Page 5 of The Vegas Rerun
Molly smiles, seeming to enjoy my praise. When the glasses arrive, we thank the waitress, and she flits back away. I raise my glass and Molly lifts hers.
"To unexpected delays," I say.
She clinks her glass against mine, grinning.
"To fate," she replies.
The first sip burns in the best way, and for a moment, we sit in comfortable silence. Then, Molly tilts her head, studying me.
"So, what’s your deal, Joshua? You’ve been here for a weekend, living it up like it’s your last chance. What’s next for you?" she says.
I exhale, rolling the glass between my fingers.
"This is my last big blowout before I have to start acting like an actual grown up," I say.
Molly goes pale.
“Oh shit. Was it your stag party? Are you the one getting married?” she says.
“God no,” I say laughing. “It was very much Mark’s stag party, and I am very much single.”
Molly recovers herself, looking down into her glass and then smiling up at me. I take it as a good sign that she reacted that way to the thought of me being engaged. It means that she feels this thing I do and hopefully it means that she too wants to act on the feeling.
She raises an eyebrow.
"Well, that’s a relief,” she says. “So, if it’s not marriage, what does acting like a grown up mean for you?"
"I’m going to be taking on a new role as CEO of a company," I tell her. The words taste heavy, even now. "It’s my father’s company, actually. I’ve been groomed for it for years, but once I step into that role officially, everything changes. There will be no more last-minute trips, no more waking up in the afternoon after a night out. Just responsibilities, board meetings, and expectations. At least for the first few years until I make my mark on the place."
Molly makes a face.
"That sounds awful," she says.
I laugh and shrug my shoulders.
"I mean, it’s not all bad. It’s a huge opportunity for me, and the salary makes some sacrifices worthwhile. But it does mean that this …" I gesture around us "… won’t really be an option anymore."
She takes another sip of her drink, considering.
"If that’s what being a grown up is, I don’t think I ever want to be one," she says, and I swear she actually shudders, and I can’t help but smile.
"Oh yeah? So, I take it that means you have no plans to move into something more corporate?" I ask.
She shakes her head.
"God no. It’s funny because I went to business school with every intention of doing the corporate thing, but then I came here to waitress for a season after college and I fell in love with Vegas. I mean how could I not? I love the freedom, the energy, the atmosphere. Every day here feels like a possibility, like anything could happen. Why would I give that up for board meetings and nine to fives?"
She has a good point, but still, a part of me wishes she felt differently. The thought came out of nowhere, but I find myself wishing that she wanted something more than this city, something that might pull her closer to where I’ll be, that maybe I could even offer her a job. But that’s ridiculous. We met a week ago. I don’t even know what I want yet, let alone what I want from her. I don’t even know her surname for fucks’ sake.
So, I don’t say anything of what I’m thinking. Instead, I lift my glass again.
"To never growing up," I say.
She clinks hers against mine again, laughing.
"Now that’s a toast I can get behind," she says before repeating my words back to me.
The night blurs in the best way. We drink, we talk, and mostly, we laugh. She’s easy to be around. She’s quick witted, sharp, and somehow, she has a way of making even the simplest moments feel like an adventure. As the drinks keep coming, everything feels lighter. The weight of the future, the pressure of my father’s expectations, all of it fades into the background.
