Viviana
I offer a silent prayer up to God, the angels, and whoever else is looking out for me today.
I managed to get through the bus ride to Red Rock Canyon, the rehearsal, the ride back to the Strip, and all of the rehearsal brunch without running into Austin.
There were more than enough people to keep us both occupied and maintain a healthy distance, which is exactly how I envisioned this weekend going.
But just because I managed to stay away from him didn’t mean I was in the clear. Before the end of brunch, the bride-to-be joined me on the restaurant terrace for a final look at the Bellagio Fountain show, but that wasn’t all she wanted…
“Want one?” Maddie asked, standing beside me with an iced coffee.
I noticed earlier that she and I were the only ones avoiding alcoholic beverages today.
I found it strange. How were the others dealing with such a nasty hangover and still going?
Bouncing back is not as easy as it once was, now that I’m not in my early twenties.
When Maddie’s sister Emmy shoved a cocktail in my face on the bus earlier, I was sure I was going to vomit.
“What’s going on with you and Austin?” she asked, leaning back against the banister. She placed her straw delicately on her tongue, taking a sip as she stared up at me with big blue eyes.
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, come on, Viv! Don’t play coy.” Maddie laughed. “I’ve seen you making googly eyes at each other. And before you deny it, you were doing the same thing last night.”
I rolled my eyes. “We were not.”
“Yes, you were! Not to mention that…” She looked around to make sure none of the lingering guests were listening. “He took you home last night.”
I scoffed. “And nothing happened.”
“You sound a little disappointed, Vee.” A smirk spread across her bright red lips, taking another sip of her coffee. “Did you want something to happen?”
Did I want something to happen?
That was a great question. One that I didn’t have an answer to.
No, I didn’t want something to happen because that would only reopen the wounds I had been fighting to heal.
Being away from the company for the last nine months while recovering from surgery has been good and gave me a chance to work through my feelings without having to see him.
But I won’t lie that part of me wished something had happened…
Or maybe it was just my delusion talking.
I knew better than to believe the delusion.
This was Austin Murray. Better known to the world as Spencer Austin, the Showstopper.
One of Elite Wrestling Entertainment’s top entertainers.
If he were tied down—as he so eloquently put it in years past—he wouldn’t have the freedom he desired.
That’s why he loved our arrangement. No feelings. No strings attached. Just sex.
“You guys were cute together—”
“We weren’t together, Maddie.”
Maddie snorted. “Yeah, okay. Spew that bullshit to someone else, because I don’t believe it for one second.
Drew and I were convinced you guys would get married before we did.
I was shocked when he told me Austin wasn’t with you during your surgery.
You didn’t even tell me you guys broke up; I found out from Drew, who found out from Ace!
You’ve still never told me what happened. ”
“There’s nothing to tell. Austin didn’t want anything serious.
He made that very clear from the beginning.
You know that. We were just friends, and he wanted someone consistent to get his dick wet when he felt the urge.
” The words rolled off my tongue with ease because that’s what I’d been telling myself for months.
We were just friends (if that), and that’s all we’d been because Austin Murray didn’t do feelings. “So, I ended things before I got hurt.”
“And how did that go?”
“Not well,” I whispered.
“Vee, I love you, but you brought this on yourself. You broke up with him over a text instead of—”
“It wasn’t a breakup!”
“You should’ve talked to him and told him how you felt. How you feel.” Maddie offered me a sad smile. “Vee, maybe this is a sign. You guys can hash things out before you go back to work. And if nothing else, you can at least be friendly. It’ll make your return a little less awkward.”
Maybe it was, but it wasn’t a sign I would explore this weekend. Besides, I didn’t know if I was going back to EWE…Maddie didn’t need to know that, not right now.
“Promise me something, Viviana. Before you leave this weekend, you will talk to Austin. And you’ll be honest with him about everything.”
“That’s not—”
“Promise me,” Maddie interrupted me. “I think if you give him the chance, you’ll see that you were more than just a…
What did you call it? ‘Someone consistent to get his dick wet’?
” She gave me a look that shut down my protest almost immediately.
I rolled my eyes and walked away from her, but I knew the next time she had the chance, she’d bring the conversation back around.
After brunch, Maddie and Drew released the wedding party from their duties until tomorrow morning. I took the opportunity to spend my day relaxing by the pool with a book and an Aperol Spritz. It only took an hour after brunch to not get queasy at the thought of consuming alcohol again.
Am I trying to avoid a repeat of last night? Maybe…but I’m telling myself I’m just being a good bridesmaid and avoiding any issues that a long night could cause tomorrow morning.
Issues like a certain brown-eyed man who’s been a lingering thought since I left his room this morning (let’s be honest, it’s been a lot longer than that).
Have there been a few times the image of being in bed with him for other reasons than just a good night’s rest slipped through the cracks of the wall I’ve been trying to keep up? I’d be lying if I said no.
Different scenarios have entered my mind, each one better than the last, and as I step off the elevator, another one enters my mind…I glance down the hallway that will take me to his room on the other side of the floor, but I remind myself I’m not supposed to be looking for trouble.
“Just go to your room, Vee,” I whisper. Go to your room and don’t look back.
That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Go straight to my room, take a hot shower (maybe a nice long bath), and order some room service while I scroll through the endless movie titles before finally settling on one I’ve seen a million times.
Walking into my room, I toss my pool bag on the chair across from the bed and strip out of my swimsuit. Room service says it’ll be an hour before they deliver, giving me enough time to shower, run through my skincare, and get dressed without rushing.
I let my fingers dance through the warming water until it reaches maximum temperature, and I stay in the shower until the water runs cold.
Slipping the plush white robe over my shoulders and twisting my hair into a towel, I swear I hear a knock on the door.
As I step out of the bathroom, the world seems to stand still, and every sound of the world around me is sucked into a vacuum of silence.
Only to be broken when another knock sounds. This time, with more weight to it.
The first thought I have is: What the hell? They shouldn’t be here for another thirty minutes. And the second is: What if it’s not room service?