though, they were just as long and luscious as I remembered. There was no doubt that it was her. Nothing could or had compared to having those legs wrapped around me. I would never forget that. 

What were the odds of having her here again? Would she remember me? Would she talk to me? I watched her disappear into the restaurant with a man. Probably her husband. Maybe the same husband she had separated from. But no, then she wouldn't have children and she wanted that too badly to give it up. I would have, could have given her children. The thought popped in my head so quickly it knocked me back. 

No, she never called. She didn't want a future with me. Tamara, who took my phone from her when she handed it in, said Lexi took my note and crumpled it up. No, she chose not to have anything to do with me. 

So why was I still so damn hung up on her? I couldn't get her out of my head.

"Leo."

I twisted around and saw my assistant Roberta, standing with a clipboard.  

"I've been looking for you everywhere. You told me you'd be back in five. I need to talk to you, we have a problem." 

"I was just on my way," I said and with one last look, turned away from the restaurant. I tried to push the image of Lexi out of my mind. "Come on, let's go back to my office." I led the way through the crowd. 

Lexi was here. She probably didn't even remember me. I looked down at the wedding ring on my finger and rubbed it without thinking. 

"When are you going to take that ring off," Roberta asked as we made our way past the craps tables. "Hasn't it been two years?" 

"Three actually." 

"It's ridiculous," she said and strode past me heading to a door at the edge of the casino floor. 

She was blunt. It was one of the traits I admired about Roberta. It was handy to have an assistant who got to the point. It was also annoying. 

As we walked, heads turned in our direction. Roberta's striking looks always garnered attention. Her black hair pulled back in a harsh pony tail contrasted sharply with her pale skin and bright red lipstick. But it was her sharp eye and attention to detail that made her the perfect assistant to the Manager of Customer Affairs, although that trademark attention to detail could be another one of those annoying traits. 

I rubbed the ring again and said, "I wear it because it's easier than dealing with bored housewives who are looking for a good time."

"Sure," Roberta said. She used her keycard to open a door off the casino floor that led to a web of hidden hallways. After a few minutes of me doing my best to keep up with Roberta's quick pace, we arrived at my office. 

"What's going on? What's the crisis?" I said, only half listening for the answer. I sat in my chair and spun around to my computer. With a flick of the mouse the screen came to life. I clicked opened the guest database but stopped myself before typing in her name. It would only take a second to see if she was a registered guest. 

"What are you doing?" Roberta said, pointing to my computer. 

I pressed a button and the screen went blank. "No. I just thought of something, but it can wait. Tell me what's up." 

Roberta wasn't stupid, she didn't buy my excuse but she was too smart to press me, for details. She flipped open her portfolio and produced a piece of paper. Sliding it across the desk to me she said, "This is the problem. Do you realize we've lost two staff members in the last week?" 

"Two? Daniela moved to California with her boyfriend who's the other? Oh wait," I said just as the realization hit me. "Please don't tell me..." 

"You got it. Andre finally fired Scott. Last night."

My head was starting to pound. Andre had been gunning for my best wedding planner for months. I kept telling him to keep business separate from personal but when Scott started working for me almost a year ago, Andre fell hard for him. They dated for a few months, if you could call it that, but Scott was young and the last thing he wanted was monogamy. Andre had other ideas and the split was messy. Andre may be a general manager, but he had no right to fire my staff. 

"Dammit." My fist came down hard on the desk and Roberta jumped. She recovered in a second and tapped the paper in front of me again. 

"You can yell at Andre later. But right now, I need help. With Daniela gone it was going to be tight, but now without Scott...well, simply put, I can't be in two places at once."

I looked closer at the schedule she was pointing at. We were always busy with weddings and I wasn't surprised to see two scheduled for this Saturday. It was pretty normal. What wasn't normal, was being so short staffed. 

"I'm sure you can handle it, Roberta. You're the best. If there's anyone who can deal with this situation, it's you."

"Or you.". 

"Roberta, I'm sorry, I can't help you with these," I said before she could weasel me into agreeing. "I have two major conferences happening this weekend. I can probably spare Josh for a few days. Will that work?"

She thought about it, and her pen tapped against the clipboard. Finally she said, "Fine. I'll give him the easy one," Roberta said. "It's actually a really small wedding. But she wants the whole deal. Flowers, music, cake. And a private dining experience on the pool deck next to the waterfall."

The small one? Suddenly I was curious. "What if I'd said that I'd help you out? Would you hand over the big wedding?" I raised my eyebrow, waiting for the answer. 

Roberta tilted her head and shot me a look. "You? I don't think so."

"Do I have to remind you who's in charge here?" I pulled rank with a sudden rush of ego.

"No, sir," she said her voice was dripping with sarcasm but her smile told me she was barely holding back laughter. "But," she added, "If you were to take on such a large event with two big conferences going on at the same time, you wouldn't have the time to look up whoever it is that you're not looking for." She pointed a long red finger nail at my computer again. 

"I told you-"

"You don't have to tell me anything," she said. "Here's the file. You can do it yourself or pass it to Josh. Let me know either way. It's the Lennox/Stewart wedding. Like I said, it's small, only two guests." She held up a finger at my protests. "But they want the whole shebang. And I know it's been awhile since you've done a wedding, but it's our job to make sure big or small, we make it happen." 

"I'll be hiring next week." 

"I know you will." Roberta smiled and stood. "If you need anything, or can't remember what to do," I shot her a warning glance and she changed tracks. "Any help at all or advice, let me know, boss."

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. "Thank you, Roberta. And just for the record-"

"I know. You're not looking for anyone. Not even that leggy blond you were eyeing." She winked at me and was gone.

I laughed. Attention to detail, that's what made her so good. 

The file lay on the other side of my desk, which was empty of any family pictures, there was no family after all. I glanced at the computer but didn't power up the screen. Curiosity got the best of me and I grabbed the file. 

I might as well get some work out of the way first. Maybe I would take on the wedding, not that I had any time to spare. But it might help keep my mind from driving me crazy with memories if I was run off my feet for the next few days. 

I flipped it open. Only the basics were there.

 Bride - Lennox. Groom - Stewart. 

Number of guests - 2. 

Two? Oh well, if there's anything that my years of experience in the customer service industry had taught me is that everyone deserved the same treatment. The names of the witnesses weren't listed; we'd need that for the marriage certificate. The bride had yet to confirm flowers and music. The wedding was two days away. 

I sighed and picked up the phone.

Josh usually worked in parties and special events which meant he saw his fair share of stag and stagette parties. A wedding shouldn't be too much of a jump. He answered on the third ring and I relayed all the details to him. Told him the information would be in his in-box, and hung up.

I closed the file. The blank screen of the computer seemed to fill the room. 

Why not? There wasn't any harm in looking to see if on the off chance she was actually here. Before I could change my mind I powered the screen back on. It flickered to life and I quickly punched in: Alexis Titan. Almost immediately the results were displayed in front of me. 

The air rushed from my lungs and the words on the screen blurred for a moment. 

"She's here."

Chapter Fifteen

Leo. 

Just thinking his name affected me. And here? At the Mirage? He could absolutely not still be in Vegas, let alone the same hotel I was staying it. That was crazy. Beyond crazy. It was ridiculous. 

But he was. 

As I stood under the shower spray, my mind filled with images of him. Despite the hot water, I shivered at the thought of his kisses on my skin. My body responded to the memory and elicited a feeling in my belly I thought I'd never feel again.  

 But it had to stop. I cranked the tap causing the water to run icy so I could focus and finish my shower. 

I hated rushing. I hated being late. And it would only get worse. I hadn't even told Andrew about the change in plans for the day. With any luck, he would still be passed out, sleeping off the hangover I'm sure he had and I could sneak out.