Page 63 of Bound To Be Mine

Mandy nodded in approval, apparently recognizing another wedding-planning professional. “That’s the way to go,” she said to him.

“Are they stolen?” I blurted out.

He chuckled. “Nah. I buy them from a guy that owns a pawn shop. People come to Vegas, pawn what they got, and never come back. I get them for a steal but it’s all legal.”

I had managed to get my ring off earlier. I had suspected it was used. Now, it felt gross. Some dude hard on his luck pawned his ring and it had ended up on my finger. Damn. Thank God the marriage was fake. I might worry about bad mojo.

“Makes sense,” Mandy said with a shrug.

“You also sang,” Elvis continued, clearly enjoying himself. “During the ceremony. I didn’t even ask you to. You just grabbed the mic and went for it.”

“Of course I did,” I muttered.

“It was beautiful, man. Real heartfelt. Your bride was crying.” Elvis grinned at me. “If you ever need a job, we’ve got open shifts for a man of your talents.”

I finally looked at Mandy. She was biting her lip, trying not to laugh. “There you go, honey,” she said to me, having way too much fun. “Maybe if you’re looking for something different, you can come work here.”

“I’m never drinking again,” I said.

“That’s what everyone says.” Elvis pulled out a business card and slid it across the counter. “Listen, I asked you that night if you wanted to buy the wedding video. You said you’d think about it, but then you were already running off into the night, having a great time. Offer still stands. Two hundred bucks, I’ll give you the whole thing on a thumb drive. It’s good stuff. Professional quality.”

I had a feeling professional quality was a very loose term but I pulled out my wallet immediately. “I’ll take it.”

“You don’t want to negotiate?” Mandy asked.

“No. I want to see what the hell happened.” I handed Elvis my credit card. “Whatever’s on that video, I need to know.”

Elvis processed the payment and disappeared into a back room. I could hear him rummaging around, muttering to himself about where he’d put the thumb drives.

“You okay?” she asked quietly.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “This is all very surreal.”

“Tell me about it. I’m standing in the chapel where I apparently got married, and I don’t remember a single second of it.”

Elvis returned with a small thumb drive in a plastic case. “Here you go. Everything’s on there. The ceremony, some before stuff while you were getting ready—and by ready, I mean giggling in the corner—and some after. Good luck, you crazy kids.”

I pocketed the thumb drive like it was made of plutonium. “Thank you.”

“Come back anytime,” Elvis called as we headed for the door. “I do vow renewals too. Ten percent discount for repeat customers.”

We stepped back out into the Vegas night.

“I can’t wait to watch it,” Mandy said.

“Now?”

“Yes, now. I’m dying of curiosity.”

“My hotel or yours?”

She thought about it. “Yours. The Venetian is closer, Husband.”

Husband. She kept saying that, and every time she did, something in my chest tightened.

We walked back toward the Strip. A large group of drunk ladies with bachelorette party vibes was coming straight for us. I grabbed Mandy’s hand and moved her out of the way.

And once past, I didn’t drop her hand.