Women's Studies Ch. 06

I clung to Abigail's arm as we followed closely behind Mr. Lockwood, who seemed to have a built-in sense of direction. I was drawn in by the sounds of coins falling and bells sounding all around me. It was slightly disorienting, and from a quick look to Abigail, I saw that she felt the same. We waited while Mr. Lockwood spoke to someone at the cashier cage, and after a few moments he came back over to us holding a blue bank pouch.

"Okay my ladies, here's the plan," he began as he pulled out two stacks of cash. "You each get ten thousand dollars," he said, handing first one stack to Abigail, and then another to me. "You can't leave the casino with it. You either lose it all, or win enough to pay me back, and you can keep the excess."

I was speechless as I stood there with ten thousand dollars of fresh bank notes in my hand. It was surreal to just be handed so much money like it was nothing. I was also worried about losing so much of someone else's money.

"I don't...I can't take this," I protested. "I wouldn't be able to pay you back."

"You weren't listening, Sweety," Abigail laughed. "You don't have to pay it back. You just gamble it. If you lose it all, it's fine, but if you win you get to keep anything more than you started with."

"That's it exactly," Mr. Lockwood said with a smile. "Think of it as a thank you for being such a good friend to my daughter."

Abigail and I stood there, staring at each other with goofy smiles, like idiots, until the loud sound of a jackpot hitting broke us out of our trance.

"Where do you want to go first?" Abigail asked. After seeing my overwhelmed state, she decided for the both of us. "Blackjack."

We were literally skipping through the casino, toward the blackjack tables, with ten-thousand dollars in our hands. Dressed as we were, in our extremely expensive evening gowns, we must have been a sight to behold. I caught several people watching our little parade as Mr. Lockwood attempted to keep up with us, laughing all the way.

There were several tables with open seats, but we chose a table with only one other person sitting at it. It was an elderly gentleman, in an old but well-maintained gray suit, with a respectable stack of chips in front of him.

"Hello!" the dealer said as we sat down. Her eyes widened slightly when Abigail placed her stack of cash on the green felt of the table, but she quickly recovered by the time I placed mine down as well. Receiving a curt nod from the pit boss behind her, she counted out our cash and pushed two large stacks of chips in front of us.

Mr. Lockwood stood behind us, guiding us through our first foray into gambling, giving tips and instructing us on table etiquette. I was all over the place, winning and losing on a whim, while Abigail's stack of chips seemed to slowly but steadily grow. It felt nerve wracking watching my chips disappear. Sure, it wasn't my money, but it was a vast sum that I felt like I was somehow squandering.

"You should split those," Mr. Lockwood instructed me, placing his hand on my shoulder.

Trusting his instincts, I signaled the dealer to split the aces that sat before me. I pushed forth another five hundred dollars and crossed my fingers as the cards were dealt.

"I can't believe it!" Abigail squealed with delight seeing the two face cards come up, giving me two blackjacks.

I was speechless. Abigail was laughing with joy and Mr. Lockwood gave my shoulder a squeeze while smiling down at me.

"Mr. Lockwood!" Someone announced from behind us, breaking through our excitement.

I was sure that someone had realized that we were underage, and they had come to escort us from the casino. Abigail and I turned in our seats to see who the speaker was. I had to peer around Mr. Lockwood to see the middle-aged man standing there, flanked by two other casino employees.

Something was off, and it took only a moment to realize what it was. While the speaker was a middle-aged man in an expensive black suit, his companions didn't seem to be the sort you would bring along to escort someone out of your casino. One was a short woman with blonde hair, and the other was a thin man in glasses holding a leather folder.

"I apologize, we had no idea that you would be coming to our establishment, and I only just learned of your arrival," the man said with a slight bow of deference. "My name is John Anslow, and I am the manager of this casino."

"It's a pleasure to meet you John," Mr. Lockwood said, shaking his hand.

"Will you be requiring accommodations? We have set aside our Presidential Suite, free of charge, should you require it," Mr. Anslow said.

"I don't think that will be necessary. This is kind of a spur of the moment thing for the girls," he said, glancing back at us.

"I understand perfectly," Mr. Anslow said with a small smile creeping into his features that left me feeling dirtier by the second. "Should you need anything at all during your stay Alice will be here to accommodate you." Mr. Anslow was trying to be circumspect, but his eyes kept flitting from Abigail to me. It was clear that he assumed we were escorts.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Mr. Lockwood said, his tone becoming darker, leaving me with the impression that he knew exactly what this manager was thinking, and disapproved of any such thoughts being connected to his daughter.

Mr. Anslow noticed the change in Mr. Lockwood's voice, and after a few quick words with his colleague, he retreated, leaving Alice to tend to our needs.

"I apologize for that," Alice said, stepping forward.

"You don't need to apologize for anyone else's actions," Mr. Lockwood said with and easier smile for her. "I can't say that we'll be needing anything, but you're welcome to join us."

With that uncomfortable business over with, we went back to our gambling. We moved from table to table playing all sorts of games. Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, if there was a table for it, we sat for at least a few hands, trying it out. We even played Baccarat, and despite walking away up a thousand dollars, I still didn't know the rules of it.

Abigail had about fifteen thousand dollars amassed in front of her as we sat at the Roulette table, whereas I only had four.

"It's getting late girls," Mr. Lockwood sighed. "I don't know where you keep all the energy, but I'm not as young as I used to be."

"You're young enough," Abigail assured him, placing another bet.

"Young enough for what exactly?" he asked.

"I don't know, lots of things," Abigail said.

"We should be leaving soon either way," he said. "You remember the rules," he added, looking to me.

I either had to win something or lose it all. I had been up and down all night, but never breaking past the ten thousand I had started with. I knew the games were set in the favor of the casinos, but I felt as if the universe was out to get me as well.

I stared at my chips for a minute before deciding. It wasn't that hard of a decision really, it hadn't been my money to start with. My only real option left was betting it all. I separated my chips into four piles and placed them on four separate numbers on the table. It was a long shot, but really, there was no downside. I would either win, or I wouldn't.

"No more bets," the dealer said, waving her hand over the table.

"I can't believe you just did that!" Abigail said. "All of it?"

"I told you, you walk out with something or nothing," Mr. Lockwood said, smiling fondly at me for my boldness. "Time was running out and she knew the stakes."

We watched in anticipation as the ball spun and bounced around the roulette wheel. It was a small chance that it would land on one of the numbers I had chosen, but as the ball bounced its way to a stop my heart skipped a beat in my chest.

For a moment there was silence, and then a loud bellowing cheer came from behind me. The ball had landed on black thirteen. It was a number I had picked for sentimentality, and by some twist of fate it had come through for me. Abigail nearly knocked me out of my chair as she threw her arms around me, congratulating me.

"You're rich girl!" she laughed. "I thought I was hot stuff for being up five grand, and you win over thirty thousand on one bet!"

"Thirty Thousand?" I said, repeating her words in shock. I had placed the bet, and I could recall that specific numbers were thirty-five to one odds, but I hadn't really thought about it. I had never expected to win.

"Yes, you dummy!" she said, kissing me on the cheek.

It was a bit overwhelming. Mr. Lockwood just laughed behind us while I sat in a daze. The dealer cashed out my chips and even gave me a tray to hold them all in; there were quite a lot of them. We were then escorted by a couple of large men to the cashier cage where they exchanged my winnings. After giving back the ten thousand to Mr. Lockwood, I was left with twenty-six thousand dollars in my hands, and it was by far more money than I had ever had in my life.

"I think this calls for a bit of celebration," Mr. Lockwood said. "Alice, could we get some champagne?"

"Yes sir. Would you like it brought here?" she asked.

Mr. Lockwood thought for a moment before replying. "Is that suite still available?"

"Yes sir," she said, reaching into a folder for a key card. "I can show you up myself."

"That would be appreciated," Mr. Lockwood said, motioning her to lead the way.

Alice pulled out her phone as she led the way, and after pressing several buttons, turned back to Mr. Lockwood and informed him that the champagne would be up shortly. She showed us to a VIP elevator that catered exclusively to the luxury suites on the top two floors and escorted us to the Presidential Suite.

It was massive! The main living area was larger than my house back in Colorado. It was an open area design with light tile floors and dark rugs. The furniture was modern and appealing to the eyes, but what really drew my attention was the massive wall of windows. It overlooked the far-stretching desert landscape that glowed in the light of the full moon.

"There are master suites on either side of the living quarters," Alice instructed, showing us around. "The kitchen is fully stocked, and if there is anything you require, you can either call down, or use the smart touch device in any room to notify us of your needs. And it appears the champagne has already arrived," she noted, spotting the bottle chilling on a fancy stand near the dining area. "And of course, it's all fully comped by the casino, so if you need something don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you so much," Mr. Lockwood said, unphased by the luxury of our accommodations. I almost missed it, but as he shook her hand, I noticed her palming what appeared to be several folded-up bills.

"It was my absolute pleasure," Alice said, smiling before leaving us.

Mr. Lockwood made quick work popping the cork and began pouring champagne into crystal flutes.

"Here's to luck!" Mr. Lockwood said, raising his glass. "Because being smart can only take you so far."

After clinking our glasses, I got my first taste of champagne and it was fabulous. It had a peculiar sweet taste, and the bubbles tickled my mouth pleasantly.

"This is incredible!" I said, shocked that something could taste so great.

"For five hundred dollars a bottle it, should be," Mr. Lockwood chuckled.

"At least you're not paying for it, Daddy," Abigail said, taking another sip of hers.

"Thank you so much for tonight, Mr. Lockwood," I said. "This has easily been one of the best nights of my life."

"One of the best?" he asked. "Now I want to hear about the best night!" he laughed, causing me to blush like fire. My best night was the whole evening leading up to, and including, having sex with my own sister, followed closely by the first night I dressed up as Lexi.

"I don't know Mr. Lockwood," I smiled demurely. "A proper lady shouldn't speak of such things."

"There's a proper lady here?" Abigail asked, peering around. "Who let her in?" she laughed.

"I guess you have me there, Lexi," Mr. Lockwood sighed, shaking his head. "And please, call me George. I hear Mr. Lockwood and I feel like I should be looking over my shoulder for my father."

"Okay...George," I said, trying it out.

"Can I call you George too?" Abigail joked.

"No, you may not, Missy!" Mr. Lockwood laughed.

We spent a good while drinking our champagne and laughing at one thing or another. I found Abigail's discourse with her father open and refreshing, not to mention hilarious at times, but no matter the conversation, my eyes were always drawn back to the stack of money sitting on the table in front of me.

"Are you sure I can keep all of this?" I asked, fingering the money I had won. "It's a lot of money."

"Of course you can keep it," George said. "You know, I made my first million that same way. Before my trust fund, and long before my inheritance, the first money that I ever made for myself came from a roulette wheel. I was on vacation in Europe, stretching my legs when I was twenty-two, and I ended up at the Monte-Carlo. I started with fifty thousand dollars from a line of credit I received using my last name and my father's reputation as collateral, something he would have never approved of, and after six hours I left with just over a million dollars," he said, reminiscing on the past. "It was an up and down roller coaster. I was up two-hundred thousand at one point, and I lost nearly all of it before I made the climb back up."

"That money I started with wasn't mine either, but that first million let me build something of my own before my father passed the keys of his kingdom to me," George said. "So yes, that money is yours. Maybe someday you'll take some of that and build something of your own," he paused before smirking, "Or maybe you'll just have one hell of a weekend."

It was some story. I had never heard about any of this before, and by the look Abigail had, she hadn't either. I was still having a hard time reconciling this man to the one I had read about, but either way, I liked this version more.

"I don't know about you ladies, but I think that's it for me tonight," Mr. Lockwood said, standing. "I will see you both in the morning."

"Good night, George," I said, followed by Abigail's, "Goodnight Daddy."

"I don't know why, but I feel weird calling your dad George," I told Abigail after the door to his room closed.

"I know what you mean," Abigail said, leaning back into the soft white cushions of the sofa. "I can't recall anyone ever calling him George before. It's always Mr. Lockwood. He must like you," she said with a smile.

"Uggh," I sighed getting up. "I hope you don't hog the covers, or someone will be sleeping on the floor...and it won't be me," I teased as I walked to our room.

"You're not going to sleep already, are you?" Abigail asked, turning to look at me over the back of the sofa.

To be honest, I didn't feel that tired, but I had somehow fallen back into the habit of feeling that I had to go to bed once my elders did. "I guess so," I said, looking around awkwardly.

"Come on!" she exclaimed in a hushed tone, nervously peeking at the door to her father's room. "I'm too pumped to sleep right now, aren't you? You just won a butt load of money!" she said, getting to her feet. "We need to celebrate!"

Before I could form a reasonable protest, Abigail grabbed me by the hand and pulled me out the door of our suite. Slowing for only a moment to close the door quietly behind us, she proceeded to tug me along behind her toward the elevator. We had several floors to travel down, and the longer the ride took, the more Abigail began to fidget excitedly. She was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet by the time the bell sounded for the ground floor.

"What are we going to do?" I asked as she guided me out of the elevator and into the noise and flashing lights of the casino floor.

"Let's gamble a little bit more and get some drinks," Abigail said.

Despite the hour, there was still a flood of people roaming the floor, gambling and drinking, or simply walking in search of a new game that would call their name. Abigail and I drew several looks from the people around us. I was assuming it was due to our extravagant attire. Most of the people were dressed nicely themselves, but we were both on a whole different level. I still caught myself running my hands over the rich fabric of my luscious red gown, or fingering the black coral beading that decorated it.

I had mused before that I had felt like a princess, but the way people gave way for Abigail and I made the feeling really set in. I tried not to stare too hard at our admirers, but I had the feeling that their eyes lingered long after we passed them. I could almost feel their eyes caressing my curves from behind me.

"Abigail," I said, stopping her. "I left my money upstairs."

"Don't worry, I have plenty on me," she said, slipping two fingers into the cleavage of her black strapless dress to pull out a thick wad of bills.

"How did all of that fit in there?" I joked, surprised that there was any extra room left in her dress for her boobs with all of that cash hidden in there.

"Ooh!" Abigail said, either distracted or ignoring my comment. "This table!"

We sat down at a barren blackjack table overseen by an elderly man with a kind smile and thinning hair. After receiving a large pile of five-dollar chips, Abigail split them with me, and we placed our bets. We had already won a lot of money, but right now it was more about the ambiance as we drank and laughed together.

I didn't know how long we were at it, but with our attendance, the table filled quickly with men of all ages looking for any excuse to be near us. Most of them kept their peace, only letting their eyes wander to us frequently, but not all. Either deep in drink, or feeling lucky, some few tried to gain some attention from us.

"Those dresses are amazing," one younger man said with a slight slur. "You guys come from somewhere fancy?"

Another tried playing a longer game. He was betting heavily, even for a five-dollar table, while trying to subtly tell us how successful he was. He ended up losing all of his chips from lack of attention to his play. As he stood up to go, he tried to salvage his losses by asking if we would like to go someplace quiet with him. By the third guy it was getting a little exhausting.

"Can I buy you ladies a drink?" A guy in his twenties asked.

"We have drinks," Abigail said, holding up her glass and fighting the urge to giggle at his poor attempt.

"How about just your name then?" he asked, trying to recover.

I wasn't feeling his attempt at all. Abigail stared at him for a moment, giving him a funny lopsided look with half a smile, before she got up from her stool and stepped around me to stand next to him.

"You're not bad looking," she observed, running a hand over his shoulder and lightly touching his hair, causing him to beam with anticipation. "You definitely have some money, judging by your clothes, but there's just one thing..." she said, taking a step back towards me.

Before I knew what she was planning, Abigail sat easily into my lap sideways, hooking one arm around my shoulders.

"...you're just not our type," she smiled, twisting her body into me and pulling me in for a sensual kiss.

I wasn't ready for it. For a split second I was shocked, but I quickly recovered recalling the only other time those beautifully soft lips had touched mine. It had only been a distraction so Kennedy could get away, but it had been memorable. Just the thought of that night long ago could make my heart skip a beat, and now it was happening again.

I was sure it wasn't real. Abigail was just screwing with this guy. That didn't stop me from enjoying it and taking full advantage. My hands easily snaked themselves around her, roaming over her small body. I could feel hers running along my thigh causing small ripples of pleasure to follow her touch.