Chapter 5
Aria
From the second Serena and I step off the plane, a smile formed on my face, and it has yet to go away. I don’t know why, but being in the city of sin makes me feel like I’m a kid in a candy store.
Have I been here before? Yes, countless times.
Am I planning on going wild until I blackout and I’m barely coming up for air on Monday on the flight home? I mean, I do have to work a shift at the hospital once our flight lands back in Austin, and since I deal with children all day, I can’t be going in hungover.
I’ll drink, albeit moderately.
I think my own mind lets out a snort. I don’t do anything moderately. I always go all out. There will be nothing moderate about this weekend, I just know it.
I guess we will see how the weekend plays out.
The unknown should scare me, but no, it only has me bouncing with excitement even more.
The giddiness of what is to come flows through my veins as an Uber drives us into the Las Vegas Strip.
The second we’re in the middle of it all, surrounded by hotels, lights, and all the noise, the internal bouncing has become external, and I’m seconds away from making an Aria-sized hole in this random stranger’s car.
“By the way you’re giggling, I think you might have needed this trip more than me,” Serena lets out with a smile.
I can’t help but smile back at her; for someone who just got dumped, she doesn’t seem all that hurt about it now.
“Honestly? Before I found out about you and Jeremy, I was thinking about planning something to get out of Austin for a few days. So when I saw you on the couch, I figured it was the perfect time to have some fun.”
One of her eyebrows raises in question before she speaks again. “How much fun are we talking?”
“I’m not going to tell you, but by tomorrow morning, you will be thanking me.”
My best friend just laughs as the car pulls up to the hotel and we make our way toward the check in counter.
As we wait in line for our turn to hopefully check in early, I try to take in as much of the space as I can.
This trip is to help Serena get over the douchebag and for me to not think about anything, so I wanted to be in the center of everything. I wanted to be able to walk out and be instantly surrounded by people, lights, music, and fun. So, I chose the one that would be able to give us that.
The Aria.
Did I choose this hotel because it’s close to everything and it’s even connected to a luxury mall? Yes.
Did I also choose this hotel because we share a name? Also yes.
Any place that shares my name is destined to be a good time. And the more I take it in, the more I know just how true the sentiment is.
This is truly going to be a good, relaxing weekend, perfect for getting me out of my slump cycle, work on Monday be damned.
I should high five myself for making the best decision ever.
And I’m about to when something, or should I say someone, walking through the glass doors that separate the lobby and the outside world catches my gaze.
Usually, I’m not one to stare, but right now, I’m staring as if it were an Olympic sport. The person, the man who caught my eyes, is just walking into a hotel, and for some reason, my eyes are glued to him as if he’s the most interesting thing in the world.
In this very moment, he is.
The weird thing is, he isn’t wearing anything I would call ridiculous or doing anything out of the ordinary.
This guy, who has to be over six feet, is simply walking into the building, wearing dark slacks and a white button down with the two top buttons popped open and the sleeves of said shirt rolled up his forearms. It’s a normal activity, a simple outfit choice.
Still, I can’t help but lick my lips as I take the rest of him in.
He’s hot. Like someone you see in a magazine hot.
He makes every other man standing in this area—hell, maybe in this hotel—disappear.
At least, he does for me. Right now, there isn’t any other person around me.
It’s just him and me, and that feeling intensifies when he looks up, like he is sensing someone has eyes on him.
His eyes meet mine.
One second.
Two.
A simple look, only held for a few seconds before something pulls his attention away.
But that’s all it takes, and my insides start to get giddy over an absolute stranger.
A hot stranger who, at this moment, I don’t mind falling to my knees for.
My eyes stay on him as he walks past me and Serena. Just when I’m about to look away, he looks back and throws me a wink.
Alcohol.
I need alcohol, because that is the only thing keeping me from leaving my friend and going through this whole hotel in search of this stranger so he can do nasty and delicious things to me.
Maybe I should go after him now, get his number to possibly meet u-
“Aria!” Serena’s voice rings through my head, pulling me out of the sex-filled cloud and bringing my attention back to her.
“What?”
Do I sound flustered? Maybe it’s because I’ve been staring at someone for who knows how long.
Serena gives a small smirk. “It’s our turn to check in. Are you okay? You were having an intense staring contest with that guy who just passed.”
I feel my face instantly get hot as I start to stutter. “Y-yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go. I need to sit by the pool and drink at least five margaritas.”
Serena laughs lightly, thinking I’m joking about the five margaritas.
I’m not.
Because what the hell was that?
Never in my life have I had practically an orgasm-induing stare down, and every part of me wants to do it again.