Shit. This wasn’t good.
“Isn’t that the douchebag that broke your heart?”
I whipped my head back around to Luke as I watched him follow my line of sight.
“Rhett something, right?” he asked.
“Don’t worry. She’s got plenty of douchebag sitting right next to her,” Ana said.
“Yes, that’s Rhett, the guy I dated in high school,” I said.
“Didn’t he, like, cheat on you or something?” Luke asked.
I darted my eyes over to him as I scooted my chair further away from him.
“I don’t really want to talk about it,” I said. “Let’s just have some dinner.”
“Whatever you want. You look beautiful tonight, by the way,” he said.
“Thanks,” I said.
We got our food, and I ate it as fast as I could. Ana was trying to diffuse the tension growing at the table, but Luke was determined to make this a spectacle. Every time Rhett looked over, Luke tried to put a move on me, pulling my chair closer to his and trying to kiss my cheek. I finally had to get up and tell him I wasn’t feeling well to put some distance between us. He offered to escort me back to my room, but Ana interjected and told him she could escort me back and that his services wouldn’t be needed.
Then, she shot him a nasty look.
“What the fuck’s his problem?” Ana asked.
“He’s just Luke; nerdy awkward Luke. What can we get into tonight?” I asked.
“How do you feel about the casino?” she asked. “We could play the penny slots or something.”
“Sounds good to me. Anything to get me away from that damn dinner,” I said.
“Come on. I’ll show you where the casino is.”
We made our way to the elevator and took it up to the casino floor. There were card games and slot machines, dice being rolled, and roulette being played. There were flashing lights, the music was cranked up and members of staff walking around in tuxedos and brightly-colored costumes.
But when I turned a corner to explore the place, Luke was standing at the other end of it, staring back at me.
“Ana,” I said as I backtracked. “Ana, where are you?”
I looked around, trying to find my best friend.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Where did you go?” I asked.
“I’m right here. Don’t get your panties in a—”
Her eyes fluttered over my shoulder, and I chanced a look behind me.
“Is that motherfucker following us?” Ana asked.
“I don’t know. I really don’t,” I said.
“Come on. Let’s weave through some aisles and then dip into the elevator,” she said.
Ana took my arm, and I went wherever she led. We bobbed and weaved, getting completely lost in the maze of lights and sounds. We timed it right and stepped into the elevator just as Luke came out of the casino.
He turned and looked at me as the elevator doors closed.