The Forbidden Fruit Always Tastes Sweeter

I went downstairs to order some breakfast taking a seat in the far back. I sighed and grabbed my blackberry out of my purse checking my email and the schedule I had laid out for the day. I thanked the waiter as he laid down my Belgium waffle and enjoyed it in peace.

I looked up hearing someone take a seat across from me. My smiled faltered before putting up a brave face. "Mark."

"Aw, Lucy, baby. Don't say my name like that." He pouted. "I was told that you were already taken this week."

I sipped my orange juice and nodded. "You heard right."

"Shame." He sighed. "I was ready to spend loads for the hotel this weekend."

Anthony came over saving me from an awkward conversation. "Is there a problem here?"

"None at all." Mark sat back and looked over to Anthony, smiling.

"Luce, your guests are waiting for you." He grabbed my hand, helping me out of my seat.

"I'll see you around Lucy." Mark smiled.

"You okay Luce?" He asked a safe distance away.

"Perfectly fine." I smiled weakly. I heard him sigh irritated since he knew full and well I wasn't.

Mark was the reason Leo was angry about seeing me with Brian. He was the first and last time I mixed business with pleasure. Mark was a handsome, wealthy man that raced motorcycles for Honda. Thus, the current 919 I had. The relationship was fine until he got jealous causing a rather embarrassing scene in the casino, almost costing me my job.

Anthony protectively wrapped his arm around my waist. "I'll have everyone make sure that you stay clear of him."

"Thanks." I nodded as he led me over to another restaurant in the hotel where the band was sharing breakfast.

"Please, Lucy, let me know if he bothers you." He whispered in my ear. "And I'll be sure to let Leo know he's here."

"I appreciate it, Ant." I welcomed his hug. I plastered a smile on my lips as my day began. "So gentlemen and lady." I winked at the girl on the singer's arm. "What do you wish to do today before getting ready for tonight's performance?"

"There's a spa here, right?" Val asked. "For when my friends get here."

"There is. Whenever you're ready let me know and everything will be taken care of." I assured her.

I heard two squeals behind me and rolled my eyes. "Lucy!" They came and hugged me.

"This would be the birthday girl herself, Chelsea, and her evil friend Melissa." I grinned teasingly and laughed the mock glare she was giving me as I introduced them.

"Hello ladies." Johnny smiled charmingly at them.

Chelsea gripped my side and said 'hello,' shyly blushing. She turned to me abruptly and pulled me off to the side. "Did I really see Mark earlier?"

"Don't worry about him." I said quietly.

"Don't worry about him!" She practically shouted shocked, gaining the funny looks from my guests.

"Chelsea." I gave her a warning look.

"Does my dad know?" She frowned.

"Ant's taking care of it as we speak." I assured her.

"Alright, well I have to take care of stuff, but I cannot wait until you guys play." Chelsea grinned tugging on Melissa. "Oh, and I'm telling Sam, Lucy."

She ignored my frustrated look and smiled innocently as she hurried off. I took a deep breath trying to ignore how everyone was trying to take control. "So is there anything you guys want to do?" I asked them once more.

"We're just going to chill before the other girls get here." Matt spoke for everyone.

I nodded and saw Anthony trying to get my attention. "Okay, well just page me when you need me. I'll always be close by anyway."

"He refuses to stay anywhere else." Anthony informed.

"Business is business." I shrugged.

"How can you not be upset?" He looked at me oddly. "Is this because you're taking a vacation?"

I shook my head. "No. I figure since I'm no longer an employee here after this concert, I won't have to worry about hosting Mark anyway."

"What?" He looked at me oddly and grabbed my arm before I could walk away "Hold on, Luce. Did I just hear you correctly?" I swallowed and nodded.

"Is there a problem here?" Brian's presence towered over us.

"How come I didn't know about this?" He asked me, ignoring Brian.

"Because, I only just found out this morning." I sighed. "I'll be fine, Ant."

He released my arm. "I better go make sure he's kept in check for you."

"Just leave him alone. He didn't do anything to me this morning." I shrugged. "He's not that bad of a guy."

"Don't get me started Lucy." He shook his head and walked away.

"Are you okay?" Brian asked.

"I'm fine." I smiled softly.

"He didn't hurt you did he?" He asked, looking at Anthony walk off.

I laughed. "No, Ant wouldn't ever harm me. He's just trying to protect me from an old security glitch."

"Is that code for something?" He chuckled.

"Could be." I smirked. I looked over to see their table empty. "Where is everyone?"

"They went to go do their own thing." Brian shrugged. "I, however," he hooked my arm with his. "Felt like having you show me around some more."

I smiled. "I can do that. Where would you like to go?"

He put his sunglasses on and hooked his arm with mine. "I'm up for anything." He leaned over and whispered in my ear, "You look hot in those leather pants."

I smirked as we walked out the door, trying to ignore his comment, and headed towards the northernmost end of the strip. I took my blackberry out and made a quick phone call to set everything up. "How are you with heights, Brian?"

We got off the glass elevator on the 108th floor and stood atop of the Stratosphere hotel, hundreds of feet off the ground. We went out the glass door and onto the metal deck. "Wow," Brian breathed out looking out at the view.

"Just, don't think about jumping." I rolled my eyes. "It's really so unoriginal."

"What?" He laughed not expecting me to say that, breaking his gaze from the view and looking over at me.

"I'm serious." I felt his eyes on me as I continued to look down. "The fourth guy jumped off in February. Almost 1200 feet." I shook my head, not understanding the concepts of suicide. "Luckily, I was inside working that night. The observation was closed and the Boulevard too."

He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "Let's start with the lamest first." I grabbed his hand and led him over to a man in a suit. "Bobby!"

"Lucy." He smiled and bent down to kiss my cheek.

I grinned and resisted laughing when Brian cleared his throat, thinking that I had forgotten about him. "Bobby, this is my VIP of the day, Brian, better known as Synyster Gates." I introduced the two. "Brian, this is Bobby, he's going to let us skip the lines. I never let my clients wait." I smirked and winked at Brian as he politely shook Bobby's hand.

Bobby first led us over to Insanity, this green looking claw that hung out over Las Vegas, spinning us around. I handed him our loose belongings, knowing that he could be trusted. "I hate this one." I muttered quietly to myself, remembering my last experience on it.

"We don't have to go on." Brian said quietly, obviously having heard my remark.

I smiled at him and his thoughtfulness. "No, it's not a bad ride. I was just drinking the night I went on it and, well, let's just say there was not point of having a fancy dinner that night."

Brian laughed and held my hand as we walked over to our seats, waiting for the rest of the people filling in. I chuckled softly hearing remarks from a few people commenting on the rock star figure sitting next to me. He looked over at me. "What?"

I looked up into his big brown eyes and blushed slightly. "Nothing." I bit my lip and jerked slightly as the ride moved so we were hanging at least 60 feet away from the edge of the hotel. The ride spun us around and propelled upwards so we were practically parallel, facing the ground. I watched the colors of the strip blur into one.

When the ride was brought back over to the tower safely, our purple restraints were released. I was able to walk a few feet properly, before my legs became wobbly and I stumbled over my feet.

Brian held out his arm catching me and pulling me close to him, before I fell. "Whoa, there."

"Too much to handle, Lucy." Bobby laughed greeting us after the ride.

"No." I glared and continued to hold onto Brian's t-shirt for dear life as the world stopped spinning around me.

"Well, at least you didn't blow chunks this time." Bobby teased and led us over to the center of the tower to the Big Shot, as soon as he saw that I was able to stand on my own. The employee opened the gate for us first and I led Brian to the two seats on the end of the long row.

"After you." I smirked at Brian, letting him sit on the outside.

"Why?" He smirked, getting in. "Afraid?"

"Please." I scoffed sitting next to him and lowered my restraint. "I've been on here plenty of times before. It's better at night, but beggars can't be choosers."

The ride was lifted slowly to the top. I smiled as you could see the Valley clearly from up here. I turned to Brian. "So, how does it feel being on top of the world?"

"Feels great." He laughed and took my hand raising it in the air as we plummeted down, his words getting lost in the drop.

"So, Lucy had me save the best for last. The X-Scream." Bobby narrated to us, imitating a tour guide.

"What exactly does this one do?" Brian asked confused seeing that the track was only a straight line. There wasn't much holding us in only our waist and legs were braced in as we sat in the first two seats.

"Didn't you see it from the observation point when we first got off the elevator?" I laughed when he shook his head. "Brian, my dear, we are about to be a human see-saw over the edge of Sin City. And if there is a malfunction with the ride, it will be a shame since we're 900 feet off of the ground." I said trying to intimidate him.

"Dare you to keep your eyes open." He grinned childishly.

"Or what?" I returned his grin.

"I get to take you out on a date." He said smugly, expecting me to fail.

"You're on." I immediately regretted my words, knowing full and well, from previous experiences, that I would lose this one.

I screamed when the car went past the safety of the fence. The ride was brought back before projected forward once more only this time as we hung there looking fearfully at the ground. The beam was tilted further down as I emitted another scream.

Brian laughed at the jell-o like feeling in his legs and finally found his voice from that last ride. "That was amazing. Johnny would so shit himself on that one."

"I can arrange that." I chuckled and grabbed our things from Bobby, giving him a quick goodbye hug.

"So, Miss Woods." Brian grinned. "I believe I saw someone close their eyes." I blushed and turned away, making his grin widen. "Seeing that I had kept my eyes open. I believe you owe me a date now, Lucy."

I turned around, my breath catching slightly, surprised at the little distance between us. "Too bad I will be working."

"I can wait." He smirked.

I walked off the elevator first so that he wouldn't see my rosy cheeks. Brian had a satisfied smile on his thin lips the rest of the walk back to the Golden Palace.

"So how'd you end up here?" He asked as we sat at a table outside by the bar around the pool, where his all of his friends were lounging. I looked around and saw Mark across from us with another hostess. "Who's he?" Brian asked, having followed my gaze since I wasn't paying attention to him anymore.

"A mistake." I frowned.

Brian directed my face, making me looked into his brown eyes. He leaned down and kissed me lightly. He looked over to where Mark was sitting to see it empty. "No longer a problem now."

I smiled and looked away. I sat back in my chair and looked at the list of what needed to be done for the party and the rest of the band's stay here, to make it a memorable one. I made a few phone calls making sure everything would go smoothly as Brian ordered another drink.