Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
A lex stared at Mary s back as she marched out.
He d hurt her. He had to, even though as he d watched the light go out in her eyes, his gut felt worse than when Michael and Rafe pummeled it all those years ago.
If he hadn t pushed her away, she d have stubbornly kept shoving her quarters into the slot until her bucket was empty. He d never pay out. Especially not now that the Paradise was lost.
When had it all gone wrong? When had he lost control? It happened long before he d agreed to hire Dante and his gang of human liability risks. It was the moment he d allowed his personal life to seep into his business.
When he d hired Mary for all the wrong reasons.
He hadn t hired her because she was the best. Vegas was thick with wedding planners, all with more experience, and he could ve brought in any one of them. He d insisted on Mary Forza because of the hope buried deep inside him. Hope that she could forgive him. That he could be worthy of her love. That if he let her in, they could be stronger together.
It was utter bullshit.
If he d been thinking with his head instead of with his pathetic heart, he d have seen that Mary had too many other priorities to give this wedding the attention it required. He d witnessed her exhaustion when she d almost fallen asleep in that meeting with the bride and groom. He should ve replaced her then. If he d done that, maybe he could ve separated his professional life from his personal one and pulled off a successful wedding.
That pitiful little spark of hope inside him whispered, Maybe then Mary could ve loved you.
No. He should ve stayed away from Mary Forza altogether. He d built his business from nothing, relying only on himself. He d never allowed himself to have feelings for anyone. Not until Mary.
Emotional entanglements were for chumps.
He was a chump.
Despite what Mary said, vulnerability was a rabid dog, and it had bitten him in the ass. He d lost everything, and to save Mary from being tainted by his failure, he d shoved her away again.
It had been surprisingly easy. She must not have cared that much.
He didn t know if that made him feel better or worse.
Realizing he was staring at a closed door, he shook his head.
None of it mattered now. His wedding planner had quit, and he had to keep up the farce of it all until the bitter end. Although his business was in the shitter, he had some pride left. And it was pride, not any soft feelings for the bridal couple, that forced his feet toward the ballroom.
He d organize whatever chaos was happening in there. He didn t need help. Especially not from Mary, with her tumultuous curls and those soul-shattering eyes.
Crossing her arms, Evie glared at him as he approached the ballroom.
Your boss quit. You should leave too, he barked, brushing past her into the dark room.
He pulled up short. Inside the ballroom was…enchantment.
The guests phone flashlights pointed forward, illuminating the bridal party and the officiant with a soft glow that reminded him of candlelight Mass on Christmas Eve. Even from behind the back row of seats, Alex heard Rohaan s teary I do across the electrified hush of the ballroom as clearly as if the microphones and video screens had been powered on.
The witnesses broke the silence with soft murmurs and awws. The couple s brilliant smiles dazzled in the dim glow of five hundred white LEDs.
Alex s heartbeat slowed. This was pure magic, and for a second, he wished Mary could see it.
With a sudden whoosh, the air conditioning surged on, and light blinded him. The guests groaned, blinking in the restored electricity.
Shielding her eyes, Rochelle called out, Turn off the lights. But keep your phones on.
Behind him, someone flicked off the chandeliers and plunged them back into darkness. The guests gave a pleased murmur and pointed their phones again toward the couple.
Let s wrap this up, Rochelle said. I m ready to be married.
Even the dour judge cracked a smile as she read out Rochelle s vows. After saying, I do, Rochelle didn t wait for the judge s instruction. She threw her arms around Rohaan s neck and pressed a kiss to his lips.
Alex sighed. A wedding was something he was now certain he d never have for himself. His mother would be heartbroken when he told her to stop hoping for grandchildren to dote on. But it was his fucking life, and if he wanted to live it alone, wallowing in failure, that was his right. Fortunately, he d socked away enough cash to take care of Donna Campo and Mama, regardless of what happened to La Villa.
Turning on his heel, he led the way to the reception in the ballroom next door. The chandeliers blinded him. None of the magic from the ceremony lingered. It was just a regular wedding reception with dinner, a band, and cake. Even Joey could handle that. He d set up the seating map and was guiding the guests to their tables.
Too bad Mary s fingerprints were all over the event, from the crispy potatoes she d said were a better choice than pasta to the heirloom cake topper she d admired when he brought it to the shop.
After a stop at the bar, he took his drink to a corner where he could practice being a lonely old curmudgeon.
* * *
Hours later, Alex wished another blackout would shut down the reception. He was tired of guests walking up to him to thank him for the work Mary had done.
One of the groomsmen had towed a tiny boy in a white suit up to him to ask where Evie had gone. He wanted to thank her for rescuing the wedding rings.
At least fifty guests told him how wonderful the ceremony had been. They called it enchanting and charming. Not at all how he d have described the building-wide blackout.
Even his hotel manager texted him to thank him for sending Michael Forza down to help the engineers with the generator. Apparently, it was Michael s extensive knowledge of internal combustion engines that identified and repaired the problem.
He d just picked up his third scotch from Elton when Rochelle towed her father up to him.
Hello, Alex, she said.
Congratulations on your wedding. Alex cleared his throat. I m sorry it didn t go as planned.
No one will ever forget it. She shrugged. I m just glad to be married. And my father has something to say to you.
Ray sucked his teeth. Then he said, I m sorry, Villa. I know it wasn t your fault the power went out.
Alex blinked his eyes wide. It wasn t?
Ray continued, I appreciate the creativity with which you resolved the problem. The ceremony really was beautiful.
I—it wasn t me, he admitted. Mary Forza had the idea for the candlelit ceremony. And her brother Michael fixed the generator.
Ray twisted his mouth. As I recall, you and the Forzas haven t always gotten along.
We had a disagreement back when we were all younger.
Good to see that you got past it. Seeing your collaboration with the Forzas gives me hope that you and the other owners on the Strip can come together to revitalize the Paradise.
Alex s heart pinged like one of the slot machines downstairs. The Paradise? You mean?—
I spoke hastily earlier, and I regret it. Ray Richardson s hand landed heavily on his shoulder. I admire how you all worked together to ensure Rochelle married the man of her dreams.
When I got cold feet, Rochelle said, Mary reminded me of why I wanted to marry Rohaan in the first place.
She did? And what reason was that?
I m a better person when I m with him.
Was Alex a better person with Mary? He d felt amazing when they were together in San Diego. Like his burdens were lighter once he shared them with her. But he hated how out of control he felt tonight. How bile rose in his stomach and his eyes prickled.
Emotions made him weak. He d known the danger of allowing Mary behind his defenses. He d resisted letting anyone close for exactly this reason. With Mary, he d done exactly what he d laughed at so many others for doing. He d allowed his feelings to get in the way of his business.
He d endangered what he wanted most in the world: to tear down the Paradise, that symbol of his shame.
He stood up straight, willing the hard shell to re-form over his vulnerability. Despite what Ray thought, Alex was better off on his own. But he didn t have to share that conviction with him. At La Villa, we have a whatever-it-takes attitude to ensure our guests comfort and enjoyment, he said. That will be our mantra at La Villa Prime, as well. I ll make the property a star on the Strip again. I ll rebuild it into a world-class resort.
You re committed to the city, and the Strip? Richardson asked. Can I count on you to work with us for everyone s success?
Mary had taught him that. How to combine his strengths with hers to make something better than he alone could have done. Alex s heart felt blackened and blistered like the wall in the other ballroom. Of course.
Then you have my vote in favor of the purchase, the older man said.
Alex waited for the satisfying feeling of a missing piece slotting into place. It never came. Instead, the empty pit inside him deepened.
He was hungry, like Mary said. Or stressed. Or too focused on this wedding to enjoy the victory. He half-wished he could tell Mary the news.
But he couldn t. He d burned that bridge.
Tomorrow morning, he d tell his mother instead. She d be proud of him. Then he d feel whole.
He forced a smile onto his face. Thank you. You won t regret it.
Regret. That couldn t be what muffled the elation he should be feeling.