Page 42 of All Bets Are Off

“Don’t worry. I’ll have lots of time waiting around in line to think of nice ways to ask,” he says, pressing a quick kiss to my temple.

After some grumbling from mostly Theo and John about having to fork out for expensive on-the-day tickets, we make our way through the Encore casino floor. The entrance for table service guests is indoors, whereas the guys have to head on back outside to join the masses in line.

“Bye, boys!” Evie taunts, blowing them a sarcastic kiss. Once they have all disappeared through the doors, she releases a long breath and leans back against the wall. “You think Jameson will survive hanging out with them?”

“Will Jameson survive? Imagine how Liam feels,” I point out. “A complete stranger has joined his bachelor party, and now they have to make small talk with him in line.”

“Imagine that, someone crashing his party,” Evie snickers, but then quickly rearranges her features into a neutral expression when I cast her a disapproving look.

Encore Beach Club has only just opened, so there’s not much of a wait to check in for our reservation. We’re called forward, carded, put through a thorough security check—seriously, they even remove the protective cases of our phones to check for stashed drugs—and then escorted out to the pool. I knew it would be massive, but it’s not until we’re setting our purses down on our cute little couch and gazing out over the beach club before us that we really comprehend the true scale of this place.

It’s an exotic oasis out here: three pools filled with glistening ocean-blue water, surrounded by bright palm trees and potted shrubbery and parasols, all facing a DJ booth. There are so many different VIP tables all over the venue—cabanas, daybeds, bungalows, even cute little couches in the pools—all draped with red and orange cushions and towels. If we didn’t have our own hostess, then there’d be four bars to choose from and even a walk-up grill for food. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

“Oh, Hailey, this is exactly what I wanted,” I gush, pushing my sunglasses down over my eyes as I collapse back onto our couch, enjoying paradise. It’s not crazy in here yet, and there’s a warm-up DJ already in the booth for now, but I imagine once this place fills up and Marshmello hits the decks, things will get wild.

Hailey grins and says, “I’m so happy you’re happy.”

We order our first couple of bottles—some vodka and some champagne—and when the hostess returns to drop them off, Evie looks at me with pleading eyes.

“No,” I say, and she starts pouting and batting her eyelashes now. “No. You’re clearly incapable of being a law-abiding citizen when you’re drunk.”

“Don’t be that kind of sister, Addy,” Melissa chimes in, giving me a sidelong look as she pours out four glasses of champagne. “Let her drink. Can you imagine how miserable this would be, surrounded by drunk people and loud music while stone cold sober? It would be mean to put her through that.”

Evie nods in agreement with a sweet smile, and I sigh.

“Fine, but I’m counting,” I say, pointing two fingers at my eyes and then at her. It takes only a nanosecond for her to claim a champagne flute from Melissa with a gleeful smirk.

The first hour whizzes by, mostly because we’re snapping nice photos of each other for our Instagram feeds and working our way through a second bottle of champagne so that we’ve got a good head start on the guys. Liam keeps me updated on their progress in line via text, and it sounds brutal out there. Secretly, I kind of hope they don’t make it inside anytime soon, because I’m enjoying my first taste of how this weekend should be—just me and my girls and overpriced alcohol.

When Melissa and Evie dash off to the restrooms, I stretch out beneath the protective shade of the parasol above us and push my sunglasses up into my hair, my gaze wandering to Hailey.

“Did anything happen last night?” I ask gently, and then for the avoidance of any doubt, I clarify, “With Theo?”

Hailey’s face scrunches. “What? No,” she says sharply. “What happened with you and Liam? I heard you guys had a little tiff. Everything okay?”

“Oh, that was nothing,” I say dismissively, quickly nudging my sunglasses back down over my eyes. “You know how it is when everyone’s had too much to drink. Patience wears thin when someone spills a vodka cranberry down your shirt.”

“Look what we found!” I hear Melissa’s voice weave through the music.

Hailey and I turn around, picking her out from the thickening crowd of glamorous partygoers, and she and Evie stride toward us with delighted grins and a pack of men in tow they have somehow claimed in the five minutes they have been gone.

“Meet Blake! He’s here on his bachelor party, too, and he’s getting married the same day as you!” Evie says, stretching out her arms in a ta-da! gesture, revealing a random guy wearing a baseball cap that reads “Blake’s Vegas Bach” next to a picture of his face. In fact, all of them are wearing those caps.

“Oh, hi!” I say, getting to my feet and pulling Blake in for a brief hug. “Congratulations!”

“Congratulations to you, too! I think we may have possibly just been kidnapped by your friends. Sorry to intrude,” he says with a laugh as he draws back from me.

Melissa plucks an open bottle of champagne from an ice bucket and says, “Let’s cheers!”

“No, no,” one of the guys from Blake’s bachelor party objects, already reaching into his swim shorts for a wallet. “Champagne will be on us. Hang fire!” He and one other guy head off to the bar, and when they return ten minutes later with two bottles of champagne, they pour out glasses for each of us.

“Congratulations to Blake and—” Bachelor Party Friend looks to me for help.

“Adelaide,” I say.

“Congratulations to Blake and Adelaide on getting hitched soon!”

We all clink our glasses together with cheers of celebration, and then Blake and I are ushered together for a photo. I fold my arms over my chest, looking tough and macho with Blake’s silly baseball cap on my head, and he poses girlishly next to me with my sash wrapped around him and his hands sweetly cupping his face. It’s all in good spirit, just two people celebrating the same milestone in life.