He shrugs. "I'm just passing the message along. We also got a few new client calls."
I sink into my leather desk chair and fire up my MacBook. "Let's focus on that and forget all the drama, shall we? I need to lose myself in work today."
He nods and takes a seat at his own desk. We spend the rest of the day working hard, making plans for several other parties we have booked and placing ads in newspapers locally and in California, since a lot of Californians use Vegas as their last minute wedding destination.
At the end of the day, Tate brings me another cup of coffee and sits on the edge of my desk. "Are you gone again tonight?"
I realize he looks lonely. "No, Sebastian has to work tonight. I'm all yours. What do you want to do?"
He smiles, his blue eyes brightening. "How about Chinese take-out and movies?"
"Sounds perfect," I say, returning his smile. "Shall I invite Vi? We haven't hung with her in a while."
He nods, pulling out his phone. "I'll order food, you order the dominatrix."
"Haha! But fine. Order extra orange chicken. She always hogs it."
An hour later, the three of us are stuffing our faces with the best Chinese in town and laughing at Channing Tatum as he grabs his partner’s ball sack, thinking it's a grenade. Oh comedy—gotta love it.
After dinner, while Vi and Tate argue about the next movie choice and whether Adam Sandler or Channing Tatum is funnier (Channing always and forever, obviously, so in this I have to side with Vi), I liberate a few bottles of wine from our well-stocked cellar. I'm totally kidding here. We don't have a cellar, let alone a well-stocked one, but wouldn't it be cool to say that? No, I just pull the last two bottles of cabernet sauvignon out of our pantry, where they were stored next to our emergency macaroni and cheese boxes for nights when nothing else will fix life but mac and cheese from a box. Fortunately for my thighs, those nights don't happen often.
My phone buzzes while I pour three glasses. I check it, my pulse already accelerating in anticipation.
That brat. It's not Sebastian, as I'd obviously hoped, but rather Vi telling me to hurry up with the wine. "You're cruel," I holler from the kitchen as I cork the wine and balance three glasses.
"Oh, did you think it was from lover boy?" She bats her eyelashes and flips her long red hair dramatically.
"Fuck you," I say, handing her a glass.
"Thems is fighting words, but I'll forgive you now that I have this." She holds her glass up to her lips and sips. "Drink of the gods," she sighs.
Tate thanks me for his, smirking at our exchange, and I flop between the two of them. "Okay, what did you two decide for the next movie?"
They share a conspiratorial look and turn on the movie.
I laugh. "Gross Anatomy? Really? We're doing 80s movies now?"
Vi nudges me. "No, we're doing hot doctor movies now. We thought you might be in withdrawal, since it's been at least fifteen hours since you saw him last."
The sad thing is… I am. I miss him and am bummed he hasn't texted. But I'm not going to be that girl who can't go twenty-four hours without a guy. Nope. Not me.
My phone buzzes, and I jump to check it.
It's him.
My heart lifts, and I smile, knowing my twin and my best friend are mocking me. I don't care. Because apparently I am going to be that girl who acts like a crushing thirteen-year-old every time Sebastian texts me.
Missing me yet?
My fingers fly over the keypad.
Hadn't thought about you all day, actually. :P
His response comes quickly.
Pity. I've been thinking about you all day. And all the things I'm going to do to you when next we see each other.
My heart flip-flops.
And when might that be?
Ah, so you are missing me, then?
Maybe a little.
I have a proposition for you.
I pause for a moment before replying.
Does this involve another drunken wedding?
In a manner of speaking. My uncle is getting married at my parent's house in a few weeks. I was wondering if you would like to be my date. We'd be there from Friday to Sunday at the end of the month.
Wow. This is huge. Too huge. Meeting his whole family? Attending weddings together? We'd be like—I gulp—a couple.
Vi grabs the phone from me before I can react, and she reads the messages out loud. Then she types on my phone and clicks send. I pull the phone out of her hand.
"What have you done?"
She smirks at me. "Made things easier for you. You'll have a blast."
I look at my phone.
I'd love to. :) Sounds wonderful. When do we leave?
"Vi, I can't go to this wedding with him. It's the last thing I should be doing!"
"It'll be fun," she says.
Tate frowns. "We have a party that weekend."
I smile, vindicated. "See? Can't go."
Vi waves off my concern. "I've already mentally cleared my schedule. I got it covered."
Tate high fives her across my body, and I scowl at them both. "You suck."