Pushing her face into a cotton pillow case, Rachael groaned and swatted at the air next to her after feeling a pair of strong hands jostle her awake. “Leave me alone …” Turning her head towards the nightstand, she opened an eye and waited for her vision to come into focus to check the time. The blue illuminated numbers indicated it was five o’clock in the morning. “Ugh!” Immediately, she pulled her blanket over her head and buried her face back into the pillow. “Why are you waking me up? Is there a fire? A demon monster coming out of the lake?”
The fluffy pillow muffled a whine as the blanket was pulled off of her. From his kneeled position over the side of her bed, Parker chuckled and patted some of her large blond curls in an attempt to flatten them against her head. Rachael Vance was not a morning person and he knew there would be hell to pay for coming into her grandfather’s house and waking her up before nine in the morning. “There’s a small suitcase on your dresser. Put in a couple of days worth of clothes. Get ready and meet me in the living room by 5:45. I’ll have coffee and breakfast sandwiches ready.”
Groaning, she flipped over and leered at her boyfriend with narrowed eyes. “Pack for what?” Dramatically throwing her arm over her eyes to shield them, she continued whining. “Where are we going? Why so early? Are they the sandwiches from Compass Cafe?”
There wasn’t much that actually annoyed Parker and Rachael whining, especially while she was half asleep was not an exception. Instead, her nasal, high pitched, raspy morning voice made him smile and he had to warn himself not to laugh unless he wanted to be met with a pillow to the face. Leaning over, he gave her a quick kiss on her cheek before standing up and making his way out of the room. Over his shoulder, he called back to her, “It’s a surprise!”
Surprise. His original surprise was a two week cruise from Paris to Rome to celebrate her graduation before she moved to Washington for a year long fellowship in public policy and administration. Bags were packed, basic French and Italian were attempted, and then they got another surprise. A call that due to unforeseen circumstances, the cruise was canceled. Half of a bottle of wine was consumed by her while he spent a few hours on the phone getting all aspects of their trip completely reimbursed.
But what did that leave the pair, who had carved out vacation time and saved money for a year, to do? Parker grinned every time Rachael groaned when he suggested they spend the time in his lakeside cabin. Not that she didn’t want the time alone to look out at the lush green landscape, eat fried fish, and engage in “strenuous activity” with Parker, she was just really looking forward to eating buttery pastries and walking down along the Seine hand in hand with the love of her life as they marveled at the Notre Dame and Eiffel Tower before going back and getting drunk on the ship.
Rachael was done with surprises but nevertheless, got out of bed and walked towards her closet. After pulling out some camping-appropriate clothes, she noticed a note attached to her sparkling red cocktail dress. Bringing the notecard closer, she read ‘Please pack this. -P’. Huh, what would she need the dress for while camping? Shaking her head to help her focus, she thought for a beat and started pulling out a mix of casual and dressy clothes, enough to fill the suitcase.
In her grandfather’s kitchen sat Parker, reading a newspaper. On the dining table was a carafe of coffee, two travel mugs, and two tote bags full of snacks. “Hey, Rach.” Hazel eyes appeared from over the pages. “Are you ready to go?”
Tossing her hands up in a tada fashion and spinning around, Rachael showed off what she decided to throw on after getting out of the shower – a Pine Springs Fire Department hoodie, soft grey jersey shorts, and a pair of faux fur lined boots. “How do I look, Officer? Good enough for glamping?”
“You look beautiful as always” Parker set down the newspaper and picked a coffee mug. After handing the cup to Rachael, he gathered the rest of the items on the table and gave her a kiss atop her head. Tilting his chin towards the door, he signaled for them to leave the house. “Who said anything about glamping?”
Before answering, Rachael took a long sip of her coffee and closed her eyes, savoring the rich taste of the Compass Cafe special blend mixed with just the perfect amount of vanilla creamer. Her perfect boyfriend always knew how to fix her coffee just right. Content for the first time that morning, she locked up her Grandpa’s house and joined Parker who had just finished packing his car. “I know you, Parker ‘Predictable’ Shaw. You’re making up for the trip that fell through by taking me somewhere special. You like camping but told me to bring my dress, so … glamping!”
Shaking his head, Parker jogged towards her and opened the front passenger door of his mid-sized SUV. “Well, Ms. Know-It-All, we’re not going ‘glamping’. Also, that’s Chief Parker ‘Spontaneous’ Shaw.” The grin on his face widened when his girlfriend rolled her eyes. Leaning against the door frame, he quirked an eyebrow at her sweater. “The Fire Department? You didn’t like the PSPD sweater?”
“Not all of us look good in beige, Chief Spontaneous,” Rachael retorted, letting the final ‘s’ come out as a long hiss. Looking down at her sweater, she pulled on the hem. “I like this color of green. Brings out my brown eyes. What do you think?” Exaggeratedly, she batted her eyes at him. Parker voiced agreement while pulling her in for a hug. Wrapping her arms around his taut waist, she squeezed him. “So, what’s all this? Where are we going?”
“We are taking a road trip to a special location to hopefully make up for missing out on Europe.” Resting her chin against his chest, Rachael looked up and studied him. There was a twinkle in his eyes and he buzzed with excitement. Oh, this surprise was going to be good. Returning his smile, she decided to not ask anymore questions and just let him continue with his plan. Getting up on her toes as he dipped his head down, their lips met for a brief kiss before separating and getting into his car.
Seatbelts clicked into place and Parker started the ignition. Rachael hit the dashboard and yelled out, “Alright, Eagle Scout, let’s get this show on the road!”
***
With her tan legs stretched out and feet crossed on the dashboard, Rachael lounged in the reclined passenger seat and adjusted her head on a travel pillow. The sunlight pouring in through the front windshield was warm and the light air conditioning from the car created a very relaxing environment.
The first part of their road trip had been entertained with ‘truth or truth’. Rachael had confessed to a series of pranks she played against Elliot shortly after their parents had gotten married and that her ten year plan included becoming the mayor of Pine Springs. Parker revealed that his first kiss was with his neighbor’s girlfriend and that he hated marshmallows but loved s’mores. That transitioned into a thirty minute talk on one of the greatest debates in his lifetime – the Boy Scouts versus the Girl Scouts in who actually invented the campfire treat. Verdict: Girl Scouts. Outcome: Rachael falling asleep.
Well, she had attempted sleep but couldn’t get past the hypnagogic phase. The smooth road of the highway made her feel as though she was floating and the sound of Parker’s voice, a few octaves lower and soft like he’d been singing, lulled her.
He had been singing! Her eyes opened and she directed her vision over to him. He’d been singing. Country music. For hours. “I’ve got friends in low places …” had mixed in with “sweet home Alabama!” and “…just can’t wait to get on the road again…”
There he was, one arm on the steering wheel, the other by his side with his fingers drumming against the middle console. Singing the one genre of music that Rachael couldn’t stand. Closing her eyes again, she thought about saying something, begging to change to literally anything else. That or taking the plastic fork she forgot to throw away and stabbing her eye with it. It would be an extreme measure but an effective one nonetheless.
Taking a deep breath in through her nose, she let her thoughts settle. They were in the middle of nowhere, the desert, had taken a few stops and eaten some gas station diner food. It was nearing 2 pm. Despite that, he was still awake, energized, happy. Still wouldn’t tell her their destination and declined her offer of driving. All of this, she knew, was for her. For them but mainly her. In that moment Rachael figured if she could put her Grandmother Josephine to rest and survive being thrown into a lake in a coffin, she could stand Parker’s love of country music.
“Hey there sleepyhead!” With his free hand, he gave her nearest shoulder light squeeze. “Get some rest?”
“It wasn’t great. Kept seeing Leroy the Jackalope dancing around on the dashboard.” Slowly exhaling, she tilted her head side to side to stretch her neck. “Are you doing alright? How are you still awake?”
“Did a lot of overnights when joined the PSPD. Found ways to stay awake as Pine Springs was usually pretty quiet.” Gripping the steering wheel, he adjusted his seating position. “Got really good at crossword puzzles and Soduku. Drank a lot of Compass coffee.”
“Quick! Six letter word for jacket!”
“Par—“ he caught himself and smacked his forehead. “Anorak!” Taking his eyes briefly off the road, he looked over at a giggling Rachael and met her hand for a fist bump. “We still have a while, why don’t you try to get some sleep again? I have an ambient music playlist on my phone.”
Folding forward, Rachael rummaged in her bag and shook her head. The unruly large curls of her blond hair fell forward, muting her voice. “It’s okay, I have some Benadryl.”
“My backpack in front of you? Get into the side pocket and pull out the vial. You can have what’s in there to help you sleep.” Briefly taking his eyes off the road, he glanced over at Rachael to make sure she was following his instructions. “Yep, there you go. You got it!”
Though the pair had been dating for the better half of a year, this was the first time they’d taken a trip together. Actually, they hadn’t spent this much time alone in quite some time. There were still many things she was learning about him, including how Parker was still so positive and chipper after driving for six hours – out of God knows how many – on maybe half a night’s sleep.
Bringing the amber vial closer, Rachael read the label out loud. “Lunesta. One milligram. Take one tablet immediately before bedtime as needed for sleep.” Widening her eyes, she shot Parker a surprised look. “A sleeping pill?” He nodded without losing focus on the road ahead of them.
“Yes. Left over from when I was coming off the night shift a few months back.”
Rolling the vial in her hands, she noticed a label on the side and squinted her eyes to read the small print. “Federal law prohibits the transfer of this drug to any person other than the patient for whom it was intended.” Crossing her legs, she rested her elbow on her knee and her chin in her palm. “Why, Parker Shaw, are you committing a crime for me?” Dumbfounded, she watched him laugh a loud, boisterous laugh. Rachael didn’t know what to think, she certainly didn’t expect this from her normally virtuous boyfriend.
Turning his head slightly, Parker shot her a wink. “It’ll be our little secret, Rach.” Reaching in between them, he picked up a bottle of water and handed it to her. “I knew you’d have some trouble sleeping and get antsy.” He smiled at her audible huff, knowing she’d be irked by his correct assumption. “Just take half a tablet, though. I don’t want you drowsy for when we get to our destination.” She was about to ask a follow up question but he held up a finger. “Still a surprise.”
Rolling her eyes for maybe the tenth time during that trip, Rachael broke the tablet in half and took a swig of water. Settling her head back against her seat, she closed her eyes and listened to him singing yet another country song. The corners of her mouth tugged up into a smile, realizing that her boyfriend was a straight laced dork most of the the time but still had an edge to him. Sighing contently, Rachael reached her hand out to find his, lacing her fingers in between his.
As soon as she fell asleep, they passed by the ‘Welcome to NEVADA’ sign at the Oregon border.
***
As she slowly regained wakefulness, Rachael felt Parker’s car slow to a stop. Keeping her eyes shut, she promised herself five more minutes before opening them. The sounds of doors opening and gently closing, however, derailed her plan. Inhaling deeply through her nose and exhaling out of her mouth, Rachael’s eyes fluttered open and she sat still, acclimating to her surroundings.
The empty expanse of the desert was gone, the space around her now occupied by tall, elaborate structures. People were everywhere, being dropped off or picked up by cabs and entering or exiting the building they were parked in front. Whipping her head around, she noted the teal columns holding up a curved awning and stopped, mouth falling agape, at what looked like … no, it couldn’t be. The Arc de Triomph?
She had to be dreaming. The medication must still have been wearing off. But she was awake? Quickly pinching her arm, she confirmed that she was, indeed, awake. Where was Parker? Would, at any moment, a deformed monster or worse come barreling through the those doors? Burying her face in her hands, she took several deep breaths to calm down. “Rachael!” Sliding her fingers apart, she turned her head to side and saw her boyfriend opening her door.
“Parker!” Quickly, she unbuckled herself and hopped out of the car. They were standing in a valet entrance to what she figured was a hotel and in her peripheral vision, a luggage rack was fast approaching. Stretching out her stiff legs and twisting her torso to pop her back, Rachael tried to figure out where exactly they were as she watched Parker pile their belongings onto a golden luggage rack and tip the attendant. His car keys were then turned over to a valet driver. Rubbing his empty hands together, Parker wiggled his eyebrows at her and motioned for her to follow him. Composing herself, she picked through the long list of questions in her head and inquired with “What’s going on? Where are we?”
Opening one of the entrance doors with a flourish, Parker flashed his signature wide grin while stretching out his opposite arm, announcing, “Welcome to Paris!”
Paris?! Dumbstruck, Rachael felt a cold gust of air on her face as they walked into the hotel. Instantly, her senses were overloaded the sights, sounds, and smells of a casino. Street lamps and faux trees were set under a ceiling painted like an afternoon sky dotted with whispers of clouds. A clean, crisp fragrance mingled with the faint smell of cigarette smoke. She was barely able to comprehend the ringing and chiming noises of gambling machines along with the cheers and groans of the players.
A tug on her hand prompted her to take a right, walking into the hotel lobby. Her brown eyes widened, pupils dilating as she gaped at the numerous chandeliers brightening the room and the large ornate rugs covering the intricately mosaic tiled floor. Rachael, lost in a mix wonderment and perhaps delayed sleep inertia, absent-mindedly and silently followed Parker to the check in desk, elevator, and to their room.
“Rachael?” Parker waved his hand in front over her face and she blinked a few times before coming out of her trance. “Earth to Rachael Vance! You haven’t said a word since we’ve got here.”
“I..” He unlocked the door and entered a hallway to their room. Their large room. Their suite, actually. Decorated in lush blues against a soft yellow and beige palette and furnished with elegant, comfortable pieces. Something in between two heavy drapes caught her eye and she jogged to the window. “Is that — that’s not the Eiffel Tower, is it?” It certainly didn’t look like the iconic tower in the pictures she’d seen and beyond it, she saw a lake with what looked like dancing fountains. “We aren’t actually in Paris, right?”
Chuckling, Parker shook his head and headed into the bedroom. “We’re in Las Vegas, Rach.”
Las Vegas, of course! Grandpa Arthur would tell her stories about shrimp cocktails, three dollar 16 oz steaks, dressing up for Paul Anka shows, and winning one hundred dollars during that one poker game – at least during the “good ole days”. Now it was full of “over priced food, frou frou drinks, and kids trying to get into those clubs”. Vegas – Sin City – one of the most thrilling cities in the country. Alcohol, gambling, food, and debauchery were awaiting them. That could wait. At that moment, all Rachael wanted to do was show her boyfriend just how grateful she was to him.
Her shoes were kicked off unceremoniously and she walked towards the bedroom, leaving behind a trail of clothes. In her mismatched pale pink lace bralette and black cotton boyshorts, she leaned against the door frame and surveyed the room. Yellow and bright, cozy and welcoming, the king sized bed met a plush fabric headboard and was very inviting. On the edge of it sat Parker, peeling off his beige shirt and unbuckling his belt.
“Chief Shaw,” she purred, in a low voice, sauntering towards him and tossing her hair over her shoulder. He’d stopped folding his discarded shirt, watching her, and didn’t protest when she took out of his hands and tossed it on the floor. After pulling off his jeans, she moved into his lap, positioning her legs on either side of his waist. Tilting his chin up, she looked into his hazel eyes and returned his weary smile. “I take back what I said about you being predictable.”
Leaning in, Rachael scattered kisses over his mouth and face. Ragged breaths escaped his parted lips when her hands began to roam across his shoulders and chest, tracing the faint freckles with which she was so familiar. Lazily, her lips and tongue trailed down his neck, making him softly moan. “Rachael.” Straightening up, wrapped her arms around his neck and placed all her weight on him, kissing him. Breaking away, he turned on his ‘cop voice’, the one that meant business and the one that Rachael disliked – especially in moments like this. “Miss Vance.”
“Is there a problem, officer?”
For the first time that day, he rolled his eyes at her in a jocular fashion. With a softened tone, he answered, “As much as I’d like to continue this, I’m exhausted.”
Cupping his face in her hands, Rachael examined his face, realizing just how tired he looked. His eyelids were heavy, almost closing over his bleary eyes. Reading the time on the clock, she calculated that he’d be driving about 12 to 14 hours. Bending her head down, she dropped a kiss on the top of his head, forehead, nose, and mouth. “Then I better stop what I’m doing.”
“Give me two hours, Rach. I’ll meet you downstairs in the main lounge that has all those chandeliers hanging down, okay? Just need to recharge.” Opening his eyes a bit wider, he gazed at her chest while his thumb grazed the thin material of her top, causing goosebumps to erupt on her skin. It took all the willpower she had not to pin him back down. “I promise we’ll pick this up later.”
Standing up, she bit her lip and ran her finger under his chin. With her best attempt at a seductive voice, she murmured in his ear, “I’ll be wearing a black top. You can’t miss me.”
***
A cocktail was handed to Rachael in exchange for a few bills as she lounged in an oversized couch on the edge of the casino floor. After a quick shower, she threw on a sheer black blouse and a pair of dark wash jeans. Over the past hour, she sipped on a drink called a ‘Blueberry Infusion’ while engaging in a text conversation with Danni, Tom, and Imogen. They’d been discussing their next reunion and Imogen suggested they all meet in Vegas, leading them to ask about the purpose of Rachael’s visit. She confessed that she didn’t actually know and was unsure if they were going to see any shows, dance at any clubs, or eat at any particular restaurants. Rachael didn’t mind, though, Parker was always armed with a plan – meticulously thought out but flexible enough to so they could enjoy themselves without being too stressed out. One filled with a balance of activities that appealed to them both.
“I was told to look for a lady in a black blouse?” Texting a goodbye to their friends, Rachael put her phone down and looked up at Parker through mascara coated eyelashes. “May I buy you a drink?”
In an exaggerated fashion, she brought her glass up to her lips. “I just got a drink, baby. Want it?”
A blush crept up Parker’s face as he sat down next to her and took the drink. “That was me attempting to flirt. Guess I didn’t do so well, huh?” He took a sip, savoring the taste of strawberries and lemon against the backdrop of a smooth bourbon. “Oh, this is good.”
“It would have worked if I were empty handed, Parker.” Scooting closer to him, she knocked his shoulder with hers. “I thought cops were supposed to be observant.”
“Hey, I’m not on duty.”
While they shared the mixed drink, they sat back and observed the casino floor, remarking on how the large room resembled the Paris skyline. Setting down the glass after it been emptied, Parker looked down at his girlfriend whose head was resting on his shoulder and crawled his fingers towards hers, intertwining them. “Come with me.”
Several minutes later, they found themselves outside the hotel, on the wide sidewalk of Las Vegas Boulevard. Her hand covering her mouth, Rachael took in her surroundings, awestruck at the gorgeous, massive hotels. Across the street, she had a better view of that large pond with the dancing fountains, water spraying in a choreographed manner in tune to classical music. “Oh my God, Parker! This is amazing!” Turning in a circle, she looked up at that looming replica of the Eiffel Tower before settling on him. “You’ve kept me in suspense all day. Why did you bring me here of all places?”
Parker slid an arm around her shoulders, turning her back around, pulling her in flush to him. “You were pretty bummed for having to miss the trip, especially since you worked so hard to finish summa cum laude and get that fellowship.” Sighing, Rachael nodded, she was inconsolable the night before. “Well, think about this. It took about as long to drive here as it would have to fly to Paris.” He pointed to the iconic structure behind them and the attraction ahead of them. “Tomorrow, we’re having dinner up there with a view of that water show across the way.”
Turning her to the right, he gestured ahead, showing her one of the furthest landmarks ahead, something resembling a tower. “Over there is the Venetian, so it’ll be like we’re in Venice seeing St. Mark’s Square. Another place we were supposed to go. We’re gonna take a gondola ride!”
Before she could say anything, he pivoted her to the opposite direction. “We can window shop there at the City Center and look down south. There’s the Excalibur, Luxor, and Mandalay Bay. Not only do we get to actually visit a castle but we get to see the Pyramids and Bali. We weren’t even planning to see that!”
Parker’s fervor was infections, making Rachael feel giddy. She noticed another hotel sign. “New York, New York. That’s where our layover was supposed to be. Now we can visit the Big Apple?” Parker nodded enthusiastically.
Taking a step away, releasing herself, Rachael faced him and put her hands on his arms to peer at him. The combination of street lamps, blinking lights, and electronic billboards highlighted his stunning face, smiling down at her. Circling her arms around his waist, she pressed herself against him. “Walk the Brooklyn bridge. Eat and drink whatever and whenever we want?” He nodded again.
Tuning out everything around them, Rachael inhaled a shaky breath and tried to fight the tears form in her eyes. While she was moping into a bottle of cheap wine and eating cookies she had just baked, Parker had been arranging everything. In few short hours, he was able to recreate the cruise and excursions they were forced to miss. Instead of canceling his vacation days and going back to work.
Not that she ever doubted it, Rachael reminded herself that he was just, for lack of a better word, everything. Everything she ever needed and more than she felt like she deserved. “Parker Shaw, I love you more than anything. This is the best surprise.” Standing up on her toes, she closed their height gap and gently pressed her lips against his for a moment. “Now, let’s go do something in Vegas that we’ll keep in Vegas.”
