Nothing Stays In Vegas (20 page)

I fought the urge to duck my head under the water and cool off my embarrassment. "I wasn't planning on swimming. But..."

I didn't need to finish my thought. I could see he knew exactly what I didn't have to say. I shivered again, but this time not from the breeze. 

"Will you let me buy you breakfast?" he asked and before I could protest he added, "Right here by the pool. You don't even have to go change."

I nodded and pushed thoughts of Andrew, sleeping unaware, out of my head. It was just breakfast and suddenly I was starving.

###

Ten minutes later we were settled at a table next to the pool, partially surrounded by palm trees. Soft music floated on the breeze from hidden speakers. I had no doubt that later in the day loud dance music would be pulsing through those same speakers when the party began to pick up. But for now, Leo and I had the deck mostly to ourselves, with the occasional tourist wandering by.

Leo had made a quick call on his cell phone and before I knew it, a young staff member, her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail showed up with plush terry cloth robes, and a cart laden with coffee, fruit and a variety of fresh buns, croissants and other delicious looking temptations. 

"Wow," I said after shrugging into the warm robe. "This is pretty amazing. I didn't even know there was a cafe out here."

"There isn't?" he said. 

"I guess working here has some privileges. This is impressive."

"Sorry," Leo said and his confidence slipped. "I should have asked you what you felt like. I just thought-"

"Leo. It's fine." I smiled. "Honestly. It all looks very nice. I really am impressed." I took a seat and reached for the coffee he had just poured for me. "You must be doing very well here."

"I am," he said. "Vegas has been very good to me in a time when a lot of people haven't done well. Lady Luck must be on my side."

"I have a feeling it's more than luck," I said. I remembered what a hard worker he was all those years ago. I could only imagine that his work ethic would have multiplied.

Leo shrugged and took a croissant from the platter. The pastry flaked as he tore it apart. "Maybe it's a bit of both," he said. 

We looked at each other for a moment both of us trying to assess the other. What do you say to an ex-lover after six years? 

After a minute I asked, "Are you happy?" I couldn't help but look at the ring on his left hand.

He saw my glance drift down and answered the question I really wanted to ask. "I only wear the ring to present a certain image. I'm not married."

"An image?" 

"There are times when some of the female guests take a bit more interest in me than they should," he said. "The ring helps keep them at bay. Sometimes."

"It's a pretty nice ring for a fake." I grabbed a strawberry and popped it in my mouth.

"I was married."

The burn of jealousy flared up inside. It was ridiculous and unreasonable, but it was real. It was stupid to think he wouldn't have moved on. I could tell myself that we didn't mean anything to each other, but we did and the fact that we were sitting here now, confirmed it. 

I swallowed the strawberry hard. "Was?" 

"It didn't work out," he said and held my gaze. His eyes were every bit as dark as they had been six years ago. Only now they were framed by lines etched into his skin. 

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. 

"I'm not. She wasn't you."

My heart seized. Did he just say that? I took a sip of coffee keeping my eyes averted. 

"Lexi?" Leo's voice was soft. 

I looked up but the expression on his face was so full of pain, and raw emotion that my first instinct was to look away again. 

But I didn't. I matched the intensity in his eyes and didn't break his stare.

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment. He shook his head as if he'd been in a trance. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No."

"No, I shouldn't have said it?" he asked. "Or, no, I should have?"

"I don't know," I admitted.

His smile was so sweet, so genuine, it broke my heart. 

He reached across the table and took my hands in his, and just as it had the night before, his touch sent a spark shooting through me. "Lexi, I know that some things change with time, but some things don't."

I nodded when what I really wanted to do was jump across the table and into the arms of the only man who'd ever lit me up. 

"You're married," he continued, "he seems like... a good man." Leo swallowed hard.

The mention of Andrew brought me spilling down to reality. What was I doing? I shouldn't be sitting here talking this way with another man. Letting another man hold my hands this way. Letting another man make me feel the way I was feeling. I jerked my hands away and instantly regretted it. "He's not usually like that," I said. I busied myself adjusting my ponytail. Anything to keep from reaching for him again. "Andrew doesn't really drink much, he's ...Thank you for breakfast," I said and pushed up from the chair. 

Leo jumped up and caught my arm. "Please, you don't have to-"

"I do," I said and then softened my voice. "I should go, Leo."

He reached out with his other hand and cupped my cheek. I couldn't help it; I closed my eyes and sank into his touch. The feel of his thumb stroking my skin made me want to cry because despite the time between us, despite the separate lives we'd lived, this man knew me. He knew me in ways no one else could, or I feared, ever would. And he needed to know the truth. Slowly, I reached up and covered his hand with my own. 

"Leo, I-"

"Leo!" The sharp voice broke the stillness of the moment and I jerked back, away from him. A tall brunette, Roberta, I recognized her from Nicole's wedding meeting yesterday, was approaching us at an incredible speed. Incredible because of the impossibly high heels she was wearing. 

"I should go," I said and headed in the opposite direction before I could change my mind.

Before I slipped behind the palms, I thought I heard him say my name, but I couldn't be sure and I didn't turn around to find out.

###

I called after her. I needed to know if we could see each other later, but she didn't hear me. Or if she did, she didn't turn around to look. 

It was too late. I was too late. She was married and I was being an idiot. The best I could ever hope for from her would be friendship, and even I knew that wasn't realistic. I could never be just friends with Lexi.

"Leo," Roberta's voice snapped me back to attention. "I need to talk to you."

I turned to face her and tried to keep the sadness out of my voice. "So, talk."

Roberta slapped her portfolio onto the table. "We have a problem. A big problem."

"You can handle anything. That's why I hired you. So handle it."

"I can't handle this," she said. "Not without your help."

There was something in her voice. I put my coffee cup down and focused on her. "What's going on?"

"I need you to take a wedding," Roberta said. 

"Josh is doing the Lennox/Stewart wedding," I said and my eyes went to the palm trees the maid of honor had just escaped through.

"Focus, Leo," she said. There was no humor or teasing in her voice today. Roberta was pissed. "Josh is a mess. There's no way I'm letting him anywhere near a wedding today."

"What are you talking about?"

"Remember that stag party 'emergency' he had yesterday?" I nodded and she continued. "Apparently the big emergency was that his college buddy is getting married next month and the groomsmen surprised the groom by bringing him to Vegas for an impromptu party. Josh pulled out all the stops. Suite, limo, entertainment." She drew out the last word. "And of course, Josh participated. I doubt he even slept. He smells like a still, he can't walk straight and I'm sure he's still drunk. There is no way I can let him handle a wedding today. It would be a disaster."

I took a deep breath and ran my hands through my hair which by now was dry. "Sit, have a coffee."

She sat, but didn't touch the coffee. 

"Look, I know it's been awhile -"

"I can do it. I used to be the best event coordinator around," I said and it was true. There was a time when I could organize and run a major conference, schedule three bachelorette parties and orchestrate the most beautiful wedding anyone had ever seen. All in one day. But I hadn't done a wedding in at least two years. 

How hard could it be? "I'll take the big one," I said. 

"No way. I'm sure you could handle it and all that," she said. "But I have a relationship with the bride. She's a real piece of work and will absolutely become unglued if you take over at this point. You need to do the small one." She pulled the file from her portfolio and handed it to me.

Nicole's wedding. With Lexi, dressed in some stunning gown no doubt. "No." I shook my head and pushed the file back to her. "I can't do this wedding."

"Why?"

"It's personal."

"Personal? Leggy, blond, personal?" Roberta's eyes challenged me. She knew me well. We'd worked side by side for four years. The woman knew me better than I knew myself some days. "I'm sorry, Leo. But whatever personal issues you have here, you have to put them aside. I know you're way too professional to let that mess up someone's special day."

She said the right thing and by the look on her face, she knew it. I wouldn't, no matter what was going on, let my personal issues screw up my career. Not again. I grabbed the file.

"Besides," she added, "it's not the blond getting married."

She was right. And it would give me a great excuse to see Lexi. 

"It's all in there," Roberta said. "Everything should be taken care of. It's really not too big a deal. If there was any one else... anyway, all you have to do is show up and make sure it goes smoothly."

"Right," I said as I scanned the file. "Smoothly. No problem."

Chapter Nineteen

I was running late, again. It was starting to become a disturbing trend. By the time I returned to the room there wasn't enough time to shower so I threw on some clothes and slipped out to meet Nicole before Andrew even stirred from his bed. 

Thank goodness. I didn't think I could hold a normal conversation with him when all I could think of was Leo and the way he looked at me, full of desire and longing. Was it possible to still have feelings for someone after six years? I needed to get a hold of myself. 

But it was possible. I didn't need someone to tell me, I could see it. It was in the way he held my gaze and wouldn't let me look away. In the way he touched me, and stroked my skin with his thumb without even realizing it. It was in the sound of his voice, the way he said my name. But most frightening, it was in the way I felt when I looked at him.

The sharp ring of the elevator arriving interrupted my thoughts. It was Nicole's wedding day. The last thing I had time for was...whatever it was. Nicole was likely pulling her hair out with stress and I was obsessing about someone, something from six years ago.  

I squeezed myself into the elevator with a handful of tourists and their giant suitcases and went down to the lobby to find her so I could play my role of maid of honor. 

As it turned out, I was wrong. Nicole wasn't the frazzled mess I'd thought she'd be. In fact, she was waiting for me when I stepped off the elevator. She looked rested and fresh with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and only the barest of make-up on to compliment her features. 

"You look fabulous," I said and meant it. 

"Of course I do. I'm getting married today."

"Exactly. I thought you'd be...well, a little more..."

"Stressed? Obsessed? Freaked out?"

"Well, yes." I couldn't help but laugh. "You have to admit, Nic. You have a history of getting a little worked up before major events, and today's event rates pretty high on the major scale."

"That's just it," Nicole said. "There is nothing more major than my wedding. And I decided to try a different approach. Instead of pulling my usual freak out, I've decided to be Zen."

"You've decided to be Zen?"

"That's right, it's all mental," Nicole said and tugged on my arm. "Come on, we're going to be late. I've booked us in for the works. I love you, Lex, but seriously, when was the last time you had a facial?"

I touched my skin. "There's nothing wrong with my face."

"You're all red and blotchy. But don't worry, we'll get it fixed." 

We walked through the main lobby, past a restaurant and through a bank of slot machines before Nicole led me down another corridor and into the spa. Stepping through the heavy glass doors was like walking into an oasis of calm. Trickling walls of water flanked both sides of the small reception area and gentle pipe music floated through the space. It was a very different world from the flashing lights, blaring top forty music and atmosphere of excess on the other side of the doors. I exhaled. This would be the perfect place to let my mind go blank and forget about Leo. 

After checking in, we were led to an equally peaceful changing room with bamboo mats laid over polished pebble floors, the scent of vanilla incense filled the room in the subtle way only spas seem to manage. 

"What are you going to do with your hair?" Nicole lifted my still damp pony tail off my back. "Ew. You smell like pool water." She dropped my hair and looked at me. "Were you swimming this morning?"

I turned away from her and pulled my t-shirt over my head. I was an awful liar, mostly because everything I was feeling, ever, showed on my face. "I went for a quick swim before breakfast," I said. I tugged off my shorts and slid into the thickest, plushest robe I'd ever seen. It was like being wrapped in a cloud.

"I didn't think you did that anymore. Swim I mean," Nicole said. "What made you decide to do that this morning? I assumed you were late because you and Andrew, well..."

"I don't know," I said ignoring her comment. "I felt like it. So I did." I stuffed my clothes in a locker and turned the lock before slipping the key into the pocket of the robe.