Page 16 of Billionaire In Vegas

“Where do you think you’re going, you tramp?” she screamed, spittle flying on my face as I tried to knock her off. I pushed at her face with one hand while desperately attempting to roll away. I felt my skirt fly up and the snickering from the guys with the laughs from the women made me want to just give up and let Tanya kill me.

But self-preservation won out and I kicked at her, sending her sprawling backward. My legs felt like Jell-O but I tried to crawl away as fast as possible, panting as I crawled between the legs of one of her friends.

“Hey!” she called out as I practically mowed her over. Just as I thought I was reaching freedom, Tanya caught me by my legs and I went sprawling to my tummy, screaming and trying to grab hold to any legs I could as she dragged me away.

“Help! Somebody! Anybody! Help!” I cried as I managed to flip over and disentangle one foot from her grasp. Valiantly with the other, I kicked at her.

“Tanya! Don’t kill me! Please! Please! Don’t kill me!” I found myself begging. By now, what felt like the whole bar was gathered around like this was some sort of UFC/MMA fight. If Tanya didn’t kill me, embarrassment sure would.

Tanya tossed herself on top of me and sitting on my belly began to slap me. Yelling out, “Whore, tramp,” and a variety of other colorful phrases.

Over my whimpering and crying, I heard someone yelling, “Break it up. Come on, break it up.” And then miraculously the weight of Tanya’s body was no longer on my abdomen and someone was reaching for my hand trying to pull me up.

I grasped hold of the hand and dared to open my eyes. To my surprise, it was Jude. I hugged his neck, “Oh thank God. You saved me. These people are monsters!”

Tanya was being held back by her fiancé as she growled and lunged at me, I screeched and hid behind Jude.

“She’s sorry. We’re sorry. Excuse us.” Jude said pushing me quickly toward the exit. I glanced behind me and saw that Tanya had escaped her fiancé’s grasp and was still coming after me.

“Oh my God. She’s like the Terminator. Run, Jude! Run!”

He seemed to find my words amusing until he looked behind us and saw Tanya’s murderous face. He pushed past me, yelling, “Let’s go! She’s possessed! Come on, Lacey!”

We pushed through the exit and raced down the street, Jude ahead, me limping behind him, until finally we saw another bar and disappeared into it. We collapsed against the side of the bar, trying to catch our breath.

“Now that—” I started.

“Was humiliating,” he finished.

Our eyes met and we started to laugh. My ribs hurt, my face hurt, and I was pretty sure I looked like a wild monster, but I couldn’t help but find the situation so ridiculous that it was actually amusing.

Jude’s laugh was contagious. It was a deep belly laugh, so un-self-conscious and genuine. We must have looked like two crazy people, laughing hysterically.

Our laughter died down and Jude stared at me. I knew I must have looked a mess and I was sure I was covered in dirt and scratches.

And then Jude surprised me by beginning to laugh even harder.

I turned bright red. “I know... I know… I must look...” I stopped talking as I caught a look at myself in the mirror directly across from us. My wrap dress had come undone and you could see everything. And I mean, everything. I gasped as I tried to right my dress, spinning around in a circle trying to find the other part of my dress.

“Oh god oh god,” I said over and over and Jude’s laughter grew louder, drawing even more looks and a few giggles.

I hit him in a fit of despair and desperation. “Stop laughing, you… you… juvenile man-boy and help me!”

He did as he was told with a stupid grin on his face the whole time. He handed me the other half of my dress and I quickly wrapped it back in the front and tied the belt in a knot.

“Thank you,” I muttered, unjustifiably angry with him although this had been the second time he’d saved me that evening. When did I become the damsel in distress type?

“Can I ask you a question?” he said, once I righted myself.

“No.” I was being contrary and stubborn because I was embarrassed.

“Okay, I’m going to pretend you said yes. What the hell happened back there?”

I folded my arms across my chest and spoke with a voice full of indignation, as if I was the one who had been wronged as I answered, “I was accosted by that woman. You saw what happened.”

“Umm yeah, I saw that part. Now that was a sight... but what started the catfight?”

“Catfight? How sexist!”