Vegas Ch. 03

This is my first attempt at writing, having been inspired by a small band of authors whose work I immensely admire, and I have attempted to occasionally incorporate a flavour of their imagination in this story in tribute to them.

I know that having completed the novel, I have learnt so much more than I knew at the outset. Two areas of feedback are welcomed:

1. Comments of encouragement that will inspire me to write more... and constructive criticism that will help me improve.

2. Voting that will help me assess the enjoyment factor.... or otherwise.

CHAPTER THREE: ARRIVAL

The nonstop flight from London, Gatwick had taken a little under ten hours and they were circling around Las Vegas, awaiting approval to land at the McCarron airport. The flight had passed relatively quickly, with the two beautiful sisters engaged in excited conversation for long periods, frequently laughing out loud as they talked.

Daniel, meanwhile, when not overdosing on movies, had his head buried in one of three poker books that he had purchased after winning his satellite tournament. It was not so much that he expected to do well in the World Series Main Event tournament at that point, but rather he was determined to put on the best show possible.

His sole goal was to make the most of the experience, in the hope that he would become a better player as a result. Before travelling, he had received a notification from the WSOP. It explained that he had been drawn to play in the second flight, on Day 1-B of the Main Event. Because of the size of this year's field, there would be two Day Ones, a slight reduction from recent years.

He was wondering whether that would help or hinder his prospects when the aircraft gave a sudden dip as they circled the airport, rousing him from his thoughts. He glanced at Grace and Lauren, both of whom seemed lost in their own, albeit completely different, thoughts. The common factor was that both the sisters were contemplating the adventure that lay ahead and both were recalling the events leading up to their journey.

Lauren had become so excited when Grace had dropped by the day after Daniel's success, to explain what had happened. She had made Lauren guess what her news was and it was only after a number of unsuccessful attempts that Grace had grabbed her arm and told her that she and Daniel were going to Vegas too!

It had only been a couple of weeks before, when Lauren had informed Grace of her modelling opportunity. Her small London agency had been contacted by an American outfit who had seen some work that she had recently completed for a 'lads' magazine. She told Grace that the strange thing was that because of the blatant nature of the photographs, she had nearly turned the magazine work down.

Since deciding to focus on modelling rather than singing, this American opening was exactly the sort of break Lauren had been searching for. Above anything else in her life, this was her number one priority and as a result, she headed across the Atlantic determined to give it her all. And the fact that the audition, and immediate photo shoot if she was successful, was in Las Vegas had only added to her excitement. She had good vibes, she kept telling Grace.

Grace had been just as excited for her young sister. This would be Lauren's first trip to the States, and Vegas was such an incredibly exciting venue. This could be her break to make it into the big time, Grace kept telling her, and what better location to achieve that? Lauren knew that her sister was right and the fact that Grace was coming to support her was a huge bonus.

"I just can't believe it," Lauren had told her sister, when Grace finally gave up on the guessing game and conveyed her exciting news. They had laughed, and hugged, and then Lauren had repeated herself. "I just can't believe it!"

Sitting on the aeroplane now, as it circled high above Vegas, Lauren powdered her nose and smiled at her reflection in the small compact mirror. She glanced to her left at Grace, whose slightly flushed face appeared to be lost inside her own thoughts. Lauren turned back and shuffled her head back against the head-rest, momentarily closing her eyes.

Grace had been so excited when she relayed the news of Daniel's poker success. And Lauren had been just as delighted for Grace. She was aware that her sister needed a break and if truth be told, Lauren had been worried about Grace and Daniel's relationship for some time now. Grace had confided that she was becoming extremely frustrated at the amount of time he spent playing poker. She complained that they seemed to spend less and less quality time together.

So this win might be just what both Grace and Daniel needed, she thought. Grace had received some reward for her patience with Daniel and the break might rekindle the flame that Lauren had seen when they first got together. In truth, she had always thought of them as an unlikely couple. Grace was so outgoing, always an extrovert, willing to do anything to enjoy herself or advance her singing career.

Daniel, on the other hand, was more laid back, seemingly happy to see where life was going to take him. But if their relationship was on its last legs, it now seemed they were being given a new lease of life. It was one last chance, perhaps? And for their prize trip to coincide with Lauren's visit, well, that had been just too good to be true. And with Grace's further piece of news, well, Lauren's good vibes had begun to grow in intensity.

"That's right, Lauren," Grace had said. "We are Vegas bound, too. And unbelievably the dates almost match. So if you don't mind company, we can all travel together."

The coincidence with the dates was weird. Grace told her it was almost like fate. Lauren had shared in her laughter, rummaging through a drawer to show Grace a couple of booklets on Vegas that she had been rifling through. She flicked through each page as she pointed out highlights that had appealed to her.

"Aren't you glad that you and Daniel are still together," she had said as she handed the pamphlets to Grace.

"Well, let's just say that the timing worked out perfectly," Grace had replied with a heady laugh.

"This could be just what the two of you need to reignite that flame again!" Lauren had suggested but Grace had just laughed.

"What about, Bobby?" Grace had asked her. "Could he come with us, too?"

Lauren had laughed out aloud. Bobby was her boyfriend and the twelve months they had been together was exactly twice as long as she had been in a relationship with anyone else. But like Grace and Daniel, she and Bobby did not have too much money. There was no way he would be able to afford to take time off work, let alone find the fare to travel to Vegas. And if truth be told, she was becoming as frustrated with Bobby as Grace was with Daniel.

She certainly did not see her future with Bobby and unsure what she would find in that Vegas, she selfishly did not want Bobby to cramp her style.

"No way, Grace" she had adamantly responded. "This is too good an opportunity to spoil by having a man tagging along."

Laughing as she saw Grace's features stiffen, she quickly added, "And don't worry, with Daniel playing his poker, you and I are going to have a great time, I can promise you that."

"I can just imagine," Grace had responded with a laugh, but then paused....

"What…?" Lauren had asked.

"Can't tell you yet, little sister!" had come the mysterious reply

Lauren had shivered for a second, feeling the goose bumps suddenly attack her skin.

"Grace, there's something going on. I can feel it!"

Grace and Lauren both knew how accurate her 'feelings' had proven in the past.

"Well," Grace responded, her pretty eyebrows raised, "We'll see, Lauren. We'll see."

Sitting there only twenty minutes from landing, Lauren shivered in delight at what she now knew, and how right her intuition had been.

*

Grace saw her sister glance at her as the aeroplane looped around the sky above the airport, but her thoughts were of Lisa. What a wonderful, supportive, woman the singing star had turned out to be. And that was before she took into account the incredible sex. Everything she had promised her that first night had come true. And now she was following in Lisa Welles' steps. If only she could become as successful.

Lisa had telephoned Grace two days after their encounter, having returned to the States to promote her latest album. After they had finished their surprisingly natural conversation recalling their encounter, Grace had explained all about Daniel winning them a trip to Vegas and exactly how it had happened.

"Save me the detail," the blonde star had laughed. "I hate poker! But Grace, the timing is perfect," said Lisa. "I can definitely arrange for you to sing at a club in Vegas. It's the same break that I had, Grace! I'll speak to Samuel later today and see whether we can sort out the arrangements."

The sound of the wheels noisily unfolding briefly interrupting her thoughts and Grace shifted uncomfortably in her seat as the plane closed in on the airport. Her brow furrowed as she recalled Daniel telling her that he had decided that he was going to 'invest', as he put it, around a thousand pounds of his 'saved' poker winnings so that he could play in a competition before the Main Event. Just so he could gain some experience.

A thousand pounds, for experience? Despite his attempts to justify the spend as coming from his money, his poker winnings, that seemed pretty insulting to Grace. First, she was not aware he had a separate pot of money from his winnings and secondly, he knew how tight money was for them both.

She did not tell him exactly what she thought, but was pretty sure her reaction would have conveyed that message. But if the opportunity that Lisa was providing should work out, then perhaps her days of financial struggle were over? She felt Daniel squeeze her soft hand as the plane continued its downwards journey but she ignored the contact, caught up in her momentary displeasure at Daniel's poker plans.

Her mind drifted back to Lisa, who had patiently listened to everything Grace had told her in their long telephone conversation. She had told her she would call her back in a couple of days or so. She had done so two days later.

"I've got to ask you one question," Lisa had started as soon as Grace had answered the call. "Would you do anything to make a success of your singing career?"

Grace had laughed, softly answering, "You bet!"

"I'm serious, Grace," Lisa had responded, her tone firm.

Grace had hesitated, wondering where this was heading. She decided that she needed to make sure that Lisa fully understood her ambitions.

"Lisa, my singing career means everything to me. I want to be successful and I'll do anything to make that happen."

"That's the answer I wanted," Lisa had laughed down the telephone line. "And Grace, that's the answer I gave when I was asked the question. If you mean what you say, Grace, then with your voice, looks, body and outlook, you can be as big a star as I am right now."

"Lisa…" Grace had began.

"No more questions," the blonde star had answered. "Just mean what you say, and don't let me down. Right, girl?"

"Right," Grace had responded with a confident edge to her voice. "I'll do anything I need to, Lisa. And I won't let you down!"

"Then listen," Lisa had said, her voice rising in exhilaration...

She had told Grace in a gleeful voice that she had arranged a one night booking at a well known club, Samuel Smith's in downtown Vegas. She had explained how influential Samuel was and that if Grace committed herself to him, her big break could soon follow. Grace had been speechless, simply lost for words.

Tears came into her almond coloured eyes as she thought about the possibility of becoming as successful as Lisa. It all seemed to be a dream, but Lisa had been quite adamant about the opportunities that lay ahead for her. They had talked for a long time about the possibilities and although Grace had a feeling there was something Lisa was holding back, the blonde star had told her to trust her.

She had kept telling Grace, "As long as you would do anything..."

*

They stood in line for the twenty-dollar cab ride to the Treasure Island Hotel, the cab taking them past the sky scraping Manhattan landmarks atop New York, New York and along the Strip past the large Eiffel Tower above Paris, before cruising past the magnificent Bellagio and next door, Caesar's Palace. All three were dumbstruck, staring out of the frighteningly clean cab windows as they looked at the various sights and excitedly poked one another each time they spotted something new.

The long registration queue at the hotel was unexpected, particularly at this time of the morning and it took them half an hour to work their way through to the friendly and highly efficient receptionists. Because of the time of day their rooms were not yet available, and having checked their luggage in they decided to stroll along the Strip to take in the sights. Although the raw heat was difficult to avoid, they mitigated the effect by calling into and exploring each of the hotels along the way.

Grace and Lauren were giddy with excitement, insisting that they took a gondola ride in the Venetian hotel, situated a short distance away from their hotel across a walkway that separated both sides of the Strip. Imperiously waving away Daniel's initial protests at the cost, the two women were entranced by every second, laughing as they chatted and pointed out successive items of interest to one another.

Grace immediately fell in love with the hotel, and after their gondola experience they strolled along the Grand Canal Shoppes. The Venetian Living Statues left them spellbound and they became simply entranced with the small, string orchestra performing in St. Mark's Square. Eventually the two women decided they wanted to head for The Forum shops in Caesar's Palace, and when they arrived, they were in their element.

Many of the shops were as stunning as they were expensive and Daniel was sweating profusely during the best part of the hour spent by Grace and Lauren contemplating the rhinestone-studded shoes at Stuart Weitzman. Eventually, he could stand no more and diplomatically told them he felt he was getting in their way and left the two sisters to their shopping expedition, opting to return to their hotel.

His intention, after their long flight, was to enjoy a short nap prior to the Practically Poker pre tournament introductory party that evening. He suggested that they both needed some rest themselves, particularly with Lauren scheduled for her modelling audition later that evening. The women waved away that idea, excitedly telling him they would return when they were ready.

He accepted the reproach in the knowledge that the sisters were secretly delighted to see him leave, so that they could prolong their shopping tour. As he left them, he took some comfort from the lingering kiss of appreciation he received from them both as he waved goodbye.

*

The Practically Poker introductory party was to be held at the Rio, the venue for the tour in recent years. Daniel knew that the World Series had left the rundown Binion's Horseshoe Casino in 2005, the first time in its thirty-five-year history that it was not being held at the place where it all began. Harrah's, the world's largest gaming company which owned the Rio, had bought out the casino to secure the rights to the legendary names 'Horseshoe' and 'World Series of Poker' and had immediately resold of the casino to recoup most of its original outlay.

For some reason they had agreed to play some selected events at Binion's this year, one of those was the $2000 Omaha High-Low split event. And that was the main factor in Daniel deciding to use that particular tournament to gain familiarisation experience, despite his lack of knowledge of that particular game. For Daniel, the opportunity to play in a World Series event at Binion's, as well as the Main Event at the Rio, was simply too good to forgo.

He walked to the hotel and as he found himself approaching the rich, blue and red colourful exterior, he reflected on the coincidence that had seen Lauren already secure a Vegas based modelling audition that coincided with the Main Event. And if that had not been remarkable enough, a woman Grace told him she had met at a dinner the night of his victory, had used one of her contacts in Vegas to somehow secure Grace a singing spot at a well-known club somewhere downtown.

Grace had been as excited at the news, as he had seen her since their early days together. In fact, ever since she had returned from her dinner that night and Daniel explained that he had won this trip, there seemed to be something different about her. It was as if his achievement had somehow brought her alive. Their raw lovemaking that night had continued regularly since then, returning to the way it had been in the beginning of their relationship, if not better.

It all seemed fate, he thought. Events were conspiring, leading up to he knew not what. But he felt something in his bones that indicated that Grace and Lauren and he were possibly all on the verge of having their lives changed. And it was all because of Vegas.

As he followed the bright signs leading to the Practically Poker suite, he realised that even in his smart casual attire, he was somewhat overdressed. Rather than appear too conspicuous, he decided to wait until more poker hopefuls arrived and wandered back down into the casino area, where watched a show that seemed as if it had just commenced.

A series of floats suspended from the ceiling above the casino floor followed one another in the 'sky' whilst beneath them, performers were clad in exotic masks and brilliant costumes, creating quite an atmosphere. He watched for some time, entranced as the procession slowly made its way around the casino floor until eventually, glancing at his watch, he decided he should make a re-appearance.

He reluctantly tore himself away from the colourful and noisy spectacle and was pleased to find that, on his return to the suite, the numbers had dramatically improved, even if the dress sense had not. Well worn jeans and an assortment of various t-shirts or baseball tops appeared to be the order of the day, as if the majority had arrived straight from a casino.

And when Daniel thought about it, he came to the conclusion that they probably had. He weirdly felt a slightly embarrassment that his own fresh, clean pair of black jeans and short sleeved shirt stood him out from most of the other invitees. Strangely, it was almost as if he was letting down the poker fraternity.

Drinks were being distributed by mostly young women, dressed in skimpy South American carnival costumes. As he stood for a moment and familiarised himself, a particularly attractive redhead carrying a tray of drinks, approached him.

"Back again?" she asked, raising a light blue painted eyebrow above her bright, sparkling green eyes and offered him a quite adorable smile.

"Excuse me?" Daniel muttered, a little hoarsely, staring at this vision in front of him.

"You arrived half an hour ago," she explained, her petal like lips parting further as her smile broadened. "But you didn't stay."

She took a glass of champagne from her tray and handing it to him, adding, "And now you're back!"

Daniel took the flute, his fingertips touching hers. As he did so, he could not believe that he felt an immediate reaction at the contact. He smiled back, raising the glass to his lips and then taking a sip.

"Well, you people certainly know your business. To tell the truth, I felt a little self conscious with so few other people around and I thought I was probably a little overdressed."