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I realize the door to the plane is already open and the cool desert air is flowing into the plane. “OK.” I can go with the flow.
I get in the car and there’s Carl. I remember him from our last Vegas disaster. He was very helpful when we wanted to change Kristi’s wedding.
“Carl?” I ask him.
“Mrs. Asher,” he says back with a smile. “I’m to escort you to the hotel and lead you to your first clue.”
“Clue?”
“Yes, ma’am. Mr. Asher left me specific instructions to give you clues as to where you will find him tonight.”
I have to turn away so I can process this. What is he doing? I spend the next thirty minutes wondering, going out of my mind with curiosity, and declaring my love to my husband internally over and over again.
I have a feeling…
“We’re here,” Carl finally says. The driver gets out and opens my door and Carl meets me, and then offers his arm so he can escort me inside. We walk between the large Asian lion statues and into the lobby of the very festive Bellagio Hotel.
I allow Carl to lead me and after a few minutes we end up on the terrace that overlooks the fountains. It’s empty and when I look around for other people, Carl says, “Mr. Asher made sure this night would be completely private months ago.”
My mind is spinning with possibilities. “You said I get a clue?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He pulls a sealed envelope out of his pocket and hands it to me with a smile.
“Thank you.” My hands are shaking with anticipation as I take it from him and tear it open.
Princess,
This was where we came first. Do you remember what you said?
Love,
Your prince
I stare out at the view. At the people gathered around to watch the nightly show. “There’s too many people, that’s what I said.” I look over at Carl, just to make sure he doesn’t think I’m crazy. “I told him this wasn’t private enough. We needed a place that was just for us.”
Carl smiles and nods. “Yes, ma’am, that’s what you said.”
“Were you there?” I ask, surprised.
“Yes. I’m a wedding officiator as well as a concierge.”
“You married us?”
He nods again and his genuine smile eases my nerves a little. “I did. Mr. Asher is waiting for you in the exact spot where you were married. I’m to accompany you, but you have to remember where you got married to find him.”
“Where did we go?” I tap my finger on the ledge of the balcony and wait, but he doesn’t answer me.
After more than a full minute of silence he prods me. “You’re a wedding planner. Where would one have a wedding here?”
“The gardens are a pretty place.” But that feels too generic. I mean, flowers? Really? Is that all I could come up with? “The pools?” But no. How stupid to have a wedding at a pool, even a Bellagio pool. “I don’t know. Our room?”
When I look over at Carl, he’s smiling.
“We got married in our room?” It makes me laugh a little as I end my sentence. “Please, don’t tell me I was naked.”
He clears his throat.
“Oh my God, was I naked?”
“No, ma’am. You were not.”
“So Vaughn is in our room?” I start walking across the terrace, but Carl’s hand reaches out and stops me.
“Do you remember anything else? Your dress?”
I stare at him and then look down at my clothes. “I got married in this, didn’t I?”
He nods. “Minus the shoes. You said your dogs were barking.”
I turn away and chuckle. “I wish I had a picture.”
“Mr. Asher was afraid the media would get a hold of them. But he said, if you want, he can arrange it for tonight.” Carl pauses to see if I’ll answer him. “Would you like pictures of tonight?”
“Are we getting married?”
“I think that’s up to you.”
“Is he waiting in the room?”
“Yes, he is. But he wanted me to ask if you’d like a real dress this time. I’ve got the shops open for you and a selection of dresses waiting for your choosing.”
Do I want a dress? “No. I don’t want a dress. Like it or not, this was my wedding dress.”
“I understand.” And then he offers me his arm again. “Shall we go upstairs?”
I only vaguely remember nodding my head and letting him lead me away. My stomach flutters inside and I feel a little lightheaded.
Vaughn Asher is waiting for me. He’s waiting to marry me. He flew me here on his private jet and he’s trying to recreate our wedding night. Good God, he is the perfect man.
When we get off the elevator on our floor, Carl leans into my ear. “I’m going to wait here until you’re ready. Do you remember your vows?”
“Vows?”
He smiles at me and urges me to walk forward to the Grand Lakeview Suite that we were in back in September. “Don’t worry, ma’am. It will come back to you.”
I walk forward, trying to put that last question out of my head. And when I reach the door, I notice that it’s propped open with the swing-latch. I push the heavy door open, step inside, and then let it fall closed behind me.
I can see him standing at the end of the long hallway, backlit by the spectacular Bellagio fountains. He’s got on a black tux. Maybe even the one he was wearing that night because it was the premiere for Invisible Man 2. His hands are folded in front of him, and he’s smiling so wide I can’t help but smile back.
“Mrs. Asher.”
“Mr. Asher.”
He steps forward and meets me halfway, then takes my hand and leads me over to the dining table where there’s a spectacular array of fruits and bite-sized morsels. “You liked this part, right?”
I nod as I stare up at his blue eyes. “I did.”
And then he points down to the sheepskin rug. “And that as well, correct?”
I sigh as I think about lying on the rug with him that night. I was drunk. The room was spinning a bit. But this fur felt so damn good I did not care about anything else but lying down on it. “The sheepskin rug makes everything better.”
“I love that you love it.”
I bend my knee to lower myself down on the rug, but he pulls me back up. “No, sweets. You misunderstand.” And then he guides me to the chair. “It’s your turn to sit and my turn to kneel.”
I get in the car and there’s Carl. I remember him from our last Vegas disaster. He was very helpful when we wanted to change Kristi’s wedding.
“Carl?” I ask him.
“Mrs. Asher,” he says back with a smile. “I’m to escort you to the hotel and lead you to your first clue.”
“Clue?”
“Yes, ma’am. Mr. Asher left me specific instructions to give you clues as to where you will find him tonight.”
I have to turn away so I can process this. What is he doing? I spend the next thirty minutes wondering, going out of my mind with curiosity, and declaring my love to my husband internally over and over again.
I have a feeling…
“We’re here,” Carl finally says. The driver gets out and opens my door and Carl meets me, and then offers his arm so he can escort me inside. We walk between the large Asian lion statues and into the lobby of the very festive Bellagio Hotel.
I allow Carl to lead me and after a few minutes we end up on the terrace that overlooks the fountains. It’s empty and when I look around for other people, Carl says, “Mr. Asher made sure this night would be completely private months ago.”
My mind is spinning with possibilities. “You said I get a clue?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He pulls a sealed envelope out of his pocket and hands it to me with a smile.
“Thank you.” My hands are shaking with anticipation as I take it from him and tear it open.
Princess,
This was where we came first. Do you remember what you said?
Love,
Your prince
I stare out at the view. At the people gathered around to watch the nightly show. “There’s too many people, that’s what I said.” I look over at Carl, just to make sure he doesn’t think I’m crazy. “I told him this wasn’t private enough. We needed a place that was just for us.”
Carl smiles and nods. “Yes, ma’am, that’s what you said.”
“Were you there?” I ask, surprised.
“Yes. I’m a wedding officiator as well as a concierge.”
“You married us?”
He nods again and his genuine smile eases my nerves a little. “I did. Mr. Asher is waiting for you in the exact spot where you were married. I’m to accompany you, but you have to remember where you got married to find him.”
“Where did we go?” I tap my finger on the ledge of the balcony and wait, but he doesn’t answer me.
After more than a full minute of silence he prods me. “You’re a wedding planner. Where would one have a wedding here?”
“The gardens are a pretty place.” But that feels too generic. I mean, flowers? Really? Is that all I could come up with? “The pools?” But no. How stupid to have a wedding at a pool, even a Bellagio pool. “I don’t know. Our room?”
When I look over at Carl, he’s smiling.
“We got married in our room?” It makes me laugh a little as I end my sentence. “Please, don’t tell me I was naked.”
He clears his throat.
“Oh my God, was I naked?”
“No, ma’am. You were not.”
“So Vaughn is in our room?” I start walking across the terrace, but Carl’s hand reaches out and stops me.
“Do you remember anything else? Your dress?”
I stare at him and then look down at my clothes. “I got married in this, didn’t I?”
He nods. “Minus the shoes. You said your dogs were barking.”
I turn away and chuckle. “I wish I had a picture.”
“Mr. Asher was afraid the media would get a hold of them. But he said, if you want, he can arrange it for tonight.” Carl pauses to see if I’ll answer him. “Would you like pictures of tonight?”
“Are we getting married?”
“I think that’s up to you.”
“Is he waiting in the room?”
“Yes, he is. But he wanted me to ask if you’d like a real dress this time. I’ve got the shops open for you and a selection of dresses waiting for your choosing.”
Do I want a dress? “No. I don’t want a dress. Like it or not, this was my wedding dress.”
“I understand.” And then he offers me his arm again. “Shall we go upstairs?”
I only vaguely remember nodding my head and letting him lead me away. My stomach flutters inside and I feel a little lightheaded.
Vaughn Asher is waiting for me. He’s waiting to marry me. He flew me here on his private jet and he’s trying to recreate our wedding night. Good God, he is the perfect man.
When we get off the elevator on our floor, Carl leans into my ear. “I’m going to wait here until you’re ready. Do you remember your vows?”
“Vows?”
He smiles at me and urges me to walk forward to the Grand Lakeview Suite that we were in back in September. “Don’t worry, ma’am. It will come back to you.”
I walk forward, trying to put that last question out of my head. And when I reach the door, I notice that it’s propped open with the swing-latch. I push the heavy door open, step inside, and then let it fall closed behind me.
I can see him standing at the end of the long hallway, backlit by the spectacular Bellagio fountains. He’s got on a black tux. Maybe even the one he was wearing that night because it was the premiere for Invisible Man 2. His hands are folded in front of him, and he’s smiling so wide I can’t help but smile back.
“Mrs. Asher.”
“Mr. Asher.”
He steps forward and meets me halfway, then takes my hand and leads me over to the dining table where there’s a spectacular array of fruits and bite-sized morsels. “You liked this part, right?”
I nod as I stare up at his blue eyes. “I did.”
And then he points down to the sheepskin rug. “And that as well, correct?”
I sigh as I think about lying on the rug with him that night. I was drunk. The room was spinning a bit. But this fur felt so damn good I did not care about anything else but lying down on it. “The sheepskin rug makes everything better.”
“I love that you love it.”
I bend my knee to lower myself down on the rug, but he pulls me back up. “No, sweets. You misunderstand.” And then he guides me to the chair. “It’s your turn to sit and my turn to kneel.”
