Hitched (Hitched #1)(49)

"Like me and Sebastian," I say.

She grins. "I wasn't talking about you." I can tell she wants us to get back together. She doesn't really agree with the whole “not ready” thing. “True love doesn't happen every day” is her motto. Well, the motto she stole from The Princess Bride.

The bachelor party on Wednesday goes fine. It's only a hotel room with strippers, but the groom seems to enjoy it.

When the weekend arrives, Tate convinces us to go out. "I'm tired of seeing my ladies moping around," he says. "Like you said Kacie, we need to do something crazy. So we're hitting a club, and I want everyone to get laid tonight."

He's right. I should try to move on, so I put on my sexiest red dress and high heels—not my red ones because I'm still missing the one I lost at Sebastian's—and we meet up with Vi at the club. "Three shots of vodka," I tell the bartender, knowing I'll have to be very drunk to even have a chance at hooking up. Sebastian is too often on my mind. I need to drown him out.

"He's cute." Vi points at a guy dancing alone, his arms thick, his blonde hair short and curly. He doesn't even compare to Sebastian.

"I hate him," I say.

Vi frowns. "Well if you feel that strongly, there is that guy over—"

"Not him." I down another shot. "Sebastian. I hate Sebastian." Because he's too f*cking perfect and has ruined all other men for me.

"Then give Curls a chance," says Vi.

"Curls?" We both laugh, and I check out the guy on the dance floor again. "You can have him."

"I most certainly will." She throws back her last shot, grabs her purse, and saunters across the dance floor. Curls notices her right away, and they start dancing.

Tate puts a hand on my shoulder. "If you can't get your mind off Sebastian, then what help are you going to be with Hitched?"

I brush his hand off. "I've worked all week."

"You've tried to work all week. I'd rather have the happy Kacie who fantasizes about her next date and keeps sexting her boyfriend, her passion bleeding into her career, then the one with a broken heart who can't find the joy in anything."

I feel like cussing him out, but I can't, because he's right. "I pushed him away," I say. "Even if I wanted to change things, it's too late."

"I'm sure Sebastian disagrees."

"Maybe." But I can't face him again.

Tate stands up. "While you think about what I said, I'm going to go find a girl to f*ck." He starts dancing with a blonde he'll probably never see after tonight, and I order another drink.

Vi is right.

True love doesn't happen everyday.





Chapter 33


Thoughts and Memories


I try to forget about him. I do everything I can to wipe the memory of his scent out of my mind. To erase the thoughts of how his hands felt on my body.

But my dreams betray me.

Night after night I wake, expecting him to be snuggled up against me, hogging the sheets, and every day I'm disappointed by the cold, empty betrayal of my lonely bed.

So I do what I've always done in the past. I throw myself into my work.

Fall has come, and the weddings and crazy bachelor parties have slowed down. We knew this would be the case. We planned for it. Still, I feel the pinch of it financially and am forced to cut down on my trips to Starbucks and nip my budding wine addiction in the bud. Probably for the best, that one.

With renewed determination to not be a pathetic lump of a human, I grab my car keys and a water bottle, along with a box of business cards. "Tate, I'm heading to the Strip to proselytize. Be back in a few hours."

He looks up from his computer. "That's a great idea. Want some company?"

"Nah, I got this. You work on those newspaper ads."

He salutes me. "Yes ma'am."

It may be fall, but it's still hot as hell during the day.

I park in one of the hotel lots and map my route. The mission is to hit up as many hotels as possible, letting the concierge know the awesome services that Hitched has to offer and to build personal relationships. This business is all about referrals, and no one does referrals like a concierge who likes you.

I also have a side mission that I didn't tell Tate about. I check my purse to make sure the letter I slaved over is still in there. Yup. I make it my first stop, heading to the Wynn to get this into the hands of David Melton himself.

Vi knows the concierge there. I don't ask how. And he's going to help me.

When I arrive and introduce myself, the mousy man smiles. "Mistress Vi speaks highly of you," the concierge says. "Come, let us do this thing."

I refrain from laughing as he sneaks me to the penthouse suite and knocks on the door of Melton's room. I'm not sure who I'm expecting to answer the door, but I'm actually shocked to see the man himself standing there, dressed in black silk pajamas, his dark hair messy, his handsome face different without all the stage makeup. I almost forget how to speak.

He looks like he just woke up, and I realize this is probably early for him. I quickly introduce myself and hand him the letter. "I know you've chosen someone else, but if that doesn't work out, please consider Hitched. I know we can make your night memorable."