Chapter 20 #2
It’s starting to feel like maybe I’m taking advantage of him.
I’m enjoying all of these rare Vegas experiences at his expense, and they aren’t cheap.
I want to contribute something, otherwise maybe this is actually a real date, and that makes my stomach churn with fear of the unknown.
What could a date with Theodore Sinclair lead to? What if it leads to . . . nothing?
Oh gosh.
What if this is just one of those “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!”-type things? What if when we get back to Florida, it’ll be as though that kiss last night never happened? That would be humiliating, and I’d never be able to be in the same room as Theo ever again.
As we line up at the loading station, I eye him nervously.
A gondolier in a striped shirt and straw hat greets us at the end of the line and helps us step into the gondola, where Theo and I sit down side by side on cushioned seats.
It feels intimate and romantic, and soon we are drifting gently down the shimmering waters of the canals as the gondolier works his oar through the water.
We glide through the Grand Canal Shoppes, alongside the cobblestone walkways and passing beneath stone bridges, and all of the boutiques and cafes are designed with Venetian flair and style.
Above us, the false ceiling creates the illusion of blue skies and fluffy clouds, and for a brief moment in time, I truly feel like I’m in Venice.
The gondolier begins to sing. Something Italian and authentic. His voice echoes through the charming Venetian streets around us, and it takes me by surprise just how immersive and real it all feels rather than sickeningly theatrical.
“The only thing I don’t like,” Theo murmurs, leaning in closer, “is everyone watching.”
I laugh. Visitors to the Grand Canal Shoppes lean over bridges, snapping photos of us as we float by, because it’s not every day you see people being serenaded on a gondola in the middle of Las Vegas. I ignore the attention and angle my body slightly more toward Theo.
“This is incredible,” I say, and I really mean it, as we listen to the gondolier and embrace the experience. “I’m not sure I’ll ever make it to Italy, so this is the closest I’ll get to Venice.”
“When you’re a famous New York Times bestselling author and you’re jetting off to Europe on your book tour, I’m going to remind you of this exact conversation,” Theo says. His hand naturally falls to my knee, resting against my bare skin, and I try to focus on anything else.
“Ha, we’ll see,” I say with a smirk. “Are you coming with me to hold my purse with all my Sharpies?”
“I’ll happily quit my grueling work in construction to be your personal assistant.
” Rubbing his free hand over his freshly shaven jaw, his gaze thoughtfully wanders off.
“Yeah, that’s the plan. You’ll become famous, I’ll be a stay-at-home dad to our kids.
I’ll take care of everything so you can live your author dream. ”
I scoff and repeat, “Our kids? Let’s slow things down, Theodore.”
As our ten-minute journey through the canals of Venice draws to an end, the gondolier’s voice swells as he serenades us with a heartfelt, dramatic finale.
When the gondola comes to rest at the station, he bids us farewell with a bow and an “Arrivederci!” I tip him generously, and Theo helps me step out of the gondola and back up onto the cobblestone walkway.
“What’s next on our tour of Vegas?” I ask.
Without even a beat of consideration, Theo says, “The flamingos.”
It’s no easy feat finding our way out of the Venetian, but we eventually find the right exit back out onto Las Vegas Boulevard and continue south.
We bypass some of the older, smaller resorts like Casino Royale and Harrah’s—the old-school Vegas waft of stale cigarette smoke emitting from the casino entrances is not exactly inviting—and then reach the more modern LINQ Promenade.
It’s an open-air shopping and dining district that runs alongside the LINQ hotel, the pedestrianized street leading all the way down to the High Roller Observation Wheel that prominently overlooks the strip.
Zipline cables run overheard and palm trees line the walkway.
“That’s already on the itinerary for tomorrow. That big wheel,” I tell Theo, pointing down to the High Roller. “We’ve booked a pod with an open bar, so you can let Liam know. I assume you’ll all be joining us.”
“You don’t need to say it in that tone,” Theo says. “I know you want me to join you on the big fancy wheel. Sunset views over Vegas? Without me? What a wasted opportunity.”
“You really just . . . don’t stop, do you?”
“Well,” he says, stepping in front of me to look me straight in the eye, “are my methods of flirtation finally working on you?” He stands there with a gorgeous smile, a tuft of blond hair poking through the backward baseball cap on his head, and it occurs to me that any attempts at denial would be futile at this point.
“Yeah, they’re working,” I say, dipping my chin shyly and looking up at him from beneath my lashes.
“Then there’s no chance in hell I’m shutting up.”
Before his head grows too big to fit through the door of In-N-Out Burger, I playfully push him away from me and nod behind him to the fast-food chain. “Are you hungry? Can I buy you a burger? My treat.”
Theo smolders his blue eyes at me. “Now who’s the one flirting?”