Zoey

I tossed the bag onto his lap. He could get his own cookie if he wanted one. He had pushed me to my limits. I was a reasonable and forgiving person, but him—he was an asshole, plain and simple. Just when I thought I poked a tiny hole in the darkness that surrounded him, he found a way to close up that hole. So, I thought it was best that we didn’t interact for a while. Everything I said was wrong in his eyes. He was closed off to the point of no return and that was what I needed to accept. It was six p.m. when we arrived in Las Vegas.

“I think we should stop, grab some dinner, and walk around for a bit. My legs are starting to cramp up. It’s only a four-and-a-half-hour drive to Sedona from here. Sound good?” He glanced at me.

“Sure,” I quietly spoke.

He pulled up to the valet at the Bellagio Hotel.

“There’s a restaurant in here called Fix. They have amazing food,” he spoke.

We climbed out of the SUV and headed inside. The minute we walked into the lobby of the hotel, I stopped and looked around, taking in the beauty and the excitement that was all around me.

“Have you ever been to Vegas?” Carter asked.

“No. This place is really crowded. Are you sure we’ll be able to get a table?”

“We’ll get a table.” He smirked.

When we reached the restaurant, the hostess with the short black hair, low-cut, cleavage-revealing tight shirt, and short black skirt greeted us with a smile.

“Do you have a reservation?”

“Actually, I don’t, but the name is Carter Grayson.”

“Oh. Welcome, Mr. Grayson. Is it just the two of you?”

“Yes.” He smiled.

“Follow me.”

She grabbed two large leather-bound menus and led us to a booth in the corner. He obviously was well known here.

“Good evening, Mr. Grayson.” A tall man with salt and pepper hair smiled as he filled our water glasses. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Good evening, George. Good to see you as well.”

“Double scotch on the rocks?” he asked.

“Please.”

“And for you, Madame?”

“A glass of Pinot, please.”

He gave me a slight nod and walked away. I looked around the restaurant. Dark wood floors and a mixture of tables and booths to match filled the place. The ambience was cozy. A dark setting with subtle lighting and candles that flickered in the center of the tables. George, our waiter, brought our drinks, set them down in front of us, and proceeded to take our order. After Carter handed him our menus, he picked up his glass and kicked back more than half his scotch while he stared at me.

“Listen, Zoey. I’m sorry for what I said earlier. This cold shoulder bullshit needs to stop.”

I picked up my glass of wine and sipped it as I glared at him.

“You think I’m crazy and you’ve made it known several times. So, let me tell you what I think about you and then we can put it behind us and move on.”

“Fair enough,” he spoke.

“I think you are a mean, arrogant, and miserable man. You’re rude, condescending, and just an overall jerk. You’re very disrespectful and I don’t appreciate it.”

I could see the look of anger wash over his face as he held his drink in his hand.

“Okay. I think you’re crazy and you think I’m a total disrespectful asshole. Now that we understand each other, we can move forward,” he spoke as he finished his drink.

George walked over and placed our plates in front of us.

“Another drink, Mr. Grayson?”

“Yes, please.”

I picked up my fork and knife and cut into my filet.

“Are we good now?” Carter asked.

“Sure. We’re good,” I spoke without looking at him.

“What do you think of the place?” he asked.

“It seems you’re well known here.”

“I’m in Vegas a lot and this is where I stay. I also own a few properties here. One of which I’m in the process of buying.”

“You’ve really made a success for yourself,” I spoke. “I mean, you’re young and to have what you do at your age is incredible.”

“Thanks. My work is my life. It’s all I have and it’s all I ever will have.”

“There’s more to life than work, Carter,” I spoke without hesitation, even though I knew it would set him off.

“I actually believed that at one time, but not anymore.” He picked up his drink and threw it back down his throat.

We finished our dinner without saying too much to each other. After Carter paid the bill, we left the restaurant and headed to the lobby of the hotel to leave, when I noticed a large group of people standing around a man who was lying on the floor. One person was screaming to call 911. I made my way through the crowd and knelt down beside him.

“I’m a nurse. Everyone needs to stand back,” I shouted.

He wasn’t breathing, so I started CPR.

“Does anyone know what happened?” I asked.

“He was just standing there, grabbed his chest, and went down,” a man spoke.

“Come on. Come back to us,” I spoke as I continued the chest compressions.

“Oh my God, Henry!” A hysterical woman came running and grabbed his hand.

I continued the chest compressions and breathing into his mouth. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder behind me. When I turned around, it was him.

“Thank you for trying to save me, sweetheart, but it’s my time to go. Tell my beautiful wife, Angie, that I love her with all my heart and that I’ll be watching over her. Also tell her that everything she’s going to need is locked in the wall safe in our bedroom and the combination is taped under the drawer of my nightstand.”

A sadness settled inside me as I stopped the compressions and looked at his wife. Suddenly, the paramedics came through with the stretcher and knelt down beside his body.

“He’s gone,” I spoke to them. “I did everything I could.”

“No!” Angie screamed.

I stood, walked over to her, placed my arm around her shoulder, and helped her up.

“He told me to tell you that he loves you with all his heart and that he’ll be watching over you.”

She looked at me with her tear-filled eyes. “What?”

“He thanked me for trying to save him, but he said it was his time. I’m so sorry. He also wanted you to know that everything you’re going to need is locked in the wall safe in your bedroom and the combination is taped under the drawer of his nightstand.”

She placed her hand on my cheek as the tears steadily flowed from her eyes.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome.” I gave her a tender small smile.

I looked across the crowd and saw Carter walking my way. I wiped my brow as he approached me.

“Are you okay?” He lightly touched my arm.

“Can we just go, please?”

“Sure.”

I turned around and walked out the door. Carter handed the valet his ticket and we stood there waiting for them to bring the car around.

“I’m sorry you couldn’t save him, Zoey,” he spoke in a low voice.

“Me too.”

The car pulled up to the curb and Carter opened the door for me.

“Thanks.” I gave him a small smile as I climbed inside.