After I agreed to move to Las Vegas, Lance and I had to inform our relatives and close friends. Needless to say, it was very hard. What made it even harder was the fact that Lance had to be in Vegas by December 15th, so we would spend Christmas and New Year away from home.
Lance suggested that I stay behind and move out to Vegas in January. When I told my mom however, she told me in no uncertain terms:
"Judy, your place is next to your husband. He will need you more than ever. There is no way I will allow you to stay here while he spends Christmas and New Year alone in Las Vegas."
"But mom, he was the one who suggested it. Besides, he won't even know I'm there. He's going to be very busy on the project."
"He will know you're not there and he will be lonely and lonely men can do some very stupid things. Remember, this is Vegas we're talking about; all those showgirls walking around. Lance could succumb to the temptations you know."
I laughed out loud at the thought of my Lance cheating. He was so devoted to me that it seemed impossible. I didn't tell my mom this though. I just gave in as usual and went home to tell Lance that I would be flying out with him in December. He was very happy to hear it and I started thinking that maybe mom was right.
The weeks leading up to our move were hectic. Lance had to finish up a project before leaving and was working 12-hour days. I had to pack up everything and deal with my sadness on my own. I would paste a happy smile on my face as soon as Lance's truck pulled into the driveway. A good wife never lets her husband see her unhappiness. That had been drilled into me since I was 4.
Before we knew it, it was time to leave our familiar surroundings behind and head to Las Vegas. I sobbed loudly when I was hugging my parents and friends at the airport. Lance hung back a little, uncomfortable with my emotional outburst. I was still sniffling when I boarded the plane but drifted off to sleep after we had been airborne for half an hour. I woke up with a jolt when Lance shook me.
"Judy, wake up. We're almost there."
I woke groggily and went to the lavatory to freshen up. A look in the mirror confirmed my fears; I looked like crap. My eyes were puffy, my nose was a red bulb right in the middle of my splotchy face and to make matters worst, I had a huge zit forming on my chin.
"Great, this will be a good first impression to make on Lance's new boss."
With a resigned sigh I set about applying some makeup. After I had brushed my hair and swished some water in my mouth, I emerged in much better spirits. I was even feeling a little excitement. I was going to be living in Sin City. For some reason that thought thrilled me. Maybe this move would be a good thing for Lance and me. It would shake us from the rut we had fallen in.
The plane landed smoothly. We made our way outside and were met by a uniformed chauffeur carrying a sign that said:
'Mr. Lance Taylor.'
"Hello, I'm Lance and this is my wife, Judy."
The chauffeur was a skinny guy, about 5'6. He had pasty skin and reptile-like gray eyes. His lips were thin and adorned by a few sprouting hairs that were supposed to pass for a mustache.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Harold."
He took my hand in his clammy hand and held it a bit too long. His eyes slithered over my body in a way that made me feel naked. He licked his lips slowly when he released my hand and turned to pick up our bags. I turned to look for Lance but he was busy checking out the hustle and bustle around us.