No Reservations (26 page)

'Happy New Year,' Brandon said.

'Same to you.' She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him lightly, once more.

Though the party wasn't over - hel , in Vegas was it ever over? -- Kate and Dix were heading back up to the room.

Since Brandon and Leah had already spent the past couple hours in the suite taking advantage of the privacy, Leah felt moral y obligated to give her friend the same amount of time.

They'd al managed to change their flights so they could leave together, and she knew getting to the airport tomorrow by 10

a.m. would be pure unadulterated hel , but she wasn't tired.

'You want to dance some more?' Brandon gestured at the couples bumping and grinding on the dance floor. 'Grab something to eat?'

Leah shook her head. 'Lets go for a walk.' He cast a dubious look at her shoes. 'Uh huh.'

Leah laughed. When I can't stand it any longer, you can carry me on your back.' Brandon raised one lovely dark eyebrow. 'Uh huh.'

She stood on tiptoes again to brush her mouth on his.

You'l be my pony.'

He laughed at that, though the cutest faint blush appeared at the base of his throat. 'Whatever you want.

She linked her fingers through his. 'C'mon, baby. Maybe we'l even hit Nathan's for a hot dog. Or ride the rol er coaster.'

Now both brows went up. 'It's after midnight!'

'And we're in Las Vegas,' she pointed out. 'Let your hair down.'

Brandon bent to curl his arm around her waist, lifting and twirling her while she laughed. She didn't care if people were watching, or that the room spun as she got dizzy. It was the perfect excuse to cling to her big, strong man so she didn't stumble.

Hand-in-hand, they wove their way through the crowd, which seemed no smal er than it had at any point during the night, and into the hotel lobby. Here there were more fetish con people. Maybe they'd had their own party.

The chil y air after the heat inside was nice for about five minutes, but then Brandon shrugged out of his tux jacket and slung it over her shoulders. She hadn't even asked. Leah looked up at him.

'How'd you know I was cold?'

'Um, aside from the fact your teeth were chattering?'

They paused in front of the huge M & M store. Leah slipped her arms into the sleeves. 'So it was obvious.'

He shrugged. 'Wel , it's cold out here. Your arms are bare. I figured you'd be cold. You're always cold at home, anyway. It's why you always wear a sweater.'

'I love that you know that about me.' He smiled. 'I should, don't you think?'

They walked a little further, slowly. Brandon's hand anchored in his pocket to make his arm a loop just right for her to hold. 'I'm not sure if it's a matter of should.'

He looked down at her and steered her gently around a scatter of broken glass. 'I think it is. If you love someone you should know the important stuff about them. Not just things like their favourite colour but you know. Stuff that's real y necessary for getting along with each other.'

God, he was smart. Not just book-smart, though she knew he was that, too. Brandon was insightful. Intel igent in the way that mattered. And she was an idiot for ever thinking they weren't meant to be together. 'If you're going to live with someone, it's especial y important,' she said wryly.

Benches in Vegas were hardly ever empty, but this one was, and Leah grabbed it to give her poor feet a rest. They had a fabulous view of the Bel agio fountain show from here, one of the many Vegas spectaculars she hadn't yet seen.

Maybe they'd be lucky and it would go off while they were here.

Brandon laughed and sat next to her. 'Wel , duh.'

She gave him a look. 'Did you just "duh" me?'

'Absolutely.'

She watched him stretch out those long legs and put his hands behind his head. A man ful y pleased with himself. She leant closer to say in a low voice, 'Pretty cocky, aren't you?'

Absolutely,' Brandon said again. 'Shameless.' 'That too.'

Leah snuggled against him and watched people pass by, most of them drunk. They were going to be hurting in the morning. God. The morning. She looked up at the sky that was probably stil dark, but it was too hard to tel with al the Vegas lights. 'I don't want to go home,' Leah said suddenly.

Brandon slid an arm around her shoulders. 'No? How come? I mean, aside from the obvious.' She sighed and put her head on his shoulder. 'Back to work, for one thing.'

'Yeah.' He sighed, too. i'm sure I'l have a buttload of crap to deal with. If I'm lucky nobody wil have quit while I'm gone. If I'm luckier, I won't have to fire anyone when I get back.'

She laughed. 'Same here.'

Brandon kissed the top of her head, i thought you liked your job. i do. It's work I don't like.'

They both laughed at that. A very drunk woman wearing a cone-shaped party hat, her dress halfway up her thighs and her date stumbling behind, whirled around at their laughter.

She waved a noisemaker at them. 'Happy Fucking Nude Year!'

Leah covered her mouth to hide a guffaw at that --

usual y drunk people didn't amuse her but this woman was clearly beyond shitfaced. The woman's date, his tux shirt open, tie gone, zipper undone, did a little dance. Brandon snorted.

'Did you hear me, honey?' The woman stumbled forwards and Brandon caught her neatly before she could end up on his lap. i said, Happy Nude Year!'

i heard you.' Brandon, pinned on one side by Leah and by the woman in front of him, tried to get his new friend to stand up straight, but she was too unbalanced. 'Careful, now.'

The woman peered at Leah. 'Zis your boyfriend?' 'Yes,' said Leah.

i bet he's got a nice big dick,' the woman said and put her hand right on it.

Brandon jumped, laughing, and grabbed at her wrist while Leah got ready to give the woman a big old shove.

Drunk or not, you don't grab the dick of another woman's man.

Before Leah could do anything, though, the woman managed to back off. She straightened her dress and jerked her thumb over her shoulder at her date, who was staring at them al blankly.

'Thass my husband. He's hung like a bear.'

'Rawr,' said the man.

'Like a bear, huh?' Brandon shook his head. 'Never heard that one.'

'Means he's got fuzzy bal s and a furry ass!' The woman broke into gales of hysterical laughter. 'C'mon, hairy ass. Less go fuck and stuff.'

iil be surprised if they can find their way back to their hotel,' Leah said, watching them, i can't believe she touched your crotch.' 'She was right though. I do have a nice big -'

'Hush,' Leah said and stopped him with a kiss. 'Don't be naughty.' i thought you liked it when I was.'

'Pffft.' She waved a hand and stood. 'Come on. Let's walk. We only have a few more hours here and we might as wel make the most of them.'

He stood up and up and up, stretching. What time's our flight?'

'Ten. So real y, there's almost no point in going to sleep.'

Leah grinned at him and swatted his very fine ass. And since we already made looooooove . . .'

Brandon grabbed her up and pinned her against him, earning a 'woop-woop!' from some passing drunken frat boys. 'That doesn't mean we couldn't do it again.'

She reached between them to squeeze his very fine package -- but gently. No point in bruising the merchandise.

Only in Vegas would she stand on a sidewalk and fondle him.

'Rawr.' 'My ass,' Brandon said with dignity, 'is not furry.' 'Thank God for that.'

He frowned. 'What, you wouldn't love me if I had a hairy ass?'

'Wel , now, see, that's the problem with hair in places you don't expect it,' Leah said as they walked along the rows of shops and hotels. 'By the time you discover it, it's usual y too late to be worried about it.'

'Uh huh. So does that mean if I start getting hair in my ears and stuff you'l disown me?'

She paused to give him a look of faint alarm. 'Are you expecting to grow hair out of your ears?'

My grandpa does. Tons of it. Al over the place. His eyebrows too.' Brandon made a scared face and gave an exaggerated shudder 'He's like a sasquatch, that guy.' 'Oh, my.'

He rol ed his eyes towards her. 'Yeah.'

Leah hugged his arm closer to her side so she could press against him. 'I think I can handle that.' He shot her a grin. 'You sure?' 'I'm sure.'

He nodded. 'OK, then.' What about me?'

'Do you expect to start growing hair out of your ears?'

She shook her head. 'No. But what about when I start to get hair on my mole?' Brandon snorted. 'What mole?'

'The one I'm sure wil grow on my chin eventual y.' Leah raised an eyebrow. Wil you stil love me when I grow a mole with a hair on it?'

'Of course,' he scoffed.

'But wil you stil want to make love to me?'

He stopped, not caring they caused a minor traffic jam in the stream of people parting around them to get by. 'Leah, I wil want to make love to you no matter how many moles you get with hairs on them.'

They'd been being sil y, but now tears nudged the backs of her eyes and thickened her throat. 'That is the most beautiful thing anyone's ever said to me.'

Wel ,' Brandon said. T mean it.'

And even in Las Vegas where so much was made of il usion, Leah had no doubts that this was al truth.

The last time Brandon pul ed an al -nighter he'd been in col ege, pepped up on No-Doz and three pots of coffee, trying like crazy to cram far a Sociology final he needed to pass with an A in order to keep his scholarship. He'd fal en asleep halfway through taking the test, woken ten minutes before the hour was up, and managed to squeak by on the skin of his teeth. Tonight was nothing like that -they stopped to grab steaming cups of coffee from a vendor but not because he was in any danger of fal ing asleep. Being with Leah was enough to keep him energised.

She was tired, he could see that. Her hair had fal en out of the pretty hairdo she'd put it in for the party, but he liked it that way, tumbled over her shoulders. Her make-up had smudged, too, giving her smoky eyes and fucking incredible pouty lips he couldn't stop wanting to taste.

They had done everything they possibly could in the few hours they had left. Stopped for hot dogs at Coney Island, rode the rol er coaster, visited the Eiffel Tower and viewed most of the free shows. Now the sky was final y turning light, though the thousands of lights stil gleamed as bright as they had al night.

Vegas in the morning looked hung-over. There were stil people on the streets and casino lobbies, a number of them dressed in formal wear. They were the ones who looked like they might pass out at any moment. There were other folks dressed in regular clothes, up early for the buffets or an early shot at the tables and slots. Tourists pul ing suitcases towards taxis. Some gave Vegas a last, longing look while others tried slipping away leaving behind a few hundred bucks and probably some dignity, too.

I'm hungry.' Leah took a deep breath. They were leaning on the railing in front of the Bel agio, having made a ful circuit of the Strip. 'Can you believe that?'

He put a hand on his bel y. 'Sure.'

She nudged his side. 'You're always hungry.'

Wel , yeah. But it's been at least an hour since we last ate.'

She laughed and tipped her face up to the brightening sky. 'Gawwwwwd, Brandon. Wil you stil love me when I'm so fat you have to rol me from room to room?'

They'd played this game al night. Wil you stil love me when . . .? It was sort of sil y, seeing who could top the other, but he liked it. It meant she was considering the rest of their lives together, and, though she hadn't come right out and said, yes, she'd many him, he was more certain than ever that's where al this was leading.

Of course. Wil you stil love me when I lose my hair?'

'I thought you were going to grow hair.'

In my ears,' he said, il probably go bald on top.'

She pretended to consider it. OK. So long as the hair in your ears is long enough to do a comb-over.' He cringed even as he laughed. She was rarely this sil y. 'Dude. Gross.' She slapped his arm. 'Do not cal me dude!' 'You and Kate cal each other dude al the time!'

Kate,' Leah said archly, 'is my bestie. And a woman.

Women can cal each other dude. You do not cal me dude. I have a vagina, not a penis.'

He slid his hand over her ass for a squeeze. 'Mmmm . . .

vagina.'

She shifted until she was between him and the railing, her ass nice, round and shoved up tight against his crotch.

Leah leant against him. Yes. I wil stil love you when you're bald.' Good.'

They swayed a little. Exhaustion should've weighted his eyes, but he'd gone past the point of being tired into being hyper-awake. Everything seemed too bright, too colourful, it's kinda like being high,' he said out loud. What is?' 'Being this tired.'

She twisted to look up at him. 'Sorry we stayed awake?'

Nope.' Brandon watched people going in and out of the hotel. People just starting their days, heading to work.

'What do you know of being high, anyway?' she said sternly. He grinned. 'Garsh, ma'am, not a thing.'

'Uh huh.' She pushed her butt back against his crotch again. 'What would your mother say?' 'My mom and dad were kids in the sixties,' Brandon said, i'm pretty sure they know about pot.' i can't picture that,' she told him.

Brandon laughed. 'Leah, you know . . . my parents aren't as squeaky clean as you think.' She was silent for a moment.

'Your parents are wonderful.' He hugged her. 'And I told you, they love you.' Yeah.' Her shoulders lifted and fel in a sigh.

'Leah . . .

Yeah, baby.' She yawned.

'We could do it here, if you want.'

She looked at him again with a naughty grin. 'Right here? On the sidewalk? I'm not sure we could get away with it.' He turned her in his arms to face him. 'No. Not that. I mean

. . . we could get married here.'

One of the things she'd never said but that he knew was that Leah didn't want a lot of pomp and circumstance. It wasn't that she didn't like being the centre of attention -- she loved that, actual y, when it was the right sort of attention, and from him. And he knew it wasn't that she had any qualms about planning an event like a wedding, because that too wasn't anything that intimidated her. He simply knew her wel enough to know she didn't necessarily want something traditional like a ceremony where they'd have to get up in front of people and exchange vows. And he knew it was because no matter what she ever said, part of her would always wonder if people were questioning their relationship.