Vegas Knot (✔️) | Love Travels #1

Nine

"It's a deal." He smiles. "So what do you say we get out of here and go do something fun while we discuss the details of all the wedding festivities."

"We should probably also try to get to know each other a bit. No one's going to believe we're married if we can't get our stories straight about who likes rock climbing or is afraid of heights."

"Well, obviously I like rock climbing and am afraid of heights."

"Yes, you strike me as the type."

"I should. Because I am. How did you see through me so quickly?"

I can't tell if he's serious, but the mood has turned light and easy, and I'm not going to ruin it with logic. Not today.

He holds the door open as the hot air rushes to greet me, sandals catching on the edge of the door and causing me to stumble out onto the street and into a small group of tourists taking a photograph of a giant ball or something. Before I can crash into the pavement, or one of the tourists, Enrique grabs my hand and pulls me back to my feet.

"You okay?" He says, pulling his hand away like I've burned him.

"Fine. Thanks for the assist. Might have to work on the rebound if we're going to convince people we're married."

"We are married, though."

"And we look like two high schoolers who just met and are trying to take prom pictures."

"My mother raised me right, Ma'am. I'm not going to do anything untoward."

"Untoward? Are you from an Austen film?" But he seems genuine, despite the wording. "Hands are fine." I reach out and he accepts, linking his fingers between mine and letting our hands rest between us.

"So, tell me about yourself," I joke, swinging our hands between us and taking off down the street. "What do you do for work?"

"I'm a high school teacher."

"You're a teacher?" I can't keep the shock out of my voice. I do manage to stop myself from saying 'I've seen you mostly naked and your abs are wasted on your profession.' Thank God.

"I am. Do I not look like a teacher?"

I shake my head in response. "Not really. Maybe if you had some glasses and a button down."

"My Clark Kent look is hiding in my suitcase. I'm superman this weekend. Getting drunk and marrying pretty girls."

"Flattery will get you nowhere," I chuckle. "Well, maybe it will get you somewhere. So what do you teach? No, don't tell me." Sizing him up, he must teach something cool. What subjects are cool? "Physical Education or Music?" I ask finally.

He shakes his head. "I'm afraid it's much nerdier than that."

"Nerdy, huh?" I scrunch my nose up for effect. "Oh, no! Are you a physics teacher?"

"Excuse me!" He laughs. "No. I teach math. And one class of Chemistry."

I can't contain my laughter. "Physics wasn't that far off, then."

"I resent the implication. Physics. Imagine calling me an engineer."

"Are you?" I ask. "An engineer."

"You wound me."

"It was an honest question. Math teacher seems like maybe you had a former life. Oh, no. Don't tell me you're really an actor. I don't think I can handle that after the day I've had."

"I was never very good at acting," he shrugs. "I was in a play in twelfth grade because they needed another guy or they wouldn't be able to put it on and, well, to be completely honest, the girl I liked was playing the lead, and she really looked forward to it and she asked me to do it and—"

"You couldn't say no. That's true love."

His mouth is agape again.

"You don't have to pretend you never loved anyone before, friend. No judgement zone here. We got married. We were drunk. It is what it is."

"I was a little drunk, wasn't I?"

"I don't remember, honestly. I was very drunk. Don't usually do that."

"So why did you?"

No part of me wants to answer this, but my mouth does it anyway. "My ex came back into town with his supermodel fiancée."

"Damn," he breathes. "You might have a worse story than me."

"You can't say that and then not tell me your story!"

"I don't know about that. How long do you have?"

How long do I have? "At least a week."

He sighs. "Okay, well, I'll start at the beginning." 

♤ ♥ ♤

Author's Note:  Thank you so much for all of your love and support on my story, friends! As a special thank you for 500 reads, I'm posting this chapter today and will return with another chapter on Friday! 

I also have another entertaining (N)ONC story by the wonderful CMF_Wright to share with you! Wings Flings & Demon Kings brings together so many fun elements into one story. It's definitely worth a look. 

Nirael has never been the best angel. A little too loud, always in the wrong place at the wrong time, she constantly finds herself written up by her archangel superiors for minor misdemeanors. When her Remedial Goodness program forces her to do a capstone project on Earth, she's determined this will be the moment she finally turns her life around. That is, until she meets a demon who's about as bad at being evil as she is at being good...