Ryan rolls over, pulling me with him. Isnuggle up against him, resting my head on his chest. “I love ourbed.”
“Me too,” he hums. “It’s a shame I have toget out of it now.”
“Already?” I moan.
“Yes,” he kisses my head. “And if you keepmaking sounds like that we’ll be living on it, and then where willwe be?”
“Poor and sexually satisfied?” I jibe.
“You’re a trap waiting to happen.”
“I could be worse things.”
“Yes you could, but I really have to go.” Hepecks me on the cheek then stands up.
“Are you nervous?” I ask, drinking in thecuts of his body as he moves around the room.
“Honestly?” He slips on his shirt, “I’m alittle terrified. This is nothing like back home. There’s so muchriding on it, and me.”
“You’re going to be fine, you just have toturn it on.”
“Turn what on?”
“Don’t play dumb, you know.”
“Really, I don’t.”
I shoot him a pessimistic look, “You’re asexual hypnotist, and you know it.”
“Sexual hypnotist?” he raises his eyebrows.“I like that, I may need to look into changing my stage name.”
“As if Jack the Stripper isn’t badenough.”
Ryan drops down onto the bed, “You don’t likeJack?” he asks innocently.
“It’s not Jack.” I look away. “Sometimes it’shard knowing I’m not the only woman in your life,” I confess.
“But you are the only woman in my life,” Ryancontends, lifting my chin lightly with one finger. “You’re the onlywoman I want to kiss.” He brushes his lips softly against mine.“You’re the only woman I want to be inside of.” He slips his handbetween my thighs. “And you’re the only woman I want to give mylast name.”
I think I just melted into a puddle.
“Well, when you put it like that,” I swoon,“you can change your stage name to whatever you want.”
Ryan lets out a little laugh, “I think I’lljust stick with Jack.”
I stand outside the front doors of Culture:Las Vegas Strip, missing Lorenzo. It’s different here, there’s novelvet rope or bouncer checking IDs. There’s a box office with abright sign overhead that readsJack the Stripperinscreaming pink neon.
“Did you ever think you’d see his name inlights?” Emily nudges me.
“Never. This is bizarre,” I tell her with anentertained smile. A month after Ryan and I moved to Vegas, Emilyand Alex followed. I don’t know how she did it, but she talked himinto it. Alex works for his family’s shipping company and he canconduct business from anywhere really, so the move was no big deal.Except for the fact they left their family and friends to come andhang out with a professional stripper and his lawyer girlfriend -oopsI mean fiancée.
“Alana, what is that on your hand?”
“Huh? What?” I play dumb.
Emily grabs my wrist, “Is that what I thinkit is?”
“Well what do you think it is?” I asksarcastically.