A quick conversation with the casino concierge and a DJ and caterer arrived at the suite within minutes. Hotel staff helped me rearrange the furniture, create space for the party, and hang a congratulations banner across the wide picture windows. When everything was set, I stood under the banner and waited.
It was impossible not to admire the view and feel my heart soaring. There was something about Las Vegas. I loved the glitz of the Strip and the nearby starkness of the desert. I loved the chilly wind of the evenings and the hot beating sun during the day. And, I loved that underneath the facade were real people. I wanted to be one of them. I wanted to be part of this fabulous town.
"Great minds think alike, Ms. Allen," Kev called from the doorway. He marched in leading a long string of party guests. "Crack open the champagne and let’s get this thing started."
"Oh, thank God," I said. "I just realized Fenton might have decided to go out on the town."
"The man likes to party in private, especially to celebrate a win," Kev said.
"You mean he might actually be himself tonight?" I asked.
Fenton's manager laughed. "Oh, so you like the real Fenton? I figured. I never would have guessed it at first, but you two seem to be a good match when you're not busy messing it all up."
I accepted the glass of champagne. "Well, maybe tonight can be all about celebrating and nothing about work."
"Damn fine idea," Kev said. He popped another bottle of champagne as more people crowded into the suite and started to party.
"Who are all these people?" I asked.
"Gym staff, restaurant servers, valets, cab drivers," Kev said. He shrugged his shoulders.
For all his big talk and disgusting jokes, Kev was a good man. Everyone that helped him or supported Fenton in even the smallest way had been invited to celebrate.
"You're a class act, Kev Casey," I said.
"You flirting with me?" he slipped an arm around my waist.
I laughed and shoved his arm away. "Sorry, I've got some networking to do."
"Oh, so you're thinking about settling here in Vegas? I meant to talk to you about that. Opportunities abound. I bet your agency would love a foothold here," Kev said.
I blinked and could not hide the huge smile that spread over my face. "My boss would love that."
"Yeah, I got the feeling you weren't rushing back to Chicago. Sometimes a place just grabs you, like it’s got its own gravity and you realize you've just been floating along until you find it," Kev said.
At that moment, Fenton appeared in the doorway. There was the pull that Kev was talking about. Fenton Morris pulled me in to his orbit. I was about to give in and go to him when a tall blonde and blinding camera crew appeared behind him.
All hope of Fenton being himself vanished as he grabbed the reality show star and sauntered into his party. With the cameras rolling, Fenton was in full-on party mode. Tequila appeared in front of him and he tipped it back, taking a lime wedge out of Sienna's mouth. The crowd cheered as Sienna's entourage poured into the suite.
Kev gave me an apologetic look, and then swooped in to wrap his arms around two of Sienna's skinny, sequined friends.
"Let's get some music going!" Fenton yelled.
The DJ started and the living room became a dance floor. Fenton pulled the reality star into the center and ground himself against her. She shrieked and danced, writhing against him while the cameras ate up every bit of it.
"Not really your scene?" Aldous asked. He appeared behind me with a small plate of snacks, but no alcohol.
"Is it really his?" I asked.
Fenton's coach chuckled. "He plays it up good for the cameras. Saves money on a publicist, I guess."
So this is all business to Fenton, I told myself. It was only fair. I had let my dotted line get in the way, and now he was letting his one-man brand keep me away. I straightened my shoulders and finished the glass of champagne Kev had poured me. Then, I dove into the dancing crowd. It was hard not to smile as everyone was having such a good time. I finally gave into the music and found that dancing was a much easier way of getting through the crowd.
In fact, I was having so much fun dancing that I was surprised when Fenton slipped his hands around my waist and turned me to face him. Sienna refused to relinquish her hold and gyrated against his back, but Fenton's blue eyes were on me.
"I just wanted to say congratulations," I said over the music.
"Where's your date?" he asked. "The golfer?"