Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
A s dinner drew to a close, Kit almost regretted that he couldn’t linger for longer, talking and sharing not only memories from their days in school, but actually discussing their various experiences over the last few years. The more time they spent together, the more comfortable Luka seemed to become with him, which was exactly what Kit was hoping for. But he told himself they had an entire week in Vegas, and he could undoubtedly get Luka to come out again, just the two of them. Maybe it wasn’t quite a date, especially not to Luka, but Kit was doing his best to subtly woo his friend, hoping Luka would eventually realize how right they were for one another.
There wasn’t much time, perhaps only two or three weeks, before Jett would be back, and at that point, trying to win Luka’s heart would become much more difficult, since it would be damned hard to find a reason, even “friendship”, for him to stay on tour with the band. Sultana had a studio date in less than five months, and they had to come up with an entire album worth of songs in that time.
In Kit’s perfect world, Luka would fall in love with him, and somehow Kit could get Jett to take his place in Sultana so Kit could stay with the F-Holes. He realized years ago that it wasn’t being in Sultana and being famous that had really mattered to him. It was being in a band with Luka, making music with the person he loved most. Maybe it wouldn’t happen, no matter what he did, and he would have to be content with Luka being back in his life at all.
They left the dining room, heading toward the special theater at the back of the building where KA was staged. They had been given “VIP Royalty Experience” tickets, which included a backstage tour and a meet and greet with some of the artists. Luka seemed fascinated by the demonstration of the vertical stage, and Kit saw him checking out the sound system, a professional hazard for any musician when given the opportunity to tour a performance space. Then it was time for the show, and Kit was pleased to see that their VIP seats were separated from anyone around them, giving them a bubble of privacy that felt much more intimate.
It was likely Kit spent as much time watching Luka as he did the show, and he didn’t hesitate to smile whenever Luka glanced at him or to lean close and share a thought about the performance. He wished he could reach over and take Luka’s hand, yearning to bridge the gap still between them. But it was much too soon to try anything that bold, so he’d just have to bide his time.
The show had a decidedly romantic theme. It followed the journey of royal twins driven from their home, who find their true loves among the people they meet on their journey to regain their thrones. When the princess of the tale and her lover soared together over the audience in the finale, Kit felt an ache of longing, wishing he and Luka could experience that kind of connection. He knew it was just a story, but he wanted to believe that somehow, like a fairy tale, love really could conquer all.
After the show, as they left the theater with the rest of the delighted crowd, Kit went so far as to throw an arm around Luka’s shoulders, the way he used to when they’d been younger and he’d first been trying to get Luka to notice him. This time, he had the excuse of the press of bodies around them, and he didn’t hesitate to use it.
“What a crush. But that was incredible, wasn’t it?” he asked.
“Definitely,” Luka replied. He gave Kit a searching glance, but then seemed to accept Kit’s arm around him as being nothing more than a friendly gesture. “I can see why some musicians find a permanent show in Vegas appealing. You have a lot of options for cool theatrical effects that you can’t take on the road. Hellsbane does great with their hologram rig, but can you imagine what they could do with something that didn’t have to move?”
“Yeah, it would be really cool. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing them at Rocktoberfest this year,” Kit agreed. An idea occurred to him, and he decided to run with it, just to have the chance to spend more time with Luka. “Hey, are you feeling lucky?”
Luka glanced at him, startled. “Lucky?”
Kit chuckled, then took the opportunity to hug Luka closer. “We’re in a casino, aren’t we? And I, for one, am feeling damned lucky at the moment. So what do you say to hitting the slots or the tables?”
Luka’s eyes widened, and Kit thought his cheeks were a little flushed. Then Luka’s brow creased as he considered the offer. “Sure, if you want to. I don’t know anything about it, though.”
“Neither do I,” Kit laughed. He moved his arm, but just so he could grab Luka’s hand and pull him toward the front of the casino where the gaming floor was located.
They were thwarted for a short time by not having any cash, but there were ATMs all over the place. Kit withdrew a few hundred dollars, shushing Luka when he protested. Then they walked around, looking at the various table games, but they were both too intimidated to try them. They settled on playing a ridiculous-looking slot machine with cows flying UFOs. The set up had four machines against a wall with a massive set of screens facing them, where “bonus rounds” were displayed when triggered.
While the main goal had been just to spend more time with Luka, the slot was more fun than Kit had expected. The sound effects and wildly flashing lights had them both laughing, and they had a meaningless but good natured rivalry going about who could win more money per spin.
“I’ve never been lucky,” Luka said at one point when Kit was up by five bucks. “I guess I’m more the hard work type.”
Kit saw a hint of a shadow pass over Luka’s face, so he gave him a quick, one-armed hug. “That was in the past,” he said firmly. “Vegas is new territory, and it’s time you made your own luck.”
Luka seemed to accept that, and he smiled again, relaxing into the embrace. Kit would have liked to leave his arm around Luka’s shoulders, but he didn’t want to push too hard and set back all the progress he’d been making.
At one point, Luka pressed the button to activate the slot, and to both of their surprise, it started racking up bonus after bonus, with sound effects that got progressively louder. The music was bad enough, especially with the sounds of fake cows mooing over it, but then the cascade triggered more flashing lights and sirens, all blaring out from the surprisingly robust speakers. People at other machines nearby turned around to watch, while the credit count on the machine climbed. They’d only been wagering a dollar per bet, but by the time the machine stopped its psychotic wailing and flashing, the tally of the win was almost $15,000.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Luka shouted, jumping up from his chair and doing a little victory dance, swiveling his hips in a way that was entirely too distracting. Kit knew it was less about the amount of money than the fact Luka had won something.
“Amazing!” Kit stood up, joining in Luka’s dance, mirroring his motions and clapping his hands like he was doing a flamenco — much to the amusement of the people near them. A representative from the casino hurried toward them, no doubt to look at the size of the win and to make sure they hadn’t done anything shady to make it happen. But everything was quickly checked out, and when asked if he was finished playing, Luka nodded and collected a receipt from the machine. Kit was not surprised to see people vying to take over their spot; gamblers were almost as superstitious as musicians.
“Unfortunately, we’re going to have to collect taxes from your winnings,” the official, an older woman with a grandmotherly smile, told them. “Standard procedure, I’m afraid. Uncle Sam needs his cut.”
They were escorted over to the cashiers, and after Luka gave his name and social security number, he was presented with a cashier’s check. The casino representative had made enough small talk with them to learn they were musicians appearing in the hotel, and she asked if they could get a publicity photo.
“I don’t know….” Luka hesitated, biting his lip.
“Come on, you won. Why not celebrate it?” Kit asked, nudging him.
Luka raised a brow. “Well, since you provided the stake we were using, you have to be in it, too,” he said firmly. “It’s only fair.”
The invitation made Kit grin; for Luka to spontaneously include him in the win had to be a good sign. “Sure, if you insist.”
They were posed against a wall holding a big fake check, both smiling widely. Kit insisted on being given a copy of the picture, telling Luka it needed to go up on the F-Holes’ website.
Luka hesitated again. “You know, I would feel better about the whole thing if we donated it to charity,” he said. “I mean, I don’t need the money. Sure, it was cool to win something this big, but it was just chance, you know? I didn’t earn it. I’d rather give it to someplace that can help people.”
If Kit hadn’t already loved Luka, he would have fallen for him just for that suggestion. “I think that’s an epic idea. Which charity are you thinking of?”
“I think I’d like to find a local one in Vegas that deals with LGBTQ youth — especially ones whose parents did what mine did,” Luka replied, and Kit reached out to squeeze his arm, totally understanding why Luka found it so important.
“Why don’t we go back up to the room, and I’ll help you find one?” Kit offered.
Luka agreed, and soon they were back up in the F-Holes’ suite. The others hadn’t returned, so Kit got out his laptop. Then he and Luka sat next to each other on one sofa, searching for the various charities and debating which one might make the most use of the money. They finally agreed on a small, grass-roots level charity serving LGBTQ+ youth in Clarke County. Luka called down to the concierge and discovered it was rather easy to make arrangements for the check to be sent to the organization in the name of the entire band, including Kit.
Luka seemed very pleased and somehow happier than Kit had seen him at any time since he’d joined the band. He looked so appealing, the smile that curved his lips making Kit long to lean in and kiss him.
“Any time,” Kit replied. He turned on the sofa to face Luka, deciding to take a chance. “I had fun being with you tonight.”
Luka nodded, then glanced away, a flush on his cheeks. “I did, too.”
“I’d like to do it again, when we have the chance. I like the rest of the band, but I prefer spending time with you.”
Luka looked at him, seeming strangely hesitant. “Really?”
Before Kit could say more — as encouraged as he was by that tell-tale flush — the door to the suite opened, admitting the rest of the band. They were all in good spirits, though Kit could have happily throttled the lot of them for interrupting.
“Hey! How was your date?” Andre asked, giving Kit an evil grin. “Did you like the show?”
It was all Kit could do to keep from groaning aloud at his directness, and he stole a look at Luka, who appeared startled, his eyes wide. Kit had considered it a date, but he was pretty sure Luka hadn’t.
“The show was great,” he said, hoping Luka wasn’t going to overthink the comment and decide not to go out alone with Kit again. He resorted to a distraction. “Luka won a fortune in the casino, which he donated to a local charity.”
It was a successful ploy, since everyone had questions, and Luka appeared quite happy to tell them all about the win.
“Kit provided the stake, so it was his win, too,” Luka insisted. “But as cool as it was to win, it felt even better to give it away.”
“Definitely,” Dmitri agreed, patting Luka on the shoulder. “That was an awesome thing to do.”
“It was,” Kit agreed.
The others then talked about their own evening, but Kit wasn’t paying close attention. He was too busy watching Luka. Sometimes their eyes would meet, and he thought he saw a question in Luka’s gaze before Luka glanced away. Whatever was going through Luka’s mind, Kit hoped it was good, not the self-doubt Luka had once struggled with so hard.
“Sorry, guys, but I’m tired,” Luka said at last, and he smiled as he stood. “Good night, see you in the morning.”
Kit watched him go, deciding to give Luka a little space to get ready without Kit being right there in his space. But after several minutes, he excused himself as well, entering the bedroom to find Luka already in bed, covers pulled up to his chest as he leaned back against the pillows, looking at his phone. He smiled a little pensively as Kit entered the room.
“I’ll just be a minute,” Kit said. He retrieved a t-shirt and pajama bottoms from the drawer where he’d unpacked earlier, then went into the bathroom to change and brush his teeth. By the time he came out, Luka had turned off his bed lamp and put his phone away, and he was lying curled up on his side, facing away from Kit’s bed. Kit tried not to read too much into it as he got into bed himself, then switched off his own lamp, leaving the room in darkness.
“Good night,” he said quietly, in case Luka was already asleep. He heard a sleepy murmur from Luka as he settled himself for the night.
Now he just had to hope sleep would come, and that he didn’t spend the entire night longing for a time when two beds might turn into only one.