Standing By: A Knight's Tale #2 by Claudia Y. Burgoa Page B

Bellagio Fountains first, then head to the New York-New York Roller Coaster because I need the adrenaline rush to keep me awake until it’s time for my sister’s wedding. Following the blast of fun with a quiet gondola ride at St. Mark’s Square, then a nightclub and finally the wedding. If we have any free time, we’ll hit the casino.
    “We’ll skip the tattoo parlor and the chapel; unless you’re set on getting married today, Hayley. Then we’ll have to find you a groom—my choice.”
    “We need to keep you away from the chapels, remember?” he slaps my hand as I reach over to take his last fry. “You’re denying me your last fry? At least let me buy that yard long margarita drink. It’ll be fun to try to slurp all that.”
    “No yard long alcoholic drinks.” His firm tone doesn’t match the smirk he gives me as he dunks the fry in the ketchup and takes a bite of it. He does it again, but instead, feeds the rest to me. “If you want to drink, at least drink with class. The alcohol they use to prepare those things is lethal. Come on, Muffet you’re going to have the night of your life.”
    *
    “You’re a shark,” Mitch pours me another shot of whiskey. We sit at the bar of the hotel waiting for… my sister’s wedding to happen in a few hours. The place is almost full and we sit by the corner of the bar where the waiter brought several different bottles of liquors for me to try. We’re going through the different brands and liquors to find what I like, other than tequila. “If I didn’t catch on that you were counting cards, they’d have kicked us out of the casino and perhaps the hotel.”
    “I tried hard not to count,” my weak defense grants me a groan. “You’re not drinking enough.”
    “I am, you’re taking your sweet time to drink your shots.” He then pours himself vodka and tips the liquid from his glass with a fast and smooth movement—slick. “I think the circus was a better idea than finding your preferred, non-fruity drink.”
    “There are ants marching around my limbs and tongue,” I stick out my tongue and show it to him. “And it’s not because you kissed me this time.”
    “Have you ever been drunk, pretty Pupcake?”
    “You called me Pupcake,” I point at him and laugh. “No, never. I have an extremely complicated life and couldn’t fit partying in my schedule. And you?”
    “I party, drunk? Yes, I have. I’ve been hammered before to the point of no return.”
    “So you are a light weight?” I remember that word because Parker swears I’d be one of those, which I don’t think I am because this is my … I try to count the used shot glasses but I can’t seem to differentiate the clean ones from the dirty and the ones I used compared to the ones Mitch used. “Betcha, if I continue, you’ll be the first to fall asleep.”
    “Baby, I’m taller and much bigger than you, there’s no doubt I’ll beat you.” He takes two shots of tequila and then sucks on the lime. “Just because I had drunk myself to oblivion in the past, doesn’t mean it’ll happen today. I’m here to take care of you.”
    “No, you’re here so I’ll protect you from the skunks that want to marry you while drank. No, drunk.” I remind him as I think how to say it right. “No to skanks-drunk, yes to drunk skanks. That would be a cool band name, don’t you think? The Drunk Skanks. You know, you’re not as bad as I thought, Knight, you kinda saved me from my mother’s whip earlier.”
    “I had to, she’s a bitch.” He says pouring me a shot of something. “I thought you didn’t like the scotch. Such a shame, it’s the preferred Knight drink. Knights, I can’t believe my brothers flaked on me during our last single weekend.”
    “Only one of you is getting married,” I remind him, though I’m having trouble making sense of my words and my tongue is heavy. “Not you. You said something earlier about not being for you… or was it love and dealing with a woman’s drama