Launi

I'm grateful this oversized hoodie and sunglasses seem to be working as a disguise. It probably also helps that Sean is here, his body posture implying he's with me and perhaps throwing off anyone who might be looking for a woman traveling alone or with Rye. I stand anxiously at baggage claim in the Las Vegas airport. Parker is due any minute and she can't get here fast enough. If I had the money, I might take her up on the idea to flee the country and to start our lives over.

When I finally see her petite figure walking towards us, I can't help but cry. The tears are a mix of agony, heartbreak and then relief from being with her again. I won't have to face this alone.

Parker is not a hugger. I can easily count the number of times we've shared an embrace throughout our entire friendship, so when she reaches her arms up, I don't hesitate to take her up on the offer. My face is tucked in her shoulder and she's patting my back, an awkward move that makes me laugh.

"There's no crying in Vegas," she tells me. A rule I know she's made up on the spot, but who am I to argue.

"Fine," I say, straightening up and wiping the tears from beneath my glasses.

The crazy thing about Vegas and especially the airport is how the people here are professionals at minding their own business. It's as if their slogan "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" is a law and not just some cheesy line a marketer came up with. It might be that in a city of sin, my drama doesn't even register on the scale of catastrophic incidents this very airport has seen. I'm sure there have been many marriages broken, livelihoods lost, generational wealth squandered, and even lives cut short. The thought helps to ease my mind and put things in perspective.

"Sean," I say, motioning him closer. "Come say hi."

For a man that is usually in my space, he seems tentative.

"It's good to see you again," he says, extending a hand to Parker.

"Are you really going to shake my hand?" she says playfully. "When did you get so serious?'

Instead, Sean reaches out and takes the bag she has slung around her body. "My bad, I thought we were adults."

"Thank you," she says, once the weight has been lifted and her outfit is no longer impeded by a carryon.

"No problem," he says, motioning for us to move forward out the doors.

"Where to first?" Parker asks excitedly.

"This is where my plan has come to a stop," I admit. I hadn't thought past what to do after I found Parker at the airport. In my defense, when I took a car straight to the airport after the studio, I hadn't really been in the best frame of mind to plan an itinerary for Parker's Great Vegas Adventure.

"Awesome," she says. "I have some ideas. But first, let's get a drink."

Sean hails us a cab and we all shove into the back seat. It's a very different experience than the dark SUVs of the tour, but Sean told me he won't be able to pick up the car until we check into the hotel and since I have no plans of going to the hotel, that means we will have to travel by cab or Uber. Sean can either come with, or head to the hotel alone and take a chance he won't find me again.

"Let's go to the MGM," Parker says.

The cab pulls away from the curb. The sun is shining and it's so hot the AC can barely keep us cool, so I imagine my hoodie and glasses won't work for very long, but for now, it's giving me a sense of false security.

When we pull up to the hotel, Sean grabs the bag from the trunk and follows us inside. It's the first time I take my hood off. Yes, I'm exposed, but these travelers don't seem to care. I haven't been able to work up the courage to check social media, but maybe the clips aren't viral enough to have anyone recognize me. My shoulders relax and I push the dark glasses up to the top of my head.

Parker takes her bag from Sean. "We're going in the bathroom. We'll be out in a little while."

The bathroom is mostly empty; a few women wash their hands at the sink. Parker sets her bag on the counter. She unzips it and digs around, pulling out smaller bags like Russian dolls. One inside another until she has an entire vanity set up sprawled out on the MGM sink top.

"Take this off," she says, tugging the bottom of the hoodie Sean had loaned me. I do as I'm told and remove the glasses too when they get stuck in the sweatshirt.

Parker hands me a make-up bag. I look at myself for the first time in the mirror and I look awful. I've been crying for over an hour, my eyes are puffy and my cheeks are red. "Gross," I say. "I'm not sure this will help."

"Stop it." she says. "you're even pretty when you cry. Just get yourself together."

For the next ten minutes, Parker and I work in silence, cleaning up our faces and applying enough make-up to pass for rested.

When she hands me her lip gloss, I can see the relief in her eyes that I've managed to pull it together. "Here, she says." Then she watches me proudly as I add the final touch.

"Thank you," I say. I know she knows I mean more than for the make-up.

"One minute at a time," she tells me. Then she digs around in her bag and pulls out a small scrap of black fabric. "Put this on."

I'm currently wearing a pair of slacks and a silk top, the exact outfit that I was wearing when my life as I know it had crumbled. She's right, I need to get out of this and into something entirely different. I don't argue, I just find an open stall and slip into the bodycon dress she offered. It takes some tucking and pulling to make my bra fit and my pantie lines not visible. I wasn't exactly planning on this dress when I chose them this morning. When I step out of the small enclosure, Parker is standing at the sink wearing a dark maroon lacy dress. Her chaos packing has paid off for both of us.

"I wanted to wear the bright red one, but I figured I shouldn't draw too much attention to us tonight," she says. Digging once more in her bag, she finds two pair of heels and holds them up so I can choose the one I want. Once I take the strappy pair from her, she puts on the other ones.

"How are we going to hide in this city?" I ask.

"We are going to find a crowd full of men," she says simply like it was something I already should have thought of.

"Why?' I ask.

"Because men don't give a shit about Rye or the gossip about some actress. If they look at you, it's because you're gorgeous, not because they have recognized you from some dumb internet clip," she says.

A knock on the door draws our attention and then it cracks open slightly.

"Girls," Sean says. "Is it clear?"

The only other woman in the bathroom meets our eyes in the mirror and gets the hint. She grabs a paper towel to dry her hands and leaves the bathroom as if a man asking if the bathroom is clear is an everyday occurrence.

"It is now," she says as she passes him.

Sean steps inside, three glasses in his hands with some sort of fancy concoction in each. "You asked for a drink," he says to Parker and I notice the way she practically melts with his attention.

"Thanks," she says, taking hers and raising it up. The three of us raise our glasses and then she continues, "To Vegas!"

"To Vegas!" we repeat in unison.

The liquid burns as it goes down. "Now," Parker says. "Let's go to the fight."

"What fight?" I ask.

"Your brother's," she says as not as shocking as it actually is.

Parker pulls out her phone and types something into the search bar. Within seconds, she holds the phone up so I can see the brother I haven't seen in years standing proudly if not menacingly in a pair of shorts with his fists taped.

My older brother was born Jagger Kline, named for my father's idol Mick Jagger. The bold name below the image of this beast of a man covered in tattoos is Jagger McMaglen. He has attempted to distance himself from our father's fame by taking my mother's maiden name. The physical transformation is insane, he's barely recognizable.

"We have to hurry," Parker says, he's on the undercard. It's only his tenth fight.

"How long have you known about this?" I ask as I help her pack up the items on the countertop.

"Just found out this morning when I had the bright idea to hide us in the crowd of a UFC fight," she says.

"I'll get the tickets," Sean says, noticeably as shocked as I am.

This day couldn't get anymore unhinged.