CHAPTER 169

The five weeks leading up to my Vegas getaway with Kat seemed interminable, despite our best efforts to ramp up our fun at home in Houston. We both felt silly that it had taken so long to come up with the idea, but she started coming to my apartment for lunch once a week, after she was done with work for the day. I'd cook something for her, and we'd have a quickie. If I was running behind, she would pick up something or cook and let herself in with the key I'd given her.

Once, two weeks before our trip, I was having a particularly stressful day at work. I needed my lunch time escape with Kat, but I didn't have much time. Having a five-minute commute to the office had its benefits, and on that day I wanted to take advantage of it. She texted me to ask if we were still on for lunch. I said the day was not going as planned but that I needed to see her.

Kat must have been nervous at my response because she did something that was very rare. She called.

"Hey," I said, answering on the app.