The Little Black Dress (Love in Las Vegas)

“And if he thought you were some kind of conniving prostitute for Hatfield, he wouldn’t have done that, would he?” Ava adds, giving me a knowing look.

“So, he realized he was wrong about me,” I say flippantly. “That doesn’t mean I should forgive him. He broke my fucking heart.”

They both gasp, and I realize I’ve said too much.

“So, it was serious?” Zoey asks gently.

“I don’t know,” I say. “Maybe? But it doesn’t matter. He broke us. Whatever we were becoming to each other, he smashed it to bits. And in front of his mother––”

My words cut off sharply when I look across the restaurant and meet a pair of familiar dark eyes. The woman in question is at a table near the back, staring at me with a pleading look. Her mouth moves as she says something to her companions, then she’s up and walking my way.

“Who is that?” Ava asks when her gaze follow mine.

“Bethany. Jared’s mom. Shit. She’s coming over here.”

My friends hold their tongues as Bethany approaches and stops in front of our table. Her hands are clasped in front of her, and she’s wearing a hopeful expression.

“Sophie, it’s so good to see you.”

I nod, unsure what I should say to that. Thanks? You, too? That would be a lie, because I’m feeling anything but happy to see her. The wounds are still too fresh. My embarrassment still too sharp.

“Can I please speak to you for a moment?” she asks, nodding to acknowledge Ava and Zoey.

“Oh. I’m…uh…here with my friends,” I stutter.

“Go on,” Ava says. “We’ll still be here when you get back.”

I shoot her a look meant to kill, but she just smiles sweetly like she didn’t just throw me under the bus. She knows I don’t want to hear Bethany make excuses for her son, but Ava isn’t one to take what I want into consideration if she thinks she knows what’s best for me.

“Okay,” I say, meeting Bethany’s eyes once more.

I stand, and she leads the way to the front entrance. We head outside into the warm evening air, and she walks over to a nearby metal bench and takes a seat. Patting the empty spot beside her, she invites me to sit with her. I sink down, but my back is ramrod straight, and it’s obvious I’m not comfortable.

“Thank you for agreeing to listen,” she says slowly. “I’m not here to make excuses for Jared’s bad behavior. He fucked up. I told him as much.”

My head swings her way as I stare at her with wide eyes. “You did?”

“I did,” she says with a nod and a small smile. “He was even more shocked than you are. I don’t usually use such language around him.”

It’s my turn to smile, and some of that instant comfort I found in her presence when we met returns.

“As I was saying, I don’t want to make excuses for him, but I do think you should know his tendency to mistrust isn’t unwarranted. It comes from a deep-rooted fear of betrayal and abandonment. I’d like to tell you a little bit about it, if you’re willing to listen.”

“Okay,” I say slowly, and I can’t deny it––I’m intrigued.

“I had a fairy tale romance with Jared’s father. Ours was a love that couldn’t be denied, and it only grew stronger when Jared was born. We were happy, and when his father died, it broke us both. Not only did Jared lose his father, but he was thrown into the role of casino owner with very little time to grieve. He put way too much pressure on himself, determined to carry on his father’s legacy. He had no life outside that place until he met Victoria Davis.”

I perk up a bit at that. The name is unfamiliar to me, but the way Bethany said it leads me to believe there’s a lot of anger inside her toward this woman.

“Jared fell in love with her. I had my misgivings from the start, but I held my tongue because he seemed so happy. I wish to God I hadn’t. I could tell from the first time I met her that something was off about her. Oh, she put on a good show, fawning all over him and playing the perfect girlfriend. She even asked if she could call me mom.” She pauses to shudder, then clears her throat. “Anyway, when he told me he was going to propose––“

“Jared was engaged?” I cut in, my shock overriding my politeness.

“No, dear,” she says, patting my hand. “On the day he planned to get down on one knee, he left work early and went home to set up a surprise dinner for her.”

Oh, no. A sense of dread curls through me, and I swallow against the lump rising in my throat.

“He found Victoria having sex with one of his regulars, a whale that frequented the casino.”