“Aw, Golds. You know I’ll do whatever you want. I got your back always, remember?”
“I know you do,” she says softly, then sniffles. “Would you be my man of honor? Or best man, whatever you call it.”
“You mean it? Of course I will,” I say, getting choked up.
“Thank you,” she squeaks and sniffles again. “Oh my goodness, I’m gonna be a crying mess, even without doing all the work,” she says. “I want everyone to come. Addy and Penn might have the hardest time pulling it off.”
Addy was Goldie’s college roommate and is still one of her best friends. And we’re all a little starstruck by Addy’s husband Penn, who’s the star running back for the Colorado Mustangs.
“What can I do to help?”
“Just get there. And Lola too, of course. I’ll call her soshe knows how much I want her to come, but you can prepare the way.”
I laugh. “Okay, I will.”
“I’m really happy,” she says. “I’m happy for me. I’m happy for you.”
“I know,” I say. “I’m happy for us too.”
She hangs up. I sit up and call Lola.
She answers on the second ring. “I thought you were going to bed.”
“Goldie called. She’ll be calling you too, probably tomorrow.”
“What’s up?”
“How do you feel about Vegas for Christmas Eve and Christmas?”
A beat. “Uh, sure?”
“Goldie wants to get married there.”
“Oh!” she says, her voice brightening. “Exciting! Like The Elvis Chapel?” She laughs.
“Probably not Elvis,” I say. “But The Wedding Chapel, yes.”
“I love it.” I can hear her smiling. “I’m in,” she says.
“Yeah?” I say.
“Absolutely.”
“Well, I guess I’ll be spending Christmas in Vegas with you, Trouble.”
“I can’t wait.”
Christmas Eve in Las Vegas is an experience. The city does everythingcompletely, one hundred percent, and you’ve gotta respect that kind of dedication. Every surface and every building is lit up. It’s fifty-two degrees, which feels like a giftfor my Minnesotan family. I’ve had a little reprieve already from playing in California leading up to this.
We arrive in waves. My family gets in before me, all flying in on the same flight, and Lola and I arrive within half an hour of each other. I kiss her so long that she starts tapping my arm, like she’s tapping out, and we break apart, laughing. Penn and Addy fly in from Colorado with their kids. My grandmas and dad have already offered babysitting services when the parents want to stay out late.
We had to arrange for several large vehicles to pick us up, and once we make it to The Venetian, some of the Vegas energy has rubbed off on us.
Grandma Nancy looks at the Vegas Strip for approximately three seconds and says, “Now this is a city that knows what it’s doing.”
That makes Lola crack up. She gets a lot of enjoyment from my grandmas, who adore her right back. We hear cackling behind us, and Grayson is laughing at something Penn has said. I grin. That saying “Never meet your heroes” doesn’t apply to Penn Hudson. The few times I’ve been around him, he’s been even greater than I could have imagined.
We go to our rooms, which are really beautiful, and start to get ready. Well…first, I have Lola spread her hands on the floor-length mirror while I fuck her from behind. It’s so fucking hot. She comes so hard that her entire body trembles, and I enjoy every second of watching her fall apart.
