A/N - I do not own the rights to Indecent Proposal or Pitch Perfect, the scripts or storyline. I, in fact, own nothing at all but my own teeth.
This is also unbeta'd so any istakes are my own. See what I did there?! ;)
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅] Chapter Two - Bets And Wagers Of All Kinds [̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]
"Badabing!"
"Last call for wagers."
"Bet high!"
"Come on! Black!"
"Here we go, here we go!"
"Place your bets please."
"Jesse, how much do we have left?" Beca turned to Jesse as the shouts and excited shrieks rang out around the craps table where they stood, hand in hand, as they watched their winnings from the day before slowly disintegrate before their eyes.
"We're at forty one hundred." Jesse said, looking at the chips in his hand.
"Should we stop?" Beca asked quietly, looking around at the mass of people around her. Some were dressed elegantly in cocktail dresses, some were dripping with diamonds but the majority favoured the more casual jeans look. The collection of accents surrounding them reminded Beca of the gambling mecca that Las Vegas portrayed itself to be. "We said we wouldn't go below five thousand."
"I know, but we are nearly there." Jesse replied, feeling the beads of sweat forming like a thick crust on his forehead. "Just a few more minutes and our luck with change again. We'll get what I lost back this morning and the rest of the money we need to get through this, I promise you."
"Jesse, it's not about promises, okay? Don't get obsessed with this. We can leave anytime." Beca said, imploringly. "We still have the other five thousand saved, right?"
"Yes, it's safe." Jesse said, patting his left pocket a couple of times before stiffening. He looked over to Beca who caught on to his expression quickly.
"What?"
"It's gone." He said, looking desperately at her confused face. "Here, hold these."
Jesse passed all the chips in his hands to Beca, who took to sorting them into value order, as he dipped his hands in his pocket feeling around as his palms grew sweaty.
"What's gone?" Beca asked weakly, although she knew immediately what Jesse had meant.
"The chip. I must have bet with it earlier thinking it was a hundred."
"Jesse? No?" Beca said, her cheeks flushing. She muttered the rest of her thoughts. "For fucks sake."
"I'm so sorry Beca."
Jesse pulled Beca into his side, holding her close and kissed the top of her head. She let him hold her, knowing that berating him about the lost money would do no good; he would already be doing that to himself. Their relationship was the only thing that hadn't completely fallen apart in the past few months.
"Okay, so we've got four thousand." Beca said confidentially. "Let's quit while we are ahead. That's enough for a couple of months, right? Enough breathing space so we can get things paid and perhaps start to save something for next month?"
"It's not enough Beca. We need to do this! We have to win all we owe. Last night was so easy. How are you not mad at me for being so stupid?"
"What's the point in getting mad? That money wasn't ours to begin with so let's just accept we were only supposed to be lucky enough for four thousand. And that's still more money than we ever could ever have hoped for. It's four thousand dollars! If we'd just won that we'd have been elated so-."
"-I've let you down." Jesse said.
"No, Jess." Beca said, cupping his chin in her hand and forcing him to look at her properly. "You haven't. You've never let me down."
"If I'd been better-"
"We are not doing this." Beca urged.
"We've got to keep going."
"Jesse." Beca said, taking one of his hands in hers. "I love you. You know that, right? But I cannot let you lose what we do have."
Despite his resistance, Beca dragged Jesse away from the craps table and towards the small coffee shop just off to the right of the backgammon tables. She ordered two black coffees, tipping sugar into one when they were ready and stirring with vigour. Pushing the heavily sweetened drink into his hands, she stroked his hair and settled into the seat next to him. They sipped in silence, Jesse calming down, even though he was mentally kicking himself for being so stupid.
"Do you want any more coffee?" A kindly looking, dark haired waitress stopped by their booth; her hands filled with menus and a glass coffee pot.
"No. No, thank you." Beca said, not looking up. The waitress carried on with her journey, used to the look of desperation in so many faces.
Jesse tossed a quarter in the air, catching it neatly in his hand and slapped it onto the table, the sound echoing noisily on the checkered plastic table.
"Tails, we quit. Heads, we go for it." Jesse said, rolling the chips in his hands.
Beca thought for a moment and shook her head.
"We've got enough Jesse. That's two months loan payment and we can stock up on food and buy a heater. Maybe even a bike so we can get about?"
"You gave up everything for me. You didn't take the easy way out and go off with someone rich, like you deserve. You took a chance on me."
Beca nodded as Jesse lifted his hand from the table and kissed his fingers.
"I'd do it again in an instant you nerd." She said, rubbing her thumb over his wrist. It was something she found would soothe him when he was upset. In truth, she still harboured the smallest of hints of regret and resentment over her sold music equipment, mixing table and laptop. She had saved mercilessly for four years to buy it and had cried when the buyer took it away. But it was six thousand dollars that they desperately needed at the time. And Jesse had promised that this lifestyle and the way they had to live on a mattress on the floor, sharing a single pillow and blanket wasn't going to be forever.
"So, I'm asking that you give me one more chance to make it right." Jesse said, snapping her out of her daydream and memories.
Beca nodded. Part of her wanted one last chance too.
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]
"Last call for wagers."
"No more bets."
"Play red!"
"Boom! There's the money spinner winner."
"Okay, I'm feeling lucky." Jesse said, turning his full attention to Beca.
"I say we put it on red." Beca said, linking his hand into his pants pocket.
"All of it? Red?" Jesse asked.
"I feel red." Beca answered.
"Do you feel red, B?"
"We can do this, huh?"
"I'm going to put it all on." Jesse said, as he pushed the last of their winnings from the day before towards the red box near to where he stood.
"All right." Beca said; her mouth suddenly dry and the fingers on her free hand twitching.
"I'm putting it on red." Jesse confirmed as he stood back and pulled her close to him. He was feeling drunk on the cacophony of sights and sounds around him; the clanging and whizzing of the machines, the fast flashing lights and the loud, excitable, inane chatter and shouts of joy as people won more money than they could ever have imagined. He had already blocked out the vast majority of desperate looking people; preferring to shy away from the ones who had lost more than they could afford. He was kicking himself for being so stupid and not quitting while they were ahead. He knew that, last night, they had had about six months money, given to them, all for nothing. He knew he had been greedy. "Okay."
They stood silently as the small, white ball was released and watched as it held itself in the air for a few seconds before crashing to the roulette table into one of the little pockets, noisily bouncing back out again.
The noise was deafening to Beca.
"No, it's black!" Jesse shrieked, reaching for his chips and pulling them onto the black box.
"What are you doing?" Beca hissed as a short couple in matching "We Love Vegas" tee shirts turned and watched Jesse's reaction.
"It's black."
"No, it's red. It's red." Beca insisted, reaching down for the chips.
"Go with your instinct, right?" Jesse said, pulling her hand away and giving her a small push away from the table. "I think it's black. My gut says black."
"Jesse, leave it on red. It's r-"
"-No more bets." The dealer, with his name embroidered in red on his shirt, called out as the ball began to bounce less high and lingered in the small pockets for a fraction of a second longer.
"Come on, please." Beca urged as the potential to win over twenty thousand dollars rested on where the ball settled. She watched as it bounced a few times, time slowing down. She saw all their chips sitting in the black square. "Please."
She watched in sadness and disbelief as the ball settled neatly into a red pocket and she instantly turned to Jesse who stood there with his eyes closed. Blinded by fear and a tiny bit of rage and indignation, she reached forward to grab at the chips but they were already being scooped away.
"Too late, young lady." The dealer said, looking almost sternly at her as he began to re stack the chips back in their holders. He turned to the players on either side of him and called out to them all. "Place your bets!"
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]
Half an hour later saw Beca and Jesse back in the coffee shop, sharing a hot cup of joe. They'd both emptied their pockets and pooled what money they had between them. The saddest thing about the whole encounter was that they were worse off now than when they had started.
Jesse stirred sugar into the cup after letting Beca have the first, hot half. He was cross with himself but he had said his piece and ranted and raved and then spent fifteen minutes apologising. Beca had done the same and while she was angry and upset, she was also to blame. They both accepted that they had been stupid and had settled down next to each other in the booth, Beca resting her head into Jesse's shoulder and he had his arm around her, subconsciously stroking her boob with his palm.
"B?"
"Yes?"
"Have I ever told you that I love you?"
"No."
"I do."
"Still?"
"Always." Jesse leaned down to place a kiss on the side of her cheek, taking a moment to breathe in the sweet smell of strawberries; the scent that decorated her hair.
"I want to go home." Beca said after a few minutes and Jesse nodded. He pushed the coffee cup into the middle of the table and signalled for the check. After paying, they sauntered over towards the parking lot to collect their van. Making their way through the plethora of tables, Beca's eyes were drawn to the man she had seen the day before in the boutique shop.
Jesse noticed that Beca had slowed down to take a moment to stare at the broad shoulder man with the chiselled jaw and the piercing green eyes. He narrowed his eyes for the briefest of moments and wasn't quite sure what to make of the way Beca was staring at him.
"Bank side, player side."
"All set?"
"Cards, please." The dealer spoke out strong and true to the room to the small crowd that had congregated around the players.
"Turning for the players."
"Pass is to the right, please."
Beca pushed forward towards the front to watch the suit as he looked at the corner of his cards, before picking them up gently in his fingers and tossing them into a pile in the middle of the card table.
"Player draws nothing."
"Player has zero." The dealer confirmed as, using a small wooden rake, he pulled the cards towards him before scooping the chips placed neatly in front of the players. The dealer, a short stocky man with a thin moustache and just the smallest hints of stale body odour, called out to table. ""And set."
"Player side, banker side."
"Any other bets?"
"Who's that guy?" Jesse whispered to Beca who shrugged her shoulders in response despite not being able to take her eyes off him.
"That's Luke Bryant." A dark skinned man with a tattoo of a Christmas tree on his neck hissed out of the corner of his mouth from the other side of Beca. Jesse's lips twitched and turned into an odd shape. The tattooed man looked at him like he should know who the fancy man was in the very tailored and clearly expensive Armani suit. "He's a damn billionaire."
"Oh." Jesse said, resting his hand on Beca's shoulder. She had cocked her head to one side whilst staring as Luke Bryant. They'd heard the name before, knew him by reputation only as he'd been in the news recently as Europe's most eligible bachelor. He'd made a name for himself on the stock market as ruthless, calculating but shrewd business man, endearing himself to the hearts of many with his overly generous gifts and donations to charity.
"That's a rich son of a bitch there." The guy continued, nudging Jesse in the ribs. "He's down over a million dollars already."
Beca's eyes widened and she turned to face the man who was talking. He discreetly pointed towards the table.
"See them little gold things he's playing with?" He said and Beca turned her attention back to the table. She watched as Luke picked up ten chips at once, letting them fall back to the table before stacking them up again and doing the same thing. "They are worth ten thousand dollars apiece."
Beca heard the catch in Jesse's throat as they observed Luke hold $100,000 in his hand, as easily as if they were bottle tops.
"Every time he lays one down, I want to … I mean, look at him, how cool he is."
Jesse stood a little closer to Beca as they continued to stand and watch Luke lose hand after hand, tossing chips onto the pile like they were nothing. Beca thought it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever seen, knowing how just two or three of those chips would cure all of their money problems in an instant.
"That son of a bitch must get more girls sucking his balls than you can shake a stick at."
Beca turned sharply at the comment. She was fairly unoffended at most things she heard, working long hours in the diner had taught her more about life than anything else. The tattooed guy looked down at her face.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend."
"Not at all." Beca said. "It's just been a long day. Come on Jess. Let's go."
"Mmm hmm." Jesse said, mesmerised by the way Luke hadn't broken a sweat as he sat there, having lost at least $500,000 while they had been standing there. Luke reached out a manicured hand as the dealer dealt the first cards of the new game, displaying a neat and tidy but very expensive watch that twinkled under the lights of the casino. He looked up as Beca turned to leave, pushing into the front line of the crowd surrounding the poker table, spying the exit just off to her right. Jesse was surprised to see his eyes visibly widen when he saw Beca. Beca was still negotiating her way to the front as Luke turned his cards over, throwing them down to the table with a triumphant look on his face.
"Player wins."
The crowd surrounding the table erupted into loud applause as Luke picked up the chips that were pushed towards him, stacking them neatly onto the slightly diminished pile in front of him.
"Come on Jesse!" Beca called out through the noisy crowd and Jesse stepped forward.
"What y'all doing? Gambling?" Their festively tattooed friend asked them.
"It's about time we left." Jesse grinned, as Beca tugged him on the arm.
"Y'all married?"
"Let's go!" Beca said, determinedly.
"Stick around, gamble a little!" The man said to Jesse. "It's all good here."
"Excuse me." A clipped voice spoke into the crowd.
"We have a long drive. Good to meet you." Jesse said, shaking the hand of his new friend. "Have a good night."
"Excuse me." Luke Bryant spoke crisply to Jesse as he turned away from the dark skinned man, ready to follow Beca out and head for home. "Pardon me."
Jesse looked up and stared directly into the face of the young British man.
"Would you mind lending me your wife?" Luke said, a quirky twist to his mouth.
"What?" Jesse said, recoiling slightly at the question. He watched Beca stop pushing through the crowd out of the corner of his eye as she turned to listen, her eyes shining with perplexity and a hint of annoyance.
"Is that your wife?"
"Excuse me?"
"Can I please borrow your wife?" Luke asked again, tucking his hands into his well-cut trouser pockets. "For luck."
"You'd have to ask her." Jesse said, his tone full of amusement, knowing Beca would probably tell him where to go.
Luke turned and the crowd parted, allowing him space to move. He offered his arm out to Beca, careful not to elbow her in face.
"May I?" He asked.
Beca cast her eyes towards Jesse, and licked her bottom lip. He knew what she was asking so moved to stand a little closer to her.
"Go for it." He said.
"I don't think it's a good idea." Beca murmured. "We should just go."
"Just for a moment or two?" Luke asked, listening intently.
"I'll go!" A voluptuous green haired lady with more earrings in her eyebrows than her ears laughed out loudly.
"Go ahead. It might be fun." Jesse urged, interested to see what was going to happen. "What do we got to lose?"
"Well?" Luke asked again, taking a step forwards and swinging his arm out to indicate the table.
"He ain't gonna bite sugar!"
"You go and see what happens."
"Go ahead." Jesse said, giving Beca a little push and ignoring the murderous look she shot at him. "We'll be here backing you up."
The crowd clapped as Beca shrugged her shoulders and followed Luke towards the chair he had been sitting on. He held out the chair for her which she took, tucking her feet underneath and placing her small hands on the table.
"Thank you." She said as he took the seat next to her, pulling his chair closer to her and slipping an arm onto the back of the plush chair Beca was using.
"See if she can get a little of that money from him." Jesse winked, knowing he was probably going to be pay the price for his bravado when she got him home. He thought he might as well enjoy watching her squirm with all of the people in the crowd watching their interactions.
"Do you think she'll ever come back?" A voice laughed out, clapping Jesse on the back.
"Umm-" Jesse mumbled back, watching Beca intently as Luke leaned into whisper in her ear.
"-I'm just bullshitting you man."
"Thank you for this." Luke spoke quietly into Beca's ear as he let his knee touch her leg. "I've been losing all day long. Around $700,000 or so. You appear and I win my first hand."
Beca reached out a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, embarrassed that his voice and words made her face flush slightly. She sort out Jesse's face in the crowd and was pleased to see him smiling back at her.
"You brought me luck. I'd say that's a sign. Wouldn't you?"
"A sign?" Beca asked, turning to face him, pleased that it gave her the opportunity to move slightly to face him and move her leg away from his.
"Would you like a drink?" Luke asked.
"No, thank you."
"Candy?" Luke said, an amused twist to his mouth as he picked up a pile of chips from the table and Beca took the bait from their interaction the day before and grinned.
"I'm fine, thank you. What is it you want-"
"Place your bets."
"Bank side, player side."
"I'd like you to place this bet for me." Luke said, dropping the chips into Beca's open palm.
"A hundred thousand." Beca said, her eye widening in surprise.
"Any other bets?"
"Just like that?" Beca asked.
"Just like that." Luke repeated, chuckling quietly as he shifted in his seat towards her. Beca cleared her throat. The smell of his aftershave was intoxicating and she struggled to remember a time when Jesse had smelt that good. While he didn't smell bad, long gone were the days when they splashed out on perfumes and colognes.
"All bets set."
"There is a twenty tie-in."
"How does that work?" Beca asked, pushing one of the chips towards the pile in the middle of the table.
"Not like that!" Luke said, pulling the $20,000 bet back towards his pile.
"Oh, sorry."
"It's okay. I've already placed the bet for this hand. Just watch now."
"All bets set. Cards, please."
"Turning for the players."
"What we want …" Luke leant forward and whispered into Beca's ear. His breath was warm and inviting in her ear and she wasn't quite sure what to make of the goose bumps invading her arms and chest. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "... what we need … is …. a … nine."
Luke looked down at the cards being turned in front of him. He made no movement and kept his eyes steady as a two of diamonds was shown.
"We don't like that." Luke deadpanned.
"Player draws nothing."
"Cards for the bank, please."
"Bank's a winner with a natural eight. Pay the bank."
"Was that a costly mistake?" Beca asked.
"Let's just call it 'bad luck'." Luke explained.
"Oh." Beca said, not quite understanding.
"That just cost me another $300,000."
"You are a million dollars down?" Beca asked, shifting uncomfortably. She looked over to Jesse who was busy chatting with a lady wearing a Hooters shirt. "I guess I'm not so lucky after all."
"Do you like cards?" Luke smiled out, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt under his jacket.
"Not especially." Beca answered honestly.
"Wish I had asked you sooner." Luke said without malice; an almost musical lilt to his voice. "Dice?"
"Yeah, I guess so." Beca said, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.
"Sam." Luke spoke softly and Beca noticed the bodyguard she had seen the night before step forward.
"Yes, Mr B?"
"One." Luke said, lifting his head slightly to look at Sam directly in the eye.
"Excuse me, Mr B." Sam said, nodding his head in understanding.
"Maybe I should go." Beca said, making eyes at Jesse again. This time he caught her eye and nodded at her to make sure she knew he was still there, paying attention. He cocked his head to one side as he seemed to understand that Beca was uncomfortable.
"This shouldn't take too long." Luke said, lifting a finger to the waitress who was lingering just off to the left. She nodded and walked away.
"What shouldn't?"
"This. Now … I hope you find this interesting." Luke said, standing and offering his hand to Beca who took it. She was surprised at how warm his hands were, how soft his fingers seemed. He indicated with his arm. "This way. Bring your husband."
Jesse followed both Luke and Beca as they pushed through the crowd behind Sam, who walked first to clear a path. They paused at the Craps table that had seen the demise of Beca and Jesse's winnings not half an hour before. A casino worker, dressed menacingly in a smart black tuxedo and small black framed sunglasses, touched the earpiece fitted snugly in his left ear and nodded to the dealer behind the table.
"It's here." He said.
"Yes sir."
"It's here now." The casino worked said quietly to Sam.
"I'll take it." Sam said as a large, clear suitcase was handed to the casino worker.
"I understand." He said.
"Sir." Sam said, laying the suitcase down on the edge of the Craps table.
"Thank you." Luke said, turning to Beca and simply saying in his clipped English accent. "One million dollars."
"That's a lot of money." Beca said, unable to take her eyes off of the suitcase that Sam was currently opening in front of her.
"There you are, Mr B. One million dollars."
The crowd around them whistled and murmured their excitement. For most of them, it was their first time seeing such a large sum of money and they all craned their necks to get a better look. Jesse stood back, crossing his arms in front of his chest, the defined muscles of his arms showing clearly under his shirt.
"Oh, boy!" He murmured. He was enjoying watching Beca's face as she looked in amazement at the amount of money in front of her. He could see her fingers twitching and he knew she was desperate to reach out and touch the wads of cash.
"Bet it all." Luke said.
"Excuse me?" Beca said.
The dealer unwrapped a new set of dice, discarding the wrapper neatly into the bin under the table. He set out of the dice on the edge of the table and took a polite step backwards.
"Pick two." Luke said and Beca leaned forward to collect one in each hand.
"Now just throw a seven."
"A seven."
"Yes." Luke said, pausing for a moment. "Please.
"How much is the bet?" Beca asked and watched Luke indicate the million dollars on the edge of the table. "Oh. No pressure then!"
"You want to throw an eleven? That's all right too. That'll will get me the money I've lost back. A seven will quadruple the bet."
Beca wiped her hand across her brow and looked at Jesse. He was smiling broadly but noticing the look on her face, he mouthed 'it's okay' to her. She mouth back 'it's not my fucking money' and shrugged her shoulders. She leant forward with the dice in her left hand and was about to shake them when Luke coughed.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Luke asked and Beca whipped around. Luke nodded towards the dice and Beca understand. She was confused at the same time. Had he been watching them yesterday when she'd kissed the dice; Jesse's rationalised thinking that it was her kisses that brought them all the luck.
She brought the dice right up to her lips and looking Luke directly in the eye, she placed a gentle kiss to the cubes as the crowd roared with enthusiasm, drama and anticipation.
Jesse felt a little uncomfortable watching Beca surreptitiously flirt with Luke. He wasn't sure how he felt about it.
Beca shook the dice in her hand before taking a step up to the highly polished mahogany rim. She took a deep breath and flung the dice down towards the other end of the Craps table. The crowd held its breath as the dice lingered in the air longer than necessary. Beca subconsciously backed up into Jesse, who wrapped an arm around her waist instinctively. He could feel her heart pounding as the dice bounced a couple of times, coming to a rest eventually. Beca raised herself up on her tiptoes to see the value of the two small red smooth opportunities that she had just tossed without a thought to the consequences.
"WINNER!" The crowd roared as the dice settled, proudly showing a three and a four on their respective faces.
"Winner! Seven!"
Luke immediately turned towards Beca and Jesse, giving Jesse the oddest look as Jesse fist pumped the air before grabbing Beca and lifting her up high. She wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her face into his neck as he kissed her cheek several times.
"B?"
"Yes?"
"Have I ever told you that I love you?"
"No."
"I do."
"Still?"
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]
They were still holding onto each other while all around them people were laughing and clapping Jesse on the back telling him to 'hold onto that one; she's pure gold' to which he replied that he had no intention of ever letting her go. Luke pushed through the crowd.
"Hello." He said, holding out his hand to Jesse. "Luke Bryant."
"Oh hey. Jesse Swanson."
The shook hands as Jesse lowered Beca to the floor. She spun around, still holding onto Jesse.
"Want to go again?" Luke laughed.
"Think I oughta quit now?!" She said in response.
"I think I should. I need to credit my account. Excuse me a moment." Luke said, turning to Sam and nodding.
"Sweetie, that was amazing. That was incredible."
"Wish it was ou-"
"I need to sign for it." Luke said, turning back to the couple.
"This is my wife Beca." Jesse said. "I guess you met!"
"Hello! Becky?"
"It's, um, it's Bec-"
"-Thank you both, so much." Luke interrupted. "Are you staying at the hotel?"
"Actually, we're just leaving." Jesse said.
"You're leaving?"
"We're on our way out." Beca stressed.
"No, don't do that. We got to celebrate." Luke said, animatedly. "Let me arrange a room for you here."
"That's very nice, but …" Jesse said, looking down at Beca.
"I insist." Luke said, noticing the look between the couple.
"Please, it's the least I can do."
"Okay then." Jesse said, ignoring the slight dig in his side from Beca.
"Really, just sign for it." Luke said, turning away at the tug on his arm from Sam. "Anything you want."
He walked away but turned as he took the second step.
"Oh, there's some lovely shops off the lobby. Have you seen them?" Jesse missed the wink Luke shot over at Beca.
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]
"You won a million dollars today B." Jesse said, as they sat on the sofa in their very plush penthouse suite, their legs entwined and their fingers dancing together over Jesse's knee. They'd spent a good half an hour, running through the abundance of rooms, playing with the gadgets adorning one of the priciest rooms of the hotel. Beca had been fascinated by the electric window blinds while Jesse had whistled at the size of their bathtub, suggesting to Beca that they get all hot and soapy in there together before dinner.
"He won it."
"Well, you won it for him." Jesse said, beginning to massage Beca's palms.
"That feels nice." She said, laying her head back into the soft leather on the back of the sofa. There was a gentle knocking on their suite door. "Don't get it."
"Just stay right here." Jesse said, disentangling his limbs from Beca's. He opened the door to see an older gentleman in a dark grey suit and black tie, holding a large white box wrapped in a black bow.
"Hello. William Shackleford."
"Hello. Jesse Swanson."
"For Mrs Swanson, from Luke Bryant."
"Oh." Jesse said, taking the box handed to him. "Um, please, well, thank him for us."
"I'll do that. Mr Bryant is hosting a gathering tonight at his suite at 9:00. If you can find the time in your schedule, he'd be most pleased. Suite 1045."
Jesse thanked Mr Shackleford and closed the door, juggling the large box in his hand. He spun around to show Beca.
"Look what you got."
"What?" She asked, looking up from her examination of her hands.
"Gift from Bryant."
"Really?" She asked, quietly interested. "Open it up."
Jesse laid the box on the small dining table and pulled at the soft, silky ribbon, tossing it to one side as he lifted the lid of the box. Pulling apart the layer, he flattened them to the sides, scooping the box up and turning it to show Beca.
"That's $5,000." Beca exclaimed, startling at the sight of the dress she'd seen the day before.
"How do you know that?"
"I saw it in a store downstairs."
"Oh." Jesse said, looking at the cocktail dress in the box. "Well, lucky for him you like black!"
"Yeah."
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]
"Are you ready Becs?" Jesse called out, having checked his watch several times. He hated being late and didn't want to turn up late to Luke's gathering where everyone would probably be staring at them as they walked in; being the outsiders to the rich that they were.
"No. I'm not going!" Beca said from behind the bathroom door.
"Why not?" Jesse asked, knocking gently on the door.
"Don't come in." Beca urged.
"Too late!" Jesse said and took in the sight before him.
Beca had taken the time to fix her hair, straightening her usual loose curls into a straight, sleek, sophisticated style and it hung far and low down her back. She'd found an array of makeup in one of the drawers and had toned down her usual heavy eye liner, opting to let her natural blue hues shine through with the help of mascara alone. She looked fresh and young and Jesse felt a stirring in his trousers that he hadn't felt for the longest time.
He took in her pale shoulders, the softness of her skin, unmarked and unblemished by scars and wrinkles as he took in her frame in the dress that clung in all the right places and accentuated the features her mama gave her. His eyes took in the swell of her breasts and the curve of her hips and he looked down the shimmery fabric to the hem that stopped well above her knee. He loved her legs almost as much as he loved her chest. They were muscular, tones and soft.
He did, however, have to stifle the laugh in his mouth as he looked down to her feet, noting the black combat boots she had her feet poked into.
"Erm …?" He squeaked out.
"Exactly!" She said, gesturing to the floor. "Not exactly the look I think Bryant wanted! I'm not going. You can just go on your own."
"You are the reason he wants us to go."
"Wait? Where did you get those pants?" Beca asked, eyeing up Jesse's dress pants; a complete difference to the tatty and old jeans he was wearing not an hour before.
"I used the emergency fund and rented a tux."
"You did ... what?" Beca said, the colour draining from her face. The emergency fund was just supposed to be for gas and it was their ticket home.
"Well … I thought you might … just … like …" Jesse said, bringing his hands out from behind his back. "... these."
He held up a pair of silver, sparkly, high heeled shoes that shone under the stark light of the bathroom. Her eyes immediately were drawn to them.
"I rented a tux so you would be proud to be on my arm."
"... Jesse?"
"Don't." He said, holding them out to her. "God, Beca. You look unbelievably beautiful. Just enjoy this moment and let me worry about everything else, okay?"
Beca reached for the shoes in one hand and his waistband in the other.
"Thank you." She said, reaching up to kiss him. "Thank you."
[̲̅$̲̅(̲̅1̲̅)̲̅$̲̅]
They arrived at Suite 1045 just after nine fifteen. The sounds of polite chatter filled the room and the harpist played sedately in the corner. This was not their kind of party; they were used to a keg in the corner and packets of chips on paper plates.
All around them, expensive dresses and jewellery floated about next to well-cut suits and over shined shoes. Manner and good grooming seeped out of every corner and trays of hors d'oeuvres and miniature appetisers were wafted about by waiters dressed in green. Within moments, tall glasses of champagne were pressed into their hands and the snooty inspection by the other guests began.
Beca couldn't have loved Jesse more than she did right at that moment. Picking up the shoes and renting the tuxedo seemed like an expensive waste of money but she appreciated the gesture more than she could say. For a while, they made small talk, fitting in with the other guests before they found themselves holed up in a corner just the two of them. They had made a pact before the party not to discuss anything negative and now Jesse had Beca tucked into a corner making suggestive remarks to her, breathing love and kisses onto her neck.
The piano soon replaced the harp and Beca and Jesse began to dance together, Beca throwing her head back as they laughed at their own jokes and simply enjoyed themselves. Beca was aware of a pair of eyes on them and as Jesse spun her around, Luke's face came into view.
"Would you care to join me outside, by the pool?" He asked as they came to a halt, once he'd stepped onto the dance floor. All around him, people were practically bowing to him, smiling like idiots and fawning over the tall blond, British man.
"Erm, sure." Jesse said, glancing quickly at Beca who shrugged her mouth and followed both men outside. The night air was cool and she shivered slightly as it stung her skin.
"Jesse, would you like an ale?"
"Excuse me?"
"A beer."
"Oh, um, yes please."
"Cool. Becky?"
"Sure."
Luke clicked his fingers and one of his henchmen appeared by his side within seconds. Luke murmured into his ear.
"I throw these gatherings but I hate them. It's all falseness and posh shirts" He said, loosening his tie and pulling it from around his neck. "Much rather by supping a pint and watching the footie in comfy threads. But needs must."
"Thank you for inviting us." Beca said politely and accepting the frosty glass of cool beer that was served to her from a silver tray.
"It is the least I can do. I owe you a debt of gratitude for today. Cheers! Your health!"
"Cheers!"
While Luke initially lead the discussions, soon enough the three new friends began to relax in each others' company. Luke was interested in hearing about Jesse's music studio and Beca's halted music career. He listened wistfully as they briefly told him of their run of bad luck and was impressed about their enthusiasm and positivity
In turn, Luke told them of his business empire and they were equally as enthralled upon learning that he was only a couple of years older than they. Before long, there were only a handful of guests left and Beca was cold, despite wearing Jesse's tuxedo jacket so Luke suggested they move inside to the billiards room and play a couple of games of pool.
Beca took a seat near to the small bar area and accepted a glass of pink champagne. Luke lined the balls up on the table and Jesse fetched the cues. Shackleford popped his head around the door and signalled to Luke who nodded and went back to what he was doing.
"Who is that guy, Shackleford?" Jesse asked, chalking the end of the stick.
"Someone who works for me. Someone I trust." Luke replied, making the break. "He killed someone once."
Beca's head snapped up and she caught Jesse's eye who shrugged his shoulders in return.
"Tell me …" Luke continued. "... where do you see yourself in, say, ten years?"
"I wouldn't mind being a billionaire like yourself." Jesse laughed, taking his turn. He pocketed the blue into the top pocket and resisted the urge to fist pump the air for the second time that day.
"Nice shot." Luke said, congratulating his opponent. "But I mean, beyond money. What would satisfy you completely, let you sleep well at night?"
"What, are you saying you're not satisfied?" Jesse asked, surprised at the line of questioning.
"Who is?" Luke asked as he bent down to take his shot.
"I am." Beca said quietly before she took a sip of champagne.
"She mean it?" Luke asked, a smug smile posted on his lips.
"I hope so!" Jesse said turning to Beca who smiled warmly at him and winked back.
"Well, then you may not have won in Vegas, but you're a lucky man …" Luke said, pausing to look at his watch. "... 'cause I got money, security, I have businesses, employees, power and homes. But you have something that I just don't have."
"Well, I guess there's limits to what money can buy." Jesse said honestly, not meaning to cause any offence to the man who was paying for their stay overnight.
"Not many." Luke said after a lengthy pause.
"Well, some things aren't for sale." Beca said, from her bar stool.
"Such as?" Luke asked, looking her directly in the eye.
"You can't buy people." Beca answered, cocking her head to one side as she spoke.
"That's naive, Becky." Luke responded, not unkindly. "I buy people every day."
"In business, maybe, but not when real emotions are involved." Beca said, thinking of everything she had Jesse had sacrificed to get where they were.
"So what you are saying is, you can't buy love?" Luke questioned. "That's a bit of a cliché, don't you think?"
"It's absolutely true." Beca said, her jaw set fast.
"Is it?" Luke pushed and Beca could feel her face flushing with frustration.
She shrugged her shoulders in response.
"What do you think?" Luke asked Jesse.
"I agree with Becs." Jesse said, taking a step towards her.
"You do?" Luke said. "Well then, let's test the cliché, shall we?"
Jesse let the pool cue sink to the floor as his eyes swept to look at Beca who shook her head and rolled her eyes in answer to the unspoken question.
"Suppose …" Luke said, picking up a glass of Fireball whisky from the small ledge surrounding the room. The ice chinked quietly in the silence. "... suppose, I were to offer you one million dollars …"
Beca leant forward on her bar stool as Jesse took another step towards her. Luke faced Jesse straight on and spoke clearly.
" … for one night with your wife."
"I'd assume you're kidding." Jesse said after a long moment, his eyes wide and alert.
"Let's pretend I'm not." Luke said, a cockiness to his smile. "What would you say?"
"He'd tell you to go to hell." Beca said, jumping down off of the stool and standing by Jesse's side.
"I didn't hear him." Luke said candidly."
"I'd tell you to go to hell." Jesse spoke clearly, his jaw set determinedly.
"That's a reflex answer because you view it as hypothetical. But let's say that there were real money behind it. I'm not kidding. You saw my winnings today. You know I have the money. A million dollars. The night would come and go, but the money could last a lifetime. Think of it. A million dollars. A lifetime of security ... for just the one night."
He let the statement hang in the air while he lined up the cue ball, aiming for the furthest pocket possible.
"Don't answer right away. But consider it." Luke pocketed the ball easily.
"Seriously?" Beca said before turning to whisper in Jesse's ear. 'Come on, let's go.'
"We're positive, okay?" Jesse said.
"Are you? One million dollars for one night with your wife. What have you got to lose?"