Page 100 of Keep Vegas

“Don’t make me spark up the coven, you muthafucker. Start.”

“Start where?” I ask.

“The first lie.” She points at me, and I nod to her and begin.

She drives me to the airport in her piece-of-shit car. I want to come up with an untraceable way to get her an Audi. Maybe I could rig a contest or a radio giveaway.

“And you really locked all those women down because I left?”

“That’s how it feels. And there’s the therapy piece of it all that kind of confirms my serial legal monogamy is that I’m trying to trap happiness.”

She laughs. “I promise not to trap you.”

I turn to her. “Then promise not to leave me.”

“You know I can’t do that. And neither can you.”

“Track record says differently. I only broke up with one of those women. I was willing to stay married to a bitter woman who was so depressed and repressed because her soulmate wasn’t me. So, I’m not the leaving type.”

I say, “Then don’t piss me off. And we don’t have to get married.”

“We don’t?”

“You really want to get married again? Forget your stupid family. Answer for you.”

Tony turns to me and takes my hand. “I do. I believe in forever, you taught me that, and I certainly hope you’ll join me. I only want to get married one more time.”

“Probably a good idea.”

I laugh as we pull up to the departures area of McCarran/Harry Reid airport.

“Of course, you’re laughing. I’d laugh if you’d been engaged as many times as I have.” I glance at the airport goodbyes going on all around us. “I’ve been through this airport so many times in the last ten and half months, it’s starting to feel like home.” She grins.

“Kiss me goodbye and let me sit with all of this. I wish I could tell you I’ll be fine.”

“I know. And there’s no telling what I’m walking back into or when I can see you again. Or call you again. My life is fucked for the next forty-one days. But on the other side…”

“On the other side.” She’s not sure of me or herself, and I hate that.

“If I can, can I come for your graduation?”

“I’ll save you a ticket.

“And you’re set on Reno?”

“Mags is moving to Tahoe, and I can stay at her mountain house and do the program. I qualified for a great scholarship and financial aid package.” Kills me I can’t pay for school, but she’d kill me if I did.

“Can I move to Reno?” I blurt out.

She puts her hands up. “One step at a time. Finalize your life. Get the company. Restore your wallet. Fix your father. Can I pay your bet?” She smirks as I kiss her.

“I owe ten million.”

“WHAT? Tell me that’s ten million jellybeans or pieces of dust, which is still a fuck of a lot of dust but come ON! Dude.”

I lean in and pull her to me. I take her lips. She gasps and moans a bit as our tongues meet in the most perfect dance of twisting and grinding against each other.

“You can’t do that. You can’t pay people ten million dollars because you love me. Let me talk to them. Who are these morons?” I purse my lips.