Nothing Stays In Vegas (6 page)

She swallowed another bite and asked, "What about women who live here?"

"You really want to know about my dating life?"

She smiled and nodded. 

"Okay, but it's very boring. I work most of the time, have no interest in a fling with a tourist and haven't found a local woman who's interested in anything serious. So, that's about it."

Lexi took a sip of her drink and I watched her eyes change. The sparkle was replaced by something else. 

"Go ahead," I urged. "Say it."

"What about me?" she asked. "Why are you sitting here with me then? And, since I'm asking questions I normally wouldn't, are you going to tell me how you knew so much about me?"

I took a moment to chew on a fry. I decided telling the truth would be the best route. "I don't actually know a lot about you," I said. "I found out your last name because I work at the hotel and I have friends at the front desk who owed me a favor."

"And the pool? How did you know I was swimming yesterday morning?" 

"Friend that works security."

"Let me guess, he owed you a favor too?" She took a sip of her drink but I could see the start of a smile. 

I shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a helpful guy."

"So," she said, letting me see her grin, "what is it that you do at the hotel that has so many people indebted to you?"

I swirled my straw before answering. It's not that I was embarrassed of my job, but I could do better, I knew I could. And a spot in guest services wasn't really going to impress a woman like Lexi. She looked like she was used to a comfortable lifestyle. Not that she was pretentious in any way. In fact compared to most of the women I'd met, she was a rare and compelling combination of classy and down to earth. She wouldn't be impressed with my job.

"I work in guest services," I said and looked down at the table trying to muster the courage. After a moment I pulled myself together and looked up, trying to appear more successful than I was. "I help people with parties, events and things. It's not much now," I continued, "but I'm working hard and hopefully in a few years I'll move up to management."

"I'm sure you will," she said. Her voice was soft and she looked so genuine, that I wanted to hug her.

I felt my body relax again. Was it possible that even after just meeting me, she believed in me? It'd been too long since anyone believed in me.

We ate in silence for a few more minutes. I don't think I'd ever seen a woman devour a burger the way she did. Juices dripped down her chin which she wiped off before dropping the napkin in the basket on top of the fries she couldn't finish. I took a swallow of my coke and she looked up, catching me staring.  

"Just watching me eat again?" Lexi tugged at her dress, wiggling in the seat.

"Yes, but I was wondering something too," I said. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Last night, in the lounge. You told that guy you were married."

Her face turned that pretty shade of red again. I didn't want to embarrass her, but if I was going to sit here and flirt with her, I needed to know. I'd already checked out her ring finger, it was bare. But in Vegas, you could never know for sure, and I needed to know. 

She nodded and said, "I am."

The smile fell from my face. Dammit, I should know better than to ask a question when I didn't want to hear the answer.

"I see," I said trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice. I could tell by the look on her face, I hadn't done a very good job. 

"Leo--"

"So, why were you so willing to come with me tonight? Don't you think your husband will mind?" It wasn't a malicious question. 

Her face transformed. She looked sad for a moment but then her expression changed again. She looked like she might laugh. Or...damn.. was she going to cry? 

"What did I say?" I asked. "Lexi, I didn't mean to-"

"No," she said. "It's just, I don't think my husband," she emphasized the word, "would mind at all. We're separated."

Separated. 

One word was all it took for my entire mood to shift. No sooner had the word left her lips than I could feel myself sitting a little straighter, the smile returned to my face and my heart resumed its frantic beat. With that one word, I realized that no matter how slim, I might have a chance with her. At least, I might have a chance at sitting with her a little longer and getting to know her. And right at that moment I couldn't think of anything I'd like more than to look into her eyes that made me feel like I was drowning, and learn everything I could about her. And there was one more very important thing I needed to know.

"How long?" I asked. "Have you been separated a while?"

"Six months," she said. "But it was a long time coming."

"So you're..."

"Yes," she said answering my unasked question. "It's over. In fact," she continued and I had to force myself to listen to what she was saying. "I'm sure he'd be shocked by my behavior tonight."

"What do you mean?" I leaned in towards her. I wanted to close the gap between us, but I caught myself and pulled back again. "How have you been acting?" I asked.

"Well, I'm sure you've figured out that I'm not the nightclub type," she said. "Nicole chose my clothes tonight..."

I liked her clothes. It was undeniably the sexiest dress I'd ever seen. But if it got any shorter, I would have to be resuscitated.

"...I almost never dance, and I absolutely never go out with strange men in the middle of the night for burgers." 

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not strange then," I said. 

She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled in a way that made my blood rush, and said, "And I'm not usually so...forward." And then she winked at me. It took me a moment to digest the action. 

Had she really done that? It was so sexy and awkward, all at the same time that the simple action had an undeniable impact on my body. I was glad to be sitting.

"Well," I said after a moment. "I like it and I'm glad you decided to take a chance tonight." 

"Me too." Her voice was quiet, the false bravado of a moment ago had vanished. 

I couldn't help it any longer. My arm shot out in front of me and I took her hand in mine. 

I had to touch her.

She shivered and when she closed her eyes, I stroked the top of her hand. I knew my touch affected her. The heat from her skin ebbed to my core. 

"Come on," I said. "We still have all night."

Chapter Five

Leo led me outside to the strip where the constant stream of people still hadn't let up. There never seemed to be a break in the action in Vegas. It was exhausting. People were everywhere taking in the lights and sights that even at two in the morning were going strong. 

Some of the sights, were much more disturbing than others.

"Are you okay?" Leo asked. Until I heard his voice I hadn't realized I'd stopped moving. My gaze was frozen on the sight in front of me. "Lexi?" Leo asked. His voice was soft, concerned. 

"I can't believe it," I said to him over my shoulder. "Why would they do that?"

"Do what?"

I pointed to the woman standing a few feet away. She had a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other as she leaned over a stroller.  Her child who looked to be about two or three, reclined with his legs hanging over the bar and his eyes, wide open. "It's the middle of the night," I whispered. 

Leo covered my outstretched hand with his own, pushed it down and held it in both of his. "You see all kinds of things here."

"That doesn't make it okay. I would never take my..." I could feel tears building in my eyes and I blinked hard to keep them at bay. 

"Your baby?" he asked. "Do you have a child?"

I turned my back on the woman and looked at Leo. "No," I said trying not to let my emotion show. "I don't. But if I did..."

"You wouldn't have them out in the middle of the night," he finished for me. "You're very sweet, Lexi."

"Just because I don't think the Vegas strip is the best place for a child in the middle of the night?"

"No," he squeezed my hand. "Because you obviously care a great deal of people, and I don't see that a lot here. It's a nice change." 

"Well," I said with a shrug. "I am what I am."

"Yes, you most certainly are," he said with a laugh.

His laughter was so fresh and real that tingles traveled down my spine. I hoped he couldn't hear how my heart sped up. It was embarrassing how my body reacted to him. I would say that I felt like a teenager, except even when I was a teenager I'd never reacted to a guy like this. Even Andrew, who I loved, had loved, never made my body go crazy that way.  

 "Are you cold? You're shaking" he said. 

"Cold?" Even with the sun down, it was still hotter than a summer day back home. I shook my head and let my hair sway across my shoulders. 

Cold was not the problem. My body was in a continual state of heat with Leo around. 

"Tired then? I keep forgetting how late it is and that most people aren't used to staying up all night." He sounded so concerned for me, and I wanted to wrap my arms around him and hold on. 

I didn't. Instead, I shook my head again and looked into his dark eyes. "Please stop asking me, because I am definitely not tired," I said. I fluttering my lashes in a way I'd seen Nicole do. I hoped the look in my eyes would convey the message that my body was trying to send to him. A message I wasn't completely sure of yet. 

For good measure, I tossed my head and tried to flip my hair. But instead of looking sexy, I'm sure it looked like I'd had a spasm of some sort and the ends of my hair flicked Leo in the face. 

If the earth had opened up and swallowed me right then, I would've welcomed it.

He held a hand to his face where my hair had stung him. Not the message I was trying to convey.

"I'm sorry," I said. 

"No, it's..." He coughed hard and covered his mouth. 

Oh my, God. He was laughing at me. I knew I wasn't good at flirting but...

I'm such an idiot.

I turned away so I wouldn't have to watch him.

"Lexi." Leo put his hand on my shoulder and the thrill of his touch on my bare skin hit me again, but this time I shrugged him off. "Okay, I deserved that," he said. The humor was gone from his voice and he sounded sincere. I turned.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to laugh at you. It's just, you look so damn cute when you're trying to flirt with me."

"Trying?"

Oh, great.

"I should rephrase that," he said. "When you are flirting with me. It's so fresh, and so..."

I really wanted him to finish that thought. He didn't.

He reached to take my hands again and this time I didn't pull away. "I feel like I've known you for years and you don't really seem like the flirting type." His voice lowered and he added, "I suppose it's your turn to laugh at me. That sounded pretty dumb."

I didn't laugh because it was exactly the way I felt. No matter how unreasonable it was. 

"It
was
pretty lame," I said. "But the thing is, I feel the same way."

"You do?"

I didn't answer him. Instead I scanned the street. All around us people were streaming by. Laughing and shoving. And we stood in the middle of it all, having a conversation that sounded like it had been pulled straight out of a cheesy romance novel. It was ridiculous for me to be thinking of a man this way, let alone a man I'd just met.

"Nicole would love this," I said.

"Love what?"

"We must sound so stupid. I don't think in my whole life, I've ever had a conversation like this one."

Leo's features smoothed out and he touched my cheek. His thumb slid across my face and I was afraid my legs might give out from the desire that flooded through me. "But you feel the same," he said, "like there's something between us?" 

I couldn't speak. I stared at him like an idiot. I knew I couldn't blame the alcohol from earlier, but I wouldn't act like this all on my own. 

Would I? I was responsible and level headed. Nicole was the wild card. The one that could go off with a strange man and have a great time without a second thought about safety or sensibility.

 Leo's hand was still cupping my cheek and I had to fight the urge to close my eyes and sink into my fantasies about him. Instead, I stared at the planes in his face, examining him for some sign that he might be a mass murderer or a con man trying to rob me out of my savings. If he was any of those evil things, his gorgeous smile did a good job of convincing me otherwise. 

"Come on," Leo said breaking my trance. "I want to show you something." He took my hand. I didn't offer any resistance as he pulled me into the crowd.

###

Leo led me down the strip, pointing things out and telling me stories as we walked. We were in front of Caesar's Palace when he suggested that we stop and sit for a bit to people watch.

"Did Nicole tell you?"

"Tell me what?" To his credit he looked surprised, but Nicole must have told him that people watching was one of my favorite past times.

"You really want to sit down and look at people?" I asked.

He bowed his head a little. "I know it's not very exciting, but-"

"I do it too." 

He didn't laugh when I told him how I loved to choose people around me at random and make up situations and stories about them. In fact, he thought it sounded more fun than just watching them walk by, so we found a place to sit on the edge of a marble statue and jumped right into the game by choosing an overweight couple in their late fifties, dressed in shorts and matching Hawaiian print shirts. 

"I think," he said, "that this is their first time here. It was an unwanted present from their adult kids."

I giggled and took over. "They didn't want to come, but the tickets were paid for and now that they're here-"

"They love it," Leo continued. "In fact, they've embraced Vegas life and have decided they're never going to leave."

"They're going to open a chapel off the strip and share their love by marrying others."