Chapter 9 

Thankfully we were in the same hotel, so I didn’t have to do the walk of shame as I made my way back to my room.  I still couldn’t believe that this was real.  I mean, me, married!  Why hadn’t anyone tried to stop me?  Where had my friends got to last night?  Did I even want to tell them I’d woke up to find out I’d got married in Vegas?  I knew I’d have to; I couldn’t keep something this big away from them. 

Here goes! 

“Ah, the dirty stop out returns” Jess called out when I walked into our suite. 

“Morning” I said sheepishly. 

“So, where’ve you been all night then?” asked Izzy and I felt all their eyes on me. 

“First of all, let’s get one thing clear…I don’t remember a thing about last night.  What happened?  Where did we go and why did you all leave me?” I asked.  I wanted some answers from them too before I told them anything. 

“Oh god Steph, don’t you remember anything?” Chloe asked. 

“Well, I can’t help I’m afraid, as you know, I went up to bed early” said Jess “but I’m dying to know what happened” 

“That makes two of us” I said. 

“Well, we were knocking back the cocktails at the blackjack table and flirting shamelessly with those Backstreet Boys and Take That guys, who by the way, were just as flirty back!  You remember that?” said Izzy. 

“Kind of” I cringed as a flashback entered my head. 

~*~ 

I couldn’t take my eyes off Jason Orange, he looked so incredibly sexy, from his disheveled hair to the nicely fitted black trousers he was wearing, everything about him was gorgeous, even more so up close.  We all introduced ourselves at the blackjack table but I wasn’t interested in anyone but Jason, I could hardly focus on anything else.   

“So, how come you’re here?” asked Izzy “are you working together or something” 

Gary laughed “No, no, but actually that might be fun, these guys are great.  We’re actually here on a bit of a break before we get back in the studio” 

“And we’re just here for the casinos” said Nick. 

"Just the casinos?" asked Izzy

"OK...you got us, we're here for the scenery too" he replied and gave us his gorgeous lopsided grin.

“What about you girls?  What brings you to Vegas?” asked Howard as he eyed up Izzy. 

“We wanted a wild weekend, and where could be wilder than Vegas?” I replied. 

“Where indeed” murmured AJ 

We carried on playing at the table, talking, drinking, sometimes winning, and sometimes losing.  Chloe eventually found us and told us she was going up to bed, she’d had enough for one night, the jet lag had finally caught up with her. 

“Who wants to go dancing?” I asked, looking towards Jason.  His was the only reply I was interested in.

 ~*~

 “Well, Chloe went up to bed and you said something about going dancing, you were all hyper” said Izzy “I wasn’t really in the mood for dancing as I was starting to feel tired, so Gary and I stayed at the casino and had a couple more drinks before going our separate ways.  You went off with Jason, Howard, Nick and AJ.  I asked if you’d be OK and you told me not to worry.  That’s all I can tell you”. 

“If only I’d not left that casino” I groaned and put my head in my hands. 

“I thought you couldn’t remember anything?” Chloe asked and raised her eyebrows at me. 

“Oh god…that’s just it…I don’t really remember anything but then this morning I woke up in AJ McLean’s bed” I said, feeling my face burn bright red. 

“Fucking hell Steph!” said Chloe “that man is hot as hell” 

“Urgh…please” I said and held up my hand. 

“Do you think you...y’know…had sex with him?” asked Izzy. 

“Oh, I know I did” I cringed at the thought of all those condom wrappers “I woke up with a condom wrapper stuck to me” 

They fell about laughing whilst I just wanted to vanish from the face of the earth. 

“But that’s not all” I said deciding I had to tell them the rest of the story “I woke up to find out I’d married him”.  As I said the words out loud, it suddenly hit me, I was married.  I burst into tears.  My friends looked visibly shocked and all came closer to wrap their arms around me in an attempt to try and console me. 

“Steph…shhhh, it’s gonna be OK” Jess said soothingly. 

“How?  I married a man I don’t even know and I don’t even remember any of it” I cried. 

“What does he have to say about it?” asked Chloe. 

“Says he’s going to get it annulled, but his lawyer isn’t answering his phone” I sobbed. 

“Well, there you go; this will all be over and done with in no time at all, it’ll be like it never happened.  No one else needs to know” said Izzy. 

“I just wish I knew how it happened” I sighed unhappily. 

“Come on, the all you can eat buffet breakfast is still open, let’s go and get something to eat and we’ll talk some more” said Jess. 

“Like I could eat at a time like this!” I said in despair, but I knew she was right, thinking about this awful situation would be easier to do once we’d all eaten. 

I was still in last night’s clothes so I had a shower first.  As I stood under the spray of water, I scrubbed my body, trying to wash away my mistakes of the night before.  If only it were that easy!  There wasn’t time for a long shower, so I hurried myself up and was soon dry and dressed, and then we were ready to go.   

The buffet breakfast was unbelievable.  I couldn’t get over the amount of different food items on offer, from simple cereal to ice cream (which people were actually eating I couldn’t help noticing). 

“Oh my god, who could eat ice cream for breakfast?” I said, slightly horrified at the thought. 

“Hmm, I think maybe I could” replied Jess sheepishly. 

“Well, you are pregnant, so you’ve got an excuse” Izzy said and smiled at her. 

We each took a plate and began choosing things from the huge display.  I took some toast, bacon, scrambled egg and a glass of orange juice, that was plenty for me, I didn’t even know if I’d be able to eat it.  

“Donuts?” I asked and raised an eyebrow at Chloe 

“Well…why not?  We’re on holiday after all” she laughed and I couldn’t help laughing too.  If I didn’t laugh, I’d cry at the situation I was in. 

We found a table and sat down.  It was hard to believe that this hotel had so many restaurants and so much choice.  Las Vegas really was like another world.  If only I could step out of this crazy world like as if none of this really happened. 

“So, you really can’t remember marrying him?” asked Chloe as I shook my head “God Steph, out of all of us, you’d be the last one I expected to do something so stupid” 

“I know, I know” I said shaking my head “you think I don’t know that.  I just don’t know what possessed me” 

“So, after you left the casino, do you know where you went?” asked Izzy “if only I’d been with you” 

“Shit…” I began and trailed off as another flashback hit me. 

~*~ 

“I know the perfect place for dancing” said Nick “it just opened up a few months ago and is THE place to go” 

“Cool” I said, eager to go wherever he suggested “lead the way Nick” 

We all climbed into a car which someone must’ve ordered, although I was too drunk to really care how the car got there.  In no time at all we were speeding towards this supposedly good club.  I was sat between Jason and Nick, but wished that I was alone with Jason, the man was incredibly gorgeous.  I looked at him from the corner of my eye and caught him looking at me; he turned away quickly and stared out of the window. 

“Wow Nick, you weren’t kidding about this place” Howard said as we all walked in, avoiding the queue outside due to Nick and AJ’s celebrity status (Howard and Jason weren’t so well known here).  Howard then made his excuses and disappeared to go and check out the DJ, leaving me with Jason, AJ and Nick. 

“Hey, I’ve just spotted someone I really need to talk to, I’ll be right back” said Nick and he vanished into the crowd. 

“Drinks?” AJ suggested “I’ll go and get them whilst you find us a table.  What are you both having?” 

Jason looked at me to answer first.  “I’ll have vodka and coke please” 

“Just a water for me thanks” said Jason. 

“Shall we find a table?” I suggested and Jason followed me.  He wasn’t very talkative and I found myself making all the conversation.  Eventually AJ found us and set our drinks down, but before he even had chance to sit down, Jason was up out of his chair and muttering that he had to go.  I was left wondering what I’d done, what I’d said to make him act like this.  I downed my vodka and went to the bar for another. 

~*~ 

“What Steph?  What do you remember?” asked Izzy 

“I remember that Jason didn’t like me, and I don’t know why” I said as I felt tears begin to form in my eyes.  I quickly took a drink of my juice and tried to calm myself down.  I was not going to cry because Jason Orange had been an ignorant arse, no way. 

“What did he say?” asked Chloe 

“That’s just it, he hardly said a word, it was like trying to get blood out of a stone” I said. 

“Well, his loss” Jess said as she dug her spoon into a dish of ice cream. 

“Speak of the devil…there he is” said Izzy “and he’s heading over here” 

“Oh god” I mumbled. 

“Morning” he said, standing awkwardly with his hands in his pockets “mind if I join you?” 

“No, not at all” Chloe said. 

“Thanks” he smiled then turned towards me “listen…Steph, about last night…” 

“Let’s go and get some more ice cream” said Jess and signaled for Izzy and Chloe to follow.  They took the hint and jumped up from the seats to leave me alone with Jason. 

“Erm, I’m sorry about my friends” I blushed. 

“No Steph, I’m sorry.  Last night I had the most awful migraine and I just couldn’t think or see straight, it took all my effort to just get back to the hotel.  I’m sorry if I came across as a right twat” he said. 

Fuck. 

“You didn’t” I lied, although that was exactly how I had been thinking of him not so long ago.  “Are you OK now?” 

“Yeah, all I needed was to get my head down after taking a couple of painkillers.  I’m fine now, although still a little tired” he said and yawned.  As he did so, he stretched his arms up and exposed a small sliver of toned stomach.  My eyes snapped back up to his face before he caught me checking him out.  God, he was simply stunning. 

We sat for a few moments, neither of us saying a word, just glancing at each other and then shyly turning away.  Then I heard him take a deep breath and he began to speak. 

“Steph, I really wanted to get to know you last night…no, that sounds bad, it sounds like I wanted to…oh never mind” he said, a little flustered “what I meant was, I would like to get to know you, but we’re going home today”.  I heard the regret in his voice. 

“I wanted to get to know you too Jason” I said.  But instead I was marrying AJ friggin McLean and having lots and lots of sex, arghhh! 

“Maybe we could meet up back home?  I mean, that’s if you want to of course.  It doesn’t have to be a date, just…” he began but I cut him off. 

“I’d love to” I replied. 

We swapped phone numbers, Jason put his number into my phone and I did the same with Jason’s phone.  Then we were interrupted from any further talk by my friends returning. 

“Well, I’d better go” he said as he began to stand up. 

“No, don’t feel you have to go because we’re here” said Izzy 

“Seriously, I’m just going to grab something quick to eat then I have to pack, I doubt Howard is even up yet, so I’ll have to go and wake him” he said “but Steph, I’ll give you a call in a few days”.  He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, making me blush furiously. 

“Erm, OK” was all I managed to say. 

“Bye Jason” my friends called out together and we watched him walk away. 

“OH MY GOD!” Chloe said “I thought he was an ignorant arse?  What happened?” 

“I got him wrong” I said “last night, he wasn’t well, he had a migraine.  Oh fuck, what the hell am I going to do?” 

“Well, first things first, you need to see AJ and get this marriage ended” said Jess 

“Then when we get home, you are going on a date with Jason Orange, woohoo” said Izzy excitedly “lucky cow!” 

Oh god, Jason Orange wants to see me again, on a date!