I nodded silently before speaking. “Yes.”
“Good,” said Brody. “I’ve got an idea then. Wanna hear it?”
“Sure.”
“Let’s try this: You take the day. Go out, do your thing, enjoy the beautiful sights in Vegas. And then later tonight, after dinner? You meet us for drinks. Corey and I.”
The lump was back in my throat again. It was competing with the knife in my belly.
“Drinks?”
“Yes, drinks,” he replied innocently. “Your hotel has a bar, doesn’t it?”
“Of course.”
“There you go,” said Brody. “We’ll meet you down there, and the three of us will have a drink. Just one drink. That’s it.”
“One drink…” I repeated.
“Sure,” said Brody. “At worst, we’ll get to know each other a little. Share a few laughs. Maybe have some fun together, before we go our separate ways.”
“And at best?” I found myself asking.
“At best we’ll hit it off,” said Brody slyly. “At which point the three of us will head up to your room…”
My legs crossed. My body stiffened.
“… and have even more fun together.”
There was another moment of silence. I felt queasy. Almost nauseous. At the same time though, my whole body trembled with an almost electric excitement.
“Lauren?” the voice at the other end of the phone asked. “You still there?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
I swallowed hard. Took the leap.
“Okay. I’ll do it.”
My shoulders slumped as the words dropped from my lips. It was a good feeling. Like all the pressure had finally been taken away.
“Excellent!” said Brody. “Corey and I will be looking forward to it.” I could practically feel him smiling from the other end of the phone. “Let’s say nine-thirty?”
“Nine-thirty,” I repeated. “One drink.”
“Of course,” said Brody cheerfully. He paused for another moment. “Where are you staying?”
“The Bellagio.”
“Ah, you went big,” said Brody. “Very cool.”
I glanced through my bedroom doorway, into the main area of our multi-bedroom suite. Everything was all polished marble and deep-pile carpeting. Decor that might be considered gaudy anywhere other than Las Vegas, like the gold-le
af accents on the finely-paneled walls.
If only you knew how big, I thought to myself.