her finger. His thumb centered the ring, then he pushed something across the glass.
She shook her head, trying to take off the ring, but Michael clutched her smaller hand in his big one and stared into her eyes.
It didn’t even feel like she was watching herself.
She remembered none of it.
Except his hands.
She rubbed her palm down her leg. She remembered his hands. And the careless touches. This morning he’d been the same. As if he couldn’t keep his hands off of her.
“He paid?”
“You both kept joking about room forty-one-oh-eight, but in the end your gentleman made sure his card was the one used. I wasn’t exactly sure what the joke was, but you two seemed to have your own language.”
She pulled off the ring. “Well, I’d like to return it please. It’s not mine to keep. I can’t let him spend that kind of money on me.”
“I’m afraid all sales are final here.” Nathan colored slightly. “As you can imagine, it’s Vegas. People do a lot of spending and have a lot of remorseful morning afters depending on how the game rooms go.”
She swallowed. “Right. Of course.” She had an immediate and overwhelming urge to put it back on her finger. So much so that she stuffed it into the deepest part of her pocket instead. “I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”
Nathan paused the video. “Not a waste at all. I’m sorry you can’t seem to remember what happened. At least that’s what I’m gleaming from our conversation.”
Chloe nodded. “Neither of us remember what happened last night. In fact, most of it is a complete blank.” She pointed to the screen. They were laughing, and she was dragging him away from the case with a huge smile.
When was the last time she’d smiled like that?
At least when it wasn’t Axl involved.
She cleared her throat. “And you said you printed a license?”
He nodded. “Your Michael—”
“He’s not my anything,” she said quickly. Her voice was shrill and her head was pounding as if a dozen songs were trying to play in her head at the same time. All of them loud and frenzied.
All of them had lyrics jumbled over the other. None of the words made sense.
She desperately had to make this make sense.
But it wouldn’t here. She had a plane to be on. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and saw that a message had come in while she was in the control room with Nathan.
Ivy.
She quickly squeezed Nathan’s hand. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to take it out on you. I just…I don’t even know what to do.”
Nathan patted the top of her hand. “It may not be as easy to divorce as it is to marry in Vegas, but it’s possible. Maybe even an annulment.”
She nodded. “Maybe. Thank you for showing me this though.”
“I’m sorry it wasn’t what you wanted.”
She forced herself to smile. How could she not smile at this sweet man? “Wouldn’t be my life if there wasn’t a hurdle.”
“Easy is never an exciting life.”
She snorted. “I’d prefer it to be a little less action-packed, thanks.”
“Could be the best thing that ever happened to you. My Eva and I ran away after knowing each other only three days. Married forty-five years this September.”
Chloe laughed. “Three days?”
“Sometimes you just know.”
“The last surprise I had like this ended with a little boy.”
“And?”
Chloe swallowed down a little bubble of hysteria. “Best day ever.”
“So, don’t discount it.”
She nodded. She didn’t mean it, but she nodded. There was so little romance in her life, but she couldn’t take it away from someone else. That was just cruel. Impulsively she went up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Lucky lady.”
“I’ll tell her you said so.”
“You do that.” She waited as he did something with the computer and led her out into the store. “Thanks, Nathan.”
“You’re very welcome Miss Chloe. Good luck with your young man.”
“I’m going to need it.” She briskly walked through the store and opened the message waiting for her.
IJ:You’re not going to believe what happened last night. I can’t explain everything right now, but I’m OK. I’m not going back with you. I’m sorry. I just have to see this thing thru. Xoxo
She quickly shot a text back.
CA: where are you?
CA: are you ok?
CA: what do you mean you’re not coming back? do I need bail money?
She stared intently at the screen, but there was no little bubbles at the bottom to let her know Ivy was typing back. Nothing from any-damn-one.
What the hell was going