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I grabbed a fistful of curls. “Is something wrong with it?” My hair was hard to tame, but it was one of my favorite things about my appearance.
“No,” she said unconvincingly. “I’m just known for improving on perfection. And you know, there was that nap you took on the plane.”
I let Heidi work her magic, which ended up including some liner, asubtle eyeshadow, and a dark red lip. “Brings out the red in your hair, and it’s perfect for fall,” she murmured as she worked.
When she finally pronounced me done, we entered the hallway. Heidi was fiddling with her key card when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I felt like I’d been doused in ice water. Only one person could make a grunt sound good.
Shane. Handsome in a suit jacket and jeans, tousled hair, and black-framed glasses. I’d almost forgotten how attractive he was. Because of me, he hadn’t had a reason to come to Denver, and it’s hard to casually run into someone when you don’t live in the same city.
“Hi,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “How are you?”
He smiled, and I felt a little of my nervousness ease. “Good, thanks. It’s nice to see you, Ana. You look stunning.”
A blush rose onto my cheeks and I tried to redirect the blood flow. I was suddenly very glad I’d let Heidi fix me up. “Thank you?”
Behind me, I heard her slowly shuffling off down the hall. I whipped around. “Where are you going?”
She froze like a deer in headlights. She looked back and forth between us, then stage-whispered, “I’m giving you and Shane a little alone time.”
“He’s right here, Heidi. He can hear you.”
She waved at him. “Oh, hello, don’t mind me.” Then she took off running.
I stared after her helplessly, then turned back to Shane. “So awkward,” I mumbled.
“We have an hour or two before we’re required to be anywhere. Would you like to find somewhere and talk?”
I looked up at him, struck by how much I’d missed him and how hereally was wasted as an accountant and not a voice-over actor. “I’d like that a lot.”
He smiled down at me. “I would, too. I got here earlier today, and I found the perfect place.”
My stomach rolled over. Maybe Vegas wasn’t all about endings. Maybe it could also be about beginnings.
Chapter 18
Shane was right; he’d found the perfect place, but getting there wasn’t as easy. I almost got hit by a couple of cars before we ended up at a hotel a little farther down the Strip. I was regretting the heels, embarrassed at how bad I was at playingFroggerwith cars, and feeling a bit out of breath. Shane led me through the foyer to a set of ornate doors nestled off to the side. “Are you ready?” he whispered.
“Is something on the other side of these doors going to attack us?” I asked.
He looked at me weirdly. “No.” Then a pause. “Not that I’m aware of, anyway.”
“Then it should be fine,” I said and slowly pushed one open.
For the second time that day, words failed me. The room that looked back at me had a domed ceiling with skylights, a gold chandelier, and beautiful trees, with a mosaic pathway surrounded by a koi pond. We were the only ones there, and it was maybe the most romantic place I’d ever seen. If I had to dream up a perfect oasis, this would be it.
“How did you find this place?” I asked, my voice echoing.
He took my hand and led me down the path, where we settled on a little bench that allowed us to take in the entire scene. “I may have done a little research before the trip,” he said. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down. Was he nervous, too? “I googled the best water-related attractions in Vegas. This place is supposed to be Vegas’s best-kept secret. Or at least the only fish-related one I could find. Your dad said it was the way to your heart, so I figured.…”
“You want to find your way to my…heart?” I asked, sounding stupid, even to my own ears.
He pulled a hand out of his pocket and ran it over his knee, then took my hand. “I want to apologize for how I acted. I know you were, and probably still are, in a tough spot with Melvin. And we don’t know each other well. When I explained things to my supervisor—”
I opened my mouth, but he put his other hand up. “Only the part about Melvin and me, nothing about you. He’d heard enough about Melvin that he actually transferred me a step up over what I’d been doing before. I like my new assignment a lot.”
“I’m so relieved,” I said, “but I should have given you a heads-up. I would never want to gamble with your livelihood or in any way impact your career. I hate that it happened, and I was bummed because, since we don’t live near each other or anything, we could easily just never see each other again. If that was what you wanted.”
“Thing is, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you,” he said, meeting my eyes.
