CHARLEE

Our flight was ridiculously early so it’s barely 10:00 a.m. and we have the whole day ahead of us. I watch the two couples on my right as they’re checking in. Riley and Devyn look so sweet together. I can’t help but grin as Riley brings their joined hands to his mouth and kisses Devyn’s knuckles. There’s so much adoration and familiarity in their eyes, it almost makes me feel like I’m witnessing something intimate.

As for my brother and his girlfriend, Rainey...they’re still in the honeymoon phase, I think. All lust and love and not much else. One glance at them, and you know that they’d rather be having sex with each other more than anything else in the world. If he wasn’t my brother, it’d be hot. Since he is, it makes me want to puke in my mouth a little.

“Here you go, ma’am,” the hotel employee says as she hands my credit card back to me. “Your room is ready now so you can check in early as you’ve requested. I have you on the twelfth floor, room 1208.”

I take the keycard from her outstretched hand. “Thank you.”

She nods. “Stay to the right on the casino floor and you’ll see the elevators about halfway down.”

“You all checked in?” Drew asks.

I startle when I see him standing next to me. How does such a freakishly large man manage to sneak up on anyone? Seriously, the guy’s a giant. And it’s even more obvious when he’s this close.

I hoist my bag back on my shoulder. “Yep.”

We step to the side so someone else can be helped as we wait for the others to finish. Everyone compares room numbers as they join us and find that we’re all on the same floor. All but Drew, that is.

“We should go to the pool and hang out for a while,” I suggest to the girls.

“I want to play a few rounds of poker,” Brody says.

I look at Devyn and Rainey. “What do you guys want to do?”

Rainey yawns. “I’m really tired for some reason. Would it be totally lame if I took a short nap? I can meet you at the pool after.”

Brody pulls her into him and whispers something in her ear.

She bats him away. “No, you idiot, that wasn’t code for sex. I really want to sleep.”

I laugh at the crestfallen look on his face.

Riley laughs too, and pats him on the back. “C’mon, man. Let’s drop our bags off and we can hit the tables.”

“The pool sounds awesome,” Devyn says to me. “I just need to get changed first.”

“Drew?” Riley asks. “Poker?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Drew mumbles. “But there’d better be some boobs afterwards.”

Brody gestures to the scantily clad cocktail waitresses that pass us. “See? Plenty of boobs around here. Just not naked ones.”

“But those are the best kind,” Drew whines.

As our group navigates the casino floor, I allow myself a moment to feel the vibe. This is what I love about Vegas so much. No matter what time of day, it’s always hopping with activity and adrenaline. It charges my blood, makes me want to let loose and have fun. As the head chef in an insanely busy restaurant, stress is a big part of my life. Most people don’t realize what goes on behind the scenes when they go out for dinner but trust me when I tell you, it’s a lot. Multi-tasking is a must—I’m doing no less than ten things at any given time. Don’t get me wrong; I love what I do—there’s not many things that make me happier than feeding people. I blame my Sicilian mother for that little quirk. Growing up, she was constantly cooking, and I was drawn to the kitchen for as long as I can remember. Always so fascinated with how blending simple ingredients could produce such a masterpiece. By age nine, I was preparing dinner for our family of four by myself. By age twelve, I had made an art out of it. I’m thirty-one and to this day, I still feel an immense amount of pride when someone takes their first bite of something I’ve made—as they get that orgasmic look on their face when the flavors explode on their tongue.

“Aaaaaaaaaah!” my brother screams. “What the hell is happening right now?”

My lips twitch when I follow his horrified gaze, and find a group of about a dozen men and women all decked out in their finest Munchkin livery. Brody is a big muscular guy with an even bigger phobia: Munchkins, or anything Wizard of Oz related, really. I don’t know where it came from, but I exploited the shit out of it as a teenager, probably making it worse.

Rainey rolls her eyes as Brody clutches on to her arm for dear life. “Oh my God, you’re a dumbass.”

Brody looks to the ceiling for some divine guidance. “Why, God? WHY?”

Everyone but Brody is laughing as we make our way to the elevators. As we reach the bay, God answers Brody’s question. There’s a wrap on each one of the elevator doors, promoting the convention that’s being held at this hotel: Alice in Wonderland and Wizard of Oz Cosplay. 

I point to it. “Does that answer your question?”

Brody’s jaw drops. “Hell no.” He turns toward Rainey. “We have to switch hotels. NOW.”

She pushes him into the elevator as it opens. “Brody, you are a twenty-eight-year-old man. Act like it.”

Drew and I share an amused look as Brody squeezes his eyes shut and starts chanting, “This is not happening. This is not happening.”

We make our way to our respective rooms and I quickly unpack my bag. I take a few moments to freshen up, change into my bikini, and lather on sunscreen. Right as I’m about to leave to meet Devyn, my phone pings with a message.

Devyn: I am SO sorry but I have to bail on you. Something unexpected came up but it shouldn’t take too long. Can I meet you down by the pool in a while?

Me: No need to apologize, lady. This is YOUR bachelorette weekend. Is there anything I can help with?

Devyn: Thank you, but I’ve got it covered. Go get some rays—lord knows we don’t get nearly enough chances to do that back home. I’ll text you when I’m finished and on my way.

Me: Will do! Text me if you need anything.

Devyn: Thanks for understanding, Charlee. You’re the best!

Huh, that’s weird. I think about joining the guys for poker but decide to continue as planned since I’m already dressed for the pool. A sign for the adults only area catches my eye so I veer that way to check it out. As I spy a placard on the iron gates leading into the pool area, the reason minors aren’t allowed becomes obvious. Apparently, our hotel has its very own topless pool. I laugh when I think about how jealous Drew would be if he knew where I was right now. I turn around to head in the other direction when a little voice inside of me speaks up.

Why the hell not, Charlee? You work hard for your body and it’s not like you’re going to see anyone you know.

Hmm. The mysterious voice has a point. Why shouldn’t I? Just for a little while until Devyn texts me, at least. The attendant scans my keycard at the gate and hands me a towel. I round the corner and find an open lounger toward the shallow end. Taking a deep breath, I untie the strings behind my neck and back, holding the two black triangles to my chest.

Here goes nothing.

I drop my top on the ground, lay back and allow the sun to warm my skin. Damn, it’s going to be awesome not having any tan lines with the dress I plan on wearing tonight.