She turns back and smiles. “There. Better now?”
“Marginally,” I sigh.
Frankie cozies up to the blond while I hang back with the darker haired one named Daniel.
“Sage, right?”
“Yes.”
“Do you come to Vegas often?” He smiles and it’s boyishly charming.
“No,” I say. “It’s only my second time. How about you?”
“We live about an hour’s drive from here, so we come down at least once a month.”
“Wow, doesn’t it get exhausting?”
His eyebrows push together. “Exhausting? Not at all. It’s awesome.”
I exhale slowly and realize that the idea of partying every weekend and driving down to Vegas regularly is something I would have enjoyed in my early twenties, but at twenty-nine, it’s starting to feel like a lot.
After scouting a few of the tables, Dave chooses one. “The dealer doesn’t look hot at this one. And there’s two chairs open.”
“Oh, but that means Sage and Daniel can’t play.”
I wave her off. “Oh, I’m good to stand here and watch. Don’t mind me.”
Dave pulls out a chair for himself and sits down, but Frankie hesitates. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I don’t like gambling, anyway.”
“Okay, we won’t be long.”
I look around the room and try to distract myself.
“Would you like another drink?” asks Daniel.
“No. I’m good. Thanks.”
He rocks back and forth on his white sneakers. They’re expensive, but they make him look like a high school senior. I’m all for women dating younger men, but I’ve always considered myself an old soul.
A sultry voice and an acoustic guitar grab my attention. There’s a musician playing in the back and there are tables open. “I’ll go sit over there.”
Daniel moves in the same direction as me, but I stop him with a smile and a hand on his arm. “You don’t have to stay with me. I’ll be fine on my own.”
I see a rebuttal in his eyes, but before he speaks the words I cut in, “In fact, I prefer to sit alone. It’s been a long day, if you don’t mind.” While he seems nice enough, the energy is wrong between us.
He blinks a few times, confused. It only lasts a few seconds before relief washes over his face. “Are you sure?”
I smile. “Absolutely.”
“Okay, I’ll come check up on you a little later.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Ok. Bye.”
He leaves without so much as a backward glance and I’m glad.
