From Sinners by Jackie Collins

Charlie asked for the Manager, who appeared almost immediately – a dead ringer for a young George Raft. He appraised Dindi with a flick of his eyes, greeted Charlie profusely, and organized the biggest suite in the hotel. He was no slouch at recognizing celebrities. He was used to dealing with all their peculiar requests. However, it did shake him a bit when Charlie said they wanted to get married right then and there.

“Give me an hour,” he said.

Charlie nodded. It seemed quite reasonable in his present state of mind that a marriage could be arranged at four a.m. in Las Vegas. […]

The preacher was a southern cracker. Hurriedly dressed in a shiny blue suit, he peered at the couple before him and drawled out his vision of the wedding ceremony.

Dindi noticed that his fly was undone and tried to stifle a giggle. She was wearing a pink frilled dress, she looked like a lovely innocent doll.

Charlie also noticed the preacher’s undone fly. The funny old chap had probably been fast asleep! What an accent! This would a great voice to use in some future film.

The manager had arranged the wedding in the penthouse, with the hotel photographer, press-man, two representatives of the local newspaper, with their photographer, presents.

The preacher pronounced them man and wife, belched unobtrusively, and shook Charlie’s hand. Then there was fuss and champagne and photographs and congratulations all around. […]

It was seven a.m. by the time they got back t their suite. Charlie was beginning to feel the strain. His eyes hurt behind his glasses, and the beautiful high he had achieved was beginning to wear off. For the first time he thought about the sanity of what he had just done. He had married a girl he didn’t even know! It was the most ridiculous insane thing. She was very pretty, but he didn’t even know her.

Dindi was dazed. But for different reasons. So suddenly and unexpectedly she was someone. She had married a movie star! […]

Charlie wasn’t sure when he first realized he had made a terrible mistake. Was it the day after his Las Vegas wedding or the day after that?

Viewing things in the cold light of reality, he couldn’t imagine how he could have done it.

Dindi was just as pretty as ever, but an idiot, a pretty little unintelligent idiot. Every time she opened her pouty lips it was to ask for something.

Even after two days it was beginning to drive him mad.

Baby, can I have some money for roulette? Sweetie, can I have those marvelous diamond and turquoise earrings? Honey, what about a little mink to keep off the cold night air?

He … gave her everything she wanted. After all, it was their honeymoon.

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