Chapter 2 Desiree Dixon

All the Things Vegas Doesn’t Have

“When I got to that last page and the rock star was on top of her in his own brother’s bed , I literally threw the book across the room,” Chloe says. “And then I glared at the book and shook my finger at it when I walked by. That’ll teach it.”

I giggle. “Good thing it was a book and not a TV show.”

“And good thing the next book is already out,” Addy adds. “I already downloaded it. I’m actually on book three now.” She makes a cringy face of apology.

“God, you read fast,” Lauren says.

And that’s it—the four of us who make up our little book club.

We meet every other week and rotate who’s hosting, and this week it happens to be me. We’re at the apartment I share with Addy, the girl who has been my roommate and best friend since our freshman year of college, and this week we’re talking about the juicy first book in a love triangle trilogy.

“Speaking of being on top of someone in a bed, how are things with Carter?” Chloe asks Lauren.

It always starts with book talk, snacks, and booze, and it inevitably turns to gossip, snacks, and booze. It’s one of the things I love most about being one of the Fearless Four.

Lauren laughs at her sister’s question. “It’s still just physical. He’s hot and good with his hands, but I’m pretty sure the connection ends there.” She taps her temple as if to say he has nothing up in his head.

“Too bad,” Chloe laments. “I was hoping you’d marry him so I could look at him every Thanksgiving dinner.”

“He has a brother,” Lauren says.

“Single?” Chloe, Addy, and I all ask at the same time.

Lauren nods.

“Dibs!” Chloe yells first, and more laughter makes its way around the room.

“But gay,” Lauren finishes.

“Dammit!” Chloe curses, and she grabs another pretzel bite and dips it in the cheese sauce. “I guess I’ll just continue to live vicariously through book boyfriends.” She glances at me. “Unless Desi’s dad can hook us up with some tight ends.”

I make a face. “He won’t even hook me up with one of them.” I roll my eyes. “Life’s so unfair sometimes.” My dad is the tight end coach for the San Diego Storm, and he’s also incredibly overprotective of me—which is why I moved in with Addy after graduation three years ago instead of moving back home with my parents.

And it is unfair. It’s unfair and unfortunate that my dad has access to all these amazing men who I root for on a weekly basis, but they won’t so much as look at me because he’s adamant that no player of his will touch his daughter.

I’m twenty-freaking-five now. I can make my own decisions.

But he says I can do better than a football player who’s only around half the time. This stems from the fact that the last football player I dated broke my heart, and combined with the fact that I guess he sees things I don’t, I try to believe he’s overprotective out of a place of love rather than control.

“So unfair,” Addy agrees. We both laugh at the ridiculousness of the conversation.

“What about Braden?” I ask Addy.

A little smile graces her lips, but it’s Chloe who answers for her. “I saw the two of them walking down the hallway together the other day. I think she’s getting somewhere!”

“Shut up,” Addy says petulantly, shooting a glare at her colleague at the middle school where they met. Addy has a huge crush on Braden, and they’ve been flirting with each other for the entire school year, but he has yet to make a move.

“Maybe you should make the first move,” I suggest to her.

She wrinkles her nose. “That’s so not me.”

“Step out of your comfort zone. Live a little,” I say.

“I’m not like you,” she protests. She’s more of a stay-in-on-a-weekend-to-read kind of girl, while my preferred way to spend my weekends is either being active outdoors, taking pictures, or partying. Those interests led me toward the career path of party planning, and I’ve landed the title of junior event planner at one of San Diego’s most exclusive venues.

Someday, I’d love to drop the junior title. Someday, I’d love to be my own boss and run my own events. But right now, I’m still learning. I love what I do, and I love my friends, and I love my life exactly how it is.

There’s only one thing missing, and it’s a hot football player. I mean a man who’s smart and good with his hands. Someone who will sweep me off my feet like those boys we read about in books who don’t seem to exist in real life.

I don’t need a man to be happy. I have a vibrator that gets the job done, but I wouldn’t mind a friend with benefits. Someone who I can turn to at the end of a long day for both sex and conversation without the side of commitment.

It’s harder to find than you’d think.

We gossip a little longer, and then Chloe yawns. “Sorry, but I gotta be up and at ‘em early tomorrow for a parent meeting before school.” She glances at her sister. “You ready?”

We always meet on Wednesdays since I’m usually working weekends, and this upcoming weekend is no different. I have a retirement party on Friday, a wedding on Saturday, and a quincea?era on Sunday.

Lauren stands and stretches. “I have an early day, too. My first client is coming in at nine thirty for a color and cut.”

“Nine thirty isn’t early,” Chloe points out.

“It is when you’re planning to spend the night on top of Carter,” Lauren says, and we all laugh as we walk to the door to say our goodbyes.

“I need to go finish book three. Sweet dreams,” Addy says after she helps me pick up the family room where our appetizers and drinks were left abandoned.

“Enjoy. No spoilers,” I warn, and she laughs as she gives me a thumbs-up and heads to bed.

The events over the weekend go off without a hitch—except for the wedding where the priest was twenty minutes late—and I find myself at my weekly Tuesday night dinner with my mom and dad.

“What do you think of Vegas?” my dad asks. He keeps his voice low since we’re at a restaurant and anyone could be listening.

“Vegas?” I repeat. “I love the vibe there, but I’ve never visited. Why do you ask?”

My dad’s eyes edge to my mom, and then he lays the truth on me. “They have an OC position open, so I interviewed.”

I gasp. “You…you what ?” My voice is louder than it should be given that we’re in a restaurant and he’s trying to be quiet.

He presses his lips together and nods. “And it went well, thanks for asking.”

Oh, right. Etiquette and all that. I clear my throat. “How well?”

“They offered, and about an hour before dinner, I accepted.”

My jaw drops clear to the floor. I am without words.

“Your mother and I are moving to Vegas, and we’d love for you to come, too.” He says the words for her, and I guess we’ve gotten lucky that my dad played for the Storm for years, and when it was time to hang it up, he moved into coaching with the same team. Working in the sports industry means your job could be gone just like that, but we’ve been in the same area of San Diego for my entire life.

And now, poof. They’re moving.

I can’t move. My life is here. My friends, my career, my entire livelihood. It’s all I’ve ever known, and I’m making a name for myself in the event planning industry. I can’t just take off for Vegas.

I glance at my mom to see what she thinks of all this. She’s never been very good at hiding what she’s thinking, and she shifts her gaze away from me so I don’t catch onto her real thoughts. But he’s not letting her speak, and when he does that, it’s because they’re not in agreement about something.

“Mom, is this what you want?” I ask.

She clears her throat. “It’s your father’s dream job, honey. Of course it’s what I want. And Vegas has palm trees like home but with slot machines, all the food…plus probably thousands of events every weekend. I’m sure you could find something in event planning there.”

She’s probably right about that, but I don’t want to find something there. Vegas doesn’t have Addy, Chloe, and Lauren. It doesn’t have the beach. It doesn’t have the Storm. What, I’m supposed to become an Aces fan because my dad has a job there when I’ve bled black and silver my entire existence? No fucking way.

If I’m in Vegas, I don’t get to sing the Storm’s fight song on my home field anymore. It’ll be some trendy Vegas song at the Aces stadium instead. Fuck that.

“I’m staying here,” I say, and I keep my voice firm and resolute.

My dad nods, and my mom looks disappointed.

“We do hope you’ll come visit,” my dad says.

“Of course.” I’m not sure when they’re moving, and I’m not sure when I’ll have a break to visit, but I’d love to swing by and check out Vegas.

You know…someday.