To Caress My Day

Las Vegas, one of the most favored cities in the country. Seth had finally touched down in the heated region and was reunited with his buddies almost immediately as soon as he got off the plane. All at once, Aaron Bates, Harrison Jackson, Spencer Dyer, Braxton Fisher, and Frederick Sharpe, the groom, threw up their arms in the air with a resounding. “Yooooo!”

Seth laughed at their uproarious greeting as he wheeled his one carry on behind him. Garbed in a similar ensemble as the rest of them, he had arrived in khaki shorts, flip flops and a button up Hawaiian shirt…why the Hawaiian shirt, he didn’t really know. He just woke up, got dressed for the hotter region in the required outfit the party told him to and hopped on a plane to Vegas. To be honest, Seth felt underdressed in comparison to his typical duds. “Is this how they greet people here in Vegas?”

Unaware of the Vegas customs, Harrison shrugged. “I wouldn't know. It’s my first time here.”

“I keep telling you, you need to get out more, man!” Aaron scolded him, shaking his head in disappointment. “You’re missing out on the world. It’s not like you can’t afford the damn trip.”

“True, but…I don’t know, I just enjoy the quiet country hills of the midwest I guess.” Harrison sighed, reminiscing on one of his last trips there and the quiet tranquility he and wife found in their cabin.

“Enough about the countryside, boys. It’s my bachelor trip!” Frederick hailed, positively hyped for this occasion. He’d been looking forward to it for months! “Let’s hit the streets and find a bar before we try our hands on a little bit of gambling, what do you all say?”

“I’m down for it ALL! Bring it on!” Spencer expressed as he practically shivered with excitement at being in Las Vegas. This week was gonna be the best week ever!

“Yeah, let’s get this bachelor party started!” Seth concurred, garnering cheers and hurrahs from the other men as they led the way with their own rolling luggages. Tagging along beside Braxton, they fell into an easy conversation on how their flights went. As he was sharing his own experience, his mind drifted off to his girlfriend. He hoped she was doing well back in London. It felt wrong going on this guy's trip to Las Vegas while she was in the worst situation possible. But knowing her, she wouldn't allow him to forfeit this trip for her. She’d rather encourage him to take it and cherish it safely.

Not cloaked behind his usual disguises whenever he went out with Twigs, Seth definitely garnered a LOAD of attention at the bar they stopped at right outside the airport. He didn’t politely reject a single fan away solely because he was on a bachelor trip, no he gladly took the pictures, answered their questions as fast as he could and sometimes vaguely depending on what they were digging for, and signed autographs for them if requested. The number of fans swelled when they entered their Las Vegas hotel. They had selected a massive luxurious building that houses three major brands, the Hilton, Conrad, and Crockfords LXR. Because the bachelor and the bachelorette wanted a more exclusive and ultimate-luxe feel for their parties, they chose the LXR. If Seth had been able to take his girlfriend with him he would’ve put more thoughts into his room, but he was alone so he selected the Superior Room with the view of the vibrant city below, complete with a visual clock that hopefully aid in making sure he made it on time to all the plans the couple got scheduled for the group to partake in, hangover or not.

The group split up to drop their luggages in their rooms before corralling back downstairs where the slot machines and gambling tables were. Donning a cap to hinder any more fans passing by, Seth took a seat at one of the card games and very soon amassed such an imposing group of fans the Casino security had to intervene and shoo them off. Seth felt bad for them, but this day was about Frederick and his soon-to-be wife Libby Melton. Because he was so grateful that he was thought of among the list of friends and co-workers to invite to their semi-joint bachelor and bachelorette party, Seth made an announcement right then and there amid them all. “Alright boys, from this moment forward I’M gonna be the one paying for every single thing! It’s on me! Your job is to have the time of your lives and not worry yourself wondering if you accidentally sold the deed to your house in a card game in Vegas.”

“Are you serious, man?” Frederick exclaimed incredulously, his eyes wide and sparkling with excitement. They knew the boss made BIG money, and so if he meant to pay for literally everything on this trip the sky would literally be the only limit stopping them at this point. “You’re gonna pay for everything?”

“As in drinks and food?” Braxton asked him, turning in his seat to try to catch if their boss was pulling their legs or something. This trip was already the best he had in ages, and now Seth was willing to turn the dial up to critical max for them? “Or are we talking about limo rides, strip clubs, AND shows?”

“I’m talking ALL OF THE ABOVE!” Seth hollered with a grin, raising his drink in a toast to this week’s adventures…he also might have been drinking a bit too much around this time too…

All five men threw up their drinks and cheered before pinpointing the roulette table over Harrison’s shoulder. Gravitating over to it, they all watched as Spencer and Aaron slid into the game among the other present players. Seth was engrossed in every move they made next when he noticed Frederick edge closer to him to whisper. “Hey, boss. I wanna thank you for everything. Not just for showing up to my bachelor party but also for paying for everything. It means the world to me.”

“Don’t thank me, Fred. It’s not every day you get married to an astounding woman like Libby, am I right?” Seth winked at him, remembering the pretty young brunette he was introduced to at one of his Halloween parties he hosted at his mansion in Beverly Hills.

“Astounding woman? More like the woman of my dreams!” Frederick sighed blissfully to himself with a dreamy look on his face. It was obvious his mind wasn’t on the roulette table anymore.

Seth eyed the expression on Frederick’s face and instantly recognized it. It was the same look that softened his own features whenever he thought about his gorgeous girlfriend back in London.

Seth was trying to revel in the going ons around him. He was trying to be in the moment with his boys and live his life to the fullest in Vegas while he was still here. But it was getting more challenging the more he was reminded the reason he was here was because Frederick was getting married to Libby. The celebration was really all about the beginning of a new life with the woman he loved becoming his wife. And it only made Seth think of Twigs.

And when he thought about his precious Pixie…her mother came to mind instantly afterwards.

Good lord, Seth prayed constantly that he would be able to use his connections and limitless amounts of money to save Araceli from her cancer. Yes, and yes and yes he’s been told time and time again that her cancer wasn’t categorized as one of the fatal ones and that everything would turn itself back around to peace soon enough! But what good did that do for him NOW?

Nothing! It did nothing to relieve the ball of tension in Seth’s gut that hadn’t gone away since he received the news. Despite the Doctor's many attempts to reassure himself and Twig’s family, Seth still found himself chanting his reminder to himself anytime he felt sick to his stomach from the thought of it.

After the roulette table, the Bachelor party lall took their seats at a nearby table vacant of its previous occupants. Frederick was still in ga-ga land over his soon-to-be wife, and as everyone chatted about their winnings and losing around him, he suddenly blurted out his good fortune. “I’m the luckiest man in the world, you guys! It’s beginning to hit me more and more now that I’m here.”

“What do you mean, Fred?” Aaron asked him, arching a brow in puzzlement as he swept a hand over the gambling tables and slot machines. “You haven't won a damn thing yet!”

“He’s not talking about money.” Seth hinted to the others, his brown eyes lowering to the same glass he’d been carrying around for over ten minutes. His drink was a little past the halfway point now.

“I’m talking about Libby, you guys!” Frederick laughed at them, shaking his head at their confusion. They were excited to come to Vegas and celebrate his bachelor party with him, but they were more excited for Vegas itself and what it had to offer, not the coming union of the couple they knew and love. Frederick already knew this but wasn’t offended by it because if he was in their shoes he’d honestly feel the same way about going to Las Vegas, a place that’s been on his bucket list. “I found the woman God molded solely for me. Not everyone gets to have a chance in love, you know? I don’t know what I did to deserve it, but…this is everything I never knew I wanted, and I don’t ever want to take her or it for granted.”

Lifting his glass to the happiest groom on earth fighting back his own tears of bliss, Seth made another toast. “How about a toast to the luckiest sonofabitch alive then? Cheers to Frederick for beating the odds that’s against everyone and successfully finding the woman of his dreams!”

The table hoisted up their glasses in a toast. Seth was both elated for Frederick and insanely jealous at the same time. He wanted to marry Twigs too! He wanted to be able to invite his friends to Vegas to toast him for being the luckiest man alive to marry the most perfect being that ever graced the planet. But today wasn’t about Seth. No, it was about Frederick and Libby, and their beautiful union.