Chapter 6

Celestia~

After what seemed like hours, Roxanne had finally succeeded in dragging me through every shopping district I knew in Vegas and I was half delirious and at the verge of passing out. We had gotten to the hotel room and Roxanne had hesitated to go in but I grinned assuredly.

“You can come in, he isn't in the room.”

“Whew. I don't see why you aren't terrified of him in the slightest.”

Oh I was. Terrified he would reject my proposal and find out who my father was but of him as a person?

“Meh… He's not as scary as you think.”

She gave me a look that would have easily passed off for, “excuse me, what the fuck are you saying.”

“Hey. I'm being for real. He isn't scary. Just annoying as fuck.”

“Damn! You are the first one to see him that way.”

There was nothing scary about the man. Asides the fact that could be a bit too much, nothing ever made me see him in such a light. Father was far more menacing than him in so many ways. He seemed like a tame cat but then I barely knew him yet. Huh! I am officially married to a man I know little to nothing about.

“Stop staring into space like that or I'm going to think that you're far gone and run my ass out of this room.”

“Oh please. Stop being so dramatic and let's have a drink of two before Derek comes. Knowing him, he's probably taken a girl or two to fuck after the meeting.”

I walked towards the inbuilt bar and turned to face her.

“Is he usually like that? An older fuck boy?”

“All that and then some.”

“Hmm.”

“What? Don't be so upset. The thing is, he has his stupid habits but I'm sure he'll change them soon for you.”

“Like fuck he will. That will be the last thing I'll ask him for. To adjust for me. He can do whatever the fuck he likes.”

I downed another shot and felt enraged. Even on the day of our stupid fake wedding, he couldn't do something decent and stick around.”

“Hey! What's with downing all the shots without me?”

“Join in.” I bite at her and ignore her.

“Na, I have a better idea, let's go downstairs and have a bar man pour us some shots.”

Well, better than helping a drunkie pour her shots. I pushed Derek out of my head and focused on something else.

We got down and as soon as we settled onto the barstools, Roxanne immediately ordered us a round of shots. “This is going to be fun!” she declared, her eyes sparkling.

“Are you sure we should start with shots?” I asked, trying to suppress a grin.

“Absolutely”.

“Alright, let’s do it!” I said, raising my shot glass alongside hers. “To hell with Derek!”

“To hell with him!” she echoed, and we downed our shots in unison. The whiskey burned pleasantly as it slid down my throat.

“More!” Roxanne demanded, waving the bartender over. “We need to celebrate our amazing shopping spree and a fuckin wedding!”

“I can’t believe we spent so much time looking for dresses,” I laughed, the alcohol making everything feel lighter. Fuck, I was a light drinker“But it was totally worth it!”

Roxanne shrugged, her laughter bubbling over. “Dresses are just fabric, darling! What matters is the people you share the night with!”

“True! And speaking of people, have you seen Dmitri around here?” I asked, my tone shifting slightly.

“Oh, don’t get me started on Derek,” Roxanne said, rolling her eyes dramatically. “That guy thinks he’s the king of the world just because he has a fancy title. Estúpido is busy fucking any lady in sight”

I laughed, knowing what she meant. “Right? He struts around like he owns the place. It’s exhausting!”

“Exactly! Who does he think he is? I mean, he walks into a room, and suddenly everyone has to look at him as if he’s some kind of celebrity,” Roxanne said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“True! He acts like he’s so important just because he has a title,” I agreed, feeling a bit emboldened by the drinks. “As if that makes him any better than the rest of us.”

“Seriously! If I had a penny for every time he looked down on someone, I’d be rich!” Roxanne exclaimed, her animated gestures making people nearby glance over. “He thinks he can charm everyone into falling for him.”

I took another shot, feeling the effects of the alcohol starting to take hold. “Right? I don’t get how anyone could fall for that. He’s so arrogant!”

“Oh, Celestia , one day you’ll see that he’s not as charming as he thinks!” Roxanne laughed, nudging me playfully. “You would never fall for that nonsense, right?”

“Never!” I said fiercely, raising my glass again as Roxanne poured another round. We both clinked our glasses together, giggling uncontrollably.

After a couple of rounds, the laughter came easily, and we felt invincible. “I think we should get another round!” Roxanne said, leaning over the bar. “Let’s keep this party going!”

“Why not? I’m in!” I cheered, reveling in the moment.

As the bartender mixed us more shots, I felt the energy buzz between us. “Do you think anyone’s watching us?” I asked, trying to contain my giggles.

“If they are, let them! We’re here to have a good time!” Roxanne said, taking her shot with a triumphant grin.

“Cheers to that!” I responded, downing my drink again. I could feel the effects of the alcohol swelling inside me, but it felt good.

“Let’s trash-talk Derek some more,” she suggested playfully. “I want to hear your best insults!”

“Okay, here goes! Derek thinks he’s hot stuff, but I’d rather take my chances with a wet sock!” I declared, laughing at my own ridiculousness.

“Oh my god! That’s gold!” Roxanne howled, nearly spilling her drink as she slapped her knee. “We need to write that down!”

“No need! Just remember it!” I giggled, feeling the drinks flow through me like a wave.

“Let’s make sure the whole world hears how ridiculous he is!” Roxanne proclaimed. “We should follow him around and shout our insults!”

“Definitely! Maybe we can get a t-shirt made that says ‘Derek is a wet sock!’” I suggested, and we both burst into laughter.

After what felt like hours of shots, our conversation turned into a garbled series of giggles and playful insults. “You know what's funny?” Roxanne slurred, leaning closer to me. “Derek probably thinks he can charm his way to get in between anyone's legs.”

“Yeah! But who needs a charm when you can be real?” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Just be yourself, not a pretentious...” I trailed off, giggling again.

“Pretentious… wet sock!” Roxanne shouted, and we both erupted in laughter once more.

But soon enough, the room started to sway, and I felt that unmistakable feeling of too much alcohol settling in. “I think I’m going to pass out,” I said weakly, leaning over the bar.

“Same! But this is the best night ever!” she replied, her voice muffled in my ears.

“We should get back to the party before we can’t even walk!” I managed, trying to stand up straight.

“Totally! But first, one more shot!” Roxanne declared.

Before I could protest, she called over the bartender again. “Another round, please!” she ordered, and I knew we were in for it.

As we downed the last shots, I felt everything catch up to me. “Roxanne, I think I’m done!” I announced, laughing lightly.

“Me too! I feel like a butterfly in a storm!” she said, wobbling a bit.

“Maybe let’s take a breather,” I suggested, my words slurring slightly as I swayed.

“Great idea!” Roxanne agreed, and we stumbled a little as we tried to leave the bar.

“Where’s a good place to sit?” I asked, scanning the room.

“Outside! We need fresh air!” she said, leading the way.

As we walked out into the cool night, our laughter echoed, but I could feel the world spinning around me. I leaned against the wall, looking at Roxanne. “You know, I think we might be in trouble.”

“Trouble? No way!” she exclaimed, her eyes bright with mischief.

I laughed, but I felt the world starting to blur.

Finally, we both plopped down onto a nearby bench, and everything felt too much. “I can’t believe we drank so much,” I admitted, my head spinning.

“Best decision ever!” Roxanne said, her smile big and bright. “We should do this again!”

“Maybe next time, we should pace ourselves,” I suggested, leaning back against the bench.

“Pacing? What’s that?” she declared, laughter bubbling up. I felt the darkness creep in.

“Shit.”