jacquard-covered chairs. I’d tried to get the p â t é finger art out, but with little luck. The perpetrator of that particular crime remained hidden under a hallway table.
Couples were beginning to get overly amorous, what with the late hour, rich food, and expensive booze. As for me, I was ready to par-tay!
“We’re about to slip away,” reported Anne, hooking my elbow with a hand. Her other arm was occupied resting around her husband’s neck.
“I guessed.” I nodded. “The dude attached to the side of your head kind of gave it away.”
Mal didn’t bother coming up for air. Instead, he kept right on nibbling at Anne’s ear. But he did say something. Some muttered string of words I didn’t have a hope in hell of understanding.
“What did he say?” I asked.
“He said we have to go consummate our marriage,” said Anne.
“Of course he did. Have fun with that.”
“We will.”
More incoherent mumbling from the guy attached to her ear.
“I thought that was meant to be a surprise for when she got back?” replied Anne.
Mal finally surfaced. “But it’s just so cool. I am just so cool. I think she deserves to know this.”
“It’s your present, it’s up to you. Tell her if you like.” Anne laughed.
The smile Mal gave me was megawatt, blinding. “I got you a baby blue 1967 Mustang GT for your birthday.”
“You did?” I shrieked in glee.
“Exactly. Aren’t I just the best? Ohmigod I’m fucking amazing! My own mind is just blown by me. Put it there, little sis.” He held up his hand for a high five.
I slapped palms with him with much zest. “That’s awesome, Mal!”
“I know, right?”
“Thank you so much.”
“It’s nothing.” A careless hand waved my gratitude away. “Sheesh.”
Only Anne seemed unenthused. “You got Liz a muscle car? You bought me a Prius.”
With pouty lips, Mal framed her face with his hands. “Because you’re my Pumpkin Prius princess. Girls like you don’t drive muscle cars.”
“Girls like me?”
“Beautiful, clever, good girls with lots of respect for traffic lights and shit like that. Besides, you’ve got me. You don’t need any more muscle in your life.”
I wouldn’t say Anne looked appeased, exactly. But she did drop the subject after yet another lingering kiss.
“What are you up to tonight?” she asked me eventually.
“I thought I might go dancing or something,” I said, rocking back on my heels in excitement. Vegas, here I come. “Put my legal ID to good use.”
Anne’s grin faltered. “Right, yeah. Listen, Sam was thinking of going around to a couple of clubs too. You mind if he tags along?”
Ruh-roh. “Sam the security man?”
“Yeah.” Her gaze wandered around the room for a moment, avoiding mine. “He won’t get in the way, I promise. He’s a really great guy and going out on your own in Vegas isn’t the smartest idea. You don’t mind do you? I promise he won’t get in your way or anything.”
“No, I guess not.”
“Good.” She visibly relaxed, leaning against Mal. “I think they took your stuff up to the penthouse suite already, by the way. You’ve got the key, right?”
“Yep. All set.”
“And if you go anywhere on your own, don’t get lost in the hotel. That place is huge.”
“I’ll be fine. Go make merry with your husband.” I smacked a light kiss on her cheek. “Congratulations. It was a wonderful night. You looked beautiful.”
“What ’bout me?” came from Mal.
“Very pretty.” I gave him a pat on the head. “Later!”
I had a man to forget and a town to explore.
CHAPTER FOUR
“What’d you say your name was again?”
“Liz.”
“Lisa?”
“Close enough.” I gave the drunken blond a smile and took another sip of my margarita. He might be cute, but cute didn’t make up for rampant stupidity or a blood alcohol level sky-high, such as he had to have. He gave me his version of a pantie-wetting grin and I had no doubt it worked when the dude was sober. Or when
Couples were beginning to get overly amorous, what with the late hour, rich food, and expensive booze. As for me, I was ready to par-tay!
“We’re about to slip away,” reported Anne, hooking my elbow with a hand. Her other arm was occupied resting around her husband’s neck.
“I guessed.” I nodded. “The dude attached to the side of your head kind of gave it away.”
Mal didn’t bother coming up for air. Instead, he kept right on nibbling at Anne’s ear. But he did say something. Some muttered string of words I didn’t have a hope in hell of understanding.
“What did he say?” I asked.
“He said we have to go consummate our marriage,” said Anne.
“Of course he did. Have fun with that.”
“We will.”
More incoherent mumbling from the guy attached to her ear.
“I thought that was meant to be a surprise for when she got back?” replied Anne.
Mal finally surfaced. “But it’s just so cool. I am just so cool. I think she deserves to know this.”
“It’s your present, it’s up to you. Tell her if you like.” Anne laughed.
The smile Mal gave me was megawatt, blinding. “I got you a baby blue 1967 Mustang GT for your birthday.”
“You did?” I shrieked in glee.
“Exactly. Aren’t I just the best? Ohmigod I’m fucking amazing! My own mind is just blown by me. Put it there, little sis.” He held up his hand for a high five.
I slapped palms with him with much zest. “That’s awesome, Mal!”
“I know, right?”
“Thank you so much.”
“It’s nothing.” A careless hand waved my gratitude away. “Sheesh.”
Only Anne seemed unenthused. “You got Liz a muscle car? You bought me a Prius.”
With pouty lips, Mal framed her face with his hands. “Because you’re my Pumpkin Prius princess. Girls like you don’t drive muscle cars.”
“Girls like me?”
“Beautiful, clever, good girls with lots of respect for traffic lights and shit like that. Besides, you’ve got me. You don’t need any more muscle in your life.”
I wouldn’t say Anne looked appeased, exactly. But she did drop the subject after yet another lingering kiss.
“What are you up to tonight?” she asked me eventually.
“I thought I might go dancing or something,” I said, rocking back on my heels in excitement. Vegas, here I come. “Put my legal ID to good use.”
Anne’s grin faltered. “Right, yeah. Listen, Sam was thinking of going around to a couple of clubs too. You mind if he tags along?”
Ruh-roh. “Sam the security man?”
“Yeah.” Her gaze wandered around the room for a moment, avoiding mine. “He won’t get in the way, I promise. He’s a really great guy and going out on your own in Vegas isn’t the smartest idea. You don’t mind do you? I promise he won’t get in your way or anything.”
“No, I guess not.”
“Good.” She visibly relaxed, leaning against Mal. “I think they took your stuff up to the penthouse suite already, by the way. You’ve got the key, right?”
“Yep. All set.”
“And if you go anywhere on your own, don’t get lost in the hotel. That place is huge.”
“I’ll be fine. Go make merry with your husband.” I smacked a light kiss on her cheek. “Congratulations. It was a wonderful night. You looked beautiful.”
“What ’bout me?” came from Mal.
“Very pretty.” I gave him a pat on the head. “Later!”
I had a man to forget and a town to explore.
CHAPTER FOUR
“What’d you say your name was again?”
“Liz.”
“Lisa?”
“Close enough.” I gave the drunken blond a smile and took another sip of my margarita. He might be cute, but cute didn’t make up for rampant stupidity or a blood alcohol level sky-high, such as he had to have. He gave me his version of a pantie-wetting grin and I had no doubt it worked when the dude was sober. Or when
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