One Night, One Lie, One Billionaire Husband

"Please tell me again why this is a good idea." Lara didn't even look at me. She pushed her big sunglasses higher on her nose and smiled at the bright city in front of us. "Because," she said slowly, "you just got dumped, you hate your job, and we're in the most dangerous city in the world." She reached out her arms toward the neon skyline. "Welcome to Las Vegas." The taxi stopped in front of the hotel, and the driver opened the trunk. I stepped out onto the sidewalk, and the heat of the desert wrapped around me like a warm blanket. The smell in Vegas was strange. A combination of smoke, perfume, and something electric. Something that made a humming sound in the air. I turned my head back. There were lights flashing and sparkling all over the place, like stars that had fallen onto the streets. Big screens flashed ads. Limousines moved smoothly by. People laughed too much, wore too much, and acted like there was no tomorrow. My chest felt light for the first time in months. "Come on, Emilia!" Lara held my wrist. "Don't just stand there. This weekend is all about making bad choices. I shook my head and laughed. "That sounds like a bad slogan." "Exactly." The doors to the hotel opened, and a rush of cool air hit my face. The lobby inside shone like something out of a dream. Chandeliers made of crystal. Floors made of polished marble. People in designer clothes walking by like they owned the world. A group of women in sparkly dresses walked by us, laughing and holding flower vase-sized cocktails. I leaned over to Lara and said, "I suddenly feel very underdressed." She looked at what I was wearing. "You're wearing heels and a red dress." "That's right. They are wearing whole fireworks shows. Lara snorted and pulled my suitcase toward the elevator. "You're thinking too much about it again." We're going to fix that this weekend. With a soft chime, the doors of the elevator closed behind us. For a short time, neither of us said anything. Lara then slowly turned around and crossed her arms. "So," she said. I groaned right away. "No." "Yes." "No." "You haven't let out your feelings about him yet." I put my head against the wall of the elevator. "Because he doesn't deserve the air." Lara raised an eyebrow. "He dated you for two years and then broke up with you over text." "Exactly," I said. "That proves he doesn't deserve oxygen." The elevator came to a stop on our floor. We walked out into a hallway that was quiet and had thick carpet on the floor to muffle our footsteps. Lara opened the door and unlocked the room. "Okay," she said in a dramatic way. "Operation Emotional Reset" is now in full swing. It was a big room. A big window that looked out over the Strip, a long couch, and a king-sized bed. I put my suitcase down and walked right up to the glass. The view took my breath away. Vegas stretched out below us for miles, glowing like a living thing. The lights moved around. There was a faint sound of music coming from the streets. Everything seemed alive. "Wow," I said quietly. Lara fell onto the bed behind me. "Look? I told you this trip would heal your soul. I smiled a little. She might have been right. The last few months had been like walking through fog. Job. Bills. A boyfriend who slowly turned into a stranger. Then the writing. I believe we desire disparate outcomes. Two years turned into one sentence. I pushed the idea away. This weekend wasn't for him. Lara suddenly sat up and said, "Okay." "Rule number one." I turned around. "Which rule?" She raised a finger. "No sadness." Another finger. "Don't think too much." A third finger. "And no talking about ex-boyfriends at all." "That doesn't seem possible." She said, "It's Vegas." "Reality is not required." I laughed as I walked to the bed. "So, what's the plan?" Lara smiled again. "Oh, the plan is so pretty." She jumped up and took my hand. "We take a shower, get dressed, and then go look for the worst choices this city has to offer." "Lara—" She pointed at me and said, "And you are not allowed to say no." We went back out onto the Strip an hour later. The night had burst into color. There was music coming from all directions. People moved between casinos like waves. Fire was juggled by street performers. A man dressed like Elvis sang loudly near the corner. Lara pulled me into the first casino we saw. The noise inside was too much. The slot machines kept ringing. Chips hit the tables. Crowds cheered and groaned as dealers called out bets. It was a mess. A lovely mess. Lara put a few chips in my hand. "Go bet." "I don't know how to bet." "Perfect." She pushed me toward a roulette table. I nervously laughed as I put a chip down on the board without thinking. The wheel turned. For a brief time, I forgot everything else. The dealer said the number. People at the table groaned. I blinked. The dealer pushed a small stack of chips my way. "You won." My mouth dropped open. Lara showed up next to me right away. "Oh my God," she said. "Luck for beginners." "Miracle for beginners." We laughed and got drinks from a server who was passing by. It felt good when the alcohol slid down my throat. The music got louder. The lights got brighter. I noticed something strange between the roulette table and the second casino. I felt free. Not pretending to be okay. It's really free. Lara put her arm around mine. "Next stop," she said, pointing ahead. There was a bar in the middle of the casino floor that glowed. It was surrounded by tall chairs and a lot of people laughing. We slid onto two empty chairs. The bartender came closer to us. "What can I get you, ladies?" Lara didn't think twice. "Two margaritas." The drinks came a few seconds later. I drank a little. "Strong," I said. "Good." We clinked our glasses. "To bad choices." "To bad choices." Minutes flew by in a blur of music and laughter. Then Lara pushed me all of a sudden. "Don't look now," she said quietly. Of course, that meant I looked right away. A man had just sat down two stools away. Very tall. Shoulders that are wide. A dark suit jacket is casually draped over the back of his chair. He looked like he should be in a boardroom, not a casino bar. But it wasn't the suit that caught my eye. It was how he acted. Be calm. Sure of yourself. Like the chaos around him just moved out of the way. The bartender set a glass of whiskey in front of him. He thanked her with a nod of his head. Then he turned a little bit. And we looked at each other. I couldn't breathe. He had blue eyes. Not the soft kind. Sharp and clear. It was almost scary. We both didn't look away for a second. Then the corner of his mouth went up. Not a whole smile. Just enough to recognize the moment. I quickly turned back to my drink. Lara whispered excitedly, "Emilia." "He is looking." "I saw." "Do something." "Like what?" "I don't know." "Smile. Blink. Breathe." I drank some more of my margarita. He was still looking at me when I turned around. He talked this time. "Is this your first time in Vegas?" His voice was quiet. Smooth. Slowly, I turned toward him. "What gave it away?" "The way you look." "And what kind of look is that?" He looked at me for a moment. "The one people have when they know they might do something they'll regret tomorrow." I laughed. "That's very specific." He lifted his glass a little. "I've been here long enough to know it." Lara leaned in closer and said in a loud whisper, "He's hot." I hit her with my elbow. The man laughed. "Your friend seems like a good person." "She can't handle subtlety." He put out his hand. "Adrian." I thought about it for a second before shaking it. His grip was warm. Strong. "Emilia." He looked at my eyes again. Something in my stomach turned over without warning. He said "Emilia" again quietly. Lara suddenly fell off her stool. She said, "Well, I'm going to dance." I looked at her. "You don't dance." "I do tonight." And just like that, she was gone from the crowd. Leaving me alone with him. I slowly turned back to Adrian. "Well," I said in a strange way. "Well," he said back. We just sat there for a while, listening to the noise of the casino around us. Adrian then moved a little closer. "I have a question for you." "Oh?" He looked at me closely, as if he were trying to figure me out. He said in a calm voice, "How reckless do you plan to be if this is your first night in Vegas?" I blinked. "That's a risky question." "Vegas is a risky place." I smiled a little. "Let's say... a little reckless." His eyes sparkled with fun. He said again, "Moderately reckless." He drank more whiskey. Then he said something that made my heart race. "In that case," he said slowly, "how would you feel about doing something totally crazy tonight?" I looked at him. The music got louder all around us. There were flashes of light on his face. "What kind of crazy?" I asked. Adrian leaned in closer and spoke in a low voice that only I could hear. "I'm thinking," he said, "something with a chapel and a very bad life choice." My heart raced. "A chapel?" He raised one eyebrow. "Yes." Then he said calmly, "A chapel for weddings." I opened my mouth. But before I could say anything— Lara suddenly showed up next to us, out of breath from dancing. She said, "You guys won't b elieve what I just heard!" We both turned to look at her. She smiled a lot. "Downstairs is a wedding chapel," she said. Then she pointed to Adrian. "And it seems that someone here just suggested getting married tonight." I stopped moving. Adrian slowly turned back to me. This time he smiled all the way. He said, "Vegas is full of surprises." Then he asked in a low voice, "Emilia, do you believe in making decisions on the spot?"