Two Can Play (27 page)

Nothing yet.

Fuck. I'm losing hope fast.

Getting the complete cold shoulder message.

HER

I simply cannot believe my bad luck.

I'm sitting in Summerlin Hospital Emergency department with Brendan. It seems I've broken my left arm in two places tripping down the steps in a bar in Flamingo on my sky-high heels. I can't even blame it on drink because I'd only just got there. So much for my great evening out, looking like a million dollars. It finished before it started.

I'm waiting to be plastered up. For a whole month I have to wear a cast over my pretty rose tattoo. I hope it's not ruined because I won't be able to put any Bepanthen cream on it like I'm supposed to.

Brendan laughs at me, yet again. At least my accident has broken the ice between us.

“
It's not funny, buster, it aches like hell,” I say with a pout.

“
I'm sorry, but you should have seen you go. You were flying.” He takes great pleasure in reminding me of my dramatic topple.

“
If you've gotta break something, do it in style, that's my motto.”

“
Yeah, and that was some style. The guy you landed on top of was impressed with your style.”

I can't help it and laugh with him at the memory of the guy swearing his head off at me as I knocked him flying. The shaking of my body hurts my arm and I moan with the pain shooting along my shattered nerves.

My mom comes rushing in the door with Harry.

“
Oh, baby, you poor thing.” She sits at my side and hugs me carefully.

“
I told her Kels could be real bad news to go out with,” Bren jokes. My mom gives him a dark look.

“
It's not Kelsey's fault, is it? It was a nasty accident, that's all. And she's hurting, aren't you, sweetheart?”

“
It's not too bad just now, I've been given a shot of strong painkillers. I'm actually a little sleepy. The needle really hurt, though.”

“
Oh no, poor love, you really hate needles, don't you?”

“
I'd rather break another arm than have an injection.”

“
D'you know how long you're gonna be?”

“
No, I'm waiting to be set in plaster. We've been waiting for nearly an hour already.”

“
Harry, can't you do something?” Mom asks him.

“
I can but try.”

He goes off to the information desk and after a quick conversation he returns.

“I can pay to get it done faster, but the nurse says she'll be dealt with in ten minutes tops. Go get us a drink, honey.” He gives her some cash.

“
D'you want anything?” she asks me.

“
Just a bottle of water please, Mom.”

She sweeps off to the cafe.

“What a vacation it's turning out to be, Kate. You'll remember this one, won't you?” Harry chuckles.

I laugh with him.

Yeah, a laugh a minute...

HIM

I can't help it. Despite my movie, I'm getting more than miserable and now on my third beer. My cell rings with a call. I pick it up with a surge of excitement.

But it's not Kate. It's my sister, Paula. She doesn't call me that often, so I'm curious.

“
Hey, Paula, this is a nice surprise.”

“
Not a nice one I'm afraid. I was debating whether I should tell you, because she said not to. But I don't agree. Mom's sick, Aaron. She's got breast cancer. Had it confirmed today. I don't think she should keep it a secret. I know you two had a talk the other day and things are better between you. Maybe you want to see her?”

“
Oh God, no. She's got cancer?”

“
Yeah and she's very down, obviously. Since Dad died she's not been good, but now, she's far worse. She's seeing a consultant soon to discuss her options. I thought you'd like to be around, but of course, it's up to you.”

“
Well I'll fly back as soon as I can, okay? I'll leave right now.”

“
Okay, I'll speak to you then. I appreciate you coming. I'm sure she will, once she gets her head ’round it.”

She ends the call and my whole world starts to disintegrate. I simply can't believe it. My mom and dad both having cancer? This is so fucking unfair. I try and pull myself together and think of Mom. We may be in a very new phase of our relationship, and things are still strained, but even so, she's my mother and I really do care about her, a lot, despite my love-hate past experiences with her. At least I understand everything now, even if I don't agree with the way she handled it. I need to be there, in any case. And she needs a strong male shoulder to cry on. I'm gonna try my hardest to be that shoulder.

I can't sit here another second wondering about my love life. Kate's had her chance. For whatever reason she hasn't contacted me, that's the end of it. My mom comes first.

Fate, destiny, life. Whatever the greater purpose that is at play here has dealt the cards.

I write a quick note for Kate, just in case she arrives, although I think that's damned unlikely. I leave it at reception with instructions to throw it away, if it isn't collected in two days.

I call my much-loved and cherished PA, extremely apologetically, because she's in bed again. She gets me on a flight to Paris, leaving in just under two hours, and an onward connection an hour later to Venice.

I check out and I'm in a cab in twenty minutes time.

I'm done here.

This didn't turn out the way I expected at all.

But I guess I'll get over her. In time.

HER

I'm in the back of Harry's car going home an hour later. On my insistence, Brendan's gone out to rejoin his friend and Kelsey's gang. I don't need him babysitting me. I can't stand fussing. Mom and Harry are doing a great job fussing on their own.

I'm plastered up and my arm's itching like hell inside as it dries and tightens. I can't wait to get in and scratch it with something. My mom's in the front of the car with Harry, and she's looking at her iPhone.

“
Oh, honey, I forgot about this with all the drama. You'd better take a look. Lizzie from the casino has sent me this text for you. It's about someone called Aaron. Who's that, hon?” She turns in the seat and looks at me.

“
Someone
you
know has sent
me
a text about Aaron?” I say in disbelief. I lean forward and snatch it from her hand. My heart's pounding as I read the message.

“
Harry, take me to Caesars Palace, right now, please?” I demand, politely.

“
No, honey, we're going straight home. You've broken your arm, or have you forgotten that small fact?” Mom says sternly.

“
My arm's not important. I need to go there now, please?”

“
Why's that? You've never mentioned Aaron before. What's so important about him?” My mom probes.

“
You don't understand. It's an emergency.”

She laughs at me. “No, it's not, I read the text message. He's staying there till tomorrow night. Call him, invite him over tomorrow morning, after you've had a rest.”

“Please, Mom. Please?” I'm almost in tears.

“
No, Kate. You're going home and resting. I insist. No more about this, okay?”

I send a text message.

-
Aaron, it's Kate, just got your message, I was in hospital, broke my arm, call me back on this number, my cell's out of action until tomorrow sometime.

I tap his number and feel like screaming as it tells me “message was undelivered.”

Whatever Mom says, I don't care. I'm getting a cab back to the strip as soon as my mom gets her maternal hands out of my hair.

I call him three times on her cell but no luck.

He came to see me...all the way to Vegas?
Oh my God...what could this mean?

I'm praying and hoping, hoping and praying.

He was literally across the strip from where I was, when I was falling over in my stupid fucking shoes. I could cry with frustration. Actually I
am
crying with frustration. A huge sob bursts from my mouth and my mom looks at me sympathetically.

“
You're suffering from shock, honey, don't fret. I'll get you fixed up when we're home. I've got some sleeping pills; you can take one or two and have a good sleep. You'll feel a lot better then, won't you?” She smiles at me and leans around the car seat, offering her hand to hold. I grab it and hold it tight. I know she means well. But she doesn't understand. I don't think anything I say will make her realize how important Aaron is to me. She thinks I'm over reacting, not quite myself, because of the accident.

I can do nothing but be taken home.

I trudge into my room. She brings the sleeping pills to me and places them in my hand. I hold them in my mouth, pretending to swallow with the glass of water she gives me. I spit them out again when she's not looking, as she folds up my discarded dress that I managed to struggle out of. Then she sits down and takes my hand.

“
Whoever he is can wait till you wake up, okay?”

“
Yeah, okay,” I agree in a resigned voice. I wish she'd hurry up and go so I can call a cab and leave. She rubs my plastered arm with her fingers.

“
We'll do something nice together tomorrow to take your mind off all this.”

“
Sure, you know I'm getting really tired. Those pills seem to be working pretty fast.” I yawn naturally with perfect timing and close my eyes. She pats my hand and leaves. I wait one minute to make sure she's not coming back and then I'm up, dressing in an easy-to-put-on white top and pull-up black shorts. I call a cab on the house phone and I'm out the back door. The cab is going to meet me at The Ridges gate.

I run down the road in the darkness, my heart is pounding like crazy. I need to see him. So desperately. I'm craving his touch and his scent, and just about everything about him.

The cab arrives a long five minutes later and we're off and heading downtown. I'm so impatient to get there. Thinking what I'm going to say and do. Wrap myself around him. Tell him I love him to death.

I arrive at the hotel and go to the elevators pressing all the buttons impatiently. I get in and I'm soon up there, on the sixth floor, in the Octavian Tower. I find the room and knock. There's no answer. I knock again. I bang the door and shout.

Please, please be in there...

I start to get upset. I go back downstairs to reception and tearfully ask if they can call him on the room phone for me. And that's when I discover that I'm too late and he's already gone.

“Mr. Garcia checked out early, about four hours ago. Can I ask your name, please?”

“
Kate Denton,” I say.

“
He did leave a note for you, Miss Denton,” the desk clerk informs me in a kind voice.