Chapter 82

Back in Vegas

Stranger in the Mirror

Rhi POV

Wandering out of the bedroom, Alex and I walk through the great room and as we approach I start laughing. Kate and Ana are passed out again on the floor in a pile. It literally looks like one of them passed out first and the other toppled over and landed on the other. From my perspective, it appears that Kate is on the bottom.

"This is hilarious. I need a picture of this to send to Elliot. I need more than one. He'll get a kick out of it." Looking around I see my phone laying on the table nearby. I maneuver around the pile of limbs and take pictures of them from different angles. "This is going to be great blackmail material." I laugh.

When I look at Alex he's just watching me silently. I hope he gets out of this mood soon. He's going to ruin the fun. He's so serious all the time.

"Do you have a fun side at all? An immature, silly and crazy side? You're so serious." I laugh as I ask him and he frowns.

"I do. I'm a lot of fun. I'm just not sure why you're taking photos of them passed out." He sighs, "I just wonder what happened." His dark eyes meet mine and I'm pretty sure I'm being scorned by the way he's staring at me.

Oh, I'm pretty sure he has an idea. Based on his reaction he knows. He's just not going to say it. Well, I'm not about to say anything either. That's an argument I don't want right now. I can't seem to win with him and I've actually got a good buzz going right now.

"This is just something we do to each other. It's harmless fun. It's not like we post it on social media. It's just for us and Elliot." Though I should send to Ana's man-thing, whatever he is; or at least have Elliot show him, just to fuck with him. I haven't met him but I do know about him and so far I'm not impressed. "Besides, this is the second time they've passed out on me today."

He looks at me, his face blank and his gaze still dark. I can't help but feel like he's angry at me for hanging out with the girls and drinking. I know he doesn't know how much we drank but I'm pretty sure he knows that they don't drink as much as I do and if they passed out it was probably a lot. Regardless, I've got to do something to help the girls.

"Alex, can you get two bottles of water and two cold wet towels please?" I ask him to give him something to do instead of focusing on me. He nods his head and walks back to the kitchen.

Kneeling down, I shake Kate and Ana's shoulders to wake them. "Kate. Ana. Wake up guys." When there's no movement I shake them again, "Come on, get up you lazy bums."

Finally, Kate stirs and opens her eyes and squints at me. I can tell she's still a little foggy but at least she's heard me. Ana, on the other hand, shakes her head. I laugh, "You guys OK? Did you have a nice nap?" Neither one are responding so I give them both a light shove, "That's enough sleeping for today. Come on, we need to get food in you guys. Alex is hungry too."

Alex comes back with the water and towels and hands them to me then sits on the chair behind me. "Come on guys, sit up against the couch." Moving like sloths, they get into an upright position and I chuckle. "Here. Drink this. It will help, I promise."

I hand them each bottles of water and while they're drinking it, I take the wet towels and start wiping their faces and the back of their necks. I knew they couldn't handle it. I will give them an 'A' for effort though.

"Thank you Rhi." Kate says, "I don't know how you do it." She has a bewildered look on her face.

"How I do what?" I ask, though I know what's coming. I only hope she doesn't remember how many glasses of Patron we had.

"How in the hell you drink so much and it not affecting you. That's just totally not fair." She looks at me and laughs.

I chuckle, "Kate, I've been doing this a lot longer and more often than you. I've built up quite a tolerance." I can feel Alex's eyes boring into my back so I avoid looking at Alex, afraid of what I might see. "Ana knows I have been known to drink even the biggest guys under the table. It's not exactly something I recommend anyone to actually strive to achieve. However, it IS a good way to basically prove some egotistical asshole wrong." I smirk. "Do you know how many guys I come across that challenge me to a drinking contest because of my size? There are a lot of surprised faces when I'm the one still standing and the challenger is passed out. If we were to place bets on it, whoever bet on me to win would probably clean house."

Ana glances at Alex then back at me with her eyebrow raised slightly. Message received. I don't look at him but I can only imagine that he's not exactly happy with this revelation. He's silent but I can feel the tension radiating from him. I roll my eyes at her and she scowls at me.

Changing the subject I ask Ana, "How are you feeling?"

I hope they are OK to go out. I have a pretty good buzz right now so I can guarantee that they are both a little more drunk than me. At least they're not slurring their words or falling over. I haven't seen them walk yet but maybe they will be smart and wear flats when we go out.

"Surprisingly enough I feel pretty good. I could definitely use a little freshening up but other than that I'm OK." She smiles and adds, "The nap was beneficial. How long was it?"

I think about it for a minute, "Well, considering I went to use the bathroom and talked to Alex for a little while I think what, half an hour? Tops." I finally look at Alex and ask, "What do you think Alex?"

He's quiet, sitting down watching me, his face expressionless. Finally, after a few moments, he answers, "Something like that." His voice is flat. Hmm… That's not a good sign.

Sighing I turn back to the girls, "Come on, let's get you up on the couch so you can wake up and go get cleaned up. We can figure out where you want to eat once we're dressed." I stand up and reach out my hand to Kate first, then Ana. "Sit on the couch for a few minutes until you feel well enough to get cleaned up."

Turning around I make eye contact with Alex and ask, "Will you come help me freshen up? Please?"

It's not really a question, more like asking him for help and wanting to talk to him. I don't wait for his response before heading to the bedroom. He'll follow me if he wants to. If not, that's fine too. I can't force him but I do want to know what's wrong. I'm not a complete idiot, I'm pretty sure it has to do with my response to Kate's question. That and I'm pretty sure he's figured out that we were drinking while he was sleeping.

I bypass the bedroom and head straight for the bathroom. Stopping at the sink, I turn on the hot water and reach to get a clean washcloth. Before my hand makes contact with it a hand reaches out and takes it before I can.

Alex and I make eye contact in the mirror for what seems like an eternity before he says, "You know, you really shouldn't be doing anything that can cause you to get your cast wet. Let me help you."

I sigh. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

He starts to run the washcloth under the stream of water when his eyes get wide. "Holy shit this is scalding!" He exclaims. "You're putting this on your face?" He looks at me through the mirror, his face revealing his shock.

I can't help but laugh. "Yes, that's my intention. It's not THAT hot. It actually feels really good on my skin." I hold my hand out, "I can do it." I wait for him to give me the washcloth but instead he puts it under the stream of hot water, while continuing to hold my gaze in the mirror.

Turning the water off, he wrings the excess water off and opens it up to wash my face off. "Jeeze, this is insanely hot, how can you stand it?" He asks, juggling the steaming fabric from one hand to the other.

I laugh again. "It's just… something I just got accustomed to over time." I shrug.

"Turn around." He orders.

Turning to face him, I look up and stare into his beautiful brown eyes. He moves to start wiping my face but I stop him. When he looks down at me, I see a glimmer of sorrow in his eyes. "I'm sorry you had to hear that. I'm sure you weren't prepared to hear that. I don't want to hide things from you if I can help it." I pause. "You said you wanted to know the real me; my past and present. Some things will take me a little longer to talk about but I want to be as honest and open as I can with you. I want to do this the right way. You mean more to me than you know." There's something that shows in his eyes but he doesn't respond so I continue and look down, "If you still want me."

I reach over and turn the hot water back on and reach for the washcloth again. Once again, he pulls it away, puts it back under the water and wrings it out once again. He leans down and kisses me gently then starts to wipe the grime off my face.

Sighing, he stops again and finally speaks. "Rhi, I know you've had a rough past and have had to adopt some coping mechanisms to be able to survive whatever was thrown at you. I totally understand that. You're right, I want to know everything about you. I want to know what makes you, well, YOU." Pausing he runs his thumb down my cheek. "Unfortunately, I know there will be some things that will not only be painful for you to say but also painful for me to hear. I'm prepared for that. What I might not be prepared for is the extent of some things. I will tell you this, I promise you that I am not going to hold anything against you." He lowers his voice and adds, "I hope that some day you don't need to use coping mechanisms and that you can use me. I promise you; I'm not going anywhere."

My eyes tear up and I reach up and cup his face. "Thank you." I whisper. "Thank you for being here and staying and being patient and understanding and taking care of me." I chuckle, "I know I'm not the easiest person to deal with and, like Ana and Kate tell me daily, frustrating as hell."

I laugh when he exhales and rolls his eyes. "That's the understatement of the year." He chuckles as he uses the washcloth to wipe my eyes and when he's done he sets it in the sink. Placing both hands on my cheeks, he looks down into my eyes and says, "Thank you for giving me the chance to know the real you and taking care of you." He laughs and grins, "Now all you need to do is listen to Kate, Ana and me about taking care of yourself properly and safely and things will be perfect." Placing his forehead on mine, he whispers, "I'm so happy I found you. You mean so much to me." Then he kisses me deeply leaving me breathless.

I wrap my arms around his waist and sigh. This is all new to me. I'm not used to gentleness coming from a man. I try to steer clear of relationships because I'm usually the one that fucks them up. In fact, I'll probably be the one that fucks this up.

I'm brought out of my thoughts when I hear him ask, "What else do you need to do to freshen up?" He asks with a smile then adds, "You look beautiful already so there's not much more you can do."

"I was thinking of changing clothes if we're going out to dinner. I don't know where we're going though so we should get back out there and figure it out with the girls. Then I will know what to wear." I respond.

He nods and we walk out heading toward the main room. Kate and Ana are sitting on the couch but they look a lot better and more refreshed than they did a few minutes ago.

I nudge Alex and whisper, "This is just a joke but I want to see their reaction." He nods and I can only imagine what he's thinking.

Walking into the kitchen I grab a bottle of Patron and walk toward the couch. "Are you guys ready for some more before we go?" I wink at him and smile. He smiles back and shakes his head. I see Kate and Ana freeze and they both say in unison, "No thanks! I think we're done with that for a while!"

I can't help myself and laugh out loud. "I'm just kidding. Do you guys know what you want to do for dinner?" I ask. "What kind of food do you want to eat?"

Kate and Ana look at each other and shrug. "What do you feel like? Rhi, you're the pro at drinking, so to speak. What do you recommend?"

I laugh again, "I wouldn't say I'm the pro, I've just had more experience than you guys. I'd recommend something greasy. I know it sounds bad and unhealthy but it's the best way to avoid a nasty hangover." The looks on their faces are priceless. They've always been healthy eaters. "Why do you think people go out to eat after a night at the bars? My drinking buddies and I always end up at VI or someone's house for breakfast. We've been known to have a barbeque at 3 am with tons of people."

I smile at the memory. We would go to my house if everyone could get on base but not everyone could so half the time we would go elsewhere. It depends on who joined us. Not to mention it was usually a large group and the neighbors sometimes were not too happy.

"Fast food works in a pinch but I don't recommend it. It's nasty." I laugh. "I'd rather chew on a shoe than eat that shit."

Kate and Ana look mortified at the visual and Alex rolls his eyes and laughs.

"We can go to Cabo Wabo Cantina in Planet Hollywood. They have Mexican food, burgers and salads and awesome ambience. Though I don't recommend salads and tequila." I don't even want to imagine the mess to clean up. Blech. "Unless you guys want something else? Alex? What do you think?"

He winks at me with a sly smile. "Only if you put barbeque sauce on the shoe first."

We all groan and he looks pleased with himself. "That was a terrible joke." He laughs and it's a wonderful sound. "Kate? Ana? Are you OK with Cabo Wabo?" I just want to confirm.

"Sounds good to me!" They both reply in unison.

Clapping my hands excitedly, "OK then! Get up and let's get moving! Come on! Shake a tailfeather!" I cheer them on to get them moving. All three look at me like I've lost it. I look at them innocently. "What?"

Alex laughs, "Baby, you have WAY too much energy right now."

I laugh. You have no idea. "Do you need to go change clothes or anything? I'm starting to think you need to keep some clothes here too." I wink and give him a shy smile.

He chuckles, "I don't have anything here but I can go change really quick if we have time? I can make it down and back in less than 30 minutes. I'll pack an overnight bag with some things to keep here tomorrow." He replies with a smile.

Kate and Ana nod, "We'll wait here for you. That will give us some time to get changed."

Alex leaves and the girls and I split up to get changed for dinner.

Walking into the bedroom I start to get butterflies in my tummy. Am I ready for this? I'm always in Adidas gear, shorts or jeans so I figured I'd step out of my comfort zone and surprise Kate and Ana. Pulling out a skirt that I've been waiting to show them. It's a cream-colored flowy A-line mini skirt. I've paired it with a white sleeveless ruched crop top with a deep plunging neckline. The shoes are white lace-up heels. I hope it looks OK together.

It's a bit of a struggle to get change but I manage. I had to take off the sling and maneuver my cast through the sleeve but the top is sleeveless so it wasn't that bad. The skirt was easy enough too. I might have to wear more skirts and less jeans that require buttoning and zipping.

I'm standing in front of the mirror straightening my clothes and yell, "Kate? Ana? Can you come in here for a moment? Please?" I need their opinion to make sure I look OK before I get my shoes on.

They enter the bedroom and I hear, "Woah. You look amazing! I just have one question. Who are you and what have you done with Rhi?" Kate laughs.

Ana looks at me and smiles, "Rhi, when did you buy this? This looks fabulous on you! Where are your shoes?"

I point to the floor by the chair. "I bought it a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to surprise you. I've been wearing the shoes to break them in and they're pretty comfortable." Turning to look at them I ask, "Are you sure this looks good together and it looks good on me? I don't want to look stupid." I'm super self-conscious when dressing up. "Maybe I should just wear my Adidas gear."

Kate looks at me, "Rhi, you look amazing and this is the perfect color for you! I love it!"

Ana smiles, "Rhi, I totally agree with Kate. This is such a surprise! You look amazing!"

Smiling shyly I say, "Thank you guys. That means a lot. You know me and my inability to dress myself in anything other than Adidas or jeans and shorts." I laugh. "I need some help with a couple of things though. Can you help me put my shoes on? I want my hair down and need to brush my hair. Would you mind?"

Ana and Kate nod and Ana goes into the bathroom to retrieve my brush while Kate sits me in the chair and puts on my shoes.

"I feel like Cinderella! I laugh, "Except you're not evil stepsisters. You're the best sisters I could ever imagine. I love you both so much." I'm so lucky to have them in my life.

Kate smiles and replies, "God I hope we're not evil stepsisters! We love you too."

Kate finishes lacing up my shoes and Ana finishes brushing my hair. Looking in the mirror I see a complete stranger. "Who the hell is looking back at me? This is surreal. It doesn't even look like me."

Ana whispers, "Rhi, you're beautiful. You always have been. You're going to stop traffic and turn heads tonight." She smiles wide and winks. "I can't wait to see Alex's reaction. You put Kate and I to shame." She laughs.

Kate giggles, "We'll go finish getting ourselves dressed so we're ready when Alex gets back."

"Thank you guys. I really appreciate everything you've done for me. I can never repay you." I give them both a hug and they walk out of the room.

Why the hell am I so sentimental tonight?