Chapter 1
Natalie
It’s my twenty-first birthday and Sophia and I are heading to Las Vegas, so why am I holding the arms to my seat in the airplane so damn tightly as we take off? I should be happy, I should be shouting for joy, and enjoying the cocktail drinks our flight attendant, Delta gave us. Instead, I’ve got a death grip on this chair. Planes scare me, I’m not sure why and I’m not sure I care either. All I know is I’m ready to be on solid ground and kiss the pavement as soon as humanly possible.
What seems like minutes later, we’re done with the lift off and steadily heading towards our girls’ weekend. I look over to Sophia when she says, “You need tequila, and stat.”
“You are aware it’s nine o’ clock in the morning, right?” I say sarcastically back.
“Well, then you can do a Bloody Mary or a mimosa instead,” she replies.
I look over and see Delta, she reminds me so much of Dolly Parton. Hair out to there, tight shirt and a personality that will have you laughing and on the edge of your seat. When she was doing the skit on how to buckle yourself in and how the masks work, she did it in such a sing song way, you knew she was full of spark.
“Hey Delta, can I get a mimosa?” I ask her.
“Sure thing give me two minutes and a snap, and I’ll be right back,” she literally snaps her fingers as she turns back around going into the employee lounge for my mimosa.
Sophia and I look towards each other and start giggling hysterically. She’s been my bestie for the restie since middle school. We started off not liking each other for no apparent reason. Then one day we bumped into each other our freshman year of high school and we’ve been inseparable ever since. She’s the blonde to my brunette, the blue eyes to my deep green emerald eyes, she’s lithe and slim, and I have curves for days. We’re complete opposites, but we love each other anyways, we empower each other, we’re there for each other on our darkest days and in the lightest of our brightest days.
I’ve learned to embrace my size fourteen curves, I have to give a lot of credit to my aunt for that. She taught me self-love in the best of ways, by encouraging me to be strong, tough, and to love myself.
“Here you gals are,” Delta says as she comes back, bringing a mimosa for me and a shot of tequila for Sophia.
“Thank you,” Sophia and I say at the same time, which causes us to look at each other before she makes a toast, “Through thick and thin, we stick together through every sin.” This has been our motto, I repeat it after her and take a sip of my drink while she tosses her tequila shot back. I see her grimace, and that’s the reason shots are not for me. I like mixed drinks and even then, it’s sparingly. My parents were always the strictest of strict, once I went away to college though, I went a little wild at parties and drinking. That freshman fifteen, they say it’s from food. I assure you it’s not, it’s from drinking and not sleeping and then getting up and doing it all over the next night.
I learned my lesson after the first semester, I got my rear in gear and worked my ass off to graduate this year. A whole year early, the only down side to graduating early is having to say goodbye to Sophia this summer. She’s heading to New York to launch her career in fashion journalism while, I’ll be staying in Arizona to start my job at an accounting firm. Numbers have always been a passion of mine.
Our short jaunt comes to an end as the light comes on for us to buckle our lap belts, for landing. I loathe this part and I know I’ll have to do this again on our return trip in just four short days.
Chapter 2
Zack
“How may I help you?” I hear as I’m standing at the check in counter at the hotel where my next high stakes poker game is being held. I’m busy day dreaming and dead on my feet from taking a red eye from my folks house back in Florida.
I clear my throat and say, “Reservation for Zack Martin.”
“I have you in the penthouse and staying for the next seven days Mr. Martin,” she says.
“Thank you,” I reply back. She hands me my penthouse key card and the bellhop that followed me in from the taxi has my luggage ready. I follow the bellhop to the elevator, and we get in and ride up. I’m so tired I could sleep standing up, leaning against the wall waiting to finally reach the penthouse I’ll call my home for the next week.