Chapter 26 #2
“What?” Those words are a slap in the face. “Oh. Ha!” Ray chuckles. How could I be so stupid? “Right. Right. Sorry guys.”
Gene laughs, shaking his head. “It’s alright. You have nothing to worry about.”
Ray continues to laugh as well, covering up his embarrassment. Nothing to worry about, huh? He does have something to worry about—will Carol catch on to Ray’s obvious jealousy?
“Hey Nicky,” Carol says, seeming to not be fazed by what just occurred. “Did you have any more of those Quaaludes on you?”
“Yeah, did you want so—”
“Quaaludes?” Ray turns around, facing Carol. “You’ve been taking pills? How did I not know about this?”
Her face stretches in surprise. “Oh, uh… I’ve only ever had a couple. It’s no big deal.”
Ray shakes his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. That’s probably why she seemed so spaced out those few times I noticed. “I would’ve at least liked to know. You don’t need to hide that from me.”
“I wasn’t trying to hide it,” she says. “You never asked.”
“So I need to ask you every now and then if you’re on pills?”
“No, that’s ridiculous. Besides, what I do with my own body isn’t technically your business. You’re my boyfriend, not my keeper.”
Ray instantly drops his hand from his face and gives Carol an uncomfortable glare. “I’m merely looking out for you! Sheesh.”
“Then why don’t you get on Gene for doing coke?” she snaps.
Ray shakes his head, huffing out a harsh breath. “He can do whatever he wants. It’s fine.”
“Oh, and I can’t?” She stands up from her stool.
“I never said you couldn’t! You can do whatever, too. Fuck.” He reaches up and pulls his bangs away from his face.
“Hey, uh…” Gene speaks up.
Ray drops his hand again and turns his gaze towards him.
Gene’s eyes are wide, his lips pursed, surprised. “Maybe you two should calm down?”
Carol groans. “Fine. Fine! Forget the Quaaludes.” She clasps her purse shut, securing her coin pouch inside. “Pat is in the showroom, right?”
“Y-yeah, last I knew,” Ray says.
“Then I’m off to find her. I can’t stand being around these fucking slot machines anymore. I’m not even winning anything.”
And so, she walks past Ray and the rest of them, heading off toward the flashy set of double doors that leads to the showroom.
“Uh, okay.” Ray sighs. He doesn’t feel the urge to race after her. She’ll be fine; she’ll find Pat.
That leaves him here with Gene. But Nicky is still here too, and Ray realizes this whole tangent with Carol left Nicky hanging, stuck on the sidelines and probably so curious as to everything that went down.
Gene can hang with him. Whatever. Maybe I need to head off, too—have some time by myself for once.
“So… did you still wanna…?” Nicky twiddles his fingers together.
“Yeah, sure.” Gene nods. “What about you, Ray?”
“Oh, no, I’m okay. I’m gonna… go explore,” Ray says with a shrug. “I wasn’t playing the slots anyways. I’ll catch up with you later?”
Gene’s brows crease with worry for a moment, before he shrugs as well. “Alright. Please take care.”
“I’ll be fine. Thanks, though.”
Gene gives him a sweet smile. “For sure.”
Ray grabs Carol’s old empty cup—she must’ve forgotten about it—and hands it along with his own to a passing waitress, grabbing a new drink.
Gene gets up from his stool and he and Nicky walk off following the wall, presumably looking for a bathroom.
Now Ray truly is all on his own. But he’ll be alright—this is what he wanted, after all.
He wanders around the casino, past dozens upon dozens of more slot machines, finding a table of people playing blackjack. It’s been a while since he last played, but he figures he might as well have a go. He hasn’t tried gambling at all yet, merely watching others play.
After spending some time at the blackjack table, Ray gets up from his spot, having won ten dollars.
It’s not much, but at least he can say he won instead of lost. He’s already done with his drink again.
He finds another waitress, replacing his empty cup with a full one.
His head is spinning, but thankfully only a little bit.
He’ll be fine. It’s not like he hasn’t gotten drunker than this before.
He walks around again, eyeing all the slot machines—the constant noise of bells and dings coming at him from every direction—and he spots a young man with long, platinum-blond hair sitting at one. Stefan!
“Hey, Stefan!” Ray says, walking up behind him.
Stefan says nothing. He doesn’t even turn to look at him, putting another coin in the slot and pulling the lever.
“Uh… Stefan?”
Bar, cherries, double-bar. Not a winner. Stefan finally turns his head, looking up at Ray. “Hey.”
“You, uh, you having fun?”
“Yeah.” Stefan directs his gaze back at the slot machine, and puts another coin in.
Always a man of few words, I guess.
“Alright, well… that’s cool,” Ray says.
Lemon, cherries, bar. Stefan shrugs.
Ray doesn’t know what else to say. But he doesn’t want to just stand here idling awkwardly. He picks an open seat two spots down on a different slot machine, and finally tries his luck on one of them.
After finishing his drink—and losing five of the ten dollars he’d just won from blackjack—he figures it’s time to get up and try something else.
But standing up sends a rush through his head; he reaches out and steadies himself on the machine so he doesn’t fall over.
This is fine. This is fine. I just stood up too fast. He straightens himself out, and takes a deep breath. Yeah, I’m alright.
“Well… I guess I’ll catch you later?” Ray says to Stefan.
“Sure.” Stefan shrugs, and puts another coin in the slot machine.
Alright…
Ray finds yet another waitress and exchanges his empty cup for another full one from her cart.
Man, it’s endless here! He wanders around the casino some more.
No one else he knows is in sight. He takes a sip from his drink.
Where did Santi and Maurice go? Gene and Nicky, too—I doubt they’re still in the bathroom, it’s been too long.
Not that he particularly wants to hang with anyone right now; he simply is amazed he hasn’t spotted them.
Has he gotten himself lost? No. I can see the doors to the hotel.
I know where I am. If I really don’t know what else to do, I’ll just head back to the room.
But I can’t retire just yet! Not when there’s still so much he hasn’t explored. This is Las-fucking-Vegas! He weaves his way around people, looking for perhaps a more interesting machine, or if there’s a table for poker or roulette. He notices a poker table to his right, and tries to head for it—
“Oh my god, aren’t you in the Dusty Brooms?!”
Ray turns around to face the voice he heard—and approaching him are two beautiful young ladies, both dressed in high-waisted hot pants and tight tube tops. Well, well, now.
“Yeah, I am,” he says with a smile.
The blonde one gasps. “You’re the singer! Ray—Ray Roderick, right?”
“Yup, that’s me!”
“We were at your show yesterday!” the brunette exclaims. “Wow, it’s crazy to actually meet you here.”
“Well, here I am.” He shrugs, still with a grin on his face.
It amazes him how he’s becoming so famous, every now and then random passers-by will recognize him, and even be familiar with his music.
Fans can be anywhere, he supposes. “May I ask for your names, please? What are you two lovely ladies doing in Las Vegas tonight?”
“My name is Janet, and this here is my friend Rose,” the blonde one says, a visible blush on her cheeks. “We live here; we were just hanging out before we head off to this show at Caesars. I can’t believe we’d run into you like this.”
“I guess in a place like Vegas or California, you’re bound to come across fairly famous people every now and then if you’re in the right places,” Ray says.
“I’m from Michigan—you rarely ever see famous people there, even in Detroit.
But then again, I wouldn’t compare my fame to, I don’t know, someone like Mick Jagger. ”
That gets both of the girls to giggle. “Meeting anyone in a band that sounds as great as yours, famous or not, is a wonderful privilege,” Rose says.
“Why, thank you.” Ray flips his hair with his free hand, attempting to be elegant.
But the alcohol knocks his head again, making him dizzy, and he does his best to straighten himself out before the two ladies start to question if anything is wrong.
Nothing’s wrong. I’m just a little drunk, that’s all.
“You said you were going to Caesars? Where’s that? ”
“Just across the street,” Janet says. “They’re hosting a drag show tonight. Have you ever been to one?”
“A drag show?” Ray takes a sip of his drink. “Can’t say I have. That’s, um, that’s when men dress up as women, right?”
“Yup. They’re rather fun, and they’re so good at dancing, too! We’ve been to quite a few.”
“Their make-up is always so stunning, too,” Rose says. “I’m jealous of how fab they look. They’re prettier than me!” She laughs.
“Well, I can assure you, I think you’re gorgeous just the way you are,” Ray says with a smirk. “Both you and Janet.” He can’t help himself—it feels good to let loose and flirt.
He’s rewarded with more blushes and giggles. “Thank you, Ray,” Janet says. “Hey, are you busy with anything else right now? How would you like to come along with us to the show?”
“Huh? Really?” His eyes widen.
“Yeah! It should be starting pretty soon.” Rose glances at her thin wristwatch. “We’ve only got twenty minutes! We should head over before we’re too late.”
“Oh, uh… sure! Why not? Sounds like fun.” Ray smiles with a shrug. “I wasn’t doing much anyways.”
“Wait, I just thought—what about your band?” Rose asks. “Are they here with you?”
“Yeah, but it’s not like I have to stick around them. We’re staying here in Vegas for the next couple weeks. As long as I’m in the studio by noon tomorrow, I’m good.”
“Alright then.” Rose nods. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”
She grabs his free hand, tugging him forward. “Woah, hang on a sec! Let me set down this cup first,” he chuckles.
“I’ll take care of that.” Janet plucks his drink from his fingers, then, in a matter of seconds, finds the nearest waitress, gives her the empty cup, and she scurries back over to Ray and Rose. “Alright, now let’s go.”
Janet grabs Ray’s other hand, and the two ladies hurry off with him toward the double doors that lead outside to the Strip.
His stomach is jostling, his head spinning, but he’ll be fine.
This is what Vegas is about, isn’t it? Having some impromptu fun.
He’s never been to a drag show, but it sure sounds like a good time.
And how could things go wrong when he’s got two beautiful chicks at his side?
Before they exit, Ray spots a tall young man getting up from a slot machine, wearing a familiar pair of sunglasses. Wait a second, I recognize that guy!
“Hey, Dennis!” Ray calls out.
“Dennis?” Janet says, halting her steps and making Rose and Ray stop too.
“Oh, Ray! There you are,” Dennis says, coming closer to their group. “I was wondering what happened to you.”
“I’m fiiiiine.” Ray hiccups. “Just thought I’d say hi before we head out—these two are taking me to a drag show.”
“A drag show, huh?”
“He’s my manager, by the way,” Ray says to Janet and Rose. “Yup! We better hurry now! Come on, girls!”
They scurry off together through the doors before Dennis can get another word in.
If they only have twenty minutes, they can’t be dilly-dallying.
His head spins again. The darkening evening sky paints a lovely backdrop against all the sparkling neon.
Cars zoom on the Strip—their headlights passing along in an otherworldly blur.
Red, pink, and green lights flash and flicker in every direction: up, down, left, and right. It’s a sensory overload.
“How the hell are we gonna get across?” Ray asks.