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Suddenly, the bar music died down and a trumpet fanfare sounded with a voiceover announcing the start of Karaoke Night. The bar erupted in cheers. DJ Twist jumped on stage and welcomed everyone to the “classiest dive bar in Vegas” amidst good-natured snickers and catcalls. Lexie’s stomach also took a nosedive.
“Give me something stronger,” she demanded of the bartender, who by now she learned was named Freya. “Wait−,” remembering she hadn’t really eaten more than a mouthful at the gala, she added, “and food. Your bestseller.” She had to slow down the alcohol level in her bloodstream with some food if she wanted to survive the night.
A few minutes later, a grinning Freya set down a plate with the biggest burger Lexie had ever laid eyes on. It had a mountain of greasy fries on the side.
“It’s the house specialty, the Millennium Falcon burger.” At Lexie’s blank look, Freya rolled her eyes. “Enjoy.”
Lexie tapped Blair on the shoulder. “Want to share?”
“Eww!” Blair shuddered. “I’m on a vegan diet, remember? I don’t eat food that has legs or anything that comes out from those with legs.” She turned to hipster boy and eyed him critically. “If you’re good, I might make you the exception.”
Hipster boy studied the burger, tempted yet suspicious. “Would you know if the beef they used was grass fed?”
Lexie responded with an as-if-I-care shrug. It felt good, liberating even.
“First on our list is Mavis from Florida with her rendition of ’Dancing Queen‘ by Abba. Everybody, let’s give it up for Mavis.” DJ Twist’s enthusiastic showman voice reverberated inside the bar.
On stage, septuagenarian Mavis worked the eager crowd with her singing and dancing, which constituted of some hand-flailing movements and vigorous hip jerking. Lexie was rather worried she would fracture her pelvis. To thunderous applause, Mavis went off the stage assisted by DJ Twist. Next up was a Manny Pacquiao look-alike with his version of “Sometimes When We Touch”.
With each performer, Lexie’s misgivings grew. It was a supportive, non-judgmental, kooky kind of crowd tonight. As a royal, she was used to appearing in front of large gatherings of people, but often she just did some hand waving and appeared ornamental.
She decided to take another bite of her burger. Nothing like emotional eating to distract her from the ordeal ahead. Her mouth was partway open and her trembling fingers had the burger in a death grip when some strange, tingling sensation alerted her to the fact that she was being watched. She glanced up at that instant, ready to flee if it was some photographer who might have recognized her, but instead her eyes locked with the intense, smoldering gaze of Prince Charming come to life.
He was seated a few barstools away from her, studying her leisurely. Lexie would have been ordinarily unnerved with this kind of attention. Any attention directed her way in social settings were always covert, sideway glances from beneath lowered lids, the kind that came when the observer thought she wasn’t looking. But this was different. He wanted her to know he was looking.
A tiny, burgeoning thrill scampered up her spine. Her always-present bodyguards and entourage were not exactly conducive to romantic liaisons with other men. After the “scandal”, Stefan had tightened her security. She knew they reported directly to her brother.
Lexie stared right back. It’s impolite to stare, an imperious voice whispered in her mind. It was as if her nonna was hovering right above her shoulder, like her conscience.
But tonight, some imp goaded her to accept his stare as a challenge. She was determined not to break it off first. Without taking her eyes off him, she took a big careful bite of her burger, sinking her teeth into the moist, succulent meat and started chewing. Some of the juices escaped and trickled out from the side of her mouth. Rather than reaching for a napkin and breaking her stare, she wiped it off with the back of her hand. She was sure she heard the ghost of her nonna drop dead from the sheer vulgarity of her actions.
The handsome stranger looked momentarily caught off-guard and then a slow, sexy grin emerged from his lips, the kind that tilted up in the corners. She couldn’t make out the exact color of his eyes in the dim lighting, but what she did make out made her breathing go kind of shallow. Dark hair, prominent cheekbones, and a defined jaw line chiseled by a master sculptor.
