A random phone number appeared on Gabe’s phone as he was wallowing on his couch, but he answered it on the off chance it was a buyer calling about a photograph in the gallery. The show was officially over now, but Angelica had asked him to leave his contact information with the front desk. There was still a possibility the caller was a buyer. Maybe he’d get lucky.

“Gabe? It’s Emma.”

Nope. Not lucky at all.

Gabe sank back against his couch cushions and sighed. “How do you even have my number?”

“The second you came to the photo shoot at X Enterprises, it became a matter of public record.”

He groaned. “I’m pretty sure that’s abusing a position of power.”

“Whatever, Gabe, that’s not the point.”

“So tell me what is.” He was losing patience.

“I need you to come to The Walton tonight. Our whole team bailed on trivia, and it’s just me here.”

“Not my problem, Emma.”

“Come on. You know I can’t answer a sports or art question to save my life. Please help me out.”

“You do realize Bex and I broke up, don’t you? Or was that another thing that she kept close to the vest?”

His voice sounded so bitter and sad, but Emma ignored him. “That may be so, but I need you.”

“Why should I show up at the bar that my ex-girlfriend’s brother owns? Could things get any more awkward?”

“Because I’m your friend, too, Gabe. You may have been here because of Bex all those times, but you were also here with me.”

He sighed. “I appreciate that, Emma. But I’m just not feeling up for it.”

“Come on, we have a reputation to defend. Team Dildo is undefeated.” She brightened her voice. “I’ll buy your beer.”

“Oh, well, now you’ve sold me.”

Gabe could picture Emma’s smile. “Thanks. I’ll see you soon.”

At least Emma hadn’t lied. When Gabe walked through the double doors of The Walton, people filled the room, but none of them were Bex. He let out a breath and made his way through the bustling crowd to Emma’s table.

“Hi.” She pulled him into a quick hug. “Thank you for coming.”

He nodded. “You owe me.”

“One beer, coming right up,” she grinned.

Emma scampered toward the bar, and Gabe sank into a chair. One beer and one round of trivia, and then he’d be out. Even being here made his skin feel tight like he’d spent too much time in the sun. All the familiar noises and smells of the place raised a dull ache in his chest. It wasn’t right to be here without Bex. But then, it wasn’t right to be anywhere without her.

Emma returned to the table carrying two amber glasses. “Lady’s treat,” she declared, setting them on the table.

Aderyn stepped to the mic and smiled at the crowd. “Who’s ready for our weekly Trivia Night?” She was met with whoops and hollers. “As usual, you can have up to six players per team. Tonight I’ll ask a total of twenty questions and a few tiebreakers, if needed. Each team has one minute to write its answer to the question on the sheets we’re going to hand out. At the end of the event, you’ll turn those score sheets over to our Quiz Master, one Mr. Colton Barnes.”

Avery jerked her head at Colton, who stood behind the bar. He raised a hand to the crowd. “That’s him over there filling in for Sam, so play nice,” she said. “Colton will score the final sheets, and tonight’s winner will get a gift certificate for a dozen donuts at Pink Box Donuts.” More cheers. “I’ll hand out scoresheets and writing instruments, so you’ve got five minutes to get a drink on order before we begin.”

Aderyn threaded through the crowd, dropping papers and golf pencils at each table. Gabe couldn’t help but stiffen as she approached.

This had been a really stupid idea. He shouldn’t have let Emma talk him into it.

Aderyn’s soft hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed. “Nice to see you, Gabe.”

His throat scratched as he replied. “Thanks.”

Then she was gone, returning to the front of the room to emcee the game. “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Tonight’s first question touches on a little bit of Las Vegas history. Which local establishment is both a world-renowned hotel, home to not one but two Michelin-starred restaurants, and also hosts a fine art gallery?”

Emma laughed. “That could describe a few hotels around here. My bet’s the Bellagio.”

“But two starred restaurants? I thought they only had one.”

“So if not the Bellagio, then who?”

“The Renegade.”

Emma lifted her eyebrows. “If you say so.” She noted it, and Aderyn lifted the microphone to her lips.

“The red color in our local Aztec Sandstone is due to the presence of which chemical?”

“Are you kidding me?” Gabe muttered.

“What’s that?” Emma asked.

He shook his head. “Nothing.”

“So do you know the answer?” She tapped the stubby golf pencil against her lips. “This one escapes me.”

“Iron oxide,” he said. “It gives the rocks that rust color.”

“Iron oxide it is,” she said cheerfully, scrawling it on the score sheet.

“What material is non-porous and can be hand-blown?” Aderyn asked the crowd.

Emma narrowed her eyes. “Metal?”

She was the Quality Manager of a manufacturing facility. Shouldn’t she know this?

“Glass,” Gabe answered. Like the Chihuly flowers. Like Bex’s glass dildos. Like the butt plug he’d bought her from his friend in the Arts District.

“If you say so.” Emma scrawled down the answer.

“Next question. What is the name of the camera effect where the background of an image is intentionally blurred to produce a pleasing composition?”

Emma glanced at him. “This one’s on you, Mr. Photographer.”

“Bokeh.” Gabe spelled it out for her. He leaned forward and caught Emma’s eye. “Why do I feel like I have an unfair advantage with these questions tonight?”

Emma dropped her eyes. “Couldn’t say.”

She was lying, but Aderyn interrupted before he could say more.

“Next question,” Aderyn said from the front of the room. “This one’s got an image component, so look closely, friends. You’ll only get one minute before I hide this away again. Tell me which artist created this image.”

A photograph flashed on the wall at the front of the room, and Gabe blanched. The image was of Bex’s back—the long, lean lines of it exposed in that pretty white dress of hers—as she walked into the sunrise. The sun flared around her, and the picture was all fire and desire.

No way. No fucking way.

He jerked his head up, and his heart pounded as he glanced around the room. Ten tables of people played trivia, and a wreath of people crowded around the bar. But there, in the back corner, beneath a picture of The Walton’s construction, he spotted her.

Bex.

Gabe’s knees went weak, and his heart paused mid-beat. Just absolutely skipped a step before stuttering onto the next pulse.

Oh god.

Bex looked even more beautiful than the last time he’d seen her, and she wore that white dress right now, like a bride.

Even from here he could see her tremble, watch her mouth part as she sucked in a gulping breath. Bex’s face was a question, her heart right there in her eyes.

He loved her. So fucking much. How had he ever let her go?

There was no one else in the room as he stood. Not Emma, looking at him with a question on her lips, not Aderyn smiling from behind the microphone. Not even Colton, winking at him behind the bar.

It was just him and Bex together as he took a tiny stride forward. It was just him and Bex as she ran to him.