Chapter Ten

I had a connecting flight in Houston, Texas, a place I’ve never been to in my life. I took a little time and looked around. The area I was in was surrounded by restaurants, cafes, and bars. People were buying beer at 9 a.m. like it was nothing. Maybe it wasn’t a big deal for them, but it surprised me.

I made my way to the bathroom and wondered if I should put my makeup on now and change into my ‘hotel outfit’ here, or if I should wait until I landed in Vegas. I had another hour to wait here at the airport before my next flight. And then another hour or so on the flight. I decided it was best to wait. I’m sure the airport people had seen it countless times, so it didn’t bother me.

I went to one of the restaurants and ordered the breakfast I’d skipped earlier. Just a sausage biscuit and some coffee and took them over to the waiting area for my flight. After I ate, I grew bored with just sitting there, so I started to watch a video on YouTube about where to go in Vegas.

The Rome brothers told me to meet them at one of the most expensive hotels in Vegas after my flight. They had all my flight details, so knew when I should arrive. I was too nervous to sit down and watch the entire video, so I gathered my two small bags and started to browsed the shops nearby. I found some perfume on discount and bought that. It was something I’d never owned before.

I’d just never thought about it, but now that I had one I liked, I wondered why I’d never thought to buy any before. I bought a bottle of water and then just looked around until it was time to get on the flight. I was trying not to think about what would happen at the end of all this flying.

Not because I was afraid of the Rome brothers, but because I didn’t know how they’d react to me. I wasn’t quite who they were expecting. As I sat in my seat by the window, I wondered if they’d read the blog about me. If they’d know I was that Nikki. The girl that couldn’t get fucked.

I knew I had to put that part of my life behind me, and Amanda along with it, but it was all too fresh to let go of. For a moment this morning, I’d almost thought about staying home. It was all insane, and if the brothers kicked me out, it would be further humiliation, but I’d be in Vegas. Nobody had to know, and maybe I’d find a guy in a bar somewhere. Someone to have a one-night stand with.

Whatever happened, I knew I’d have the money for a place to sleep now, at least. It might not be the Villa in the Sky at Las Palmas Resort, but I’d find somewhere. I’d looked the place up and when I saw the price tag for the one week stay the brothers would wrack up, my jaw dropped. Their parents weren’t just rich… they were mega-rich.

That was some graduation present they’d been given. A week in one of the most expensive resorts in Las Vegas. I couldn’t imagine being that wealthy. I wasn’t sure I wanted to either.

The plane traveled on and the woman next to me decided that I had to know everything there was to know about her grandbaby. I politely looked at the pictures and asked the appropriate questions, but all I could think about was the brothers. Would they reject me? Or would I wind up in one of the wildest nights of my life?

The plane landed soon enough and then I was walking through the airport looking for the car rental stands. I’d already paid for a small car, so all I had to do was pick it up. I went to change and put my makeup on first, which I thought was a good idea. It would let the airport empty out a little, and I’d be ready to go. I only had the two bags I carried with me, my handbag and a carryon bag with my clothes in it, so didn’t have to waste time looking for a suitcase.

I changed into the black knit dress with a gold zipper up the back and smoothed the cabled material down over the white underwear I’d put on. I slid the strappy heels onto my feet and stood up carefully. I’d practiced in them but hadn’t had them for long, so I still wasn’t too sure about them.

I left the cubicle and went out to the mirror where I applied eye makeup and my lipstick. Then, I put my hair up in a thick bun, pulled out a few tendrils, and looked at myself. I didn’t look like a young girl anymore, I looked like a woman. I knew it was all makeup and artifice, but it was me under all of that. With a final swipe at a smudge below my bottom lip, I left the bathroom.

I made my way to the car rental stand with care. I could stand up, walk, and get around in the shoes, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable. I took out my paperwork when the client in front of me was done and smiled at the young woman behind the desk.

“Hi, I’m Nicolette Howell, I should have a car ready?” I didn’t know what else to say, so I handed the woman the papers.

She smiled, typed something into her computer and frowned. “Hmm.”

“What?” I asked my nerves already on edge. I was so close to the moment of truth I thought I’d collapse at any moment.

“I can’t find that reservation. Let me check…,” she didn’t say anything else, she just kept typing. After a few minutes, and a lot of clicking she looked up at me. “I’m really sorry…”

“What? What’s wrong?” I stared at her, my heart beating a rapid rhythm in my chest.

“Somehow, it looks like your reservation was moved.” She looked doubtful, but that must be what the screen said. “I found your reservation, but we had a glitch last week and we keep finding these reservations that have been changed to next year.”

“And?” I didn’t care what the problem was, I wanted to know what the solution was.

“Well, since you made the reservation and have the record, we have to honor it. The problem is, all the small cars are gone. We only have the luxury cars left.” She looked behind her, at my dumbstruck face, then behind her again. “Let me go talk to my boss and I’ll be right back. We’ll sort this out for you, I promise.”

“I hope so. I have a very important meeting to get to.” I wanted to tap my foot as I waited, but I was afraid I’d fall over. The heels were thin little wisps of nothing down there on my feet, and the heel itself was a thin strip. I didn’t want to put too much pressure on it.

“I’ve got a car for you, Miss Howell.”

“Okay.” I perked up a little.

“Have you ever driven an electric car before?” she asked as she began to type frantically into the computer again.

“No, but is it that different?” I wondered if it was going to be a tiny little Prius or something. I didn’t care, at this point, so long as it drove.

“Not really.” She turned to a printer where papers were busy spitting out and turned back to me. “Okay, this car is a little more expensive, but because this is an error on our end, we’re upgrading you for free. I just need you to sign a few more papers than usual, and we’ll have you on your way.”

I could feel my anxiety rising as I signed paper after paper. I think I signed my life, and first-born child away to these people, but at last, the woman smiled, handed me a set of keys, and told me where to find the car.

“Thanks,” I said and walked out of the doors at the front of the stand. I looked around, completely lost, but noticed all the rows had colors and numbers.

I looked for orange row and bay 15 and found it after I wandered for a few minutes. The car I found in that spot wasn’t the car I’d expected at all. It was a luxurious red Tesla! I clicked the button she’d given me with the keys and the car unlocked.

I took a few minutes to appreciate the car before I turned the car on. A screen came on in the console and asked me if I wanted to do a tutorial. I decided it was probably best. I learned how to charge the car, how to operate the various systems in the car, and then asked it to take me to the hotel.

I followed the directions and soon found myself at the hotel’s parking lot. Up there, at the very top, four boys, men I reminded myself, not boys, waited for me. For Amanda. I turned the car off, checked my makeup, added lipstick, and then grabbed my handbag. I’d get the other bag later if they didn’t kick me out.

I’d gone through several scenarios in my head. It was Michael I’d have to convince. He was the oldest and the most dominant of the brothers. A natural leader, really. I had to get past him, and I think I might be okay. I mean, I’m not ugly, I’m kind of attractive, with my hair done and some makeup on.

I didn’t want this to be too hard, but I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. They were expecting a blond bombshell. Instead, they were getting a dark-haired, um, vixen. I could be a vixen, right?

I went into the hotel lobby and told them I was expected by the clients in the villa suite. I didn’t give my name or anything, I just told them what Michael told me to say.

“Ah, yes, we have a key ready for you, Miss.” The slim man with way too much hair gel in his hair and eyebrows said. He did something with a computer, stuck a card in a machine, and within moments, handed the card key over to me. “I hope you enjoy your stay, Miss. If you follow the blue lines on the carpet, you’ll find the elevator. You’ll need the card key to bring the elevator down.”

The villa was on the top floor, which was seventy-five floors up. A long way to go, but it wasn’t like I had to walk up, right? I went to the elevator, put my key in, and got in. I didn’t hit any buttons, not yet. I stared at myself in the mirrored walls, my nerves about to get the better of me.

I’d controlled myself the entire day. I’d had a few moments where I thought I’d lose control and run back home, but I hadn’t. I was here now. The moment of truth stared me in the face. Well, I stared at myself in the face.

I looked at the buttons and my fingers reached out. I was about to open the doors up and leave the hotel when I remembered what Mrs. Lawson had told me. Live your life. She hadn’t exactly said take chances and do wild things, but she’d told me to live. I lifted my gaze back to the mirror image of myself and looked at the woman there. She was worthy, she was smart, capable, and more than able of accomplishing major goals. This was one goal that I might end up a fool for, though.

With a deep breath, I hit the button to go up. There were only three buttons and I knew which floor the villa was on, so I hit that one. The elevator began to move, smoothly but with speed, up to the top of the hotel. I’ve never been up that high in a building, but I would be in a few seconds. I clenched at the bar behind me, tapped my toes softly, and waited for a ding.

I stared at the doors as they opened quietly. I looked out but all I saw was a hallway. Thank goodness. I had a moment to collect myself. I glanced at the panel again, wondered if I should push the down button and fly right out of this hotel.

This was insane. I was about to be the sex toy of four men I’d never actually met. If they let me into their villa, that is. Was I really that stupid? Horror movies should start with plots like this, but nobody would believe it, I thought. Who would be that stupid?

Me, that’s obviously who.

I wanted to call Brooklyn, or my mom, maybe even Mrs. Lawson. Was this what they meant? That I should go out and do things that terrify me but might turn out to be the best decision ever?

My father had died early in his life when I was still a baby. Not that I should really be thinking about him, of all people right now, but I wondered if he’d have done crazy things if he’d lived? Wasn’t his early death a reminder to me, though? That life isn’t guaranteed, and we should take joy where we could find it?

Take chances on even the insane things sometimes? I moved out of the elevator and the doors closed behind me immediately. I watched the doors shut with trepidation. Now all I had to do was knock on that door and this would be over with.

They’d turn me away or ask me to join them. It was right there. The moment I had doubted would ever come. With a deep breath, I walked up to the door, smoothed down my dress one more time as I straightened my spine. I pressed the button beside the door, even though I had a key card. I didn’t want to just walk in on them since it wasn’t me they were really expecting.

Michael answered the door, in a pair of black slacks, a black silk shirt, and a sultry grin that soon turned down to confusion. He looked around the tiny hallway, then turned back to face me.

“Can I help you?”

“Hi, yes. I’m Nicolette. You don’t know me, but… well, we’ve been texting each other for a few weeks now.”

His frown deepened as he continued to stare at me. “I beg your pardon?”

His voice was as silky and sultry as I knew it would be. Fuck, he was so gorgeous! Please don’t fuck this up, Nicolette, I told myself.

“You were expecting Amanda, I think. I can explain if you’ll give me a chance?” I looked at him with hope in my eyes and a plea on my lips. I just needed a few minutes to explain.

“I think you have the wrong floor,” he said and started to shut the door.

What? It couldn’t be! That was Michael, I knew it was from the many pictures I’d seen of him.

“Please! Just give me a minute!” I moved to step through the doorway and he paused. “Please?”

He stared at me coldly; anger a new, darker note in those turbulent gray eyes.

Please let me in, I begged in my head.