Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78634 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78634 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“Yeah, a long time ago.”
A smile spread across his face. “Can you guess what scene we’re about to recreate?”
He started running at me in a flat-out sprint as I shouted, “Wait!”
He didn’t slow down though, and when he reached me I did my best to grab him by the waist and hoist him into the air. For maybe two glorious seconds, we actually pulled it off. I held him over my head, he stuck his arms out, and both of us burst out laughing in giddy disbelief.
A moment later, I lost my balance and tipped over backwards, landing on the ground with an, “Oof,” as Embry crashed down on top of me.
He pushed himself up so we were face to face and exclaimed, “We actually did it!” Vee leaned in and snapped a photo, and Embry asked him, “Did you get a picture of our Dirty Dancing moment?”
Vee tapped the screen and turned it to face us. He’d captured an absolutely incredible shot of Embry and me at the pinnacle of that lift, laughing and triumphant with the Las Vegas sign directly behind us. I told him, “Great job! That shot is amazing.”
“I knew an action shot was the way to go,” Embry said, as he climbed off me.
Next up, I drove us down the Strip on our way to the Clark County Marriage License Bureau. Predictably, Embry was mesmerized by the huge hotel-casinos, and I was glad to see his reaction to the one I’d selected. “Look how cool that one is,” he gushed. “I can’t believe they have a full-size Eiffel Tower!” I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was actually half-scale, compared to the original.
Our destination was considerably less interesting. When we reached the county offices, we took a number, did some paperwork, and eventually left with a marriage license. On our way back to the car, I asked Embry, “Which themed wedding venue did you end up choosing?”
“I’m still working on that, but I’ll have something put together by tomorrow night.” He glanced at me and asked, “What do you want to do with the rest of today?”
“I figured you and your friends would want some time to hang out, maybe at the hotel’s pool or casino. But I’d like to meet up later for dinner, if that’s okay.”
“What will you be doing until then?”
“I brought a book. I’ll be in my room if you need anything.”
His friends were lounging in the back seat, doing something on their phones when we reached the yellow convertible. They both glanced at us as Embry turned to me and frowned a little. “So, even though you’re in Las Vegas, your plan for this afternoon is to hide in your room?”
He seemed disappointed, but I didn’t know why. I thought he’d be thrilled to get to go have fun with his friends, without me tagging along.
“Well, yes.” His frown deepened, but he let it drop.
I drove us back to the Strip, and when I pulled up to the valet parking station at Paris Las Vegas, Embry asked, “Is this where we’re staying?”
I nodded. “Is it okay?”
“It’s amazing.”
As the staff took care of our car and luggage, I held one of the doors for Embry, and he stepped through it and murmured, “Oh, wow.”
The casino began a few feet from the entrance, beneath a ceiling painted to look like a blue sky with fluffy clouds. It was fairly crowded, and the clusters of slot machines beeped, jingled, and played little tunes to attract attention, blending into a cacophony of sound.
The reception area was a bit calmer, even though it opened onto the casino. It was meant to resemble Versailles with its elaborate gold trim, framed artwork, and large chandeliers, though the row of modern self check-in kiosks tended to shatter the illusion.
Embry was enchanted, though. He followed me while Vee and Hal wandered into the casino, and he murmured, “It’s so fancy.”
After I checked us in, I handed Embry three key cards and showed him the room numbers. “My room is right down the hall from yours. If you need anything, either come by or call my cell phone.”
“You’re not going upstairs already, are you?”
He looked hopeful, so I said, “I don’t have to. Want to look around a little?”
“Yes, please.”
We started to make our way around the edge of the casino. Embry came to a stop when he spotted the roulette tables, and I asked, “Would you like to play?”
“I already am. Red.” The ball spinning around the wheel closest to us landed on red, and he smiled at me. “I won.”
“I’ll get you some chips if you want to play for real.”
“No, thanks.” The ball was set in motion again, and he whispered, “Red.” When it landed on red a second time, he clapped his hands delightedly and started walking. “I like that game. It’s just like in the movies.”