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....