The Games They Play in Vegas

There was a simmering standoff. Then the two men blinked, the pilot lights slowly illuminating in their thick skulls. The blonde's lips trembled between a sneer and a pout, while the swarthy one's eyes darted aside. Eventually, the blonde slapped the elbow of his partner and the two of them grudgingly knuckle-dragged themselves away.

Brander watched them disappear into the crowded casino then turned his attention back towards the fountain. Ana stood holding her purse, gawking as if a chicken was perched on his head.

"Wow," she exclaimed, "you really are James Bond."

Brander noted a hint of sarcasm, but he was impressed that she didn't seem fazed by the preceding situation. He eyed her as he redid his cuffs. "Alright, Ana. Hand it back."

Her eyes narrowed. "What?"

"My phone."

She held her breath momentarily, then surrendered. "Okay, fine."

Ana opened up her purse and handed him his cell phone. "I was going to give it back. I even just sat there waiting for you to notice."

Brander checked his phone and pocketed it. He believed her. He didn't know why he continued to believe her, but he did.

"Just wanted your attention," she added with a coy tilt of her chin.

"And you have it," he replied. "So, what other talents do you possess other than pick-pocketing?"

She laughed, "Would you believe that was the first time I ever tried that? I had no idea what I'd pull out of your pocket!"

The edge of Brander's lips quivered. There was something infectious about her and his immunity from it seemed to be diminishing by the second.

"Come on," Ana goaded him with a cheeky wink, "you know you'll have more fun with me. I guarantee to put a smile on your face."

Brander shook his head as he looked back towards the lounge. Only a real ass would leave Sasha standing at the table wondering where he had gone.

Ana held out her hand and beckoned, "I want to mess up your zippy suit."

Funny. The idea of messing up her pretty dress was growing more appealing by the moment as well.

Tilting her button nose upward, she affected a drippy, high-society accent, "Join me, Mr.Bond. Let's rule the world."

Eyeing her, his head lolled toward his shoulder as if weighed down by decision. The moment he raised his hand, she grabbed him and tugged him forward, stepping back on her heels.

"You're not going to regret this," she laughed.

"Oh, I bet I will," he replied.

Ana shrugged. "Okay, place your bets."

With that, momentum took hold and they were quickly striding their way into the evening.

'Sasha' would have to make magic on her own tonight.

"Should we start with dinner?" Brander asked.

"Oh hell, yeah. I'm starving!"

"What'll it be?"

She peered back at him with a voracious look behind her glasses and smiled with that inviting overbite of hers. "I could destroy a burger right now."

--0--

Standing by the window of the packed burger joint overlooking the bustling crowds clogging up the sidewalks below, Brander set to the task of trying to eat his loaded burger while avoiding feeding any of it to his suit. He did so to the overt amusement of Ana.

"So I won the bet?" she asked as she chewed. "You didn't end up with Ms.Chi-chi Dress."

"You cheated," he replied. "Do you know what happens to cheaters in Vegas?"

"Tarred and feathered?"

He nodded and swallowed. "Feathers I can find, no problem. I'll stop by a burlesque show. I can get the tar from a street construction crew."

"Just mind your suit when you do," she said as a glop of sauce dripped off the edge of his wrapper. "Watch it!"

Brander held the burger aside, the offending sauce splashing on the floor inches away from his shoes. He rolled his eyes. What the hell was he doing?

After polishing off their burgers, they made their way back out to the streets.

"Thanks for dinner," Ana said, smiling as they walked along the sidewalk.

"Not at all," Brander replied. Despite the mess, that sloppy, over-priced burger was amazing.

"So before we continue, I have just two house rules," Ana declared.

"Shoot."

"First, neither of us pays for the other for anything else. Neither a borrower nor a lender be."

He nodded. "You don't want to be in debt in this town. The other rule?"

"We have fun. Frisky, stupid fun."

Brander smirked. "Sure. I'm certainly dressed for it."

Ana stepped in front of him and stopped. Looking up, she smiled and brushed some fluff from his collar with the back of her hand.

"Definitely. Like a prince at a carnival," she said. "By the way, do I keep calling you 'James' or what?"

"Brander," he said. It just slipped out, his usual rules drying up like the Nevada desert.

Her eyes narrowed somewhat. "Nice to meet you," she said, shaking his hand. A pleasing smile crossed her lips. "Show me the city, Brander."

They launched themselves full tilt into temptation. Ana, exuberantly insistent, led him along as if he were some overgrown boy in a luxury suit.

Just like the burger, the night was a delicious, hot mess. It became apparent immediately that Ana really hadn't a game-plan as they zipped around in cabs back and forth across the city and wandered their way through the throngs. From a rollercoaster to a Ferris wheel to an aquarium and an indoor gondola ride, they seemed to be doing things on the flutter of Ana's whim.

Brander hadn't any second thoughts about indulging her either, her irrepressible spirit proving a potent enticement. Sitting through a topless revue, he found Ana's amused expressions and giggling much more engaging than the flourish of flesh prancing on the stage.

Though he balked at zip lining and bowling, she convinced him to do an Old Time photo shoot with her. It turned out to be both easy and fortuitous. All he needed to add to his suit was a white fedora and red suspenders to complete his costume for their 'Bonnie and Clyde' portrait. The cheesiness was totally worth it just to see Ana in a fetching pearl-white, silk flapper dress and stiletto heels. The skirt was hiked just high enough to reveal the straps of the garter holding up the sheer white stockings on her legs.

When she pointed the prop Tommy machine gun at him and said, "Bang, bang, Mr. Bond!" he actually felt his heart pop a couple of times.

She talked constantly throughout their escapade, but she seemed to understand --whether inadvertently or not--one of Vegas' rules: don't tell too much. He gleaned very little personal information from their conversations. Not knowing her end game continued to pique his interest, in particular.

Later in the evening, they hit a club where the music rattled his teeth and the glowing shots of alcohol stirred his stomach and stimulated everything else. He offered little resistance when Ana guided him onto the crowded dance floor. Among the sweaty, gyrating scrum, he surrendered to Ana's pleasing wiles. They may as well have been dancing by themselves, the sole object of his attention dancing before him.

By the time they were back on the streets hailing another cab, a grin seemed cemented on his face. He gave up trying to shake it off. As Ana clutched excitedly at his arm, he regarded her. Her excitement never wavered. Her beaming expression never failed. It invigorated him in unexpected ways.

Ana chirped, "Where to now?"

"My hotel."

He felt her hand tighten a touch in his. "You mean the casino?"

Brander measured her hesitancy. "Sure, let's go try our luck at the tables."

Ana eyed him, head tilted. Finally, she nodded and said, "Okay, why not? I'm feeling pretty lucky!"

During the cab ride back, Brander continued to glance towards her. She seemed less like the lost lamb he had met earlier that evening... although his tendencies as a wolf were definitely stirring.

---0---

"I rarely do this," Brander remarked.

"Don't be scared. Just give it a pull," Ana replied, nudging his arm.

"Actually, all you have to do is push this now," he said, tapping the illuminated 'Spin' button.

The reels of the slot machine spun, accompanied by the sound of pleasing chimes. Then the machine was depressingly silent.

Ana's shoulders slumped. "Well, twenty dollars was worth three seconds of excitement, I guess."

Brander shrugged. "This is why I don't play the slots."

They hadn't done much better at blackjack or roulette.

"Lots of other games still to be played," she said. She clawed her fingers into fists and growled, "It's Vegas, baby!"

He said, "Well, as you've demonstrated, there are many pleasures to be had in this city."

Ana leaned back. "Oh? Is that gratitude I detect?"

Brander chuckled and nodded.

The two strolled in silent reverie through the casino, Ana's hands at her back, Brander's in his pockets. Both wore genuine smiles. They arrived at the passage leading to the elevators of the hotel's suites.

Brander offered, "So... nightcap in my room?"

She hesitated when he asked, the same hesitancy she revealed earlier. Her eyes blinked and widened, and her lips rolled inwards. She was like a student suddenly remembering she had an exam in the morning.

For a second, he thought the odds were that she would say 'no'.

"Sure," she finally said with a terse nod.

It was a quick, silent ride up twenty-two floors. As they walked from the elevators down the long, quiet corridor, Ana fell half a step behind. Brander glanced back. She was looking towards the floor, lost in thought.

"Hey," he said, pivoting on his heels, "we're here."

Ana came to a sudden stop, almost bumping into him. She stepped back quickly and looked at the door. "Oh. Right."

He nodded towards the door. "Want to do the honors? You have my key, after all."

Ana's face momentarily drew a blank. She reached into her bag and mindlessly produced his room card key.

"That would be the one," Brander said. "You're a helluva pickpocket, Ana."

Her cheeks blossomed pink. Caught again.

Brander nodded towards the door again. "Go on."

Ana slipped the card through the slot. After a beep and a click, Brander opened the door and led her in. He tapped a pad on the wall as he closed the door behind them.

"Wow," Ana said with a whistle as the lamps illuminated, casting a gentle glow across the spacious suite.

Brander touched the pad again. The fireplace in the corner lounge area by the floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows breathed to life.

"You certainly like to spoil yourself, don't you?" Ana spoke, entranced by the elegant room.

Brander walked ahead and offered a sly brush of his suit lapel with the back of his palm. "To paraphrase: 'Why bother with a Porsche engine if you're going to put it in a Kia body?'"

She rolled her eyes. "True." She winked. "See the wisdom of a charming young woman?"

At the bar, he poured a couple of glasses of brandy. "Do you mean like eating junk food and behaving like a teenager at a carnival?"

"I mean like having fun," she said. "You're having fun, aren't you?"

Brander conceded with a nod, "I certainly am, Ana. Though I feel a touch guilty about abandoning an innocent lady at the bar."

She shrugged. "Oh, I wouldn't say 'Sasha' was so innocent."

As he approached with the glasses, Ana held her hands behind her back, looking wistful. The teasing chatter seemed to relax her.

"I guess there aren't too many innocent people in Vegas," Brander conceded. He handed her the glass. "Not even those wearing glasses and pretty blue dresses."

Ana apparently missed what he said and instead looked suspiciously at the swirling elixir. Considering what they had consumed earlier, he found it amusing she'd be so cautious when it came to fine brandy.

"Go ahead," he said. "Trust me, it won't burn. Just go slow."

Narrowing her eyes, Ana took a sip. "Mmm, very smooth," she purred, raising her brow. "But I should probably respect this as well?"

"Mm-hmm, but for other reasons." Brander nodded.

"Hmm... like what?"

"Well, it tends to loosen up certain inhibitions in the body. It's a seductive drink," he said.

Ana fixated on the glass, smiling appreciatively. He watched her take another sip. He had trouble thinking about anything else but her, the warming effect of the alcohol enhancing her influence.

A reflective silence lingered between them as they stood there in the intimacy and solitude of his suite. Brander wondered if she was having as much trouble reading his thoughts and intentions as he was with her. If this were a poker game, he'd be playing blind, relying purely on instinct. A burning compulsion moved him forward, leaned him towards her and angled his mouth to her lips.

Within a half inch of her face, he felt a sudden splash of liquid against his neck and chin. The heady aroma of liquor quickly filled the air.

"Oh! Oh my God!" Ana exclaimed. "Sorry! I... oh, no! Your suit!"

Brander frowned and leaned back. Brandy was still dripping down his chin and neck, running beneath the collar of his shirt. So caught up in his impulsiveness, he wasn't certain what exactly had happened. Judging by Ana's empty glass and startled expression, he could hazard a guess.

Bemused, Brander stood back with a crooked grin, his hands aside. He sighed, "This is what you meant when you said you wanted to mess up my zippy suit?"

Ana was still apologizing as she ran over to the bar to grab a towel. She came back and immediately patted his shirt and coat. "I am so sorry, Brander! I'll pay for the cleaning! I don't know what I was thinking! I flinched."

"No worries," Brander chuckled as he took the towel from her. He snickered again while regarding her. She hadn't been spared either. Flecks of brandy speckled her glasses and droplets beaded on her dress. She had really done a number.

"Maybe you should take a shower," Ana sighed.

He nodded. "Sure. You first."

She hesitated again. "What?"

"Wouldn't be a good idea for you to go walking around Vegas smelling like a distillery, right? Dab the brandy from your dress."

She chewed on her bottom lip.

"Go on," he nodded towards the bathroom. "Take a robe with you."

With a sheepish pout, Ana sighed and silently shuffled to the bathroom.

She paused at the door and turned back to Brander. "Still fun, right?" she said with an anxious giggle.

Brander smirked, rolling his eyes.

When she closed the door, he knocked back the rest of his brandy and sucked air through his teeth as it raced down his gullet. He cracked his neck as he watched the door, realizing how tense he felt. He could hear her slipping out of the pretty blue dress, unsnapping her bra, sliding off her stockings and underwear.

He listened for the shower before removing his clothes.

After a few minutes, Brander heard the hair dryer. By the time she came out of the bathroom, he was in his robe sitting down on a chair by the fire finishing up a second glass of brandy. He stood as she padded over to him barefoot, and handed her a glass. "Think you can manage, or do you want a sippy cup?" he asked.

Ana smiled, nonplussed and looking refreshed. As she raised the glass to her lips, she said, "Your turn."

Brander's eyes narrowed as he scanned Ana. Though he held a deep appreciation for how she looked in her dress, the sight of her barefoot in a bathrobe was no less pleasing.

"Brander," Ana said, eyeing him through her glasses, "go take a shower."

He smiled, caught in his distraction. "Alright," he replied and made his way to the bathroom, "Just don't try to escape before I'm done."

She didn't reply as he closed the door.

Brander quickly lathered as he stood in the shower. A subtle anxiety washed over him the moment he let Ana out of his sight. It started as a little niggle, but within minutes his imagination churned. Unpredictability was part of Ana's charm, yet now it made him question whether she was up to something. She seemed rather insistent that he go take a shower. Was dousing him in brandy really an accident? What could she be doing in the room by herself?

Or was she even still outside the door?

"Ana?" he said, as he froze in the shower.

No reply.

He turned off the water and wiped his face. He repeated a little louder, "Ana?"

Silence.

As he stepped out of the tub and slipped into his robe, he called, "Hey, are you out there?"

He quickly opened the door. His first reaction was to look towards the hotel room's exit then to his wallet still on the bedside table. Then he looked towards the windows.

Ana stood by the fireplace, her back to him. She was looking down at her cellphone in one hand. In the other, she held his... pants and underwear?

Brander frowned. "Ana, what are you doing?"

She jumped and turned, startled. "Oh, shit!" she exclaimed, "Brander! I, uh... was just checking messages."

"And my clothes?" he asked.

Ana grit her teeth to the side and poked her brow up, looking like she had just vomited on a Picasso. "Uh, just... checking how much I spilt on them," she said, her uncertain voice making it sound like a question.

Brander sucked in his lips and eyed her. She was fibbing about something, but he couldn't guess what or why. He should have been suspicious but seeing her there looking all amusingly frazzled quickly calmed his defences. The fact that she was still there was his only concern.

"And how are my precious undergarments?" he quipped.

Glancing at his briefs, Ana replied, "They seem to have escaped unharmed." She looked back up at him with a coy grin. "My what pretty fancy-schmancy underoos you've got, Mr.Bond."

Brander nodded as he approached her. "So, they meet your approval, then? As you asked when we met, are they still the Kia Rio to my Porsche suit?"

Ana tilted her head and cocked both brows as she scanned him from head-to-toe. "Oh? What makes you think I had been talking about your underwear in the bar?"

Both of them seemed taken aback by her audacious innuendo. It was enough to put a pause in Brander's step, and a look of immediate regret on Ana's face. She looked toward the ceiling, her cheeks and neck blushing.

"Ana," Brander remarked with a sharp grin, "did you have another glass of brandy?"

The edges of her lips curled upward. She nodded.

He looked down and smiled, giving his head a little shake. He resumed walking towards her. "And what did I tell you about brandy?"

"It... ah... it tends to loosen up... stuff," she giggled nervously.

He came within a step of her. She was much shorter in her bare feet. "And how do you feel?"

As she looked up at him, she slowly folded her lips over each other to moisten them. "I feel warm," she said softly, slowly blinking.

Brander placed his hand on her forehead, pushing aside the strands of her dark hair. He felt her lean into his touch. "Yeah. A bit warm."

Ana swallowed and said, "My heart is beating like crazy."

He smiled. His hand drifted down, his fingertips brushing her cheek, her neck, then pausing. His eyes never wavered from hers as his hand continued down. Flattening his palm against her chest, he could feel the heat of her body and the tom-tom beat of her heart through the soft robe.

Ana's lips parted, a quivering breath slipping past them. Her eyes opened and shut as if she were phasing in and out of a dream, a sultry, longing gaze seeping into her gaze.

As he watched her swoon at his touch, he also felt a tingle seething through him. This sensation swelled as his heart pumped a rush of blood and desire through every part of him. He had no idea how the unassuming Ana had managed to beguile him in such a way, yet he was ready to throw all decorum out the door.

Once more he moved his mouth towards her parted lips. He didn't hesitate this time, pressing a single kiss upon her that was deep and forceful. They both expelled hard, gulping breaths when they finally parted.

Ana looked down and away, lips still parted, the blush on her face deepening.

"Look, Ana," Brander spoke carefully, stroking her arms, "this is your choice. I'll lay it all out on the table. I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to. I'm not going to play any games with you."