After swiping his Amex Black Card to pay for their new clothes, Trevor led Kate out of the store and back through the Venice-inspired indoor canal walk.
‘Now, isn’t that better than walking around in wet clothes?’ he asked.
‘I suppose,’ Kate said. ‘You’re causing havoc back home by the way. My mother called in a complete panic.’
‘Why?’
‘WHY? Let’s see, how about because my wedding is on Friday and you’re holding me hostage in Vegas, after practically kidnapping me?’
‘Oh my God, and you call me dramatic?’ Trevor laughed.
‘I’m serious!’ Kate said. ‘My mother is worried sick. She’s afraid the wedding isn’t going to happen on Friday.’
‘Why don’t you call her back and tell her you already had the perfect wedding?’
‘Don’t even joke about that. She would die of heart failure! She is not a Trevor Rush fan, trust me,’ Kate said.
‘She will be.’
‘And what do your family have to say about our drunken Vegas wedding?’
‘They’re overjoyed. Although they are upset they didn’t get to come to the ceremony. But I assured them we’ll have a proper Italian wedding in a Catholic church by the end of the year.’
‘We will do no such thing! The only church wedding I’ll be having will be at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook. And you will NOT be the groom!’
‘I don’t know, I think we should do a bigger wedding down the line. Invite all our family and friends. My manager, Charlie, is dying to meet you too.’
‘Why’s that?’
‘Probably to try and steal you off me. It’s happened before. Maybe it’s not such a good idea actually. I don’t want you getting stolen out from under me.’
‘Except I’m not under you and I never will be!’ Kate said, rather sternly.
‘You’re being a brat again, Freckles,’ Trevor said.
‘No, I’m not!’
‘So you’re going to behave?’
‘Absolutely not.’
‘Shame. Looks like you’ll be missing your show at eleven then . . .’
Kate was infuriated. But she had to play ball once again. ‘Sorry, dear,’ she said, in an overly fake and submissive tone.
‘That’s better. So, are you ready for the second part of the date?’
‘Which is?’
‘The roulette table,’ Trevor said, leading her into the casino section of the Venetian.
‘Gambling? Really?’
‘What’s wrong with a little gambling?’
‘Hmm, let’s see. How about the fact that it’s just one big scam? The house always wins.’
‘Not always. I have something most people don’t.’
‘And what might that be?’
‘HA!’ Kate said, laughing in his face.
‘You don’t believe in luck?’
‘Well, I know some people experience luck. Like being in the right place at the right time. But it’s not like some force in the universe.’
‘I disagree. Think about it. You just happen to have your bachelorette party in Vegas, where I just happen to be a resident DJ, and you just happen to order a champagne shower as my set begins? Either you planned the whole thing, or it’s Lady Luck bringing us together.’
‘I didn’t plan this! Are you insane? This has been the most reckless situation of my entire life.’
‘You say reckless . . . I say lucky,’ Trevor said. ‘Don’t you believe in manifesting?’
‘Well . . . yes. But that’s completely different.’
‘No, it’s not. You manifest something and hope the universe gives you a lucky break. Maybe that’s why you’re here.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘Like, maybe you were manifesting a big dick,’ Trevor smirked.
‘Oh, well I certainly got that,’ she laughed, referring to his personality.
‘Be careful what you wish for,’ he winked. ‘Do you honestly expect me to believe you haven’t thought about me once over the past nine years?’
It was a downright brazen question to ask. And Kate had no intention of revealing the answer. Of course she had thought of him. Every single day for nine years straight. But they were not fond thoughts. They were thoughts of pain and betrayal.
She often found herself lying awake in bed, creating imaginary scenarios about Trevor in her head. Like how she would have done things differently. She fantasized about what her life would have been like if she never gave him the chance to break her heart in the first place. But that also raised a deeper question.
Was it better to have been hurt by love than to have never loved at all?
She still didn’t quite have the answer to that one.
The question seemed particularly relevant to bad boys like Trevor. They were like a drug. Euphoric, intoxicating, enrapturing. They had the power to give you the greatest high of your life. But drugs can be addictive and dangerous. The comedown is always inevitable. And the higher one climbs, the further one falls. Trevor had shown Kate how to feel alive but he had ruined her life in the process.
Nine years later, she knew better.
‘Oh I’ve thought about you alright, Trevor. But trust me, they were not kind thoughts. And it certainly wasn’t manifesting,’ Kate said.
‘I have this theory about manifesting – would you like to hear it?’
‘Nope.’
‘Well, I’ll tell you anyway. So, people mostly associate manifesting with positive affirmations and dream fulfilment. But I think it works both ways. For example, if you spend every single day thinking you’re going to crash your car then you’ll probably end up crashing your car. So no matter what you manifest, good or bad, the universe will conspire to provide it.’
‘Your point being?’ Kate asked.
‘Your thoughts of me may not have been fond, but you sent a clear message to the universe every time you thought about me. And the message was that you and I had unfinished business. Our story wasn’t over,’ Trevor said, sure of himself.
Was he right? Had her daily dwelling on Trevor brought this terrible situation to fruition? Had she conjured him accidentally, like a demon being summoned from hell?
No.
She refused to let Trevor imply that she was somehow responsible for this whole mess. He had created this toxic situation. Not her.
‘Is your arse ever jealous of all the shit that comes out your mouth?’ Kate asked.
‘You have to admit our meeting was meant to be. The universe is clearly shipping us.’
‘Well, I’d like to return to sender,’ Kate said. She suddenly thought of an ick suggestion from Natalie. And it was a good one too. ‘Your theory is nonsense because the universe would never bring a Scorpio and a Capricorn together.’
‘Oh, give me a break,’ Trevor said, unamused. ‘All that star sign stuff is completely made up.’
‘Said the biggest Scorpio in the history of Scorpios.’
‘I can’t even tell if you’re being serious. You believe it’s okay to judge an entire person based on the month they were born? It’s basically space racism.’
‘All I know is that I’m an earth sign and you’re a water sign. Not compatible in the slightest.’
‘Seems to me like earth needs water in order to grow. The only way to bloom is to let yourself get drenched,’ Trevor smirked.
Why in God’s name was she having palpitations? She was trying to give him the ick, for Christ’s sake!
‘Deserts seem to survive just fine without water,’ she said, stubbornly.
‘Even deserts need a good downpour. And when it rains . . . it pours,’ he whispered into her ear.
Not the flutters. Not now.
‘Out of curiosity, what type of sign is Norman?’ Trevor asked.
‘He’s a Leo, which makes him a fire sign,’ Kate bragged.
‘Perfect. Water extinguishes fire.’
‘This isn’t some game of rock, paper, scissors!’ Kate said, blowing a fuse. Yet another failed ick attempt, sabotaged by Trevor. ‘Fine, forget astrology. But your theory is still wrong.’
‘Nine years of thinking about each other, and we end up married in Vegas? I’m telling you, Lady Luck is lurking around here somewhere.’
‘Well, you might have gotten lucky with your career but you won’t be getting lucky with me,’ she said. ‘You’re just a fly in the ointment of my life.’
‘Another good song lyric. You’re on a roll, Freckles!’
‘Dear Lord,’ she sighed. He literally had a comeback to everything she said.
As they walked through the casino, Kate became hyperaware of all the noise in her ear. She could hear the clinking of coins being released from slot machines, the shuffling of cards, the rolling of dice, the occasional cheer of someone winning and the frequent groan of people losing. The smell wasn’t great either. Her nostrils were being assaulted by the scent of indoor smoking and binge drinking. But finally, they arrived at a classier section of the gambling floor where more traditional games were being played. It felt more like a casino one would find in Monte Carlo.
‘Alright, here we are,’ Trevor said. ‘Let’s play some roulette.’
‘How about Russian Roulette instead?’ Kate suggested. ‘You play, I’ll watch.’
‘And leave my beautiful wife a widow? No, you’d never recover.’
‘Well, technically I’d inherit all your money so I could dry my tears with hundred-dollar bills.’
‘Tell you what. You can keep whatever we win and put it towards your sham marriage with Nolan.’
‘WITH NORMAN!’
‘So you admit it’s a sham marriage?’
‘It most certainly is NOT!’
‘Sorry, what’s the politer term? Oh yes, a marriage of convenience.’
‘Well, that must make ours a marriage of inconvenience, considering I couldn’t see straight during the ceremony!’
‘Or maybe it was the first time you were seeing straight in years.’
‘You always have an answer for everything,’ Kate sighed. ‘Can we at least play a game I know how to play?’
‘Okay, how about Spin the Bottle?’
‘There are only two of us!’
‘Exactly,’ Trevor winked.
‘How about Hide and Seek? I’ll hide and you go seek professional help,’ Kate said, giving it right back to him. Her comebacks were improving slightly.
‘You’re getting quicker, Freckles,’ he smiled, as if he was proud of her. ‘Roulette is easy. I’ll show you how to play.’
They found a spot at one of the larger roulette tables and Trevor took out a $50 bill. ‘Deal us in, my friend,’ he said to the baby-faced dealer.
‘Certainly, Mr Rush,’ the dealer said. Yet another person who instantly recognized him.
The dealer took the cash and handed them back one chip worth the same amount.
‘So how do we play exactly?’ Kate asked.
‘It’s simple. The ball spins and you have to predict where it’ll land. You can make easier predictions, like if it’ll be red or black or an odd or even number. Or you can guess specific numbers. The more specific the prediction, the bigger the pay-out. Make sense?’ Trevor explained.
‘Alright,’ Kate said. ‘Let’s start with a prediction on odd.’
‘Fifty dollars on odd,’ Trevor said. The dealer placed the chip.
The wheel began to spin and the little white ball bounced around. Kate had to admit that the suspense was a little thrilling. When it eventually stopped, she saw it landed on thirty-five.
‘Black thirty-five,’ the dealer said.
‘We won!’ Kate said. ‘How much did we win?’
‘We doubled our investment. So now we have $100.’
‘Oh, I like this,’ Kate said.
‘Famous last words,’ Trevor laughed. ‘What’s your next prediction?’
‘Put one chip on red and the other on even,’ Kate said.
‘You heard the lady,’ Trevor said to the dealer.
The wheel began to spin again and Kate felt a sense of excitement. It was easy to see how one would become addicted to a high like this. After a few agonizing seconds, the ball finally stopped.
‘Red, eighteen,’ the dealer said.
‘OH MY GOD!’ Kate said. ‘We won twice!’
‘We sure did. Now you have $200. Want to take the money and run?’ Trevor asked.
‘No!’ Kate said. ‘I’m just getting warmed up!’
‘So what’s next? You can also bet on groups of numbers that are next to each other by the way.’
‘Okay, let’s say the first twelve,’ Kate said. ‘Two of the chips only. We’ll keep the other two.’
The dealer spun the wheel once again. Kate’s heart was in her mouth.
‘YES!’ Kate shouted. ‘How much did I win that time?’
‘You tripled your stake. You have $300 plus the $100 you didn’t gamble,’ Trevor explained.
‘Okay, I want to bet on a group of six numbers. Four-hundred dollars on twenty-eight to thirty-three,’ Kate said to the dealer.
‘Risky,’ Trevor winced. ‘That’s all your chips.’
‘I have a feeling.’
The dealer put her chips down and spun the wheel. Kate was on the edge of her seat. The suspense was as excruciating as it was exhilarating. She held her breath in anticipation.
The wheel stopped.
‘Red thirty,’ the dealer said.
‘AAAHHHHH,’ Kate screamed.
‘It’s her first time in Vegas,’ Trevor said to the dealer.
‘Well, she seems to be a natural,’ the dealer said.
‘How much do I have now?’ Kate asked, excited.
‘You now have $2,400,’ Trevor said.
‘WHAT!’ Kate said, blown away. She had just won a whole month’s net salary with the spin of a wheel. The idea was insane to her.
‘So what’s the next big move?’
‘I have this weird feeling about black thirteen,’ Kate said.
‘Thirteen. Unlucky for some.’
‘I know. But I keep picturing it for some reason.’
‘Well then, follow your instincts,’ Trevor said, encouraging her.
‘What’s the pay-out if you only bet on one number?’ Kate asked the dealer.
‘Thirty-five times your bet, madam,’ the dealer said.
‘Sweet Jesus! And what happens if I’m wrong?’
‘Then the house wins.’
Kate was torn. She had just won $2,400, which was a fairly significant win. But she could potentially multiply that by thirty-five! Yet, the number thirteen was infamously unlucky. Risking it all on such a number would be lunacy. Then again, thirteen was Taylor Swift’s lucky number.
She felt a pit in her stomach. She was terrified of getting egg on her face after her winning streak. It was better to walk away with what she had.
‘No, dealer. I’d like to cash out please,’ Kate said.
‘Are you sure?’ Trevor asked. ‘You said you had a feeling about thirteen.’
‘Yeah but I’m very superstitious and thirteen is the riskiest number ever. The hotels here don’t even have a thirteenth floor, for God’s sake. It would be crazy to bet $2,400 on it.’
‘It’s your call,’ Trevor shrugged.
Kate didn’t want to lose it all. She wanted to sicken Trevor by spending her winnings on something for Norman. If she lost it all now, it would be mortifying.
‘I’ve made up my mind,’ she said. ‘You need to know when to walk away, right? I never even dreamed of winning $2,400 in Vegas.’
‘But maybe you need to learn to dream a little bigger.’
‘We’ll cash out, dealer, thank you,’ Kate said, sure of her decision.
The dealer handed them their chips and spun the wheel for the other guests at the table.
‘Let’s see what we missed out on,’ Trevor said.
The wheel continued to spin and for once, Kate prayed she would be wrong. After a few painful seconds, it came to a stop.
‘Black thirteen,’ the dealer said.
Kate felt like she had just been hit by a bus. It was one of the biggest gunks of her life.
‘Well, would you look at that,’ Trevor said. ‘Black thirteen.’
‘Oh shut up, Trevor,’ Kate said, furious. ‘There’s no need to rub salt in the wound.’
‘That’s not what I’m doing. I just think you should have followed your instincts, that’s all.’
‘No rational person would have gambled $2,400 on the number thirteen.’
‘And yet . . . if you had, you would have walked away with—’
‘I don’t want to know the amount!’ Kate interrupted him. ‘I played it safe and I don’t regret my decision.’ She did, of course, regret it terribly.
‘Alright. But playing it safe will only get you so far in life. If your gut tells you to take the risk, you probably should,’ Trevor explained. ‘Do you want to play again?’
‘No, that’s enough gambling for me, thank you very much,’ Kate said, collecting her chips and leaving the table.
‘So what are you going to buy Norman with your winnings? A new heart monitor for when he finds out his fiancée is married, maybe?’ Trevor teased as they strolled.
‘I’m thinking a nice watch actually, not that it’s any of your business.’
‘A watch is a terrible idea.’
‘Why?’
‘You know I have no time for Norman.’
‘Hilarious,’ Kate said, rolling her eyes.
‘Why would you spend all that money to buy him a watch when he won’t even buy you a ring?’ Trevor said, raising his eyebrow.
Kate couldn’t think of a comeback. Trevor did have a point, after all.
‘Well . . . maybe I could spend some of the money on myself,’ she said.
‘Wait, that was your money I was gambling,’ Kate realized. ‘You should at least take half the chips. As payment for the dress.’
‘Don’t be silly. It’s only money. Consider it an investment.’
‘In what?’
‘In you,’ Trevor smiled. ‘$2,400 could get you some decent studio time. You could record some new music.’
‘Wow, you’re really not going to let this go, are you?’ Kate laughed.
‘It’s just an idea,’ he shrugged. ‘After all, you invested in me nine years ago.’
‘I never gave you any money.’
‘Even still. You told me to put it all on black thirteen when the world told me not to. Before I met you, I used to be embarrassed to tell people I dreamt of being a DJ. People used to laugh in my face. But not you. You made it all seem possible. If I had listened to society instead of you, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Who knows, maybe I can return the favour someday. Maybe I can be the person who makes it all seem possible,’ Trevor said with a sincere smile.
There it was again. A rare glimpse of the vulnerable man beneath the shell. His tone was tender. Genuine, even. The mask had slipped and his authentic self was momentarily exposed.
It reminded her of the way he used to speak when they lay in bed together that summer. They would lie there, with naked bodies and naked souls, talking about their hopes and dreams. They used to get so lost in one another. She used to forget where she ended and he began. One of the reasons she fell for him was because he wasn’t afraid to lay himself bare.
He let her in.
Beneath the mask. Beneath the covers.
Kate suddenly realized she was thinking about her and Trevor lying naked in bed together. Jesus, what was wrong with her? She needed to rein it in.
‘Well, I appreciate you saying that,’ Kate said, regaining her focus. ‘But I’m an optimist. It’s important to value what you have instead of longing for what you don’t.’
‘But doesn’t a part of you wonder what if?’
‘Yeah like, what if you weren’t such a dickhead?’ she teased him.
‘Or what if you didn’t settle for what’s-his-name?’
‘You think I’m settling for Norman?’ Kate laughed. ‘He ticks every box on my list. He’s literally the full package.’
‘And yet he still can’t make you feel the way I do,’ Trevor said with confidence.
‘You mean annoyed? Irritated? Enraged?’
‘The word I would use is flustered,’ Trevor said, a twisted smirk painted on his face. ‘After all these years, I still know how to push your buttons. Get you all hot and bothered.’
‘Oh please, Norman has ten times your sex appeal.’
‘So what did he do to make you fall in love with him?’
‘It was effortless.’
‘So he put in no effort?’
‘That’s NOT what I said!’ Kate snapped. ‘It was effortlessly romantic. I went in to have my wisdom teeth removed and afterwards, he asked for my number. It was the perfect meet cute.’
‘Ahh, so that’s how he made you fall for him . . .’ Trevor said. ‘He removed all your wisdom. It finally makes sense.’
‘Oh shut up! He’s extremely sexy!’
‘So Norman the dentist really does it for you, does he?’
‘Yep. Every single time.’
‘Too bad you’ll always have a sweet tooth for me,’ he winked.
‘Okay, that’s enough,’ Kate said. ‘It’s time to cash out of this conversation.’
They walked up to a cashier and Kate handed in her chips in exchange for cash. She felt so bizarre collecting the $2,400. She had never held that amount of money in her hand before. It felt like monopoly money, not a real currency she could actually buy things with. A part of her felt guilty for having it. But Trevor wouldn’t let her give it to him, so she put it in her handbag. It would help her pay for some of the wedding expenses.
‘Alright,’ she said, turning back to Trevor. ‘It’s almost eleven, so I have to go meet the girls for Chippendales. And don’t even think about saying you have another surprise planned, because we had a deal.’
‘You never told me Chippendales was the show you’re going to,’ Trevor said, unimpressed. ‘I don’t know if I approve, Mrs Rush.’
‘Too bad. It’s my bachelorette party and a male stripper is a rite of passage.’
‘But you’re not a bachelorette any more. You’re a married woman.’
‘Don’t tell me you’re jealous, Mr Rush? I thought you didn’t get jealous?’
‘No. But Marcus, the choreographer, is a very good friend of mine and he said it can get pretty raunchy,’ Trevor warned.
‘Great. The raunchier the better,’ Kate said, trying to annoy him.
‘Alright,’ Trevor said. ‘Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.’