Wanna Get Lucky? (45 page)

RIDING
the elevator, I waited until the last guest got off before I stuck the key into the panel, then removed the cover over the button that said Babel, and pressed it. Fifty-three stories up, Babel, our new rooftop lounge, was set to open next weekend.

The construction crew had left thousands of lights twinkling in the branches of the potted trees surrounding the swimming pool, and the roof retracted so the stars added their own sparkle—perfect. Babel had been designed to attract the younger, hip crowd, but tonight, we had it all to ourselves.

Hand in hand we walked to the edge of the rooftop terrace. Teddie put his arm around me as we drank in the view. Vegas stretched to the horizon in every direction—the flashing multicolored lights of the Strip; the white lights of the neighborhoods where people lived quiet lives, raising families; the moving red and white lights of cars coming and going, tracing the highways and streets in lines of light; the landing lights of the planes on approach to McCarran, hanging like a string of pearls in the velvety blackness of night sky.

My town.

Teddie hugged me tight, then lifted my chin and kissed me deeply, awakening every cell in my body.

My life.

My Nextel rang.

Teddie groaned, then laughed a resigned sort of laugh as he fished the thing out of his pocket. “Can’t the others cover for you tonight?”

“They were here all last night and all day today. I gave them both the rest of the weekend off.” I flipped open the phone, put it on the speaker, and said, “O’Toole.”

“Oh, Ms. O’Toole!” Sergio’s voice sounded strained as he talked rapid-fire. “We have this man, in room 12107. He is spitting mad and naked as a jaybird. Housekeeping found him. There is this trapeze, and this rope, and duct tape around his . . . well, you will have to see him yourself.”

“On my way.”

“Nice to know your life is getting back to normal.” Teddie took
my hand and led me to the elevators. “A naked man, duct tape around his member, a trapeze, rope, how’d you get so lucky?”

I threw my arms around his neck and just before my mouth closed over his I murmured, “Lover, I was born lucky.”

Only the beginning . . .