Page 20 of The Girlfriend Card (Vegas Sin #4)

More Alone Than Ever

Ottavia

D akota left the suite and a deafening silence fell between Leo and me.

“You are free to do what and whom you want, Tavi,” he said, his voice calm but with a hint of irritation. “All I ask is that you be smart about it. Hide it. Please don’t do it so blatantly out in the open.”

“But we’re not out in the open,” I countered. “We’re in a private hotel room. It’s not like we’re out in public where everyone can see us.”

“So not a single soul saw you two coming up here together, I take it?”

I rolled my eyes. “Am I not allowed to be seen in public with other men now?”

“Don’t be silly; I didn’t say that. But if I come home and find you with another man, that’s a big, flashing warning sign that you’re not hiding it very well.”

“I wouldn’t have brought him back here if you hadn’t told me not to expect you back here. You told me I had the place all to myself! But now I’m not being careful enough? That’s bullshit, Leo, and you know it.”

With a sigh, Leo stuck a cigarette between his lips. He went into the kitchen and poured a glass of wine. “I’m going to have a smoke and clear my mind,” he said, and slithered out through the balcony door.

Leo was out there for a while. I took the opportunity to text Dakota and apologize for what had happened.

I feared I must look like a crazy, lying, psycho bitch—but I couldn’t tell Dakota the truth about me and Leo.

Definitely not in text or any other medium that could come back to bite me in the ass if it ever leaked.

Dakota was a smart boy, though I’m sure he’d tell you differently; I was hoping he’d put two and two together and figure it out for himself.

But after texting him, I quickly learned he didn’t figure it out. Or maybe he simply didn’t want to, because things were easier that way.

Regardless, Dakota had made it clear that he thought I was a crazy, lying, psycho bitch, and he didn’t want anything more to do with me.

I won’t lie. It hurt. I was starting to like Dakota.

It was a good half hour before Leo returned from his smoke.

“I’m back,” he murmured, pulling the glass balcony door shut. He approached sheepishly, knelt at the couch by my feet, and took my hand into his. “I owe you an apology, Tavi.”

My eyebrow arched, surprised. “Oh?”

“You’re right. I told you I wasn’t going to come back here. You were right to not expect me here. So, I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too. I should’ve sent you a text, just in case,” I said.

“I’m … not sure that would’ve helped,” he admitted, his eyes darting.

“Wha’? Why not?”

He drew a short breath. “The truth is, I only came here because your dad called me and suggested I come check up on you.”

I tutted. “Wow. Figures.”

“Sal seemed really distraught, too. Saying that I’d better get you under control before you did something you’d regret?” Leo stared up at me, trying to peer deep into my eyes. “Why did you bring that boy to your dad’s house?”

I stared at him, my lips sealed. I couldn’t say.

“What’s going on, Tavi?” he asked, his voice softening. “We used to tell each other everything. Remember? We always said, total honesty was the only way this would work.”

I hesitated to say. I feared if I started to speak, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself.

He saw the tears welling in my eyes. “What is it? You can tell me.”

“What if I don’t want this to work?” I blurted out.

Leo stared blankly as if I’d blasphemed.

But it was too late to stop myself now; the truth began to spill from my lips.

“Everything in my life is decided according to what’s best for everyone else.

The family, the business, now the campaign and the presidency.

I’m sick and tired of feeling like my wants, my desires, my life don’t matter at all.

What if I just want to be a normal girl for once in my life?

What if I want to have a real boyfriend who likes me, is attracted to me, and wants to actually have sex with me? ”

Leo hung his head. “I’m sorry.”

In an instant, I knew I’d gone too far.

“Ugh. I’m sorry.” My guilty heart swelled for him. “I hope I didn’t hurt you. I’m not trying to be mean when I say that.”

“No. No, it’s totally understandable you’d feel that way. And I wouldn’t want you to feel trapped in a situation where you’re unhappy.” With a grimace, he said, “You do have options, Tavi.”

“Do I? Do I really? Because my whole life is set up in such a way that I have to do everything my dad wants, and if I don’t, my whole future and everything I’m working for will be taken away from me.”

Leo sighed. “I know. I know.”

“And I’m sorry.” My voice trembled and I blotted at a tear that threatened to escape. “Because I know you’ve heard this rant a thousand times before and nothing is ever resolved.”

“That’s okay.” He squeezed my hand. “It’s a really difficult position for you to be in. You can vent as much as you’d like.”

Since Leo gave me permission to vent, I blew out an angsty exhale and went for it.

“I don’t understand why our dads need us to be married so badly.

Like, if you wanna marry into each other’s families, why not just get it over with, divorce your wives, and marry each other or something?

Why does it have to be us? Ugh, it’s not fair! ”

Leo burst into laughter. We took turns cracking each other up, like in the old days, bantering about our crazy parents and their insane demands.

It’d been a while since Leo and I had bonded like this.

It reminded me why, sometimes, I was okay with our arrangement.

We might not be romantic partners, but we were certainly partners in this crazy life.

My laughter tapered off into a sigh. “Or maybe I’m just a spoiled brat.”

“Why’s that?” he asked.

“Because you’re my best friend. And all I have to do, to be gifted the career of my dreams and secure my financial future, is marry you.

And it’s not even a real marriage! We just have to look like we’re married.

So I can still date and screw whoever the hell I want!

” I rolled my eyes at myself. “You know how many kids in my program would leap for that opportunity? Hell, forget the kids in my program—most anyone on Earth would gladly agree to that.”

Leo snickered. “Yeah, I mean, we do kinda get to have our cake and eat it, too.”

“Ugh. I know … I guess I really am a spoiled bitch, huh … I like to pretend I’m not, yet here I am, crying about a life that a billion people would literally kill to have.”

“We grew up obscenely rich, Tavi,” he said with a laugh. “Of course we’re spoiled-ass bitches. For better or worse, we’re just not cut out for a ‘normal’ life. Because we’re not normal.”

I laughed again, and we hugged, the tension between us dissipating.

“So, speaking of screwing around.” Leo paused, a sly smile curling his lip. “I can totally see why Dakota’s got you all bent out of shape.” He bit his lip, his eyes rolling back into his head. “What a dreamboat that boy is.”

I sighed wistfully. “Isn’t he, though?”

“ So tall and handsome,” he admitted. “Obviously, I have to ask, when and how did you start hooking up with a professional hockey player?”

“It’s a long story.”

The gleam in his eye told me he didn’t mind. “Oh, I’ve got time.”

I hesitated. “If I tell you, you have to promise you won’t tell anyone.”

“I pinky promise,” he said, offering his pinky.

We locked fingers. With the vow of secrecy sealed, I told him the story of how I’d found Dakota’s job listing on Craigslist and how he’d talked me into playing the role of Jane.

He burst with laughter at all the ridiculous twists and turns, like how we’d both failed to disclose our real identities to each other, and how it culminated with us at my house to meet Dakota’s “boss.”

“What the hell is wrong with the two of you?!” he said, his chest shaking with laughter.

“We didn’t know!” Fighting through a fit of laughter, I pleaded my defense. “We both had our own reasons to hide our real identities, okay?!”

“Also, I’m curious what rock you live under that you heard Dakota’s story and didn’t immediately figure out he’s the hockey player in the news,” he said. “One look at how tall and muscly he is, and it’s obvious he’s a pro athlete. Add in the rest of what he told you, and it’s just too obvious.”

“But I’m not into sports!”

“But your dad owns the team!” he countered.

“Aahh!” I yelped, and buried my shameful face in my hands. “I don’t know, okay!”

“Alright, fine.” Chuckling, he wiped a hand through the air. “Let’s get back to your story.”

Picking up where we left off, I filled him in on the dinner debacle, the ride home, and how, after Dakota walked me up to the room, I invited him in. One thing led to another, and …

“Be honest, what were you two doing on the couch?” he asked.

I bit my lip. “Nothing, really. A little kissing.”

“Uh-huh.” He gestured with his hands to keep the details coming. “Some kissing, and … ”

“Maybe some heavy petting …”

His nose wrinkled with doubt. “You should’ve seen the look on both your faces when you peeped over the back of the couch—like you’d been caught red-handed, guilty as thieves. You weren’t just kissing and petting.”

“Okay, fine.” I giggled, a guilty heat in my ears. “He was about to finger me. But that’s it, I swear.”

“ About to finger you, huh?” Leo repeated skeptically.

“Yes. About. When you opened that door, all he’d done was tease me with the most deliciously cruel half-inch of a finger. And that is the honest-to-God truth.”

Leo accepted my explanation with a nod. “Your words have the ring of truth to them.”

“More like the ring of frustration,” I quipped.

Leo laughed, and a silence came between us as we retreated deeper into our own thoughts.

Leo broke the silence first. “Well, I have to say, it sounds like you like each other well enough.” He drew a deep breath. “I say you should go for it, as long as you two are a lot more discreet in the future. Which means no more bringing boyfriend home to daddy.”