Page 32 of Vegas Duology

"Wow," she breathed."You sure know how to pick 'em.Your first fling and you find a guy who treats you to VIP club access, room service, and a private breakfast.It makes my evening look almost dull."

Grateful for the change of subject, I jumped on it."How was your birthday night?"

Nicole brightened.She pushed her sunglasses up to her forehead, and said, "It was awesome.I may not have had room service.But Josh had a suite at Planet Hollywood.What an amazing view.And the sex!"She continued to give me the play-by-play of her escapades and I did my best to listen but my mind kept drifting back to Leo.

"Earth to Lexi," Nicole said.She was waving her hand in front of my face.

I shook my head and took a sip of my drink.It was cold and I pushed it away.

"Were you even listening?"she asked.

"Of course."I racked my brain for clues to what she'd said."So," I took a chance, "are you going to see him again?"

She almost spat out her coffee."You're kidding, right?Please tell me you're kidding."

I wasn't.

"Of course I am."

Nicole stared at me for a minute and then said, "Shit.You weren't kidding, were you?Please tell me that you weren't thinking of seeing Leo again."

I didn't answer.I looked down at my tea and contemplated another sip.

"Shit, Lexi.You were, weren't you?It was a fling.That's what Vegas is all about.Flings and mindless sex.Safe, of course.But mindless nonetheless."

I still didn't say anything.How was I supposed to explain to her about the connection I had with Leo?

"Have you ever heard the expression, 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas'?"

"Of course."

"Well, there's a reason that expression came to be," Nicole said."You don't form relationships here.You have fun.That's it, end of story."

Leo was more than a fling.

I rolled the napkin in front of me into a tube."I don't know, Nic.It felt like more than that."

"Lex, you can't be serious.You didn't even hook up today.What was that all about, anyway?Did he stand you up?"

"No, he didn't stand me up," I said, straightening in my chair."He just didn't show.We were supposed to meet in the lobby, but something must have happened.He probably couldn't get out of work."

"Wow, was he that good in bed?"

I could feel my face heat up, but I didn't answer.

"Well, good or not," Nicole continued."It doesn't matter.Even if you wanted to see him again, he lives in Vegas and you, my dear, are Canadian.Long distance, especially that long, would never work."

The thought had crossed my mind as well.

"Besides, Leo, as hot as he was, was just a fling," Nicole said."A rebound.I mean, you just finished things with Andrew.It's only natural that you would need a little release; you're only human.And good for you for choosing someone so completely scrumptious."

Andrew and I had been split up for months.Had he slept with other women by now?He must have.I shuddered at the thought, but it didn't seem to bother me as much as it once would have.

"It felt like more than a rebound, Nic."I unrolled the napkin and started shredding it into a pile on the table.

But why didn't he meet me?And the girl at the desk said he was with another woman.It didn't make sense.

"Trust me—it was just rebound sex, Lexi.Relationships do not happen in Vegas."Nicole spun around in her chair and got the attention of two young men nursing coffees and cookies."Excuse me," she said to them."Sex in Vegas—it's never serious, right?I mean, Vegas is just for fun, not relationships.Am I wrong?"