All's Fair in Love and Las Vegas

Chapter Nine

        The next morning, I woke up to the sun high in the sky and the early morning birds gone. A glance at the clock said it was after ten, much later than I was used to. Carefully, I rolled over to face Grayson and almost giggled. I hadn't really gotten a chance to see him asleep yet, since yesterday he'd woken me up and the day before had been too awkward to look him in the eyes. But now I saw the adorable way his mouth hung slightly open and the way his cheek was smushed into his pillow.

        "Wake up, sleepyhead," I teased.

        He slowly stirred, his hazel eyes fluttering open. "Hey, Jackie," he muttered, his voice thick from sleeping. 

        "Hey. What are we doing today?" I asked, propping up my head on my elbow.

        "I can think of a few things," he said huskily, making me blush. 

        "We just woke up, you weirdo," I scoffed. "Seriously, what are we doing today?" I silently prayed that none of it involved Laura.

        "In the event my psycho mother doesn't present any ideas?" he snorted. "I thought we could go for a walk, see the gardens and such. And get our rings, of course, then maybe go out to dinner?"

        "That all sounds really nice," I agreed, sighing sleepily.

        "Great, I'll shower and we can head out," Grayson said, peeling back the blankets and heading into the bathroom. 

        Stretching, I got up and brushed my hair with my new hairbrush. So far today was better than yesterday. Not to mention that I was excited to see the gardens, since I loved flowers. Could I raise them myself? Of course not. Were they beautiful to look at? Absolutely. But those of us who are flora murderers rarely get to enjoy such beauties.

        A splotch of color caught my eye on the otherwise snow-white bed, so I turned and was promptly horrified. I must've started my period last night, because now there was a stain of blood on my side of the bed. Either that, or Grayson had lightly stabbed me while I was asleep. I was inclined to think it was the former option.

        Panicking, I glanced towards the bathroom door. I could still hear the shower running, so I had at least five minutes to clear the crime scene. I got to work quickly, yanking and tugging at sheets. Might as well wash the loose sheet too. I would've washed the pillowcases, except if I wasn't done in time, I needed to hide the fact that I'd shoved half of Grayson's bed into a washing machine. Speaking of which, where was the washing machine? Do billionaires even have washing machines? I hadn't seen anything close to a laundry room since I'd gotten here. The kitchen hadn't had anything, nor any doors that might lead to such a place. Peeking down the hall, I saw more rooms that Laura had said were all guest rooms. Maybe Grayson was fortunate enough to have an in-suite washer and dryer that I just hadn't noticed? But after opening a couple closet doors (closets that were filled with clothes and golf clubs), I was starting to lose hope.

        "Hey, what's going on?"

        I froze, slowly turning to face Grayson. Thankfully, he was dressed, an improvement from yesterday's fiasco. He didn't seem angry (not that I could even imagine him angry at me), but instead more politely confused

        "Um...I just thought that the sheets could use a washing. Not that they smell or anything weird, just I uh, want to be helpful!" I said brightly.

        He smiled a little and said, "The maids will take care of it, Jackie, all you have to do is ask."

        No, if I asked, they might gossip or say something to you or accidentally carry the sheets in a way that reveals the blood and then I will die. "Can I maybe take care of it? Just this once?"

        "If you want," he said, looking at me strangely.

        I followed him through a maze of hallways, clutching the sheets tightly in my arms. Grayson pushed open a door and said, "Here we go. Any washer you like."

        Of course he would have a full-sized laundromat in his mansion. So I picked one, but hesitated when I saw Grayson still hanging around. He reached up to a shelf and grabbed a bottle of detergent. He couldn't help!

        "I got it," I said casually.

        He measured out a cup and said, "Nah, they're my sheets too, right? Here, toss them in."

        Praying with every drop of energy I had, I quickly stuffed the whole lot into the washer. Grayson began drizzling in the detergent, and my stomach dropped when he paused, an alarmed look on his face.

        "Whoa, that's a lot of blood. Are you bleeding?" he asked, sounding much too concerned. Just let people bleed, Grayson, geez.

        "Erm, must've happened last night. Although it's probably scabbed up by now, no worries," I said, trying to sound light and airy.

        He was not so easily deterred. "That's a lot of blood, are you sure? I could call a doctor."

        "No!" He stepped back in surprise at my outburst, and I felt bad. "I mean, no, it's really fine, I don't want to trouble anyone," I corrected myself.

        "Now that you're stuck with me, we'll be troubling a lot of people if it means you're hurt," he said firmly, already pulling out his phone.

        "No, Grayson, it's–it's just my period," I whispered, embarrassed beyond belief.

        His gaze immediately softened. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked as the phone went back to its rightful place in his pocket.

        I stared at my bare feet, mumbling, "I didn't want to add one more thing to your plate. And...it's embarrassing. My time with you has been nothing but awkward and I just can't seem to catch a break."

        Grayson frowned, taking both of my hands in his large ones. "Jackie, even if it is by unconventional circumstances, I am still your husband and I'm still trying to be there for you. Tell me when you're in pain, when you get your period, when something troubles you. And it's nothing to be ashamed of; half the population gets it. Maybe we don't know each other all that well, but until we can get things sorted out, I'm here for you."

        He was talking like Kylie and Nina would, except they usually talked about running over guys with trucks or picking me up for a night out as potential solutions. Grayson spoke with sweetness, but his words were genuine. I nodded slowly, whispering, "Thank you."

        "Do you need anything right now?" he asked, squeezing my hands. "Medicine, or a hot pad maybe?"

        I faltered again. "Um, fresh clothes."

        He nodded and walked me back to our room, letting me change in peace and also letting me throw my semi-ruined pajamas in another washing machine. As I shut the lid, I turned and said, "Thank you, for being so kind and understanding."

        "Anytime, Jackie," he said, giving me his shy smile before lowering his voice. "This'll be our secret, okay?"

        Secrets meant trust. I could trust him. That revaluation was unexpected, and I wasn't sure what to do with it now that I had it. I nodded, wondering just what else I would end up trusting him with.

        "You still feel up to walking, or you want to stay in?" Grayson asked, taking my hand and brushing light circles on the back of my thumb.

         That made it very hard to concentrate for some reason. "No, we can go out," I said brightly.

        He smiled at me, saying, "Let's get ready for our first date, then.

        My heart skipped. Our first date? More like my first date. I'd never been on one in my life, unless you counted the time Kylie tried to set me up with her hot older brother when we were sixteen. The three of us had gone to see a movie and I'd accidentally spilled my drink in his lap. So I counted that as a failed experience, and since then I'd been too busy to really meet anyone. 

        I could only hope this one would go smoother.