Taming Vegas by Nadene Seiters Page A

in an attempt to
get away from her worrying gaze and pretend to fix my hair.
    “I’m just going to the bathroom.” Her face appears beside
mine as her reflection peers into my gaze.
    “Did you answer your phone call?” I forgot all about it
while I was humming. How long was I in here?
    “No, I forgot. I guess I’ll do that now.” I’m about to take
out my phone, but she puts a gentle hand on my wrist to stop me.
    “The Stantons are paying for dinner and they were talking
about taking us out to a theatre. I told them we need to go back to the hotel
to get some rest from our long flight, but I think you ought to go home too. You
look a little rundown, Melon Ball. Are you sure you’re not coming down with something?”
Before she can tell me about some weird, homeopathic remedy for colds or the
flu, I nod feverishly.
    “I’m fine! It’s just been a long day, and I do need to go
home and feed the cats. Oliver’s been stressed out about a case and his parents
have been a little too helpful with the wedding plans.” I try for a quirky
smile, and my mother gives me a slow one in return. It doesn’t meet her eyes,
and I know that she understands something is not quite right about all of this.
Fortunately, she’s not going to push me further on the matter here, so we go
out to the dinner table like nothing happened and I say my goodnights to
everyone.
    Oliver doesn’t say a word as we get into his limousine and I
try to squash the feeling that he’s wondering if he’s doing the right thing,
too. We’re two people driven by outside influences to get married. The people
driving him are his parents, and the person driving me is my misguided
ambitions. Besides, who wants to be the only sister not married?
    I half expect him to walk me to my door, but instead,
I get a goodnight kiss on the cheek and an ‘I’ll call you later’. I’d be lying
if I didn’t know something was terribly amiss in that moment, yet I chalk it
off to stress due to the upcoming wedding. It’s obvious that our parents are
not going to get along in the least, but I hope they can put aside their
differences in the future.
    As the elevator doors open to my floor, I step out and
position the clutch purse so that I can find my apartment key. I’m halfway down
the hall when I glance up and see a silhouette of a person leaning against what
looks to be my apartment door. Curious and a little afraid, I slow down and
narrow my eyes to determine whom it might be.
    Two things happen simultaneously. The silhouette’s face
looks up at me, and I recognize Kyle. Then my phone buzzes in my purse again
and I look down at it to see the strange number on the screen again. On
impulse, I slide the answer bar and start forward again.
    “Hello?” I stop walking when I hear his voice and wonder why he’s calling this late. Then I remember the time difference.
    “Melanie, hey, it’s Alex.” Like I’d actually forget his
voice.
    “I know, it’s not a good time, Alex.” My brain has finally
registered the anxiety on Kyle’s face, and I don’t want to waste time listening
to Alex’s silly antics.
    “Why, are you with your fiancée?” I hear the jealousy in his
voice and smile at the absurdity of the situation. My ex-husband that I barely
know is calling me to ask me if I’m with my fiancée, whom I’m pretty sure I
know a lot better? Our one night stand in Vegas is undoubtedly starting to get
out of hand.
    “No, I’m not if you must know. Look, I have to go. How about
you call me never?” I hang up the phone briskly and take those final steps to
my friend. “Kyle, it’s been a while. Do you want to come in?” He doesn’t seem
bothered by my odd phone call and takes his hands out of his pockets. Are those
tears in his eyes?
    “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Mel.” Humans are acutely
instinctual, intuitive creatures that are able to read others well, in most
cases. Kyle’s jaw is clenched. His eyes are shimmering, and his posture