Epilogue
“I don’t know why everyone loves coming here so much.
” Gray turned his head from left to right, taking in the flashing lights and overlapping sounds of the casino.
“People are packed in like sardines, there’s a faint scent of cigarette smoke everywhere, and the cost of this building should be enough to clue in everyone at the tables that they’re going to lose because their money is what’s paying for this”—he waved his arm around—“over-the-top faux luxury.”
“I can’t argue with those points.” Jack smiled at him. “But we’re here for the conference anyway so let’s make the best of it.” He handed Gray his glass and then lifted his own. “We can enjoy our overpriced drinks and then go back to the room.”
Gray rolled his eyes. “That’s a two-mile walk through an indoor maze.
” He sipped his cocktail. “Next time I’m speaking at one of these things, I’m going to skip the comped room in the conference hotel and find somewhere to stay that’s a tenth of the size and doesn’t have a casino.
Surely there must be better hotels in Las Vegas. ”
“We’re at the Venetian. I’m pretty sure it’s considered one of the better hotels here.”
“Alright, you convinced me, I’ll never agree to present at a conference in this city again. Problem solved.”
“I’m sure it’s great client development. You couldn’t get a moment alone with all the people approaching you earlier about representing their companies.”
“I have more work than I want, and I fill up the hours of more associates and junior partners than I can manage. I don’t need to develop more clients.
” He finished his drink. “I’m wasting your limited time off in a bar inside a casino slash shopping mall in a city that consists of a cluster of ostentatious buildings masquerading as other cities when we could have gone to the real Italy instead. ”
“It’s not that bad.” Jack laughed.
Before he could respond, he surged forward because someone bumped into his chair. He looked up at a very clearly drunk man and his…date. She was half his age, half undressed, and hanging out of her top and all over him.
“You were saying?” he asked Jack.
“One second, honey, my wife’s calling.” The man fumbled with his pocket, teetered to the side and against Gray again, and then lifted a phone to his ear. “Hi, Karen. I won’t be able to talk to the kids tonight because the meeting’s running late. I’m still there.”
“No, he’s not, Karen,” Gray shouted, hoping he was loud enough to be heard over all the other ambient noise.
The guy pressed the phone to his chest and gave him a scathing look.
“What?” Gray asked. “Nobody lies to Karen in front of me and gets away with it.”
“Do you know my wife?” he asked, his expression terrified.
Turning his attention to the woman beside the stranger, Gray said, “Did you know he has a wife?”
The man grasped the woman’s shoulder and started pushing her. “Let’s get out of here. He’s crazy.”
“I don’t need this.” She shook him off and hustled away.
“Your wife’s still on the line,” Gray pointed out before the conversation could continue.
“Fuck you.” He hurried away too.
Gray raised his empty glass in the man’s direction. “Cheers.”
“Uh.” Jack looked to the spot where the couple had been and then at Gray. “That was an experience.”
“Yes, we got to witness adultery in progress. Drinks and a show. This is a delightful place.” He took Jack’s hand in his. “I'm sorry about this. You really didn't have to come with me on a business trip.”
“There is a zero percent probability of me letting you traipse off to Las Vegas unattended.” Jack arched his eyebrows. “Have you seen the way people dress here? Or maybe I should say don’t dress. I absolutely had to come with you.”
Even in a miserable environment, Jack had the power to fill him with joy. “Letting me go unattended, huh?”
“Yes.” Jack crossed his arms over his chest.
“You know…” Gray reached over, peeled Jack’s left arm off his chest, and took hold of his hand again. “There is one thing we can do in this God forsaken city that I’d enjoy.”
“You’re an atheist.”
“Not the point.”
Jack grinned. “What would you enjoy doing here?”
“We can make that ownership you have over me official. Legally speaking.”
Jack searched his face and then his eyes widened and he gasped. “You want to get married?”
“Of course I do. I want to be your husband.” He wove his fingers with Jack’s. “Why is that a surprise?”
“It’s not. I just…” He blinked rapidly. “You really want to marry me, Gray?”
“I really do.” He raised their joined hands and kissed the underside of Jack’s wrist. “We don’t have to do it here, though, if that’s not what you want.
We can wait until we get home and do something more formal.
We can get a venue and a photographer and a caterer and all the rest of it and invite everyone we know. ”
“A party we have to plan with you as the focus and hundreds of people to entertain? You’d hate that.” Jack gave him a knowing smile.
“I’d be marrying you. That’s plenty of incentive to endure any kind of social gathering.” He winked at Jack. “I’ll even ask Jaime to be my best man.”
At that proclamation, Jack threw his head back and belly laughed.
“Too much?” He grinned as Jack continued laughing.
“What? We’re friends now.” That was an accurate statement, for the most part.
Over the past few months, he had made an effort to let go of his anger toward Jack’s ex, and Jaime had made an even greater effort to win him over.
His charm still had no effect on Gray, but he couldn’t help but appreciate how hard Jaime was trying because he knew he was doing it to make Jack happy, they both were.
Having laughed so hard he cried, Jack dabbed a cocktail napkin against his eyes. “I’m grateful for how much you’re trying with Jaime, really, but a wedding isn’t supposed to be torture for a groom.”
Jack was always beautiful, but never more so than when he was happy. Gray smiled at him, completely besotted.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Like…” Jack’s gaze roamed his face and then his eyes softened, he leaned forward and kissed him. “Let’s go get married.”
Thankfully, the mall in the casino had no shortage of jewelry stores and the strip had no shortage of wedding venues, so an hour later, Gray found himself standing in a tacky pretend chapel, slipping a wide gold band onto his dream man’s ring finger.
“And do you Grayson McClellan take Jack Storm to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, to comfort and to honor, in good times and in bad, for better and for worse, and will you keep yourself only unto him, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”
“I did. I do. I always will,” he said, looking into Jack’s beloved face.
“I love you, Gray.” Jack’s voice was rough with emotion and his blue eyes shone with unshed tears. “This is our forever.”
“Finally.”
The End