Falling Free: What happens in Vegas... (The Fall Series) Read online

  My mom had been sick for a while. We knew it was serious, and we were waiting for the test results that night…

  Look at the stars,

  Look how they shine for you,

  And everything you do,

  Yeah, they were all yellow.

  We were sitting close to the fire on the beach. Sarah and Nina had called it a night, and it was just Parker and me when this song came on the radio…

  I came along,

  I wrote a song for you,

  And all the things you do,

  And it was called “Yellow”

  Parker had been on his best behavior that week, giving his usual annoying asshole routine a break. Looking back now he must have sensed that I really needed my friends more than ever, and when the others were gone he sat next to me and put his arm around me tightly. Then out of the blue he just started singing…

  So then I took my turn,

  Oh what a thing to have done,

  And it was all yellow

  Your skin,

  Oh yeah your skin and bones,

  Turn into

  Something beautiful,

  You know,

  You know I love you so,

  You know I love you so,

  He remembered that night, and somehow he knew how much this song, that night, meant to me.

  I swam across,

  I jumped across for you,

  Oh what a thing to do.

  ‘Cause you were all yellow,

  I drew a line,

  I drew a line for you,

  Oh what a thing to do

  And it was all yellow.

  Completely overwhelmed with emotion, I wanted to run to him. I wanted to drop the bitch defense that I had come here so hell bent on executing, and just tell him everything. How bad he hurt me when he went away, how I thought about him all the time, and how it broke my heart when my mom finally died, and he wasn’t there to hold me.

  Your skin,

  Oh yeah your skin and bones,

  Turn into

  Something beautiful,

  And you know,

  For you I’d bleed myself dry,

  For you I’d bleed myself dry.

  I tugged the ear buds from my ears suddenly aware that I was standing on the edges of the treadmill as it moved beneath me, my eyes glued to the people moving below. Couples holding hands, street vendors, cars, taxis and buses end to end. Suddenly everything seemed to make sense. Life was too short. I’ve lost so many people already that every connection I had left seemed precious. In fact, these connections seemed so rare they were worth holding on to, and in this case, maybe even worth fighting for. The only thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t want to lose his friendship again. Ever.

  I wiped the tears from my face and turned off the treadmill. I had to find him and tell him how much this meant to me, how much HE meant to me. I didn’t want to fight it anymore. I was tired of feeling alone.

  I burst through the door to his bedroom. No Parker. I checked the bathroom, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I was a sweaty mess, but I didn’t care. He wasn’t there. I was on a mission, and nothing seemed more important than finding Parker and pouring my heart out to him. I had no idea what I would say, but I decided to say everything and anything that came to mind the moment I laid eyes on him.

  I started down the hallway that lead to the living room. That’s when it happened. The sound of soft seductive laughter stopped me in my tracks. I almost stayed out of view, but after what I heard next there was no turning back. I had to see this so-called agent who wanted to have a threesome with Parker.

  “We have unfinished business, Parker. You left my office so fast we didn’t have a chance to nail down our little play date.”

  The fact that she emphasized “nail down” wasn’t lost on me. I took a few steps forward and there she was, Parker’s glamorous Las Vegas agent, Shay Roberts, in the flesh. She looked like a showgirl from her flawless makeup to her jet black hair neatly secured with a glittery silver clip. Her long legs were curled suggestively to the side, her designer shoes discarded on the floor in front of her. She looked a little too comfortable to be conducting a business meeting, but then it was apparent that this wasn’t the only business she was interested in. No wonder Mary Blackwell was concerned about Parker getting involved with this woman. I think she called her a “ruthless agent” and said something about her exploiting Parker’s bad boy image. Now I knew why.

  “Shay, I…”

  Intent on getting her way, she cut him off before he could finish. “Look, Parker, you’ve had a hard-on for me since the first time we met, and Brandy is practically begging me to make this thing happen. So what seems to be the issue? You have a long reputation of taking on two women at a time, so that can’t be it. What is it then? Does the fact that we’re lesbians intimidate you?”

  Parker cleared his throat. She had him squirming in his seat. The bad boy was clearly off his game today. I was holding my breath waiting for his reply. Hmm. Yes, WHAT is the problem, Parker?

  I’ll never forget the look on her face when our eyes met—her face turned to stone. She jolted straight up in her chair, squirming as she tried to pull her skirt down from the top of her thighs where she had obviously felt very comfortable leaving it just a few seconds before. Her mouth snapped shut, and she abruptly placed her feet on the floor in search of her shoes.

  Parker was facing her. When he noticed the change in her demeanor, he followed her gaze over his shoulder to the hallway where I stood. THIS was his agent? Really? She was nothing but a predator in designer shoes! What the hell was I thinking anyway? Parker and I were obviously two different people now with two very different lifestyles. Parker had women like Shay in his face every day, and let’s not forget about the prostitutes. That little walk down memory lane must have made me temporarily fucking delirious. Get it together, Lo!

  “Oh, hey, Lauren.” Parker stood up wide-eyed as soon as he saw me.

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” I swallowed the bile rising up in my throat, but my eyes were cold as steel staring holes through her as I spoke. I had to get out of there. As soon as I was out of view I ran back to my room, locking the door behind me. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and stomped into the bathroom where I locked the second door for good measure. Oh, Nina’s going to love this! It’s time to come clean .Get ready for the big “I told you so”! She’s going to tell me to catch to first plane back to Michigan, and right now it was just what I needed to hear. In fact, I briefly considered calling Alex first so I could tell Nina my flight was already booked. No, Nina first. I really need to hear her voice.

  I dialed. Voicemail. Damn it! I tried again. Voicemail again. Fuck!

  I couldn’t believe that for one crazy moment I actually thought Parker and I would have a chance. I was so fucking stupid. I really should be thanking Shay Roberts right now. Well, maybe that was a little too much, but she did me a huge favor by knocking me off of the fucking cloud I was floating on and bringing me back to reality.

  Just then I heard Parker pounding on the bedroom door.

  “Lo, open the door!”

  “Go away, Parker! I’m not in the mood!”

  “Lo, open this fucking door, or I’ll take it down myself!”

  “Go fuck yourself, Parker! Or better yet, go fuck your agent and her lesbian friend. That’s just your style, isn’t it?”

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m in the bathroom calling my pimp’s office to book me the next flight out of this place!”

  I jumped down from the bathroom counter at the sound of the bedroom door shattering off its hinges, and before I had the chance to think he was right outside door number two.

  “I’m not fucking playing here, Lo. Come out here so we can talk about this!”

  “Hey, don’t let me stop you, Parker! I’m just the hired help, and I’m actually going to be out of your way before you know it. You should go catch before you’re all alone!”<
br />
  “I’m going to give you about five seconds to either open this door or get out of the way. Five, four…”

  Trying to think fast, I sat down against the door. “I’m sitting against the door, Parker, so don’t even think about it!”

  Silence. Then the sound of quick footsteps. He was pacing. “Fuck! You don’t understand, Lo! Will you stop being so hard headed for one fucking second and let me explain?”

  “There’s nothing to explain, Parker. You don’t owe me anything. Besides, SHAY explained it all pretty clearly.”

  “Damn it! She doesn’t mean anything to me! There was a time when I thought about it, don’t get me wrong. I think you know me too well by now to believe any different. But that’s as far as it went. It was over before it started. Fuck! It was over the minute I laid eyes on you again.”

  I slumped down against the door and heard the sound of his shallow breaths on the other side. Ugh! Why won’t he just go away! I was in escape mode, even thinking about getting a hotel room if there wasn’t a flight available tonight. As soon as he was gone I would pack. I just had to get rid of him.

  I was too numb to cry. I was too numb to even argue. The only thing I wanted to do was get away from him. “Whatever, Parker. I think it’s time for me to go home. I don’t care about the money. I’m breaking the contract, so just keep it. I’ll figure this out when I get back to Michigan.”

  “So that’s it? That’s how this works? What the hell do I have to do to prove to you that I don’t want anything to do with her?”

  “Nothing! Don’t you get it, Parker? It doesn’t matter!”

  “You’re fucking crazy if you think I believe that!” He started pacing again. “So, just like that, huh? You think breaking the contract means it’s over? Is that what you think, Lo?”

  The next few minutes passed in silence, and I wondered if he finally gave up. I leaned back against the door, thankful it was over. That’s when I heard the unmistakable sound of numbers being dialed on a keypad. He was calling someone. On speakerphone? What the hell was he up to?

  Every muscle in my body went stiff when SHE answered the phone laughing. Now I was the one pacing.

  “What’s the matter, Parker? Is your little girlfriend pissed? Did she leave you high and dry?”

  The sound of her breathy voice made me want to choke the air out of her.

  “Be at my place at seven. By the time you leave you I promise you won’t even remember her name.”

  That was the last straw. I wanted to smash the door down myself. Little girlfriend? Really? I may not be from the big city, but where I come from we know how to handle skanky bitches like Shay Roberts, and she was about to find out. I was going to put her in her place, but before I opened the door, Parker did something I’ll never forget.

  “Not even close, Shay, if she would’ve left because of you I’d be delivering this message in person, and you ought to be thankful that’s not the case. So listen close. I QUIT! I don’t care what it takes or how much it costs, get me out of the contract with American Rebel Spirits! NOW!”

  “Really? Just who do you think you’re talking to anyway? You’re lucky I like you, Parker. I’m going to give you some time to cool down before you fuck everything up.”

  “The only thing I regret is getting tangled up with you in the first place, Shay. The contract is bullshit. I’m not going to be told what to do and when to do it by anyone. Not them and especially not you. So cancel the contract, and when that’s done consider us done, too. You’re fired!”

  This time her laugh sounded wicked. “I won’t do it. I won’t let you make this mistake, Parker. You’re throwing away millions of dollars, plus a foolish move like this could keep you from getting any deals in the future, so you better get your dick out of your ass and think about what you’re doing here. A reckless high maintenance client who refuses the advice of his agent is not the type that ANY agent, or corporation for that matter, wants to sign with. This could fucking ruin you if it got out! Do you hear what I’m saying?”

  “Isn’t that fucking rich coming from an agent who tries to bed her clients by tempting them with promises of a lesbian ménage a trios. Careful, Shay! If that ever leaked out, you’d lose every married client you when their wives got wind of it. Do you hear what I’M saying? I could care less about future agents or future deals. I play poker for a living and that’s enough. So, we can drag each other through the mud if you want, or you can just cancel the fucking contract and go our separate ways. The choice is yours.”

  “Fine! Have it your way, Parker, but don’t come crawling back to me when you realize what a huge mistake you’ve made!”

  He laughed. “I gamble for a living, remember, baby? I wouldn’t put my money on it if I were you.”

  I opened the door slowly to see Parker Blackwell like I’ve never seen him before. His face was as white as a ghost. His hair was standing straight up in the front, I imagined from dragging his fingers through it as he exchanged blows with Shay. He looked completely distraught. I had no idea things would get so out of control, and I felt a little guilty. Who was I kidding? Guilty couldn’t come close to describing the range of emotions I felt. But then again, I didn’t exactly trust myself in the emotion department anymore.

  “There. No more contract. Do you believe me now?” He blinked up at me, looking more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him before.

  “You look like shit,” I said softly hoping to somehow lighten the tension that hung in the air between us.

  “Yeah? That’s how I feel,” he replied as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

  “I didn’t mean to screw up your career, Parker. I can’t believe you did that.”

  “Screw up my career? Is that what you think this is about?” He dragged his hand through his hair and stared at me in disbelief.

  “I don’t know! Why don’t you tell me? You just cancelled your million dollar contract and fired your agent in one phone call, all because I wouldn’t open the door. Why would you do something like that?”

  “First of all my career is poker. I’m a poker player, Lo. That’s it. The million dollar contract doesn’t mean shit to me, especially when it comes with a whole bunch of strings attached. And Shay? I should’ve known better than to get involved with somebody like her in the first place. I NEVER SLEPT WITH HER. You have to fucking believe me.”

  “It really doesn’t matter what I believe. Either way, I’ll be out of here before you know it. This was only temporary, Parker, and when I’m gone maybe you’ll regret all of this.”

  “Lo, please don’t leave now. Not like this.”

  “I really don’t belong here, Parker. We both know that. Things are just too different now. We’re too different.”

  “We’re more alike than you think.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Look, I’m not going to debate this with you. I have something very special planned for you tonight. Please, Lo. What can I do to make you stay?”

  “I don’t know. Give me one good reason why I should?” I was so confused. Part of me thought I should leave, but after what he did, I took one look at him and deep down I knew I couldn’t.

  “Okay. How’s this? If you stay I promise you’ll have the time of your life tonight, and not only that you’ll be able to get revenge on me all at the same time.”

  I was so overwhelmed by what just happened. My mind was spinning, and I couldn’t think. Then it all started to sink in. He dumped his agent and decided not to be the drunken bad boy poster child for American Rebel Spirits. For me.

  “Please stay, Lo. This night is going to be special. I promise.”

  A small smile tugged at my lips. “Revenge, huh?” Revenge could be fun, although I really wasn’t mad anymore. How did he do that? A few minutes ago I was ready to hop the first plane back to Michigan, but now? “I’ll think about it.” I wondered why I was making this hard on him. Did I REALLY want to go?

  Parker let out a deep breath and lea
ned over to hold his head in his hands like a man who’d just been cleared of a crime he didn’t commit. It was sort of comical seeing him like that. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face, maybe because of what he did, or maybe just because of how he looked at that very moment. I hadn’t seen Parker come completely unglued since we were kids, but some things never change. He still paced and dragged his hands through his hair until it was sticking up everywhere. He could be so predictable and so very unpredictable at the same time.

  Still eyeing him carefully, I finally decided he’d suffered enough. “I’ll stay.”

  He jumped to his feet, and before I knew it he lifted me up and spun me around then planted a kiss in the middle of my forehead. “Thank you!”

  Teary eyed again, I suddenly remembered how this whole thing started. The gift, the song, the feelings that came crashing over me. The feelings. Every part of me wanted to share all those shattered pieces of my soul with him…until I saw her. She was the ultimate reminder of how different our lives had become. Seeing her there with him, hearing her put into words something that I had imagined he’d done a million times, made it real. It felt like a slap in the face, a sobering blow that couldn’t have come at a better time. It was a sign that I had to keep my feelings in check and remember what I came here to do, save The Grand and go back home where I belonged.

  He held me there like he thought I might run the minute he let go. Finally, with one final squeeze he let me down. “This isn’t how I thought things would turn out today,” he laughed, “far from it actually. And now I have to leave to get ready for your surprise.”

  I looked up at him, disappointed. “You’re leaving?”

  “Yeah, I don’t want to, trust me, but soon enough you’ll know why.” He tilted my chin to look into my eyes. “Tell me again that you’re not going to leave.”