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ChapterSix
~Lexi~
The first day passed quickly.Leo stayed up late chatting with Keith, but I could barely keep my eyes open.After a lovely dinner with everyone, I made my excuses and retreated to the suite, where I fell into a deep sleep almost the moment my head hit the pillow.
The next morning, I woke up feeling better than I had in ages.Relaxed and happy.Maybe that was why, when over breakfast, Leo suggested we go on a date night just the two of us, I said yes.I think I surprised both of us with my quick response, especially when he told me he wanted to visit the Strip.
I don’t know why, but it felt okay.And Nicole was right: I couldn’t continue hating a place for no reason.It was time for new memories.
I was confident that Ben was in good hands with Keith, Roxanne, and their kids, who had become instant friends for him.I slipped into my fanciest dress, which quite honestly wasn’t all that fancy at all: a sky-blue halter dress that draped just enough to hide the extra pounds I’d put on over the last few years.I’d bought it for a wedding the summer before, and it was one of the few things in my closet that still fit, especially considering my breasts seemed to have swelled over the last few weeks.I tried not to put any merit into that fact, or put any pressure on the pregnancy that was still very much my little secret.But maybe if my body was changing, that was a positive sign?
No.I needed to put it out of my head.Time would tell the story, and there was nothing I could do about it until then.For the moment, I was determined to enjoy a romantic night out with Leo.It was long overdue.
We took the same limo that had brought us to the resort.Keith had arranged for dinner reservations and tickets for us to seeJersey Boysat the Paris hotel.
But before the show, Leo promised me dinner.When we walked into Planet Hollywood, he led me to Gordon Ramsay’s upscale hamburger restaurant.Laughter ripped through me.
“It’s perfect, right?”
When I had myself under control, I nodded.“It couldn’t be more perfect.”He leaned down to kiss my cheek and warmth spread through me.All those years ago, when Leo and I first met, we’d gone out for late-night burgers on the Strip.It was one of my favorite memories of our time together in Vegas.“Did you—”
Leo nodded.“I told Keith we needed burgers.I wasn’t really expecting anything quite this fancy, but I guess I should have known.”He took my hand and squeezed.“Shall we?”
Dinner was fantastic; the burgers were definitely delicious, and a lot more upscale than the greasy diner we’d discovered all those years ago, but every bit as good.But the best part was the conversation between us.It was easy and it flowed and there was no talk of babies, or money, or anything serious, really.I knew it wasn’t reality.Our reality was all of those things, including the resort and the potential investment Keith had told me about.We needed to talk about all of those things, but for the night, it was okay to pretend we didn’t have any of that stress in our life.Not only was it okay, it was preferred.We needed a carefree evening more.
I didn’t know where Leo’s head was at when it came to Oasis, but I had my suspicions.I’d noticed the way he’d lit up taking in the project and the potential it held.But what I didn’t know was what he was thinking as far as investing every dollar we had, and some we didn’t really have.It was a conversation we were going to need to have but I also knew it wasn’t going to be a talk we could have lightly.There’d be time for that later.I kept the conversation light and easy, the only remotely important topic being the mention of Nicole and Ryan’s baby and her strong desire for us to be married.We both laughed it off the way we always did when it was brought up, and soon the topic was changed altogether.
After dinner, we had to hurry to make it to the show on time, and we slipped into the best seats in the house right before the curtain rose.Soon I found myself lost in the story and the music.Along with the audience, I cried, cheered, and laughed as the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons unfolded.By the time the curtain fell and the lights came up, I was perfectly content and despite myself, I couldn’t remember why I’d ever wanted to stay away from such a fantastic city.
With his hand on the small of my back, Leo led me through the crowds in the casino and outside to the Strip.The lights flashed and danced, music pulsed throughout the air, and the energy of the city made it feel alive.
“Is the car waiting for us?”I looked up and down, but the effort was futile considering there were cars and people everywhere and no way for me to figure out which one was for us.
“I was thinking maybe we didn’t have to go back quite yet.”He wrapped his arms around me, creating a cocoon around me, protecting me from the people flowing all around us.“It’s still early and we’ve had such a great night.I don’t want it to end.”
I nodded as his lips crushed down on mine.If I could stand there with him, his strong arms wrapped around me, holding me tight, ignoring the world and all the things we needed to talk about, I’d be happy to stay all night.
~Leo~
Everything was perfect.No, better than perfect because I was with Lexi and we were back where it all began.It felt so right, as if all the stress and drama of the last few years just disappeared and we were us again.Was it Vegas?I knew it wasn’t.But I couldn’t help but think it had something to do with it.
“Come on,” I said.“I have an idea.”
She laughed, the sound filling me as we made our way through the crowds.I knew exactly where our destination was, but it didn’t mean we weren’t going to take our time getting there.We stopped to watch the dancing fountains in front of the Bellagio.I wrapped my arms around her and pressed her body into mine, exactly where it belonged.When I nuzzled her neck, the moan that escaped her lips was pure music to my ears.I let my hands travel down her hips, sliding along her thighs, but that’s where I let it end.There’d be time for that later, and I still had plans for us.
The crowds had cleared a little bit by the time we made it to Caesars Palace.Lexi paused when she realized what I had in mind.“Really?”She laughed again and her face lit up.“I haven’t done this forever.”
I knew she was on board for what I had in mind, so I put my hands on her hips and lifted her easily up on the marble statue where we could sit and watch the people walk by.
All those years ago, on our first night together, we’d sat in the very same spot together and watched the variety of tourists walking by, making up stories about all of them.It was one of my favorite memories of that night together, and for years after, I couldn’t walk past Caesars Palace without thinking of the blonde beauty who’d stolen my heart in so many ways that night.
“What about that guy?”Lexi pointed to a young man, his eyes wide as he took in the happenings around him.“It’s his first time in Vegas.”
“It’s his first time out of the bunker,” I added.Lexi looked at me with a smirk, so I continued.“He was born underground in a bomb shelter in Illinois where he spent the first twenty-two years of life.His family was recently discovered and brought above ground after they were convinced that there hadn’t been a nuclear war and the world was still safe.”
“So now he’s experiencing life for the first time, in all its Vegas glory,” Lexi added.“And of course he’d never seen a woman before...”
“Besides his mother.”
