Page 13 of Gamble
Elijah held his hand up and protested, but Tyler’s whooping approval to Kent’s plan overrode his lame objections.
“Great. So, it’s all set. I booked our rooms already. We’ll leave on Friday. The guys and I are all riding our Harleys. I know youdon’t have one, but I’m renting you one for the weekend, my treat.”
A feeling close to homesickness invaded Elijah. He missed riding his old motorcycle. Riding had been one of his favorite pastimes when he wasn’t on an active movie set. It was just one more casualty of old age.
“I’ll pass on the bike. My hip won’t tolerate it.”
“Ah, but at least you didn’t say no altogether so that’s a good thing.”
He hadn’t said no, and it surprised him he didn’t even want to. It had been a long time since he’d gone anywhere that wasn’t work related. And despite, or maybe because, he had been feeling like an old man, the idea of getting out there and having some fun lifted his spirits.
And who doesn’t love a trip to the city where what happens there stays there.
CHAPTER FIVE
REAGAN
“I’m so jealous,” one of Reagan’s fellow nurses said as they were finishing the post-op activities for their last surgery of the day. “My husband used to whisk me away for long weekends, but that was before the kids. Have fun now while you can.”
Reagan knew Sandy meant well, but she just wasn’t in the mood to be all excited for their Vegas trip. The reason was, in part, that she’d outgrown the party city, and, more importantly, she wasn’t thrilled about it being another group trip.
She glanced at her watch. Tristan was supposed to pick her up in ten minutes.
Despite wishing they were headed north to Napa instead of East to Vegas, she was excited to see Tristan. He’d been gone for almost two weeks for work. Hell, she’d seen him about this often when she had still lived in Seattle and he’d just come to town every few weeks on his sales visits. Moving to L.A. was supposed to bring them closer together.
But that was what this weekend was for.
The thought was still lingering when her phone started ringing. She glanced down to see Tristan’s face filling her screen.
“I was just thinking about you. Are you almost to the hospital?” she asked, smiling.
Reagan knew without him speaking there was a problem. She couldn’t even hear Tristan’s words over the booming boarding announcement on his end of the line.
“You’ll have to repeat that,” she said. When he didn’t, she asked, “Why does it sound like you’re still at the airport?”
“My flight had a delay.” I’m still in Phoenix. It makes little sense for me to come to L.A. I’m switching flights and will meet you in Vegas, instead.”
Stay calm, Reagan. His delayed flight didn’t anger her. That kinda thing happened, especially when you travel as often as Tristan did. What annoyed her was that he had to have known this hours before. He was supposed to have landed in L.A. five hours ago.
“Why are you just calling me now?” she asked, unwilling to ignore her aggravation with the change in plans.
Loud scratching sounds filled the call. “I’m having trouble hearing you, baby. I’ll tell you all about it when I see you, okay?”
No, it wasn’t okay. Had this been the first time their plans had been changed at the last minute, she would understand, but hell, she was a nurse who often got called into work for emergency surgeries, yet she had never once been the one who’d changed their plans.
Right on schedule, her ex-husband’s voice mocked her in her head. ‘You’re so rigid—incapable of going with the flow.’
Dammit.
“Okay, I guess that will work. We’re both about the same distance from Vegas and since you’re already at the airport, you should get there before me. Will you wait for me at the airport so we can share a ride to the hotel?”
“Sure! Text me your flight info so I can find your gate.”
Before she could remind him it was the same flight he was supposed to be taking with her, he’d said goodbye and hung up.
Reagan pushed down her rising anxiety. She could admit it. Her ex hadn’t been wrong. Last minute change of plans, especially when travel and flights were involved, stressed her out. Looking at her watch, she knew she had to get a move on.
She ran to the employee locker room and grabbed the packed suitcase she’d brought to work that morning. Knowing she’d have some time at the airport before she had to board, she rushed through changing into her street clothes and pulled up the Uber app in the elevator on the way down to the employee exit.
