Page 31 of Vegas Duology

ChapterSeven

Lexi

The airport was packedand I couldn't find Nicole anywhere.People flowed all around me, coming and going in every direction.I felt like I was trapped in an arcade game of Frogger.I scanned the crowd.Women teetering on impossibly high heels, rolling suitcases behind them, businessmen with laptop bags, tourists in a combination of tacky shirts and sweatpants, and what looked like a stagette party with a bunch of ladies wearing pink boas streamed past me.

"Lex, over here."I heard Nicole's voice and turned.There she was, dressed in black yoga pants and a tight t-shirt.Her hair was pulled back and oversized sunglasses covered most of her face despite the fact that we were inside.I picked up my duffel bag, shouldered my way through the crowd towards her and prepared myself for the barrage of questions I knew I was going to get.

"So, how was your day with yummy Leo?"she asked the moment I got close enough."No, wait.How was yournight?"

After Leo left the room to get changed and make arrangements for work, I'd called Nicole's cell to let her know I was going to spend the day with him.Just like I thought, she was more than okay with it, opting to spend the day sleeping off her hangover.

I shrugged, and said, "We didn't get together after all."

"What?Well, where have you been then?"

I hadn't told her that I'd spent the day alone.After packing up my bags, I went to the lobby to meet Leo like we'd planned.

And, I waited for an hour before I gave up.

I'd been stood up.And worse, I had his cell phone that he'd left in my room.For a moment, I thought about throwing it away as revenge for ditching me.But I didn't.

I couldn't.

I stood there, making up million different stories for why he hadn't shown up.I refused to believe our night together didn't mean anything to him.I'd seen him that morning.And the way he looked at me, I didn't imagine that.

Did I?

I took the phone to the front desk and gave it to the girl across the counter."I need to turn this in," I said."It belongs to Leo Mendez—he works here."

When I said Leo's name, a flash of shock, or something else, crossed her face.

"Do you know him?"

"I've seen him around," the girl said."Don't worry.I'll make sure he gets it."

"Thank you," I said and turned to leave.Then I had a thought and turned back to the desk."While I'm here, I'd like to check to see if I have any messages."

"Sure, what room are you in?"

"Room 2634."

The girl tapped her fingers along the keys before looking up."Sorry," she said, "no messages."

"Nothing?You haven't seen Leo, have you?"The moment I asked the question, I wished I hadn't.

The girl grinned, and said, "I think I saw him with a girl.Petite.Dark hair."

My stomach flipped and the floor tilted under my feet.

I was so stupid.

"Oh, well thanks, Tamara," I said, reading her name tag and doing my best to sound in control.

After that, I was too embarrassed to tell Nicole that I'd been stood up.Besides, she was going to sleep anyway.So I checked my bag and spent the day walking down the Strip, trying not to think about Leo.

"Well, even if you didn't do anything today," Nicole said now, "I still want to hear all about your night.And I want to tell you all about Josh and my night, too.But first, I need another coffee."She started walking towards a coffee shop in the terminal."We have time, and you can tell me all the juicy details."

Half a coffee later, Nicole was still drilling me about my night with Leo.I let her ask all the questions she wanted.If I didn't tell her details, she'd worm them out of me somehow.I finished my story with how Leo had ordered up a breakfast buffet to the room.I left out the part about the fantastic sex we'd had instead of eating it.