Page 34 of Vegas Duology

ChapterEight

The flight home was uneventful,the way good flights should be.Nicole slept, her sunglasses in place, her mouth hanging open.It was a good thing we still had a day before we had to be back at school.Nicole would need at least that long to make herself acceptable to advise her students on their career choices and solve their latest teenage dramas.

I should've slept myself since I'd only had a few hours the night before, but every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was Leo.His mouth right before he kissed me, his back as he lay sleeping, his hands running down my body, his smile before he walked away.

I tried to push those thoughts from my mind and remember what Nicole said.It was only a fling, a Las Vegas adventure.It didn't mean anything.I didn't even have his phone number.

God, I was such an idiot.

The minute my marriage breaks up, I fall for the first random guy who shows me any attention.But, I couldn't shut off that little voice in my head that kept telling me it was more than sex.

My brain wrestled back and forth like this until finally the pilot's voice came on and announced our landing.I didn't have time to think about Leo while we gathered our bags, waited in line and eventually cleared Customs.

When Nicole and I pushed our way through the double doors into the main terminal, I had my eyes on a reunion between a man and his wife and child.They were hugging and kissing and when he spun around, a child in his arms, I saw his face.He was one of the young men from the Starbucks back in Vegas.The blond one who was ready to hop into bed with Nicole.He saw me looking and had the decency to look embarrassed before he turned around again.

"Lexi, check that out."I turned and followed Nicole's gaze to see a man holding the biggest bouquet of flowers I'd ever seen.The arrangement was so large, his face was obscured.

"Wow," I said."It looks like someone was missed.A bit much though, don't you think?"I tightened the strap of my duffel bag over my shoulder and began to squeeze through the crowd to the taxi stand.

"I wonder who she is," Nicole said.She followed close behind me so we didn't get separated in the crowd.

"Who?"

"The woman who's getting the flowers."

"Lexi," a familiar voice called over the crowd.I stopped in my tracks and Nicole slammed into me from behind.

"Geez, Lex."Nicole took a step back.

"Lexi," the voice called again and shivers rippled down my body.I turned, slowly.

There was no way.

The massive bouquet of flowers seemed to be floating over the sea of people, coming straight for us.

"It looks like you're the lucky woman," Nicole muttered as the man with the flowers broke through the crowd.

"Andrew?"

"Lex, I'm glad I caught you," my ex-husband said.I guess technically we were still married, but still.

"What are you doing here?"

Andrew glanced at Nicole, who wasn't even trying to hide her shock."These are for you," he said and thrust the flowers at me.

I juggled my purse and duffel around for a moment."I don't really..."

"Right," Andrew said and withdrew the flowers."I didn't think about that.I'll hold onto them."

He was nervous.Andrew was never nervous.In our entire relationship, he was always so self-assured.Almost always.The night he proposed to me was a notable exception when he was sweating so much I thought he might have a fever.When he finally popped the question, I was so relieved that he wasn't coming down with a terrible disease that I said yes.I would've said yes anyway.

"You didn't answer her question," Nicole piped up."What exactly are you doing here?"

"Nic, maybe you should—"

"No," Andrew interrupted."She's right.You deserve an explanation."

Andrew dropped to one knee, right there in the middle of the crowded terminal.I could have killed him right on the spot.For a moment, I considered running.But there was nowhere to go.He laid the flowers down and reached for my hand.I sort of half dropped my duffel bag; I was so stunned and let him take my hand.