Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Tom
I thought joining Gloria and Dee for their morning workout would be the strangest thing I did today.
I was wrong. So wrong. Because now I’m on a blind date.
Well played, Gloria.
Not that I’m complaining. Paisley might be guarded—not surprising, considering she’s a victim of Gloria’s meddling—but I’ve certainly been on worst dates.
The Dice & Dine is a paragon of Vegas tackiness, with its fake archways, overused gold leaf, and stray feathers from boas gone by. It’s at complete odds with Paisley, who exudes pure elegance and class, all shy smiles and muted laughter.
She has ashy blonde hair that cascades over her shoulder and the clearest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Paisley seems like a woman who embraces her natural beauty, effortlessly gorgeous, like she rarely wakes up with a hair out of place. I bet she has her shit together. In other words, not someone interested in a casual fling.
Still, stranger things have happened in Vegas, and I did catch Paisley watching my Zumba moves. I might have added an extra sway to my hips and flexed my arms more than necessary when I noticed her eyeing me up.
Gloria must have noticed, too, because she’d succeeded in playing matchmaker in less time than it took me to grab a bottle of water. And considering the stags haven’t shown one ounce of concern for my whereabouts , why not spend the day entertaining a stunning woman who, despite her careful demeanour, hasn’t run screaming for the hills?
“So, Paisley Darling,” I tease, “how are you planning to keep me out of trouble today? You heard Gloria. I can’t be left alone.”
“I still can’t believe they leave you in charge of children,” Paisley laughs, shaking her head.
“Hey! I’m a responsible teacher. Some might even say strict.” I wink playfully, pleased when a pretty blush spreads across her cheeks. “Besides, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but there aren’t thirty smelly teenagers running around here. When I’m not Mr Grant, I’m just Tom. And just Tom likes to have a drink and explore new places, you know?”
“Not really,” she admits with a practised smile. “Just this morning, someone reminded me how boring I am. I don’t really do the whole ‘letting your hair down’ thing. This morning’s my first proper day off in months.”
“You’re joking. You’ve not done any sightseeing at all since you’ve been here?”
“The furthest I’ve ventured from the hotel is the coffee stand across the street,” she laughs. “They do the best caramel iced lattes.”
An idea forms in my head. I deliberate it briefly—too briefly—before standing up and holding out my hand to Paisley. “That’s it, we’re going out. You have a day off, and I’m still technically MIA. Let’s see what Vegas has to offer.”
Paisley looks at me like she’s trying to work out if I’m serious, so I shake my hand eagerly, daring her to take it. “Paisley Darling, I promise I’m an excellent tour guide.”
Paisley scoffs, staring at my hand as if it’ll bite. “I highly doubt that. You can’t even find your own hotel.”
“What I lack in navigation, I make up for in enthusiasm. And you wouldn’t want to let Gloria down, would you? Trust me, this will be the best date you’ve ever been on.”
“Fine,” Paisley huffs, finally slipping her hand into mine. “But only because I’m terrified of Dee. It isn’t a date.”
Well, it was worth a shot.
“Understood,” I concede, gently pulling Paisley to her feet. “Go and get ready, and I’ll meet you in the lobby in half an hour.”
“Do I need to bring anything?”
“Nope. I’ve got this all under control.”
Paisley doesn’t look convinced, so I count it as a win when she turns towards the bank of elevators. “Okay,” she says, waving half-heartedly. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
Game on, Paisley. After this non-date, no one will ever call you boring again.