Author's note: The idea of this story was majorly inspired by the movie What Happens in Vegas and was penned years ago. When I started writing this story, I didn't know that they were really going to kill off Molly, so she's alive here and will be mentioned occasionally.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters mentioned in the following story.
CHAPTER 1:
Bellagio Resort, Las Vegas: That's where the latest photo shoot for Mode took place. Everybody involved was excited and thought of it as a mini vacation because…well; it's Vegas. However, they had to head home as soon as they wrapped up the shoot because the company was still in a financial bind and Meade Publications couldn't afford to waste any more money by paying for the crew to stay in Las Vegas for an entire weekend. Nonetheless, Wilhelmina Slater wasn't known for following rules, she was famous for enforcing them. That's why she decided to hang back and stay the entire weekend because in truth, she did need some time to herself following the hurricane that transpired in her life in the past 7 weeks.
She sat at the bar sipping her second cosmopolitan after a long day of barking orders at the crew members and the models. Before today, she had never been happier to wrap up a photo shoot for some much needed relaxation time. And what better place to forget all her problems than in Vegas? As she sat there mentally planning out the rest of the evening,
"Wilhelmina?" came that distinctive voice she hated so damn much. She whirled her head, her eyes meeting the source with a blank expression. He only returned her expression with a goofy grin.
"Daniel…just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse." She said monotonously, her disenchantment apparent. He sat next to her and he could tell she was irritated by the action and he loved it.
"What are you still doing here? I thought you left with the rest of the crew hours ago."
"I'm having a drink and you thought wrong." She answered coldly.
"In case you were wondering, I also decided to stick around, you know…relax a little and breathe after the whole company financial catastrophe and Molly."
"I wasn't wondering." She stated unperturbedly.
"Why do you always have to be a bi-… so uptight? I thought you and I were okay." He said when it became apparent that his company wasn't welcome.
"I'm not being uptight, Daniel, it's just…I don't want to talk, okay? You're starting to annoy me now." She said, which was a mistake because a devilish grin played across Daniel's face and he was planning to do more of that.
"You seem upset. The shoot is done, and everything turned out perfect…eventually." He said pointedly.
"It's not about the shoot." She admitted. Something in her tone made him drop his agenda immediately.
"I figured that. You've been pissed at everybody at the office for the past three weeks. Yelling, screaming…"
"Can you blame me?" She asked angrily.
"No. Of course not. You're still thinking about Connor, huh?" He asked.
"It's not just about him, it's about everything. Nothing is right in my life right now. I lost everything I had and loved in matter of just six weeks." She murmured, letting her guard down.
"Oh. Anyway, I am sorry about your so-…the baby. I know despite how he got here…" He said making an effort to comfort her.
"Is this how you felt when you lost DJ?" She cut him off and Daniel looked deep into her eyes and although there were no tears in them, they gave away; they were somewhat dead. The woman had been deeply hurt. At that moment he began seeing Wilhelmina as human like everybody else. "Did it feel like somebody stuck a knife in your stomach and then twisted it?" She asked and he snapped back to reality.
"Yeah…it did." He admitted.
"Fuck" She muttered.
"Is that why you're still here? Trying to forget everything for a moment?"
"In some way…I know it's totally ridiculous because I learnt a long time ago that you can't run away from your problems." She took a sip of her drink before she continued, "Now since you've been asking me questions I've got one for you." She said.
"What is it?"
"What are you doing, hanging in a bar in Vegas drinking with your sworn enemy when you've got a woman waiting for you back home?"
"Molly is not…my woman anymore." He admitted.
"What do you mean?"
"She decided that she wants to try the new treatment after all. She doesn't want to give up…and she wants to do it without me." He explained.
"But didn't you follow her to the ends of the earth when you first found out about her illness? Promising to be there through thick and thin?"
"Yes but she changed her mind about the treatment options. She really wants to do it with her family and…"
"You have no choice but to respect that." She finished.
"Exactly."
"Shit, Daniel, I'm sorry." Daniel looked at her in the eye as if attempting to read if she was being sincere, "I know you probably think I'm happy that you're hurting but I'm not. Contrary to what you think of me, I'm a human being too."
"I know and that means a lot coming from you. At first she wanted to be with her family, figure out the treatment, and then we were back together and she didn't want to go through an experimental treatment with a low success rate. And now she wants to try and not give up easily." He explained.
"Well, it looks like Molly is just like other women after all." Wilhelmina said with a mischievous smirk.
"Meaning?"
"She can't make up her mind. It's what women do." Daniel let out a snicker. Wilhelmina signaled to the bartender.
"Another Cosmopolitan, ma'am?" Asked the barman.
"No, I'll have a Macallan 18, single malt now. Thanks."
"And for you, sir?"
"Uh, I'll have the same." Daniel replied.
Daniel took the time and eyed her up and down. She wore a strapless metallic gold bandage dress with matching Louboutins, hair and makeup done to perfection. She looked radiant.
"So…you're all dolled up just to have a drink?" He asked.
"Huh?"
"I mean you look beau-…I mean you look...good." she gave him an incredulous glare at that admission. Her response amazed Daniel as he expected an 'I know' look, accompanied by a smirk from her. At that moment he thought of that look as the cutest thing he'd ever seen from her. Just then, the bartender slid their drinks across the bar.
"Are you…serious?" She asked incredulously.
"Yeah, what, you don't believe me? Wilhelmina, every man in this room had their eyes fixed on you when I walked in." Her eyes scanned the room and indeed the men in the bar were ogling her.
"I didn't even notice." She whispered, rolling her eyes before taking a sip of her scotch.
"Really? You expect me to believe that you put on that number just to have a drink?"
"I'm Wilhelmina fucking Slater." She stated flatly. Daniel chuckled at the response.
"Touché." He said before sipping his scotch.
"And to answer that question you asked earlier…No, I did not dress up like this just to sit at the bar. I actually have plans."
"Oh? I was…enjoying your company, surprisingly. But if you wanna go, go. I don't wanna hold you…" She gave him a fretful, quizzical look and then slowly reached for his tumbler. "What? What are you doing with my drink?"
"I think you've had enough." She affirmed as she confiscated the drink.
"No, I'm not drunk, I'm just…" He protested.
"First you complemented me on my outfit, and now you're telling me that you are enjoying a conversation with me. I think it's time for an intervention."
"Fair enough." He chuckled "So where are you going?"
"I don't think you'll be interested." She said simply.
"C'mon, try me." He probed.
"First, I'm going to the fine arts gallery and after that, I'll head for the poker room."
"I love poker." He said almost suggestively causing her to quirk her brow skeptically.
"YOU love poker?" She asked still keeping her suspicious glare.
"I love…watching other people play poker." He replied.
"Uh-huh. So you want to tag along?" She asked causing his face to light up.
"Are you serious…really, can I?" He asked and it was too late to tone down the keenness in his voice.
"Well, they say misery loves company. Let's be miserable together…just for tonight."
"Alright." He replied with a grin.
"Good. Now go change and meet me back here in about 15 minutes." She said and gulped Daniel's recently confiscated drink.
"Change? What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" She eyed him up and down.
"I don't mean to be brutal but…everything." He pouted at her criticism.
"Really?"
"Daniel, I'm not asking you to put on a tux; just look…presentable. You'll be my companion for this evening, so you have to look good enough." In all honesty he didn't know what made him cave in and give in on Wilhelmina's demand but he found himself answering, "Okay." And then got off the bar stool and walked away.
"Another single malt, please." Wilhelmina said to the bar tender. Moments went by and she sat there, sipping on the scotch as she patiently waited for his return. After paying for the drinks, she waited a little longer, glancing at her wrist watch when all at once Daniel's voice called behind her.
"All done." She turned to look at him and a tight smile crossed her face.
"Now that's what I'm talking about." She said.
"Shall we?" He said in a gruff voice as he proffered his hand. She quaffed the remaining liquor from the tumbler and accepted Daniel's hand without any hesitancy and got off the bar stool. As they were walking out of the bar, "So, do I look okay?" He asked.
"You don't look like a stoner anymore. You almost look like a gentleman."
"Thank you. That means a lot coming from you."
"I know." She said smirking.
"So, after the gallery it's the poker room. You know how to play poker?"
"No, Daniel, I go to poker rooms where there's limited access just for the cognac." She sarcastically replied.
"Do you always have to be sarcastic?"
"Do you always have to be an idiot?" She shot back.
"Do you always have to be a bi-…sorry. Let's go and paint the town red." He said eagerly, causing her to roll her eyes.
"Really, Daniel?"
"There you go again."
"I will not be apologetic for who I am." She said confidently accompanied by a lopsided devilish smirk.
"This is going to be a fun night." He said sardonically.
