Page 7 of Bad Luck, Hard Love
“I will,” I say, taking a long swig of my beer. “But Raze, I don’t like the feel of this. They’re up to something, and I don’t think it will be good for us.”
“I know,” Raze says grimly. “Just be careful. Ace is a tricky son of a bitch. Watch your six.”
“I’ll be careful,” I promise, hanging up the phone and leaning against the kitchen counter. The Vegas chapter is up to something big, and I’m the only one who can find out what it is. It’s a daunting task, but I won’t back down. I sip my beer, steeling myself for what’s to come.
Whatever’s in store, I’m ready for it.
CHARLOTTE
The driveto Vegas is a six-hour blur of off-key singing and nonstop chatter. It feels like we are making up for years of lost time. I hate to admit it, but she was right—I needed this. My marriage stole so much, including time with my best friend. I’m not going to waste a second of this trip, even if the idea of being around so many people makes my skin crawl. That wasn’t one of his hang-ups. That one has always been mine.
As the skyline comes into view, the mood shifts. Excitement crackles in the air between us. We’re both buzzing, giddy withanticipation and more than ready to lose ourselves in the chaos of the Strip.
“This is going to be the weekend of a lifetime,” Minny squeals.
We pull into the hotel parking lot, and she bolts from the car before I’ve even turned off the engine. I grab our bags from the trunk and trail after her, my pulse picking up with every step.
The lobby is packed. She leads the way to the front desk, where a bubbly receptionist beams at us as we check in.
“Welcome to Luxor!” the woman says, handing over our room key. “Enjoy your stay!”
My best friend snatches it with a grin and practically dances toward the elevators. I shake my head, smiling. Her joy is contagious, exactly the kind of energy I’ve been starved for.
When we reach our room, I’m floored by the view. We’re high up, and the entire Strip stretches out beneath us, pulsing with light and life.
I cross the room and yank the curtains open. Sunset bleeds across the horizon, and below it, millions of lights flicker to life. The sky glows—not quite night, not quite day. It reminds me of standing in the hills above LA watching the city refuse to sleep.
“Pretty, isn’t it?” she says behind me, already rifling through her bag. “There’s something about that view that just makes me smile.”
A dress flies through the air and nearly smacks me in the face. I barely manage to catch it.
“Time to get ready,” she grins. “Vegas waits for no one.”
“What’s this?” I ask, peering down at the scrap of black fabric in my hands.
“Your dress. We’re going out.”
“We’ve barely settled in.”
“And? It’s Vegas, Charlie. The city that never sleeps. Go put on your dress.”
I laugh incredulously. “This is a dress? It’s barely enough fabric to cover a Barbie doll!” Frankly, I don’t think it would even cover that.
She rolls her eyes at me. “Trust me, it’ll look amazing on you. Now hurry up and change… we’re going out.”
I sigh in resignation and head toward the bathroom to change. Undressing, my eyes stay glued to the floor, unable to look at myself in the large bathroom mirror.
As I slip into the dress, years of Terrance’s words echo through my mind. He had very specific ideas about what his wife’s body should look like. He hated my soft curves, the roundness of my belly and hips. The only thing he didn’t seem to mind was the fullness of my breasts.
It takes every ounce of strength I have to lift my eyes and face the mirror.
I gasp when I see myself. The black fabric of the mini dress hugs me tightly. The hemline hits mid-thigh. I spin on my heels, peering over my shoulder to see it from the back. The dress accentuates my curvy body. With my hair back to my natural color instead of the bottle blonde Terrance had insisted on, the dress’ color makes my blue eyes more dramatic. For the first time in a long time, I feel sexy—a sensation that has been buried under years of Terrance tearing down my self-esteem.
Minny strides into the bathroom wearing a red dress that hugs her hourglass figure in all the right places. With a pair of matching red heels on her feet and a second pair in her hand, she gives them to me. I strap them on, testing out my balance. She clucks her tongue in approval at the sight of me. “There she is! Our Vegas bombshell!”
I laugh, feeling butterflies fluttering in my stomach. The thought of hitting the town in this dress is both exhilarating and terrifying. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
She sets a hand on my shoulder. “You can and you will. We’re going to have the time of our lives. Leave Terrance and his issues behind, okay? This is about you and me and having fun.”
