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“Help yourself to whatever you want. I’ll be waiting for you on the couch, trying to stay awake.”
“Did I tell you I’ve never been to Vegas? I’m so excited. Did you know there’s an actual half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower? What’s with the look?”
“I’m imagining all the sightseeing you’ll want to do.”
“Oh, these rolls smell amazing. Come on, girl, let’s go make an itinerary.”
I groaned and we settled onto the couch. “Okay,” I said, picking up my laptop, “here’s what I’ve been considering. Do we want raucous party scene or more sedate relaxation?”
“Huh.” Amber cocked her head. “I’m not much of a party person—and feel kind of dumb when I try…”
“Shug, you never seem dumb.” I tapped my finger on the metal part of my laptop. “But I’m not really in the mood for the party, I think. If we change our minds, we could always just go to the clubs.”
“What are they like?”
“Crowded, loud, and boozy. Drunk people in bathing suits packed in together dancing.” I drained the last bit of coffee out of my mug.
“What’s the other option?” Amber grabbed her ponytail, running her hand over it and watching me with big eyes.
“I’m thinking Caesar’s Palace and their Garden of the Gods pools. It’s massive, beautiful, and has one adult-only pool we can go topless at if we’re feeling naughty.”
“Oh.”
“Plus, we’ll be close to the sites because I know you’ll want to do a tour. Here, take a look at some pictures.” I passed my laptop over to her.
“Oh my God, that’s really pretty. I love it.”
“Caesar’s it is. Leave Wednesday, come back Saturday?” I took my laptop back.
She squealed. “Yes.”
What I wanted to do was go right then. The habits of a trophy wife die hard…
“Okay, I’ll book everything today and send you all the deets.”
“Unbelievable. I’ll never be able to pay you back, which sucks but I did stop at a pet store on the way here and bought you some stuff. It’s in my car.”
I jumped up—the coffee had kicked in. “Presents? Hey, do you want to get going to the shelter? They close at noon on Sunday.”
Amber had bought me a gray heart-shaped dog bed, a small bag of kibble, a matching food and water bowl with a mat, dog treats, and a rubber bone toy. We set everything up in the office.
The magnitude of what I was about to do hit me. I took a step back, swallowing hard. “A dog? I don’t know about this…”
“Barking might be enough to scare off that damn stalker.Come on.” Amber marched toward the front door, her keys in her hand.
“It’s like getting a kid—I’m not ready. Maybe I can foster a dog first. An old smart dog that knows what’s up.” I closed the front door behind us.
“Don’t think about it, just do it. Besides, you have to apply for and get to know the shelter dogs. Today is research.”
“Okay. Phew—how would I go to Vegas with a new dog in the house?” I buckled myself into the passenger seat of Amber’s little sedan. Her car was immaculately clean of course.
She drove down my driveway. “Well, dog boarding. You’ll be able to pay for whatever.”
“Oh.” It seemed a bit like cheating to pay other people to care for your fur baby. On the other hand, it was the only way I’d manage. And I’d have class all day…
We went to three shelters. What I discovered is all of the animals could look into my eyes and tear out a piece of my soul. “How am I supposed to pick one of these angels?” I asked Amber in a hiss as we walked down another aisle of caged and whining pooches.
“I don’t know.” Amber sneezed. “You’re so lucky you aren’t allergic.”
