Kate spent the rest of the Ferris wheel ride evading Trevor’s personal questions and trying to make herself seem as boring and undesirable as possible. Unfortunately, however, Trevor saw right through Kate’s game and acted completely unbothered by her sabotage attempts. Her plan to give him the ick was proving more difficult than she anticipated.
After finishing their main course, and the champagne, it was time for Kate to head back. As they got out of the carriage, Trevor winked at the hostess and handed her a hundred-dollar bill as a tip. Although Kate didn’t appreciate the shameless wink, she did feel a trifle of admiration for his small act of kindness. Norman didn’t believe in tipping, and she often found herself secretly handing a tip to service people behind his back. Having worked as a waitress herself, she knew it could really make a person’s day, and she liked to send that kind of positive energy into the universe. But Trevor didn’t need to know that she admired his gesture.
It was time to wrap things up.
‘Alrighty, that’s date one over and done with,’ Kate said. She was eager to make it seem like a purely transactional outing.
‘The date isn’t over yet, darling,’ Trevor said, walking in the direction of the Strip.
‘Excuse me?’
‘You didn’t think I’d make it that easy, did you?’
‘It’s almost eleven. The girls want me back!’ Kate said, frustrated.
‘I’m pretty sure Siobhan said midnight would be fine. Your glass slippers should last another hour, Cinderella.’
‘We had a plan, Trevor. We need to stick to it!’
‘What is it with you and plans these days? We never planned anything back when we were together. Everything we did was spontaneous.’
‘Spontaneous is just another word for reckless.’
‘And reckless is just another word for fun,’ Trevor said. ‘Don’t you remember all our reckless nights together that summer? Like when we snuck into Riverside Park and had sex in the middle of the skater halfpipe?’
‘Oh my God, yes! And remember when that security guard caught us?’ Kate said, mortified.
‘Yeah, but he had been watching us for like ten minutes first.’
‘We must have put on a good show,’ Kate laughed. She knew she was letting her guard down again and she quickly regained her composure. ‘Well, those are things people do when they’re twenty-one. If we behaved like that now, we’d be considered lunatics.’
‘I’d rather be happy and crazy than sad and sane.’
Lorenzo pulled up in the Mercedes Benz and Trevor opened the door for Kate.
‘Where on earth are we going now?’ Kate asked as she got in.
‘You’ll see,’ Trevor smiled.
After about a five-minute drive down the Strip, they pulled up at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino. She knew what he was doing. First, the Ferris wheel to remind her of their first date, and now the New York-themed casino to remind her of their summer of passion together.
She could see right through his strategy.
‘And what’s in here, exactly?’ Kate said as she got out of the car.
‘You’re very impatient, you know that?’
‘I just don’t like surprises.’ Kate suddenly thought of Chloe’s ick suggestion and it was the perfect time to use it. ‘Unless the surprise is on my birthday week,’ she said.
‘Your . . . birthday week?’ Trevor said, raising an eyebrow.
‘Well, yes. Twenty-four hours isn’t enough to celebrate your birth. I need an entire week in January every year, all about me!’
‘That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.’
‘Oh . . . is that a dealbreaker for you? I understand if . . .’
‘You don’t need a birthday week. A woman like you should have a birthday month! Thirty-one days of non-stop celebration.’
So much for Chloe’s suggestion.
Why was it so hard to sicken him? She was officially out of ideas.
They walked towards the back of the New York-New York Casino and rode an escalator up to the second floor. At the top, Kate realized that they were in some kind of arcade, and she was not amused. It seemed rather juvenile to her.
‘Video games?’ she said, unimpressed. ‘Really?’
‘Nope. We’re getting the real thing,’ Trevor said, pointing to a large neon sign.
Kate’s stomach dropped when she saw the sign read ‘The Big Apple Coaster’.
‘No, no, no, no, no!’ Kate said, putting her foot down. ‘There is no way I’m getting on a rollercoaster!’
‘Oh yes you are,’ he said. ‘It’s part of our date.’
‘Is that like your catchphrase or something?’
‘Only around you!’
‘And yet at our wedding you said abso-fucking-lutely.’
‘Because I was absolutely hammered!’ Kate said. ‘I refuse to get on that thing. I downright refuse!’
‘Let’s not forget who’s calling the shots here,’ Trevor laughed. ‘If you don’t agree, I don’t sign the annulment.’
‘Okay well, now you’re just being cruel. I hate rollercoasters!’
‘I seem to remember us riding all the rollercoasters in Coney Island.’
‘That was when I was a twenty-one-year-old lunatic. I actually care about my safety now. I’m sick just thinking about it!’ Kate said. She was already sweating buckets. ‘What if it derails?’
‘What if it doesn’t?’
As they approached the ride, Kate saw a sign that read ‘Hours of Operation 11a.m.–8p.m.’. Finally, a bit of good luck.
‘Ha! It’s not even open. They close at eight,’ she said smugly.
‘They close at eight for the public. But I called in advance and told them Trevor Rush wanted to ride at 11.15 p.m.’
Ugh! How was he always one step ahead of her?
‘Trevor, I’m literally afraid of heights! I’m gonna get sick!’ she cried. ‘Anything else but this!’
‘Okay, how about a kiss?’ he suggested, with a cheeky smile.
‘Now you’re really trying to make me sick,’ Kate scoffed.
‘You know what I think? I think you’d prefer a nice little choo choo train.’
‘Yes! That sounds perfect!’
‘A slow little train with a straight, fixed track going at a predictable speed with no twists or turns.’
‘Absolutely! Let’s go on that.’
‘But what you really need is a thrill ride that makes you feel alive,’ Trevor said.
Kate was starting to see the point he was trying to make. It was a rather basic allegory, to say the least.
‘Wow, let me guess, Norman is the choo choo train? Very poetic,’ Kate said, sarcastically. ‘There’s a lot to be said for safety and predictability, you know?’
‘But when the chips are down, you know what you really want to ride,’ he winked.
‘You’re disgusting.’
‘Mr Rush, you’re very welcome,’ an usher said in front of the coaster. ‘Big fan.’
‘Thank you – means a lot. Appreciate you having us so late.’
‘Our pleasure. You can head on up to the waiting area and the car will be up in just a minute. You’ll be in the front row, as requested.’
‘FRONT ROW?’ Kate screamed. ‘Are you insane?’
Why was Trevor so hell bent on torturing her? It was downright sadistic making her face her fears like this.
‘Don’t be nervous,’ Trevor said, leading her up to the waiting area.
‘Oh, that’s a great help, thanks for that. Don’t be nervous. Okay, my nerves have suddenly gone. Give me a break,’ Kate said, rolling her eyes.
‘Is rolling your eyes your new favourite hobby?’
‘Only whenever you open your mouth. It’s like a muscle reflex.’
‘Reminds me of all those nights I used to make your eyes roll to the back of your head.’
‘Maybe I was just faking it,’ Kate said, stubborn as ever.
She was lying, of course, but she certainly wasn’t going to admit that. Trevor’s ego was big enough without knowing how good he was in bed. Although he more than likely knew. Even when he was twenty-two he was a stallion, his stamina unmatched. He always knew how to be rough and gentle at the same time. She never once had to fake it with him. They always finished together, something she knew was incredibly rare. But that kind of sex wasn’t sustainable. It was the kind of sex you have during a summer abroad, not the rest of your life.
‘If you were faking it, you would have won an Oscar by now,’ Trevor laughed.
‘I agree. My fake orgasms are incredibly convincing,’ Kate bragged.
‘Well, you must get a lot of practice with Nelson.’
‘It’s NORMAN!’
‘So you admit you fake it with Norman?’
Kate could practically feel the capillaries in her face bursting with temper. He was giving her rosacea with rage. He had no right to comment on her sex life. But what annoyed her the most was that what he was saying wasn’t completely untrue. Norman didn’t always get her there. But she had convinced herself that sex was about the journey, not the destination. Just because you don’t reach the summit of a mountain doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy the hike. Right?
‘Norman is a wizard of the sexual arts,’ Kate lied.
‘Now I’m going to get sick.’ Trevor gagged at her turn of phrase.
‘Jealousy is so unbecoming in a man,’ Kate said, appearing unbothered.
The rollercoaster car began to pull up towards them and Kate felt her stomach drop in fear.
‘Trevor, please don’t make me do this. What if we die? Have you never seen that movie where the rollercoaster comes off the tracks?’ Kate panicked.
‘Oh yeah – they used this exact coaster to film it.’
‘WHAT?’
‘That was a joke, darling,’ Trevor smiled.
‘This is not the time for jokes! I’m risking my life here!’
‘Life is all about risks, Freckles,’ he said. ‘Ladies first.’
Kate sat down in the front seat of the rollercoaster, on the verge of wetting herself. Trevor pulled the black restraint down over her head, locking her in.
‘Oh God, I’m going to have a panic attack,’ she moaned. She hated the feeling of being locked in. She had no control whatsoever. It was quite literally her idea of hell.
The ride operator came by and double-checked their harness restraints were clicked in properly.
‘Are you ready to feel the rush?’ Trevor said.
‘I’d rather experience thrush than the rush!’
The car began to move.
‘Oh sweet Jesus!’ Kate cried.
‘Hold my hand, darling.’
‘I wouldn’t hold your hand if my life depended on it!’
The car began to ascend upwards, seemingly out of Sin City and into the heavens.
‘Please Lord, if you can hear me, I know I haven’t been to mass in a while, but I promise if you get me through this, I will go every single Sunday for the rest of my life. I’ll even become one of those people who hand out the communion!’ Kate prayed.
They arrived at the top of the steep incline and the car stopped just before it was about to drop. For a brief moment Kate took in the beauty of the city from above. It was dazzling. Even though she couldn’t see the stars in the sky, she didn’t need to. Every lightbulb in the city looked like a beautiful diamond sparkling in the night. But then . . .
The drop.
Kate let out a massive scream as the car went straight down at ninety miles per hour. She felt her soul leave her body and she grabbed on to Trevor’s hand for dear life.
But as the coaster flew forwards, Kate’s mind raced backwards nine years. She suddenly remembered the first time she had gotten into Trevor’s red Mustang. The thing was a complete death trap, a rusted old banger in every sense of the word. But she had learned to love the danger; the rush fuelled by gasoline and adrenaline. She would sit there in the passenger seat with the wind in her hair, drunk on the sheer recklessness of it all. Speeding through the streets of Brooklyn, pushing the limits and breaking the rules. He would take her hand and tell her she was his ride or die. She felt like she could have gone anywhere with him in that red Mustang. There were no wrong turns when she was by his side.
The rollercoaster car went flying sideways, catapulting Kate back into the present moment.
She was being flung from left to right and didn’t dare let go of Trevor’s hand for fear of being thrown off the car. He gripped her hand tightly in order to tell her one thing.
She was going to be alright.
He had her.
And for some inexplicable reason, she believed him.
Then she saw the loop approach. She let out a screech as she gripped Trevor’s hand tighter than before. She felt the blood rush to her head as she was suspended upside down. It wasn’t as bad as she had expected, however, and after a few more twists and turns, Kate began to get used to the sensation. The adrenaline was becoming almost euphoric. She started to enjoy the brief seconds of zero gravity.
After a few more twists and turns, the car went into a dark tunnel and the ride began to slow.
It was over.
She had survived.
‘How do you feel?’ Trevor asked.
‘Oh my God, I thought I was going to die,’ Kate laughed.
‘But you didn’t, see?’
‘My heart is going ninety!’ Kate said, trying to catch her breath. She suddenly realized she was still gripping Trevor’s hand even though the ride was over. She quickly pulled away in the hopes he wouldn’t mention it. She knew, of course, that he would.
‘Alright, folks, you can exit to your right,’ the usher said.
The barricades lifted and they got out of the car. When she put her feet on the platform, she realized her legs were like jelly.
‘Oh my God, I’m so dizzy.’
‘Here, take my hand,’ Trevor said.
‘No, thank you,’ Kate said, pulling away.
‘That’s funny, you were squeezing it pretty tight a minute ago.’
‘That’s because I thought I was about to die. Don’t read too much into it.’
‘Kinda reminds me of those wild nights in my Mustang,’ he said.
Had he read her mind? That was exactly where her thoughts had gone to on the coaster as well. He always had a knack for reading people though. Her thoughts, her body language – he could always read her like a book.
‘I suppose,’ she said, playing it aloof.
‘Except now you’re my bride or die,’ Trevor smirked.
‘I’ll choose the die option.’
They walked off the platform and were immediately met with a counter selling photos of the ride. The usher pressed some buttons and suddenly their photo appeared on screen.
‘Wow,’ Trevor said, seeing Kate’s expression in the picture. Her mouth was being blown open by the wind and she had a look of pure and utter shock. Her auburn hair was blowing in every direction and she looked like a madwoman. It was easily the worst photo Kate had ever seen of herself and she wanted it deleted immediately.
‘Dear Lord,’ she said, horrified at the image on the screen. ‘It’s a wonder I didn’t swallow any flies!’
‘Looks like you really felt the rush,’ Trevor laughed.
‘I felt no such thing.’
‘Hmm . . . well in that case I’ll have to plan even more thrill rides for date number two.’
‘OKAY, FINE!’ Kate snapped. ‘I felt a rush. Not the rush. A rush. Are you happy now?’
‘Very.’
‘Oh, so torturing me makes you happy?’
‘A little,’ Trevor said, turning back to the photo again. ‘But if it was such torture, why are you smiling?’
‘That’s not a smile, the wind was forcing my mouth open!’
‘Wow, you will go to extreme lengths just to prove you’re not having a good time. Wouldn’t it be easier to just admit you’re in love with me?’
‘I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH YOU!’
‘So much passion when you say that. Where do you think all that energy is coming from?’ Trevor said, winding her up.
‘I’m not playing this childish game. I did the stupid Ferris wheel and I did the stupid rollercoaster. Now, it’s almost midnight and I’d like to go home. Don’t make me call my Fairy Godmother.’
‘Okay. I don’t think I could take Siobhan in a fight anyway,’ Trevor laughed.
Kate suddenly felt a knot form in her stomach.
Uh oh.
‘What is it?’ Trevor asked, seeing her face go pale.
‘I think I’m gonna . . .’
But it was already too late.
The hangover mixed with the stomach-churning coaster had been too much for Kate’s body to handle. Before she had a chance to stop it, she was already getting sick all over Trevor’s black velvet blazer.
‘Oh my God,’ Kate said, mortified. ‘I am so, so sorry,’
‘Don’t worry, darling.’
‘No seriously, Trevor, this is so embarrassing. I completely understand if you find me disgustingly unattractive and want to cancel the rest of our dates.’
‘Don’t be embarrassed, Freckles,’ he said. ‘In sickness and in health, remember?’
‘Ugh, you’re impossible,’ Kate sighed. Even though she hadn’t gotten sick on purpose, she had at least hoped it would have given Trevor the ick. ‘I am sorry for the suit though. I’ll pay to have it cleaned.’
‘Don’t be silly. I’ll just buy a new one.’
‘It looks like it cost five grand!’
‘Ten actually,’ he said. ‘But it was worth it.’
‘Seeing me scream on a rollercoaster was worth ten grand?’
‘No,’ Trevor said. ‘But getting to hold your hand was.’
Ugh, why did he have to say things like that? He had no right to be this charming. But then again, he had always been that way. In Kate’s experience, men usually said the wrong thing. But Trevor always said the right thing at the right time. His words were strategic, calculated. Never a mumble, nor a stutter. Everything he said had meaning, intention. There was weight to his words. It was one of the reasons she fell in love with him in the first place.
But history was not about to repeat itself.
‘Okay, fun’s over,’ she said. ‘Take me back to my hotel.’
‘One last thing,’ Trevor said. He turned back towards the usher at the photo counter. ‘We’ll take a copy of our photo please. The biggest print you have.’
‘Unbelievable,’ Kate said, infuriated.
When they arrived back at the Bellagio just before midnight, Kate got out of the car and turned to say goodbye. Her first instinct was to thank him, which made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Why were women conditioned to always be polite? She was literally on this date against her will, for heaven’s sake.
‘One down, two to go,’ she said to him, making it clear she was only there as part of their deal.
‘Our date will begin a little earlier tomorrow. I’ll be waiting here for you at 7 p.m. Don’t be late.’
‘I’ve never been late for anything in my life! In fact, I’m always fifteen minutes early for everything,’ she bragged.
‘Great. That’s fifteen minutes longer on our date. See you then, darling,’ he winked.
She wanted to scream.
Trevor was way too good at pushing her buttons. But she was eager for the date to end so she let it go. She gave him a fake smile and closed the car door.
Kate got in the elevator and headed up to see if the girls were in the room. There was a good possibility they were painting the town red, but she was excited to give them all the tea.
When Kate opened the door, however, she was infuriated by what she saw.
The girls were all dancing around the room and the goodie bags Trevor had given them lay empty on the ground. Siobhan was wearing a large #TeamTrevor T-shirt, Chloe was drinking out of a massive cup with Kate’s drunken wedding photo on it and Natalie was wearing two wedding keychains as earrings. It was obvious the three of them were drunk, and Kate saw that the minibar had been raided. It would undoubtedly cost a small fortune.
They had literally done everything she told them not to do.
‘Really?’ Kate said with a disapproving glare.
‘Busted,’ the girls said, without a leg to stand on.