She put a few coins in the machine and pressed a couple of buttons but nothing happened. Maybe that was how casinos made so much money. She wondered how many of the people on the floor actually knew what they were doing and how many were simply hitting various buttons in the hopes they were the right ones.
There was a panel with some instructions on the front of the machine but the font was so small it made her head dizzy reading it. She decided to take her chances and press a few more buttons.
By the time she’d lost twenty dollars, she was annoyed. Rather than waste any more of her hard-earned cash, she abandoned her machine. She texted Bea and let her know she was going for a short walk and then did her best to find one of the casino exits. It wasn’t easy because the place meandered, discouraging gamblers from leaving.
She spied an open doorway in the distance. Two huge displays of lilies and greenery indicated a shift in energy as the intensity of the casino gave way to something more ethereal.
“That looks more my speed.”
As she walked toward it, a sign became visible. It said, “Paradise Chapel.”
Dana paused.
So this was where couples came to get married at Vice. She’d never seen the chapel in person before, only in online photos.
A new throb began taunting her above her right temple. It was probably just the lights in the casino playing havoc with her eyes again. It had been a few hours since she glimpsed anything resembling natural sunlight, and she knew for a fact those slushies were still messing with her system.
When she tasted bile, she knew it wasn’t just the slushies coming back to haunt her.
Memories of Tommy intruded, specifically of the night he asked her to marry him. She’d known something was up from the start. He was a terrible actor and had been sweating. He’d taken care to dress in his best suit, the one he only hauled out for weddings and funerals. He’d brought her flowers too. When he’d begun to suffer palpitations over their appetizers, she’d known. She remembered feeling such excitement and had done her best to contain herself so he could have his moment.
The more she thought about their engagement, the more her head hurt. Pulsing with a beat that refused to be ignored, it seemed to have a voice.
Tom-my. Tom-my. Tom-my.
She rummaged in her purse, hoping she had a bottle of Tylenol in there. Unfortunately, the only things she found were her wallet, a wad of unused tissues, three shades of lipstick, a Minnie Mouse pen sent to her in a Walt Disney World tour operator press kit, and a few Band-Aids in case she got blisters from walking the Strip.
Tom-my.
She gritted her teeth. “You’re better than this. Mind over matter.”
Despite the increasing pain in her head, she wandered toward the chapel.
The hallway leading to it was long and quiet, taking her far away from the constant thrum of energy in the casino. The purple color scheme of the casino lightened, transforming into soft neutrals and pale flocked wallpaper. Enlarged photos decorated the corridor. Some were close-ups of diamond rings. Others focused in on clasped hands or intricate pieces of lace. Huge bouquets of flowers stood sentry every few feet. There wasn’t a single wilted bloom among them. She couldn’t imagine how much it cost to keep the arrangements looking fresh.
Alex must have a battalion of florists at the ready.
She hadn’t even entered the chapel yet but the atmosphere was peaceful and soothing, very nice as far as Vegas wedding locations went. No cheesy photos of Elvis here.
If only its tranquility had an effect on the tumult in her head.
Figuring a few minutes in a quiet chapel would help her feel better, Dana passed through the open door.
Alex stood at the top of the aisle with a woman.
What the hell? Everywhere she went, she ran into the man.
She couldn’t face him now, not after what happened yesterday.
She turned, hoping he hadn’t seen her. At the same time, she couldn’t help being curious about his female companion. A beautiful Latina, she was well-dressed, held herself high and had an amazing head of black hair.
No doubt she was fertile too.
Stop it, just stop it. Keep moving.
“Dana.”
She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around. “Hi, Alex. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything. I was just snooping.”
