Breakfast passed in a blur of sexual tension on my part and total oblivion on my brother’s.
Chase tossed his napkin on the table with a sigh. “I’m full.”
“Me too.” I followed Chase’s action with my own napkin although I don’t remember eating much. I’d spent more time gnawing on my cheek than any actual food.
Jesse continued to eat his pancakes. “I’m not.”
He even ate pancakes sensually. Between the way he licked his fork and his groans of appreciation, I was a twisted-up mess. And he seemed oblivious to all of it.
Maybe I’d imagined the whole thing. Wishful thinking and all that. God, that was a depressing thought. Clearly, I needed to get laid. It had been months. Maybe I was just projecting my horny thoughts on Jesse.
“El?” From his tone, it sounded like that wasn’t the first time Chase had said my name.
“What?” I looked up from the table with a frown.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Just tired. I might go back to bed.” I hitched a shoulder. “I didn’t exactly get a lot of sleep last night.”
“All right. I’m gonna go call my wife. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do. Thanks for checking in on me. And take care of that eye.”
“Shit, maybe I shouldn’t video-call her. I don’t want to freak her out.”
“Chicks dig scars.” Jesse pointed his fork at Chase. “Do the video. She’ll coo all over your bruises. Hell, you’d get laid if she were here.”
Chase’s eyebrows went up as he was clearly thinking something nasty about my bestie.
I groaned and covered my ears as I closed my eyes. “Don’t want to hear it. Don’t want to see it.”
Chase laughed. “See you all tonight.”
A few seconds later, the sound of a door closing reverberated through the suite despite my hands on my ears.
I let my hands fall to my lap and turned to Jesse. My nerves returned in full force. I’d spent so much time in his presence, but I honestly couldn’t remember a time when the two of us were actually alone together.
Jesse, of course, looked totally unaffected. “So do you have plans for today?”
“I don’t know. I don’t really feel like gambling. And it’s not like it’s my first time here, I’ve done Vegas before with my friends.”
“You have, huh?” Jesse leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “So you’ve seen the Bellagio fountains?”
“Yup.”
“And Fremont Street.”
“Uh huh.”
“Paris.”
“Yup.”
“The High Roller?”
“Eh.”
“Eh, yeah or eh, no?”
I shrugged even as my heart pounded, and not because this was Jesse. When I spoke, I tried to use a cool air. “You’ve been on one Ferris wheel, you’ve been on them all.”
“Agree to disagree, although the High Roller is better at night. Seeing all the Vegas lights from the top of the wheel is pretty awesome.”
“Sounds like you’ve been around the Vegas block a time or two yourself. Is there anything you want to do today?”
Jesse tipped his head as he stared at me. It looked like he was going through a mental debate, and I would’ve given anything to know what he was thinking. Finally after a long moment, he answered. “There is, but you’re going to think I’m weird.”
“What is it?”
Jesse hitched his shoulder and looked away. “I know it’s not cool or whatever, but I’ve always wanted to go on one of those gondola rides.”
I frowned. “Like in Venice?”
“Yeah. They’ve recreated it at the Venetian.” He tried to sound uninterested as he fiddled with the utensils on the makeshift table, but my heart fluttered at the thought of this tattooed bad boy having such a soft spot for an iconic romantic activity.
“Wait. You guys have toured Europe.” I pointed out. “Haven’t you been to the real Venice?”
“Yeah, but none of the guys wanted to do the gondola ride. They bagged on it a lot, and then I couldn’t say anything.”
I smiled as my heart melted even more for him. “Let’s do it.”
Jesse swung his head around and stared at me in disbelief. “Really?”
I shrugged. “I’ve never been to Venice. Let’s do it.”
A giddy expression stole over Jesse’s face. “Awesome. I’ll take care of the arrangements. Meet back here in an hour?”
I nodded. “Sounds good.”
“All right!” Jesse tossed me one more smile then headed for the door.
Leaving me alone in the suite and wondering what’d just happened. A gondola ride was usually supposed to be romantic, right? So did that mean I had a date with Jesse? Or was this just two friends having a little adventure?
I had no idea.
And the worst part was I didn’t have anyone I could dissect the nuances with. I couldn’t call Shay since I still didn’t have her new number. And Shay would tell Chase anyways which would lead to yet another shitshow. I didn’t know Harper well enough to give her all the dirty details. And there was no way I was telling my mom any of this. I didn’t think I wanted to know her opinion on me and Jesse getting together.
But that reminded me of Chase’s message. So, while I got ready for my date/non-date with Jesse, I called my mom and filled her in on the basic PG rated details of my escapades on tour so far.
I was brushing mascara on my lashes when the doorbell chimed again.
“Mom, I gotta go. Someone’s at the door.” No way was I telling her who it was.
“Okay, honey. Have fun. And please, please, please stay safe. Don’t make me kill Chase because he wasn’t doing his job as your big brother.”
Yeah, I wasn’t touching that one with a ten-foot pole. “Right. Love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too.”
I ended the call, capped my mascara, and looked at myself critically one more time. I’d left my hair down, letting it fall past my shoulders, and kept my makeup minimal. Taking a step back, I took in my outfit one more time. I’d gone with a flirty cotton sundress with a v-neck and cap sleeves in a yellow and white tie-dye pattern. Since it covered everything to my knees, it spanned that awkward bridge between just friends or maybe a date.
After one more deep breath, I grabbed my purse and sandals and then ran for the door. “I’m coming!”
I slid my feet into my sandals then looked through the peephole. Jesse stood in front of the door, shifting his weight impatiently. Hyde from security stood at his side.
Opening the door, I smiled at the guys. “Ready?”
Jesse’s eyes flared as he took me in, then he dipped his chin. “Let’s roll.”
We mutely followed Hyde down to the elevator and then waited in front of the closed doors, exchanging awkward smiles.
Jesse cleared his throat. “The gondola rides don’t start for another hour or so, but I pulled some strings and got a hookup for thirty minutes from now, so we gotta hustle.”
“Nice. I can’t wait.”
Jesse nodded. “Hopefully it’ll be early enough there won’t be a ton of people around.”
I jerked my head in something resembling a nod. I wanted to ask him what that meant. Was he worried about security? Did he not want people to post pictures of us? But I didn’t want to be a pick-me girl and beg for answers, so I kept my mouth shut.
When we reached the lobby, Jesse pulled a baseball cap out of his back pocket and slid it on, along with a pair of sunglasses. Some of my euphoria drained away. He clearly didn’t want anyone to know he was with me.
We slid into a waiting SUV that sped into the early Vegas sunlight.
No one said a word the entire way. I chewed on my cheek to curb the urge to fill the silence with my babble. Nothing I’d word vomit at the moment was anything I wanted out there.
Ten long minutes later, we pulled up to a service entrance at the back of a huge hotel. Honestly, we could’ve been in any parking lot in Vegas; it all looked so nondescript.
But Hyde opened my door and helped me down, so I figured we must be at the right place.
The guys headed to a plain door marked 201. We stopped in front of it and Jesse texted someone. A minute later, a toothy brunette with a wide smile opened the door.
“So nice to meet you Mr. Mala. We have all the arrangements ready for you and your party. If you’ll follow me…”
Jesse hadn’t even introduced himself. She knew exactly who he was. And judging by the way her eyes skimmed over him, she’d seen all my videos.
I mutely followed.
Our tour guide was talking to Jesse, but I was too busy gawking at our surroundings to pay attention. Once we left the winding back hall, the beauty of the hotel’s main floor opened before us. It looked like I’d always dreamed of Italy being. Gorgeous stone building facades with majestic arches and pillars. I didn’t know where to look. A blue sky with wispy clouds stretched over our heads, and it took me a minute to figure out that wasn’t the actual sky. It all looked so realistic.
As we came down a ramp walkway, rich blue water snaked in front of us. There was a freaking canal running through the center of the shopping area! Water! For some reason I’d thought this would be an outdoor experience. Like a love tunnel ride at a carnival. This was so much better.
“…so sorry the outdoor gondola ride is still closed for the season.” Our guide’s words broke through my awe. “But if you come back in a month, we will be running them again.”
“This is perfect.” The grin on Jesse’s face had me itching for my camera, and I mentally cussed myself out for leaving it behind.
Hopefully my phone camera could get some awesome shots.
My heart jolted as Jesse’s arm came around my back as we approached the railing where the waiting gondola floated patiently.
“The ride starts and ends here?” Hyde spoke the first and only words I’d heard him utter.
“Yes. They will disembark here,” the woman replied.
Hyde nodded and tipped his head at Jesse, who nodded back.
Then the tanned gentleman on the gondola held out his hand, grasped mine, and pulled me onto the small, swaying boat. I sank onto the wooden bench seat. A beat later, Jesse joined me, his side pressing against mine. Then he wrapped his arm around my back, and my heart almost pounded out of my chest.
“Everyone ready?” The gondolier asked.
But I couldn’t look away from the innocent joy in Jesse’s eyes. He’d lost his sunglasses somewhere along the way, and his eyes sparkled with excitement. “Let’s roll.”
The gondolier pushed the large poll and steered us away from the edge and into the canal.
The features of the buildings around us felt more majestic and detailed at this level. A few people wandered through the shopping areas, but for the most part, it felt like we had all of Venice to ourselves.
“It’s not exactly like Venice.” Jesse pierced my happy little bubble with his realism. “Everything has a shiny, clean, almost movie set vibe. Like Disneyland. It’s missing that worn, old world charm of the true Venice, but it is still amazing how much it looks like the real thing.”
“I said the same thing,” our gondolier said in an accented voice.
“You’re Italian?” Jesse asked. “Like real, born in Italy, Italian?”
The gondolier laughed. “Yes, I was born in Milan. I moved to America a few years ago.”
Then he ducked as we slowly cruised below an arching bridge. My heart thudded heavily at the picturesque surroundings. I didn’t ever want this to end.
“If it’s all right with you, I’d like to sing you young lovers a song.”
“Oh, we’re not—”
“Please.” Jesse cut me off. “We’d love to hear it.”
The gondolier sang a slow, moody song in Italian as he steered us through the canal. It was impossible not to be charmed. I cuddled against Jesse’s side. His hand slowly ran up and down my arm as we swayed with the rhythm of the gondolier’s strokes.
I couldn’t look at Jesse. I was afraid my feelings and thoughts would be all over my face. I’d spent over two decades mooning over this boy turned man, and I couldn’t believe we were here together. My heart was screaming at me to shoot my shot while my head cautioned against the awkwardness of working through the rest of the tour together and the clusterfuck my brother would cause.
It would kill me to officially be friend zoned by Jesse. Although spending so much time endlessly hoping circumstances would change felt like a lost cause. If things were going to change, they would’ve by now.
Right?
I never got the courage to test it. I just sat there next to him, enjoying the torment of being so close to everything I’d ever wanted, but scared shitless to actually grab it.
All too soon, the gondolier was steering us toward the exit.
“Before we’re done, did the two of you want a photo to remember this moment?” he asked.
Photo! I mentally cursed myself for forgetting to take literally any pictures. “Yes, please,” I called out at the same time as Jesse shifted to take out his phone.
“Here, use mine.” He passed his phone over then wrapped his arm around me again.
I dropped my bag back into my lap and leaned into Jesse as the gondolier took a few pictures. Closing my eyes, I took a breath, then I opened my eyes, and turned to look at Jesse.
He was already staring at me.
I couldn’t even begin to label the spark in his eyes. Excitement over our ride? Interest in me? All I knew was that all my emotions had to be obvious. They were so close to the top I was surprised they hadn’t bubbled out yet.
Jesse swayed toward me as his eyes flicked between mine and my lips.
Holy shit. He was going to kiss me. My lifelong crush was finally going to kiss me in probably the most romantic spot in all of Vegas. I closed my eyes as I swayed toward him.
But before our lips could meet, the gondolier called out a cheery, “Here you go. I think I got some great ones.”