He will take you to the plane and I’ll see you in a few hours.
Love, Asher
Fucking Asher.
P.S. I have picked out your clothes. They’re in a box on the bed.
Hmmm. I run to the bedroom and see the box. It’s just like the one he sent me on Saint Thomas. I’m so excited to go back there and relive our first date. I chuckle a little at that.
I want to do all of it. The beach. The forest. The restaurant—minus the parents, of course. They won’t be there. And the fun spanking I never got. I’m so excited!
I pull on the black ribbon wrapped around the shiny white box and it dissolves into a puddle of satin. I lift off the lid and the paper inside makes a little whooshing sound.
Inside is… not what I expected. It’s the blue dress I wore to Kristi’s rehearsal dinner in Vegas. I lift up another layer of paper and find my crappy Target shoes. What the hell?
My cell phone rings in the other room, so I get up and race into the kitchen to catch the call. Vaughn. “My prince?” I ask the phone.
“The one and only,” he says back. “Did you find my gift?”
“I did. But it was not what I was expecting.”
“Hmmm. You need to trust me. Don’t pack anything, it’s all taken care of. I’ll see you in a couple hours.”
And then he hangs up.
“More like a shitload of hours,” I tell the silent phone. I pout a little, unhappy that I have to travel all the way to Saint Thomas alone. But I don’t want to spoil his preparations, so I put the dress on and manage to drag the zipper up after contorting myself into a pretzel.
I slip into my heels and grab my purse.
The driver takes me to the jet and I wonder, if I’m on the jet, how did Vaughn get to the island? But I don’t ponder too much. I’m tired from work, and there’s champagne chilling in the bucket next to the seat I like to sit in when we travel.
The staff pours me a drink and offers me food once we take flight.
I accept it gladly. Because I’m starved. And then, after about thirty minutes, I kick my shoes off and settle under a blanket to sleep away the long flight.
“MRS. Asher,” the attendant says, shaking my shoulder gently. “We’re here, ma’am.”
“What?” I ask, sitting up. “But we just took off.”
“Yes, ma’am. Las Vegas is a very short flight.”
“Las Vegas? But I thought we were going to Saint Thomas?”
“No, ma’am. That’s tomorrow night. Tonight you’re staying at the Bellagio with Mr. Asher. He’s already there. Your concierge is waiting for you in the limo outside.”
I realize the door to the plane is already open and the cool desert air is flowing into the plane. “OK.” I can go with the flow.
I get in the car and there’s Carl. I remember him from our last Vegas disaster. He was very helpful when we wanted to change Kristi’s wedding.
“Carl?” I ask him.
“Mrs. Asher,” he says back with a smile. “I’m to escort you to the hotel and lead you to your first clue.”
“Clue?”
“Yes, ma’am. Mr. Asher left me specific instructions to give you clues as to where you will find him tonight.”
I have to turn away so I can process this. What is he doing? I spend the next thirty minutes wondering, going out of my mind with curiosity, and declaring my love to my husband internally over and over again.
I have a feeling…
“We’re here,” Carl finally says. The driver gets out and opens my door and Carl meets me, and then offers his arm so he can escort me inside. We walk between the large Asian lion statues and into the lobby of the very festive Bellagio Hotel.
I allow Carl to lead me and after a few minutes we end up on the terrace that overlooks the fountains. It’s empty and when I look around for other people, Carl says, “Mr. Asher made sure this night would be completely private months ago.”
My mind is spinning with possibilities. “You said I get a clue?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He pulls a sealed envelope out of his pocket and hands it to me with a smile.
“Thank you.” My hands are shaking with anticipation as I take it from him and tear it open.
Princess,
This was where we came first. Do you remember what you said?
Love,
Your prince
I stare out at the view. At the people gathered around to watch the nightly show. “There’s too many people, that’s what I said.” I look over at Carl, just to make sure he doesn’t think I’m crazy. “I told him this wasn’t private enough. We needed a place that was just for us.”
Carl smiles and nods. “Yes, ma’am, that’s what you said.”
“Were you there?” I ask, surprised.
“Yes. I’m a wedding officiator as well as a concierge.”
“You married us?”
He nods again and his genuine smile eases my nerves a little. “I did. Mr. Asher is waiting for you in the exact spot where you were married. I’m to accompany you, but you have to remember where you got married to find him.”
“Where did we go?” I tap my finger on the ledge of the balcony and wait, but he doesn’t answer me.
After more than a full minute of silence he prods me. “You’re a wedding planner. Where would one have a wedding here?”
“The gardens are a pretty place.” But that feels too generic. I mean, flowers? Really? Is that all I could come up with? “The pools?” But no. How stupid to have a wedding at a pool, even a Bellagio pool. “I don’t know. Our room?”