20. Chapter 19 #2
I winced at him, scolding myself for my carelessness.
I’d set boundaries and my hips were sending the wrong message.
“I wasn’t trying to tease you, I just got lost in the music.
” The show was great, but I wanted to find out what else this man had in store for me.
Tonight was supposed to be about getting to know each other. “You wanna get out of here?”
He chuckled. “Only if you’re ready.”
The look in his chocolate-brown eyes told me he was more than ready. “I’ve done my due diligence. What else you got?”
Trent groaned. “So much more, sweetheart. So much.”
My panties flooded from the man who was offering more than I was willing to give. Yet. I didn’t want to fuck up my job, but the man holding my hips was too tempting for his own good. He’d have to wait until I decided if he was worth the risk. “I wanna see more than the inside of a hotel room.”
“Not even on my mind,” he lied as he pressed his cock into the small of my back. “I’m going to make tonight a night you’ll never forget.”
“Show me what you’ve got,” I flirted. “I wanna live dangerously.”
“Careful what you wish for.” Trent grabbed my hand and dragged me through the throng of people backstage.
I giggled as I ran in my heels down the winding corridors of Mystique I never knew existed.
We exited the venue through a side door and proceeded down a deserted path to the crowded sidewalk of the Strip.
There was so much to take in—couples walking arm in arm, drag queens drumming up business for their shows, lights flashing and demanding attention.
My knowledge of the Strip was limited. Since I’d been here, I’d experienced it through the window of my new living quarters, seeing it from afar but not being immersed in the sights and sounds.
“Where are we going?”
“Everywhere. No more naive girl from Waukegan. You need to live!”
I loved his enthusiasm. It was a lot to absorb as we weaved in and out of tourists. Finally, he stopped and pulled me in front of him, wrapping his arms around my waist. “This is a must-see.” Trent pushed me against the railing, shielding me from behind.
I looked over the small pond in front of a grand hotel. “What am I looking at?”
“Just wait.”
Minutes ticked by and I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to look at.
Music played and the magic began. Water danced in front of me in a carefully choreographed display of lights and sound.
I was transfixed by the fountains as they sprayed water in perfect harmony with the music. “This is the Bellagio?”
“It is. What do you think?”
“Wow. It’s better than YouTube.”
He watched me watch the fountains. “Nothing is better than the real thing. This is only the beginning.”
After the fantastic water display, we walked hand in hand down the Strip.
He led me past the Eiffel Tower, roller coasters, and street performers.
It truly was an adult playground. Too much and not enough all at the same time.
An overload of the senses that made you afraid you might miss something if you blinked.
Placing his palm on my lower back, Trent led me past huge statues of lions guarding the entrance of another casino. It was extravagant, as if everything was dipped in gold. “What are we doing here?”
“You’ll see,” Trent said as he led me through the lobby and onto the casino floor. The dinging of the slot machines overwhelmed me from every side. "Pick one."
There were so many. A sea of spinning reels revealing diamonds, cherries, lucky sevens, and any other image you could think of. “I don’t know how to choose.”
“My mom always says the machine picks you. Take a deep breath and close your eyes.” I did as he said, and Trent turned me in a circle. “Now open your eyes. Which machine calls to you?”
I took a tentative step forward, focusing on a slot machine in the far corner. Trent followed my lead and slipped a hundred dollar bill into the bandit like it was nothing. “I can’t spend your money.”
“Sure you can. It’s a date and I can afford it. You haven’t even let me buy you dinner.” He nodded toward the machine. “Pull the handle.”
I bit my lip in anticipation. It seemed like a waste of money, but I couldn’t fight the urge to give it a try. “You’re sure?”
He gave me a pointed look and placed my hand on the lever. “I’m positive.”
It was five dollars a spin. Money that would be better spent on anything else. I pushed away the inner voice of my parents and pulled down. The reels spun quickly, landing on a double bar, a seven, and a blank. I shrugged, feeling guilty for wasting Trent’s money.
He chuckled. “I’d have been surprised if you won anything on the first try.” Leaning over me, he tapped the credit button three times. “Try again.”
I gulped. “That’s fifteen dollars.”
He rolled his eyes and put my hand back on the lever. “Pull.”
The wheels spun again and the pit in my stomach grew.
It was one thing wasting my own money, but it was something else entirely to waste his.
I watched intently as the reels stopped one by one, a bar, another bar, and…
a cherry. My heart sank. How could people put their hard-earned money into these machines day after day?
A tiny ding grabbed my attention. “What happened?”
Trent smirked at me. “You won your money back.”
“Your money,” I corrected. “So, it’s what? Like a free spin?”
“That’s how they keep you here. Gives you a little taste of success. Can you feel it?”
I nodded.
“Go ahead. Pull it again. You know you want to.”
I did want to do it again. A rush of adrenaline coursed through my veins.
I copied Trent and tapped the credit button three times.
“Here goes nothing.” With a pull of the handle the reels spun again.
Three double bars clicked into place and the machine dinged longer than before, giving me thirty credits.
I quickly did the math. “A hundred fifty?”
“Looks like it’s your lucky night.”
“I should stop.”
“No. You should keep going. You’ll know when to stop.”
“Do you want to play?”
Trent shook his head at me with a predatory glint in his eyes. “I’m enjoying watching you.”
“Is this turning you on?”
“Immensely.”
I giggled. “You’re a strange one.” I began mixing up my bets, sometimes winning a bit and sometimes losing.
Every time the machine dinged it was like another shot of adrenaline straight to the heart.
It was easy to see how people became so addicted.
When I’d doubled Trent’s initial investment, I cashed out and held up the slip that was spat out. “Drinks on me?”
“Absolutely.” Trent pulled the slip from between my fingers and led us to the cashier. After cashing out, we sat at the bar and ordered. “Are you hungry?”
“I grabbed a burger with Claude before the concert, but I could eat.” I held up my cosmo. “Something to soak this up. A corn dog?”
Trent nearly spits his scotch on the bar top. “We’re in a city where you can literally get anything, and you want carnival food?”
“I’m a midwestern girl. I don’t need fancy. I need sustenance.”
“You are something else, Gia Romano. A complete and utter enigma.”
I quirked a brow at him. “That a problem for you?”
“Not at all. It’s refreshing.”