He shrugs. “Crazy things always happen when you’re in Vegas.”
Chapter Fifteen
PRESLEY
Thanks to a holistic guru at the spa and the detox massage she gave me, I wake up feeling pretty damn good despite the copious amounts of alcohol I drank the day before.
Or should I be thanking Hollis? Because even though the spa said it was “their treat,” I have my doubts. At the pool, I remember handing over the phone to the bartender and seeing the color drain from his face.
Whatever Hollis said to him apparently had him shaking in his boots because as soon as he was done, that guy got on the phone and suddenly I was being treated like a celebrity with VIP status.
I don’t even want to know what Hollis threatened him with…or why.
But I enjoyed the day regardless.
Someone from the spa came up and escorted me back to my room, where they brought me lunch and a strong pot of coffee. After I ate a bit and had some caffeine in my stomach, the alcohol started to wear off, and I was taken away for a full day of spa treatments.
It was divine.
I was so relaxed by the end that I did something a bit reckless. I could blame it on the glass of champagne, but after the morning I had, I barely took two sips.
No, I was pretty damn clear-headed when I flipped the camera around, snapped a picture of myself, and sent it to Hollis with a single word attached.Thanks.
Was I hoping he would acknowledge the picture? Tell me how beautiful I’d become? Maybe. But all I got in return was, “Glad you’re feeling better.”
And I was—feeling better, that is. Until about five minutes ago, when I woke up and realized I’m officially thirty, single, and completely alone.
Best birthday ever.
I throw off the covers and sit up in bed. The room is still covered in darkness because of the curtains I pulled shut last night, so I force myself out of bed to open them.
The strip is already fairly busy with young families and locals trying to get to their shifts on time. I’ve been here for two days already, and I have yet to actually explore any of Vegas.
At least anything beyond the casino and pool in my hotel.
To say I’ve been sulking is an understatement.
It’s not the breakup bothering me. I’ve been over that for weeks. It’s the betrayal and my total lack of judgment that made me blind from the very beginning. Now the bar—our family’s bar—will suffer, all because I fell for the wrong guy.
Moisture coats my cheek, and I lift my hand, only to realize I’m crying. “Ugh, not again,” I say to myself. I’ve lost count of the tears I’ve shed since I broke up with—and fired—Jace.
I should have called the cops the second I saw that video feed.
Instead, I just pulled him into my office, showed him the video of him slipping that cash into his pocket, and told him to get the hell out. I should have known something was up when he didn’t even bother arguing and just grabbed his stuff and bailed.
I thought that would be the last time I’d ever have to deal with Jace Vaughn.
Two weeks later, he proved me wrong.
Now I’m here, drowning my sorrows, trying to figure out how I’m going to pull the bar out of this mess—without my family finding out. Because the last thing I need is my parents finding out how close the bar is to closing because I didn’t listen when they all warned me what an absolute jerk my boyfriend was.
Moving forward, there’ll be absolutely no confusion about who the family fuckup is.Thanks, Jace.
“Happy fucking birthday to me,” I mutter, wiping away the rest of my tears as I head to the shower.
Thirty minutes later, my hair is washed and blown dry, and I stand in front of my suitcase and reach for a floral sundress, hoping it will improve my mood. It’s not my typical attire, but Vegas isn’t my typical scene either.
Here’s to hoping both will improve my mood.
