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“Thirty minutes.”
She sprinted to her room, took a quick shower, put a few barrel curls in her hair, touched up her makeup, and changed into an off-white satin dress and nude pumps. Then she found him in the lobby, fresh-faced and wearing a black and white suit with a gray, white, and blue striped tie.
“Still think this is a bad idea?” he asked.
She took his hand. “A terrible idea.”
“Me too. Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be to make a bad decision.”
They found a jeweler, bought the rings, and agreed on a chapel within walking distance.
A bachelorette party burst through the chapel door, ten women laughing and giggling as they hurried down the front walk. As they passed, the scent of rum lifted into the air like steam. The one wearing an “I’m the bride” T-shirt grabbed Raina’s hand.
“Do it, girl! We just did.”
The entire party raised their hands.
“Allof you?” Raina reread the girl’s shirt. “Uh…congratulations?”
“Oh, I’m not married yet. My fiancé is at his bachelor party at the casino, but don’t worry. Vegas marriages aren’t legally binding!”
Lucas started to respond, but Raina slid her fingers between his and squeezed. The group continued down the sidewalk like a flock of geese, yelling, screaming, and comparing rings.
“Think that was a sign?” he asked. “Maybe that’s how we look. Maybe we look like them.”
“I don’t know.” She watched as the group disappeared into the shadows. “I think we’re probably a bit less levelheaded.”
After all, they were standing outside a chapel, in Vegas, after he’d won a marriage through an alcohol-induced game of poker. Then they’d signed an online prenup offered on the chapel’s website, one of their requirements for a marriage to be performed in under five hours.
“Let’s flip a coin.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a poker chip. “This side will be heads,” he flipped it over, “and this side will be tails.”
“Lucas, it’s the same on both sides.”
He smiled. “I know.”
She returned the smile. “Okay, then. Heads, we go in.”
* * *
They entered the chapel, her stumbling in her heels until Lucas had to carry her down the aisle. While he carried her, he hit the side of his leg into a wooden bench seat so hard, it would probably be blue-black in the morning.
Once in front of the officiant, he set her down. Grinning, they held hands while a woman dressed as Princess Fiona from the movie Shrek performed the ceremony.
Twice, they had to stop for her to hurry to the restroom to throw up, and her throwing up made it less awkward when, instead of kissing his bride, Lucas kissed her cheek and forehead.
Fiona declared them husband and wife.
On the way out, with her riding piggyback, they wished Fiona a long and healthy marriage with Shrek.
Lucas carried her all the way back to the hotel and went straight to her room, where he unlocked the door with his keycard winnings. Rather than set her on the floor, he sat her on the bed and kneeled to remove her shoes.
Staring at the top of his head made her want to kiss him, but to spare him her curry-spiced vomit breath, she controlled her urges.
He unzipped her dress.
She unbuttoned his shirt.
