All's Fair in Love and Las Vegas

Chapter Twenty-Nine (Jackie)

        "That was gross," Grayson said, looking down at his plate with a green face.

        "Come on, you have to admit they're adorable," I laughed, in a great mood.

        "Yeah. You also have to admit they're disgusting," he argued.

        "Fair. I'm going to say hi to her now that he's gone," I said, standing. 

        Kylie was delighted to see me, and even more delighted to see that I had Grayson with me. There was no mention of Clay, or the kiss, and I suspected she would want to keep it that way for awhile. But her mood quickly crashed when she discovered that we were only in town for a few hours.

        "Bummer. By the way, I forgot to tell you, Nina and I have been housesitting," she told me. 

        This was news. "You didn't have to," I said feeling bad.

        She brushed me off. "It's not like it's hard. We water your plants. We threw out the bad milk in the fridge. We threw out the green bagels."

        "Eww," Grayson said feebly. 

        "Uh, don't say ew, boy. You're the one who yanked her out of her house," she scoffed.

        For a second he looked stricken before she burst into laughter. "I'm messing with you. So you guys are moving out of Laura's place?"

        "Yeah. I'm excited," he said eagerly.

        She shot me a significant look before asking, "So, what's that going to be like? Just the two of you on your own?" 

        Choosing to mess with her in return, I gushed, "I'm just excited not to have a roommate. Grayson's a pretty good one, of course, but I mean, my own bedroom and bathroom? Not having half a bed? I can't wait."

        Kylie was heartbroken. "That's...nice, I guess," she mumbled, crestfallen. "Anyways, what can I get you guys to eat?" 

        Grayson and I ordered burgers and ate quickly, hoping to get out of the country before dinner (because we're dramatic like that). Kylie gave us both huge hugs and wished us a good flight before we got back in the car.

        "So what's your house like?" Grayson asked as I exited the freeway.

        I hesitated. "It's nice." 

        "But?"

        "You won't like it," I said sheepishly.

        He was confused. "Why not?"

        "It's just kind of boring," I mumbled. "Here, on the right." 

        I pulled into the driveway and parked, getting out with a wave of nostalgia. My house looked exactly the same, with the shrubs trimmed neatly and the lawn mowed. The shutters were still painted bright red. The gold 3245 was still attached to the siding.

        "It's so cute!" Grayson said, grinning as he got out and shut his door.

        "Thanks," I said, digging out my house keys and unlocking the front door. Kylie and Nina had taken care of the place well. My plants were thriving and my mail was organized in a huge folder on the counter. They had dusted too, making the place feel very lived in.

        "I love your house, Jackie," Grayson said, looking around...was that wistfulness? For a brief moment, I wondered if he wanted a cute house of his own. No mansion to share with Laura, no private penthouse sixty stories in the air. Just a cute little two story house with a sidewalk and mailbox and one-car garage.