Chapter 13 – WHAT HAPPENS IN . . .

It was another long day of traveling, however we took our time and slept in, made love again and had a huge breakfast before heading out on the road. As we pulled into Vegas, the sun started to dip down past the horizon and the bright lights of the city could be seen all around me. Bella and I both stared out the window at all the beautiful colors, as she parked the car in front of the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. It was a very tall gold building with lots of lights illuminating it. The entrance had a tiered look with three layers slowly getting taller and several archways with illuminated statues under the arches.

"How we you able to pull off this hotel, Bells?" I asked, knowing that neither of us had a lot of money right now.
"A fantastic online deal. I think they plan on us spending our money at the casino so the hotel room was actually pretty cheap."
"Have you been to Vegas before?" I asked.
"Nope, but it always seemed like fun and the lights are so beautiful."
"That is true. So are you feelin' lucky?" I smirked, raising my eyebrows.
"With you? Always!" Bella smiled and leaned over the seat inside the car to give me a kiss, which I returned.

I grabbed our suitcase and then Bella checked us in. Even the lobby area was magnificent with white and brown marble floor, tall white and gold ceiling, and several large square pillars. We road the large glass elevator to the seventh floor and unlocked our room. It was massive with a large white bed with a chocolate brown blanket folded at the end. There was a matching red and gold couch and two soft chairs. The bathroom was spectacular with white marble flooring and walls, gold fixtures on the double sink, glass shower, and double jacuzzi tub.
"Holy cow, Bells! This is amazing."
"Is it too much?" Bella asked uneasy.
"Not at all, it is perfection."

We were both tired, but wanted to stretch our legs and wandered around the hotel, checking out the accommodations. I couldn't believe that there were over eight different restaurants, including one buffet. We decided on Diablo's Cantina which served Mexican food, it was small, but tall with two levels. It had a dark club look with black tables and amber light glowed from the bar, with a large wheel that they would spin to determine what drink suddenly became half price. There was a live band on the top floor, and we ate outside on the balcony. The food there was really expensive, but tasted fantastic.

After eating, we decided to relax in bed with a random movie that was showing. Bella went to the suitcase and grabbed something small and silky and went to the bathroom. She came back, wearing a short, sexy, dark purple nightie. It had tiny straps that crisscrossed along her back and deep V in the front.
"Hey sexy, I thought we were watching TV."
"We are." She said, pulling up the blankets and snuggling into my side.
"Sure, sure." I mumbled, content to massage the soft material until I could take it off later.

A few hours later there was a knock on the door with a complimentary glass of champagne and chocolate chip cookie for each of us. I took the silver serving tray, setting it on the end table.
"This seems like a weird combination." I mentioned, handing the glass to her. Neither of us drank alcohol very often, mostly because it wasn't worth the expense.
"Yeah, I agree." Bella said, while nibbling on her cookie. "And I'm guessing I never mentioned that you aren't 21."
I shrugged, by now I was used to strangers assuming that I was older than I really am, and Bella had adjusted to it as well. "One glass isn't going to do anything to me anyways."

"True, do you think that you can even get drunk?" Bella asked.
"I don't know, I have never tried. I know that Embry and Quil did when we played Truth or Dare together. They finished off the bottle that night. It took about half the bottle before Quil got pretty tipsy, so I guess it is possible, but it would take a lot in a short amount of time. Their buzz didn't last long because of their body temperature, burning the alcohol off."
"That must be nice." Bella commented, as she sipped her glass.
"Have you ever been drunk, Bells?"
"No, I went to a few parties in college with a couple friends, but I don't really like beer and with Edward attached to my hip there wasn't a chance for me to drink."

"Yeah, I can imagine. Would you want to get drunk?" I asked.
"It is not a goal in life or anything, but it wouldn't bother me either way. I wouldn't mind trying more wines and maybe finding a beer that I like" Bella shrugged. "But it is not like alcohol is that important to me, it just feels more grown up to drink it. What about you?"
"It has never been important to me, but that might be partly because I have never really considered it an option. Several of the other guys have bought beer and have never been carded, but like you, I don't really care for the taste. However, I know that there are a lot that I haven't tried, like this champagne, it is good." I finished mine, waiting for Bella to finish hers before, placing the serving tray back outside our door.

We spend the next couple days exploring the amazing town. Even in the daytime the place seemed to glow and we spent a lot of time walking along the strip and going inside the lobbies of the more famous hotels. The casino had dark purple, red, and gold carpet is large swirly patterns, thick solid wood tables for cards and a separate section for the slots. I wasn't much of a card player, even though I liked that there was a little more skill involved. The slots were simple with a plastic game card that you would swipe, but it felt more like being at a arcade, except for it was extremely loud with bells and random ringing going off every few minutes.

Some of the casinos had live bands and dancers, I certainly saw more sequins, feathers, and boobs than ever before.
Bella laughed at my amazement. "You should take a picture, it will last longer."
"Oh shut up." I said, hiding my embarrassment. "I'm sure that there are some half naked guys around here that you could be staring at."
"I'm sure there are, however it probably won't have the same affect, I see your half naked brothers all the time. I assumed that when they quit phasing they would start wearing clothes, apparently I was wrong."
I laughed. "You have a good point."
"Would you want Leah, Jackie, and me to walk around half naked to make it fair?"
"Umm, that feels like a no win question. Whether I say 'yes' or 'no', either way I'm screwed."
"Fair enough."

We were walking back from seeing Phantom of the Opera at the Venetian hotel. The hotel was beyond words with a vaulted ceiling that had amazing artwork with intricate gold, outlining like a picture frame, an indoor retail mall, and canals. The theater had three tiers of seating, with a soft red material on each seat, and each tier got further and higher from the stage. I was glad that Bella and I had seen the movie before and I was familiar with the storyline otherwise I probably would have been lost. I can't say that I am a huge fan of the opera style singing, but couldn't help but be amazed by the costumes and special effects, especially being a live performance.

We went to an afternoon show, had an early dinner and we were walking back to our hotel when we passed the Flamingo hotel. The sun was beginning to set and the bright oranges and pinks in the sky matched the entrance of the hotel with bright 'feathers' arching across the front. Along the path there was an announcement of a wine tasting, starting in less than an hour.
"Hey, Bells look," I said, pointing at the sign. "You up for some sampling?"
"Yeah, sure, it sounds fun. But what about you?"
"If they do not ask, then we don't tell." I suggested, uncertainly.
"Alright, I'm game."

We walked through the casino which had a tall pink table with a thick clear top, four poles on each corner of the table and one pole in the middle with two girls standing on the table. The girls had impossibly tiny black shorts and each had a bright shiny pink bikini top. They would shake their hips, bend over, and slide either on the same pole or each on their own. Bella had my hand and my feet kept moving, but there was no way I wasn't staring as we went by. At the lobby, we followed the signs to a large room with multiple tables. Bella purchased the tickets, and I chatted with the girl to the point that I think she completely forgot that Bella was the only one of us that showed id.

"You are such a flirt." Bella mumbled.
"Hey, it worked didn't it." I whispered back.
"Sure, sure." Bella rolled her eyes, but had a huge grin over her face.
We walked to another attendant who handed us a wine glass. "Here is your glass, have either of you come to a tasting before?" He asked. I shook my head and Bella answered 'no'. "Here is a list of what is being offered," he handed us a piece of paper with the names listed into sections. There were 30 beers, and 50 wines listed as whites, reds, and blushes, and it showed the location of a full bar that would serve sample size mixed drinks. We were also handed a pen to be able to mark what we liked or disliked.

The attendant continued. "You may sample as little or as much as you like, the proper technique is to swish the drink in your mouth. Some take small sips and others prefer a large drink, knowing that it is perfectly acceptable to not swallow and simply be tasting, just spit it back into your glass. Each table will have a bucket to pour out what is in your glass, and water there to clean out your glass. Does that make sense?"
"Yes, thank you." I looked at Bella and she nodded her head.
"Have a great time. Oh, I almost forgot, there are also tables of cheese and crackers, make sure that you do not have an empty stomach and be responsible."

We were excited and decided that we wanted to taste everything and went around the room from one table to the next. None of the beers were very good, but I found that I liked the darker ones better and Bella liked a Boulvard wheat beer that we could probably find at home if we wanted to. As for the wines we both likes the blush wines, however I preferred red which I found surprising and Bella preferred the white because they were sweeter.

We were at the bar section, getting shot size samples, when Bella's face scrunched into a grimace.
"How can someone mess up chocolate?" Bella took another sip of her chocolate martini and shuddered again.
"Good grief, Bella." I grabbed it from her, swallowing it quickly. "Damn, that is horrible."
Bella laughed, loudly. "I told you."
We went and grabbed a few crackers and cheese, it seemed to help get a bad taste out of our mouth.
"Maybe, it clashed with the Long Island Ice Tea? I'm sure it isn't normal to have this many drinks at once." I suggested.
"Sounds reasonable." Bella filled her shot glass with water, cleaning it out, and walked back over to me. She tripped, face planting into my chest.

"Easy, girl, I think you have had enough." I held her up with her shoulders, looking at her eyes.
"Don't be silly, Jacob, I always trip."
"True, but if I can feel the alcohol, then that really makes me nervous about you."
Bella smiled and giggled. "I want Sex on the Beach," she said louder than she normally would, clearly drunk.
I wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly to me. "I think we should go," I whispered in her ear.
Bella scowls, looking disappointed. "No, it will be the last one."
"Alright, fine." I kept my arm around her waist as we went back to the bar.

The bar tender made Bella her shot. "Same for you sir?" She asked.
"No, thank you." I answered.
"Come on, Jacob, have sex with me." Bella giggled.
I shook my head. "Oh jeez, Bells. How can I refuse that?" I smiled, nodding to the bar tender and she was trying really hard not to laugh. She filled the shot and I clicked it against Bella's and we drank it together. Bella giggled and kissed me as I hugged her tightly.
"Come on, girl, lets get you back."

We returned our glasses, had several more crackers with cheese, and I grabbed her hand to walk back. Bella was a mess, giggling at everything she saw, and I was surprised that I was a little loopy and would giggle with her. We slipped our arms around the other's waist as we walked and giggled back to our hotel room. By now it was dark and the sidewalk glowed from the lights and bright bill boards that aligned the path.
"Jacob!" Bella screamed, and I picked her up quickly.
"What's wrong, Bells?" I asked looking around.
"Let's get married!" Bella squealed.
"Oh, Bella, you know I want to marry you, but we can't just get married."
"Of course we can, this is Las Vegas for crying out loud."
"If you are serious, then I will totally marry you. I just want to make sure that you know what you are doing." I couldn't help the huge grin, stretching across my face at the prospect of getting married.

"Yes, I am aware." Bella promised, climbing out of my arms in order to prove it. "I'm even in white and everything." We had both dressed up for the show that we had attended with myself in black pants and blue pinstripe dress shirt. Bella had on a white dress that came just above her knee, it was tight around her waist and chest with one halter strap that went around her neck.

I knew that we were both a little loopy, but I felt like we were aware of what we were doing as we walked a little further to the Little Church of the West. It was a brown building with a large wooden shingles along the roof and a stain glass cross over the archway above the front door. We walked in the front door hand-in-hand, smiling and kissing each other whenever we had the chance.
"Awww, I can always spot those here for a Vegas wedding," said a man at a large podium just inside the church.
"Yes." I beamed at him and Bella grinned beside me, squeezing my hand.
"Right this way," he said, directing us to the podium, showing us the options that they had available. I was so excited that I wasn't paying that much attention, and Bella seemed to just point at a random package that seemed to interest her.

Then we were separated as we were each directed to a dressing room where I used the restroom and washed my hands and face. There was cologne available, so I gave myself a squirt and wasn't crazy about the smell, because it was too strong. Then I was directed to the front of the church, there were white and red roses that filled the front, they weren't real but the room was still had a floral scent in the air.

The minister had black pants, white shirt, and simple tie and a Bible open in his hands.
"Are you ready, sir?" He asked.
"Absolutely, I have always dreamed of marrying her." I smiled.
"I can tell that you love her very much."
"I do." I grinned.
"Just keep saying that and you will be fine."
I nodded my head. "I can do that."

Then I heard the traditional wedding march as the back doors opened and Bella walked out. She had a lacy veil over her head that came down her back onto the ground giving her a train. Her hair was down around her shoulders and I'm guessing that someone applied makeup on her because she had more on than she would normally wear. I could smell her strong perfume and it took me a moment to get used to the smell. In her hands she carried a small bouquet of three white lilies with pink centers. With each step that she took I could feel my smile spread out further across my face. Bella grinned and once she was at my side I took her hand.

"I love you, Bells."
"I love you too, Jake." Bella smiled and giggled up at me.
The minister started speaking and for a while I was so in my own world that I wasn't really listening. Bella's beautiful brown eyes sparkled, however she blinked often and I think the thick mascara felt funny to her. Her cheeks had an unnatural blush and her lips were a bright magenta, and slowly things started to not feel right. Bella giggled more than I knew to be normal, leaned heavily into my side, and her eyes shifted, looking everywhere, but didn't really seem to be focusing.

I never thought that the setting or Bella's appearance would be important to me, but I looked out at the white empty pews, and I wanted to have my family and friends here with me when I married the girl of my dreams.
"Marriage, is what brings us together today," I heard the minister say as I began to focus on what he was saying. "Do you Jacob Black take Bella Swan to be your beloved wife?"
"Wait." I stated firmly, taking a deep breath.
"Huh?" Bella questioned, clearly confused.

"Bella, look around, is this really how you want us to get married? To have a whirlwind wedding, without our family or friends here with us."
"I don't care about a big production, Jacob."
"I don't either, but Bella, I have waited so long to marry you that I want to do it right. With your father walking you down the isle, and my father standing with us and pronouncing us man and wife." I blinked, trying to think.
"Jacob, do you not want to marry me?" Bella frowned, speaking softly.
"Of course I do, you know that."

"No, I don't. It has been three years and you haven't mentioned marrying me even once since we visited my mom the first time."
"Excuse me," I said to the minister and lead Bella to one of the first chairs. We sat down next to each other and I took the flowers out of her hand, setting them beside me and took both her hands in mine. "Bella, I haven't asked you since then because I wanted to wait for you to actually say 'yes' when I asked."
"I have said 'yes', and now you're the one stopping us." Bella began to cry and thick black tears streaked down her face.
"Oh god, Bells, that isn't what I meant at all." There was a box of tissues under the first row and I pulled a couple tissues, wiping her face.

"I want to be able to propose to you in the way that I have planned out for the past three years. I know exactly where we will go and what I want to say. I have been thinking about the perfect ring for you," I looked at the two simple gold bands, "and that ring is not it. I want to stand in front of my family, friends and tribe, and take you as my wife, and it not be a spontaneous decision that you might regret when you wake up."
Bella shook her head. "I could never regret marrying you."
"Maybe not, but you might regret the way we got married. I know I would." I wiped another black tear that came down her face. "I want to see your natural beauty, and not this fake stuff that others need to make themselves feel beautiful."
"Oh, Jake . . ." Bella flung both arms around my neck, hugging me tight and I returned it with equal intensity. Bella took another tissue, pulling herself together.

We both held on to each other for a while, and then we pulled apart neither of us speaking.
"I don't mean to intrude," the minister said, taking a couple steps towards us. "Obviously, I have performed thousands of weddings and I usually get a feeling for those that will last and those making a mistake. The love that you both have for each other is so evident, that I know that you will make it. However, you deserve to have your wedding be a dream come true."
"Thank you, I'm sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused." I told him.
"There has been none at all. It has been my pleasure to meet you both."
Bella smiled weakly and a lady came, taking her veil off and Bella tried to return the flowers, but they insisted that she keep them.

We walked back to our hotel and after getting ready for bed, the emotional exhaustion made us fall asleep almost instantly. The next morning we both slept in and Bella wasn't feeling that great from the alcohol. I wouldn't call it a complete hang over, but it was a good thing that we didn't really have anything planned for today. It was also good because Bella was extremely quiet. I wasn't sure, but I felt like she was really angry with me because I stopped us from getting married.

After lunch we decided that we would float down the lazy river that the hotel provided. We each got a tube and Bella floated inside the circle with her arms and shoulders hanging over the edge and I sat in the middle with my legs and arms dangling over the edge.
"Bells, please talk to me."
"I don't know what to say." She whispered.
"Why are you mad at me?"
"I'm not."
"Really?"
"I'm not mad at you."
"I don't believe you."
"I'm not sure, Jake. I get why you stopped us and I'm not mad about that. I mean if I came back married Renee would shoot me. Not because I got married, but because she wasn't there."

I chuckled and nodded my head. "That is what I meant. You have to know that it is not you, if we were home I would marry you on the spot."
"Thanks. I think I'm just embarrassed."
I reached over and took her hand as we continue to float along. "I'm sorry. The last thing that I ever would want to do is hurt your feelings or embarrass you. Tell me this, if you woke up this morning married to me how would you feel?"
Bella paused to think about her response, which I appreciated because it showed that she was taking my question seriously. "I would be a little freaked out, but going through it yesterday has really made me ready. I want to get married."
"Really? I assumed that you wanted to wait until you finished college."
"I'm tired of waiting, and I think there will always be something or some reason to wait."

I was really excited and flipped off my flotation tube and pulled Bella into a deep kiss. "I think I might be the happiest person alive right now." I grinned and kissed her again. Bella grinned back between kisses and her arms were around my neck. "Give me a little time to get your ring and I promise you a real engagement.
"Sounds great, but the ring isn't that important to me."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, don't give me that."
I got back on the tube and we talked about more details of our engagement and wedding. What style Bella wanted to have and all that. We had talked about it some after Kim and Jared's and Paul and Rachel's weddings. Kim's was very small with mostly family and of course Rachel's was a production and we both agreed that a mixture of the two would be great for us.
Talking was exactly what we both needed, we ate at the Italian restaurant at the hotel, and then we relaxed that evening in the large jacuzzi tub. We kissed and caressed each other until we ended up making love surrounded by warm water.