The Sheikh's Stolen Bride-To-Be

I couldn’t stop looking at myself in the mirror.

There you are. I haven’t seen you in years.

I’d missed this side of me—the girly, glamorous side. She used to come out all the time. I hadn’t ever expected that having a kid would change me so much. It was nice to feel like I’d turned back the clock, if only for one night.

“You look amazing, Skyler,” Sarah said. “I’m tempted to tell you to take it all off just so I can go back to being the most glamorous one here.”

“No you don’t!” Heather objected.

I laughed. “I’m glad you like it, babe,” I said, grinning. “Because you’ll be the one taking me home tonight.”

Sarah winked. “Aren’t I the lucky one.”

We had another drink in the room and then headed down to the restaurant for dinner. We’d chosen the main hotel restaurant for our first evening’s meal because there was a coupon in our welcome package, but also because we were all so beat from our day out that we didn’t feel like straying too far from the hotel.

“You know what we should do tonight?” Sarah said, munching on one of the biggest burgers I’d ever seen.

“What?” Heather asked.

“Let’s save the clubbing for tomorrow and spend tonight in the casino,” she replied. “I’ve been dying to play a few games of blackjack.”

I sensed Heather had originally planned on something a little more adventurous, but she didn’t argue. It was Sarah’s weekend after all.

I didn’t love the plan either. Spending money to ride a roller coaster or go to a show was one thing, but throwing money at a game you could never truly win was another thing entirely.

“I like that idea,” said Heather. “But let’s get out of here, at least. Let’s go somewhere fabulous, like the Bellagio, or Paris!”

After some deliberation, we decided on the Bellagio since Ocean’s Eleven was one of Elyse’s favorite movies. Though Heather assured me that it wouldn’t cost any more to gamble at the Bellagio than it would at our own casino, I still balked at the idea of going somewhere even fancier than where we currently were.

But I was here to support my friend and have fun, even if we weren’t having my kind of fun. I was beginning to feel like I didn’t know how to have fun anymore. The other girls had let their inhibitions fly, whereas I couldn’t help but tally up every cent I spent.

That was why I was so excited that all you had to do to get free drinks at the Bellagio—or any Vegas casino, as Sarah informed me—was sit and play one of the penny slot machines. We took up a whole row of machines, adding to the cacophony of electronic chimes and beeps.

“This is the most fun you can have with your pants on,” Elyse said, sipping her beer. She pulled the lever again and watched the symbols spin.

“Are you kidding?” replied Sarah. “This is the most fun you can have, period.” She grinned, her eyes glued to the screen. “I’m up nearly three dollars.”

I was playing much more slowly than the rest of them. Sure, a dollar here and there wouldn’t make too much of a difference, but I’d already fed the machine five of my hard-earned dollars and wasn’t anxious to give away any more.

That being said, Elyse and Sarah were onto something. The flashing lights and smoky atmosphere of the casino floor gave it a sense of dream-like fantasy, and the chance of winning back my money for only a small sacrifice made it hard to quit. Not that any of us had tried.

After a few free drinks, however, my bladder demanded I take a break.

“I’m going to the bathroom,” I announced, grabbing my clutch from between the machines.

Normally I could have expected at least one of the girls to hop up and come with me, but all four of them were far too occupied by their games. I couldn’t blame them. Besides, I’d never been much for group bathroom visits.

“Have fun,” Sarah said.

“Make good choices,” Heather chorused.

Ariana and Elyse said something too, but I was already on my way toward the main path.