Chapter 1

Alexis

“I’m sorry you can’t come with us. This trip is going to be so much fun,” I said to Missy as by phone as I sat in the back of Pamela’s bachelorette limo.

“Vegas isn’t really my style right now. I’m sticking close to home and enjoying my time with Scott. It still feels like we are newlyweds.”

“You are newlyweds. I think you get to say that for the first two years or so,” I laughed. “I’m so happy for you, Missy. You two are so cute in all your social media pics.”

“Thanks, I didn’t think I’d find the right guy and then bam, there he was.”

“Okay, let’s stop with all this mushy talk about the right guy. I’m already depressed enough about not having a decent guy in my life and going to this bachelorette party.”

It was a bit of a joke and a little bit true. So many of my friends were finding guys and getting married. Pamela was a friend from work and we weren’t even that close, but I still had a twinge of jealousy knowing that she was about to get married. I didn’t necessarily want to run off and get married, but I would love to have a nice guy to go on dates with and get to know.

“I thought you didn’t even want to get married. Plus, you just got that new show Single in La La Land. You can’t exactly be in a relationship if you’re on that show.”

“I am excited about the show,” I said as a smile crossed my face. “It’s going to be so fun going out and dating and having the cameras following me and stuff. That’s the only good thing about being single right now. At least it’s helping me get seen in Hollywood.”

After landing background roles and random commercials for years, I’d finally managed to get a good part on a show. It was billed as a reality show about dating in Los Angeles, but even reality shows are guided and scripted a little. I’d signed my contract and couldn’t wait for filming to start. This felt like the big break I’d been waiting for. Most reality stars end up transitioning into other work and that was exactly what I wanted to do. I planned to keep my wits about me during filming and show the world what a kickass woman I was.

“We really do need to get together soon,” Missy said as the girls in the limo started getting so rowdy that I could hardly hear her. “But maybe something a little less exciting than Vegas?”

“Yes,” I yelled back into the phone. “I’ll call you next week and we can do something. Miss you tons, talk to you soon.”

I wasn’t sure she even heard me over the noise in the limo. Missy was one of my dearest friends. We had both gone to UCLA and roomed with one another all four years. She had a couple of older sisters and an older brother that had attended UCLA as well so Missy knew her way around and helped me out from the very first day I arrived.

The anxiety I felt on that first day was horrendous and sometimes I teased Missy that she was the only reason I made it through school. It was the truth in those first few days though; I would have dropped out if she hadn’t been around. Everything overwhelmed me back then and I seriously would have flunked out of classes if Missy hadn’t walked with me to a couple to them the first few weeks.

School just wasn’t my thing. Even though I managed to graduate with decent grates, nothing about college drove me to work hard. I went to classes and paid just enough attention to learn what the teacher was trying to teach. All I could think about throughout college was acting jobs. I daydreamed about getting parts. I spent my free time doing extra work. Being in the movie industry was my real passion, it was what I’d waited for and now things were finally coming together for me.

“How is your friend?” Pamela asked. She moved from her seat and squeezed in next to me at the back of the limo.

“She’s good. She’s sorry she couldn’t come.”

“Oh, I totally understand. I’m sure when I’m married I won’t want to come party with everyone.”

“Yeah, maybe not.”

Pamela wasn’t really my friend at work, we were more like acquaintances. My actual friend from work, Jacqueline, was the one who was friendly with Pamela. In fact, Jacqueline was one of the few people Pamela actually hung out with at work so when I got invited to the bachelorette party I tried to say I had plans with my friend Missy and couldn’t come. Of course, Pamela wanted more people to show up so she told me to invite Missy. It was the weirdest thing I’d ever heard of, inviting someone to come to your bachelorette party that you didn’t even know, but then again, Pamela was a little weird.

“I really appreciate you coming for this weekend. I know we haven’t been all that close at work but I think you’re pretty amazing. You do a great job answering the phones.”

“Thank you,” I said a little uneasy at where this conversation was going.

“Alexis, I mean it. You are one of the best we have in the office. I always hear how nice you are on the phone. I know it’s not that easy to be nice to people who are calling us all the time. I just want you to know I really appreciate you.”

“Thanks,” I said still not comfortable having a one-on-one conversation with Pamela.

“Hey, Pam, can I talk to Alexis for a second? I’ll switch spots,” Jacqueline said as we made eye contact.

I mouthed the words Thank You, to her as the two women changed spots. Jacqueline and I started at Ultimate PR together but her degree was in marketing and mine was in theater. Acting as my priority, and working her way up the ladder was Jacqueline’s priority. We were on two different paths, but we still got along great.

“Looked like you could use some saving,” she said as we pretending to talk about something important.

“I did. I really should have just stayed home. Pamela doesn’t need me here.”

“I need you here. We are going to get into these clubs and have a blast. I wouldn’t have nearly as much fun without you with me. Plus, all the guys hit on you with that beautiful hair, I need to be able to handle the leftovers for you.”

“Um yeah, what is with guys in clubs and hitting on me because of my hair? You’d think they’d never seen a blonde girl before.”

“You’re sort of gorgeous too, let’s not forget about that,” Jacqueline did a little Vanna White move as she moved her hand in the air up and down the length of my body. “You’re a knockout.”

“You are really pretty,” Rose said from the long bench seat just across from me.

“Thank you, Rose. That was nice of you to say.”

“You’re welcome,” she said shyly and then looked back down at her hands as they fidgeted in her lap.

Rose was one of the other assistants at work. She had also been roped into coming to the bachelorette party and wasn’t all that good a friend with Pamela. I really liked Rose; she was quiet and kept to herself most of the time, but she was a really nice woman. One time I’d messed up royally on a package that came in and Rose said it was her fault to our boss. He liked her better than me and didn’t yell at her at all. I never forgot that gift of charity she gave me.

“Have you met the guy Pamela is going to marry?” Jacqueline whispered in my ear.

“No, but I saw his picture and he looked pretty normal,” I said with a shrug.

“Yeah, I saw that picture too. He does seem pretty normal and Pamela is just a little, well…you know, off a little. So it was weird that they found each other.”

“I guess we never know who might be out there for us,” I said.

It was fascinating to me how two people found each other and decided that they were going to get married. Some of my friends had only dated for a few months while others dated for years before getting married. I personally couldn’t imagine ever finding a guy that I would marry.

Not that I didn’t believe in love, because I did. The problem was that most of the guys I dated had flaws that I knew I couldn’t live with the rest of my life. Maybe my whole view of love would change the second I met this magical guy who I’d fall in love with and not see his flaws? But so far I could barely make it past a first date.

“We are here!” yelled Pamela as our limo pulled up to the hotel.

Most of the women squealed with excitement. Even I found myself oohing and awwing as we climbed out of the limo and looked up at the entryway of the new fancy hotel. Vegas was known for going above and beyond when it came to hotels, but this new one was beyond anything I could have imagined. The Arisa was modern but still boasted the blingy fun of over-the-top Vegas styling. We made our way through fifty-foot glass doors into the main lobby.

“So what was going on with your friend, Missy? She couldn’t come?” Jacqueline asked as we waited in the lobby for Pamela and the maid of honor to get us all checked in.

“Do you blame her?” I snorted.

“Oh, come on this is going to be a fun weekend and you know it.”

“I’m sure once I start drinking the whole thing will seem really funny. But Missy isn’t doing much of anything anymore. Apparently, once you get married you don’t ever leave the house.”

“She’s just getting to know her dude and enjoying their time together. Why are you so cranky about love all the time?”

It was a jarring accusation. Was I really hating on love? I was jaded to the prospect of finding someone for myself but I didn’t think I was always hating on love or people who were finding it. I liked love. Hell, I loved the idea of falling in love.

“Sorry, I probably need to get laid,” I laughed to lighten the mood a bit.

“Yeah, you do,” Jacqueline didn’t argue. “I think it’s been six months.”

“No,” I looked up as I tried to remember the last guy I’d dated long enough to bring back to my places. “Crap, yeah I think it’s been six months, that’s really depressing.”

One of the reasons Jacqueline and I got along so well was that we were able to have fun and be honest with one another. Even though I was friendly with a lot of people in the office, Jacqueline was the only one I felt really knew me. We ate lunch together often and hung out after work on weekends. Even as she’d started climbing the corporate ladder we’d managed to maintain our friendship.

“I’ve got rooms for everyone,” Pamela yelled from across the lobby.

Her voice echoed in the cavernous space and for a moment I was embarrassed until I looked around and realized everyone else was being just as noisy and didn’t care one bit about Pamela and her yelling. The group of women huddled around her as Jacqueline and I joined our tribe for the weekend.

“I put you and Jacqueline together,” Pamela said as she handed each of us a key. “I know what good friends the two of you are.”

“Thank you so much,” Jacqueline replied.

I couldn’t manage another fake smile or conversation so I simply grabbed the key and nodded in agreement with Pamela. I couldn’t wait to get up to our room and relax for a little bit after the long ride into town. I definitely was cranky.

Even in a limousine, the three-hour drive from Los Angeles was daunting. Before I could manage to slip away I felt a piece of paper being handed to me. My hand crumbled around the paper and I rolled my eyes while I turned around to see what had just been given to me.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“It’s the schedule for the weekend,” Rose said softly behind me. “You aren’t going to like it.”

“Probably not, but thanks, Rose.”

I didn’t bother looking at the schedule as I slid it into my pocket and grabbed my suitcase from the cart that had been unloaded from our vehicle. I waited for Jacqueline to finish hugging Pamela and laughing with her, I felt like one of those old ladies who didn’t want to do anything. I was in Las Vegas! Why was this whole trip making me so damn grumpy?

“Look a little more like a bitch and I’d swear you were already a movie star,” Jacqueline said as she grabbed her suitcase and joined me walking toward the tower of elevators.

“Sorry, I think I’m just stressed out. I’ll have a drink or two before we head out to the first scheduled event of the night. I don’t want to be a grumpy jerk all night long.”

“Yeah, I’m glad you suggested that because I was going to pour some vodka into your orange juice and make you drink it before we went out anyway. Stop fixating on Pamela, she just wants some people to hang out with. Once we get out in the clubs she will be busy with that core group of girls and the two of us can just have fun. Plus, we are in Vegas, baby! This is going to be a fun ass weekend and you know it.”

I smiled sheepishly. She was right. As soon as we got all dressed up for the clubs and I loosened up with a few drinks, all my crankiness was going to slip away. I’d been so stressed out lately that I couldn’t find that sweet spot I could relax in. I was working five days a week, and working out every night, and with the new show getting ready to start I’d spent three of the last four days at my agent’s office finalizing all the details. If anything, I should be celebrating with all these ladies. I had a new part in a reality television show. I was going to be filming mostly in the evenings at first so I’d keep my day job for the time being, but I could see my future taking off after this job and that was really exciting. Maybe I could find a part on a sitcom or something fun like that after this show was finished.