son, well, he seems to have taken it as his responsibility to make sure you’re okay, and it’s all happened so fast that I wanted to make sure he’s not been blindsided and taken for a fool.”
I sigh. “Mrs. King,” I say, thinking the respectful title is appropriate for the moment. “I never came here looking for a man, or money. I came to Las Vegas to find myself and my family. It just so happened that I found Denham and I don’t know where it’s going or if it’s going anywhere at all, but I really want to find out.”
“You know I’ll find out if there’s an ulterior motive,” she warns quietly.
“There isn’t one,” I assure.
“Good, I don’t ever want you to feel afraid of me, Arianna. Ask me anything you’d like at any time. All I ask in return is that you do the right thing by my son, and we will get along just fine.” She finishes her sentence with a genuine smile and I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been accustomed to living a pretend life, putting on a front and bowing to the illusion that everything is fine, but it makes me laugh. Denham is so much like his mother. She has clearly instilled her ways and upfront honesty in him.
“I’m not sure whether it’s a good thing or not that you’re laughing,” she says with a curious smile.
“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just Denham is so like you. He’s straight up and says what he’s thinking, and it makes life so much easier to know that you don’t have to spend time guessing how you’re thinking or how you’re going to react.”
“Well, I think it’s best we know how each other feels, don’t you?”
“Yes, it’s refreshing, but I’m just not used to it. I’ve not been lucky enough to experience such honesty.”
Dana covers one of my hands with hers. “I’m sorry you’ve had things so hard, Arianna. It makes me sad to think that. We were very lucky that up until three years ago, we had a wonderful life. My husband …” Her voice wavers a little, “He was a wonderful man. In many ways I was like you. Young, naive, unlucky in love. Until I met him. He turned my world upside down and back again. So, I know how you feel, I see it in your eyes, just remember that everything happens for a reason, and as long as you can sleep at night with a clear conscience then you’ve done all you can.” She dips her head to look into my downcast eyes. “Now, what do you say we get some coffee and talk about something else?”
“I think that’s a great idea.” I smile warmly back at her, relieved that this conversation is out of the way but also pleased that we’ve had it and that I now know that she doesn’t hate me. Lottie was right; she is very sweet, and it’s clear that her children are her world. Yes, she’s well dressed, and clearly likes the finer things in life, but it strikes me that she would give it all up in a heartbeat for her family. I follow her to the kitchen where we make coffee and small talk. I do my best to convince her that I’m not sick. I have no idea why I fainted yesterday, or how I did so much damage to myself when I did. I didn’t feel sick prior to it happening and now that I don’t feel so sleepy, I feel as normal as I ever have. I put it down to the last week being emotional overload. I hadn’t eaten properly, I was probably dehydrated, and the stress caught up with me when I least expected it to.
Dana hands me a mug of coffee and carries hers along with a mysterious little box out onto the balcony. We sit at the bistro table enjoying the warmth along with the cool breeze that’s blowing through today.
“So, what will you do now that you’ve decided to settle in Vegas?” Dana asks, popping open the lid of the box and offering me what looks like little round balls of chocolate. I frown and hesitate before taking one, but I don’t want to seem rude.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Arianna. Truffles, they are Belgian truffles.” She laughs, “Every girls needs truffles with coffee, especially
I sigh. “Mrs. King,” I say, thinking the respectful title is appropriate for the moment. “I never came here looking for a man, or money. I came to Las Vegas to find myself and my family. It just so happened that I found Denham and I don’t know where it’s going or if it’s going anywhere at all, but I really want to find out.”
“You know I’ll find out if there’s an ulterior motive,” she warns quietly.
“There isn’t one,” I assure.
“Good, I don’t ever want you to feel afraid of me, Arianna. Ask me anything you’d like at any time. All I ask in return is that you do the right thing by my son, and we will get along just fine.” She finishes her sentence with a genuine smile and I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been accustomed to living a pretend life, putting on a front and bowing to the illusion that everything is fine, but it makes me laugh. Denham is so much like his mother. She has clearly instilled her ways and upfront honesty in him.
“I’m not sure whether it’s a good thing or not that you’re laughing,” she says with a curious smile.
“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just Denham is so like you. He’s straight up and says what he’s thinking, and it makes life so much easier to know that you don’t have to spend time guessing how you’re thinking or how you’re going to react.”
“Well, I think it’s best we know how each other feels, don’t you?”
“Yes, it’s refreshing, but I’m just not used to it. I’ve not been lucky enough to experience such honesty.”
Dana covers one of my hands with hers. “I’m sorry you’ve had things so hard, Arianna. It makes me sad to think that. We were very lucky that up until three years ago, we had a wonderful life. My husband …” Her voice wavers a little, “He was a wonderful man. In many ways I was like you. Young, naive, unlucky in love. Until I met him. He turned my world upside down and back again. So, I know how you feel, I see it in your eyes, just remember that everything happens for a reason, and as long as you can sleep at night with a clear conscience then you’ve done all you can.” She dips her head to look into my downcast eyes. “Now, what do you say we get some coffee and talk about something else?”
“I think that’s a great idea.” I smile warmly back at her, relieved that this conversation is out of the way but also pleased that we’ve had it and that I now know that she doesn’t hate me. Lottie was right; she is very sweet, and it’s clear that her children are her world. Yes, she’s well dressed, and clearly likes the finer things in life, but it strikes me that she would give it all up in a heartbeat for her family. I follow her to the kitchen where we make coffee and small talk. I do my best to convince her that I’m not sick. I have no idea why I fainted yesterday, or how I did so much damage to myself when I did. I didn’t feel sick prior to it happening and now that I don’t feel so sleepy, I feel as normal as I ever have. I put it down to the last week being emotional overload. I hadn’t eaten properly, I was probably dehydrated, and the stress caught up with me when I least expected it to.
Dana hands me a mug of coffee and carries hers along with a mysterious little box out onto the balcony. We sit at the bistro table enjoying the warmth along with the cool breeze that’s blowing through today.
“So, what will you do now that you’ve decided to settle in Vegas?” Dana asks, popping open the lid of the box and offering me what looks like little round balls of chocolate. I frown and hesitate before taking one, but I don’t want to seem rude.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Arianna. Truffles, they are Belgian truffles.” She laughs, “Every girls needs truffles with coffee, especially
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