November 11
Las Vegas, Nevada
“VEGAAAAAAAAAAAS!” Jasmin screamed, pumping her fists in the air like she was Rocky at the top of the stairs. She was at top of the stairs, but there were only five and it was in front of a hotel. “Woohoo! We’re in Vegas, Kevin! Vegas!”
Her excitement was gushing over. She rushed down the stairs, ran a few steps to the right, then turned back and ran in the other direction. She didn’t even know where to start. Everything was just so big and bright and beautiful.
“I feel like I need to do something crazy, Kevin. I feel like the Vegas bug has bit me.”
“We’ve been here all of three seconds.”
“It’s a fast-acting bug.”
He was still at the bottom of the stairs in front of the hotel and she walked back to him.
“I feel like taking off all my clothes and running through that fountain over there.” She pointed to the massive fountain outside the Bellagio hotel. “I mean, there’s a reason why they call it the Strip.”
“That’s…not the reason. And I’m not sure about the laws here, but I think public nudity is still a crime.”
They slowly walked down the sidewalk lined with palm trees and neatly trimmed hedges, taking in all the fabulousness around them.
It was ten in the morning and there was still a buzz.
It could just be her, but there was definitely something electric in the air.
Each building was more beautiful and extravagant than the last. It was like nothing she had ever seen before.
Not a normal city, but a paradise. Each hotel had its own theme, which made her feel like she was in a hundred different places at once. New York. Egypt. France. Italy.
“I want to see everything!” she shouted. “Like in Debbie does Dallas, but this will be Jasmintha does Vegas.”
He stopped walking. “Jazz, have you…have you ever watched Debbie does Dallas?”
“No, but I’ve heard the title a lot.”
A sullen look came over his face. “Um…It’s…
it’s not…” His tone was somber, like he was about to deliver the news that she had a life-threatening disease.
“She…Debbie…” She didn’t know Debbie, but she felt like she should be worried.
He took a deep breath, almost as if the reveal would be heart-wrenching. “Debbie didn’t go sightseeing, Jazz.”
“Then what was she doing in Dallas?”
He shook his head sympathetically. “She…she did a lot. She did a lot of things in Dallas, but…sightseeing wasn’t one of them.”
Slowly, she pieced it together and the illusion that had been built up in her mind for years just crumbled. What a disappointment. Debbie was a dream-wrecker.
They explored the Strip by foot, bouncing in and out of stores and hotels.
It wasn’t just electric, it was magical.
Gold plated staircases. Glass elevators.
Crystal chandeliers. Colorful lights. Luxurious, extravagant beauty—an overload for her vision, but that Vegas bug had bitten her bad because she couldn’t stop herself.
A lot of her visits were short because she was technically underage to go into a casino, but there was so much more to see.
She went crazy with photos, taking selfies in front of every landmark and building.
Kevin was also taken in by the exuberance, though he showed his excitement in a very low-key way—that being, he didn’t complain or argue.
They eventually stumbled upon a casino/hotel that promised an amazing view of the Strip.
They travelled up to the open rooftop and she was in awe.
The cool breeze flitted through her hair.
The aerial perspective added an entirely different view of Vegas, the expanse of urban entertainment mixed with dusty desert in the distance.
The buildings and streets were pierced with streams of blue from hotel pools and fountains.
It was gorgeous and only added to the anxious buzz zipping through her.
She walked to the railing, leaning slightly over the edge to allow the wind to swirl around her. It was a breath of freedom.
“I’m on top of the world!” she screamed, quite unexpectedly.
A few people turned to look at them, but Kevin didn’t seem embarrassed by the attention. He was definitely adjusting to the shameful discomfort that came along with her.
“I’m gonna do something crazy,” she said, turning to him.
“Please don’t jump off.”
“I’m gonna do it.”
He looked a little worried. “Do what?”
She practiced it in her head a few times before she actually said it. “Fuck!” That was surprisingly liberating. “Fuck! There. I said it. Not so bad. Fuck!”
“Something is not right with you.”
“I can’t believe I said it. But I’m in Vegas! Fuck! Fuck it. What a cool word. I see why you like it so much. I think I’m gonna play around with it a bit…like…like all Mafia. What the fuck, Luigi?”
He shook his head. “You’re disturbed.”
“And like a stoner. Fuuuuck, dude. Old English. Well, Basil, I believe this tea is fucking shite. Or…” Her eyes widened when the idea struck her. “Or like Snoop Dogg. Foshizzle mynizzle, motherfucker. I think cursing suits me, Kevin. It goes very nicely with my rapper shlong.”
“Rappers would never use the word shlong.”
She ignored that statement. What did he know about rappers? “Okay, give me something. I can do it. Throw any cuss word at me.”
He was fairly amused. “Shit.”
“Pffft! That’s not even a challenge. Shit. Fuck that shit. Did you see what I did there? Combo cuss. You can’t touch this.”
“All right. Bitch.”
“Bitch, please. I am on a roll today.”
A small smile flickered on his face, but didn’t quite materialize. “Cock.”
“I can…” She gave an exaggerated snort. “I can say that. Of course I can…say…that. C—” She cleared her throat. “C…co…I mean, it’s so easy. Co…cock.” Her face scrunched, because the word actually tasted bitter. “See? C-cock.” She smiled at him then. “Cock. There you go. Now you do something crazy.”
“You’re crazy enough for the both of us.”
“Aw, c’mon. Lighten up! We’re in Vegas.”
“I know, Jazz. I couldn’t possibly forget. You remind me every five seconds.”
She reached into her knapsack, took out her cellphone and tapped the icon for the camera. “For real. Just do something out of your comfort zone.”
His shoulders slumped. “Like what?”
“I don’t know. Something crazy. Something you wouldn’t ordinarily do. Oh! I know. You could smile. Huh? Wouldn’t that just be insane? Show off your cute little dimples. Or…better yet, you can pretend that you’re actually having a good time. What a stretch of the imagination, Kevin.”
Despite the fact that his face had hardened with irritability, he rose to the challenge. “Okay. Something crazy?”
“Yeah.”
“You want some jazz hands and shit?”
“Would you do that? That would be amazing.” She moved to stand next to him, lifting her phone to take a picture of the two of them. She wanted proof of this. “Go all out.”
She couldn’t take the picture just yet, because he was busy prepping himself for it.
“I’m gonna do it,” he said, bouncing on his toes like a boxer before a match. He even snapped his neck from left to right, loosening himself up for this moment.
He had a playful side and she kinda liked it. She was glad she’d decided to do this. He was cute when he let his guard down a bit.
He smiled, flashing those dimples and her anticipation built. “Okay,” he said. “I’m ready. Are you ready?”
“I’m so ready!”
“Good.” His smile disappeared. “Take the picture.” He cupped her face with both hands and before she even had a chance to think, his lips were on hers.
Her eyes widened, then fluttered closed.
The hand holding her phone fell to her side as she soaked it all in.
It wasn’t brief. He stayed there with his mouth pressed to hers for what felt like forever.
He pulled away slightly, his breaths coming out in short, soft pants on her lips.
She remained frozen, staring at him, too lost in the what-the-fuckness of it all to do anything more.
They were nose to nose, his eyes flicking between her eyes and her lips.
And just when she thought it was over, he drew her lower lip into his mouth, teasing it between his teeth and tongue.
Her heart hammered in her chest and despite herself, a small gasp escaped her.
She had never kissed a boy before and she had no idea what to do.
But the softness of his lips, the warmth of his mouth, the velvety feel of his tongue—it made her want more.
This kiss was also not brief. It felt like he would never stop…and she didn’t want him to stop. He was a few inches taller than her and she found herself lifting onto her toes to keep their lips locked.
He finally pulled away, putting enough distance between them to let her know that it had indeed come to an end.
For a long time, he said nothing and she said nothing, but his hands were still on her face, his fingers lightly caressing the back of her neck.
His eyes were on her lips again and he slowly brushed his thumb over them.
At that point, she wished she had known other guys, she wished she had some insight to how the male mind worked, because she could’ve sworn he wanted to kiss her again. But he didn’t.
He dropped his hands and took a step back. “There.” And his voice sounded as unsteady as she felt. “That should shut you up for a while.”
It did.
* * * * *
Jasmin pulled off her jacket and slung it over the back of her chair.
The restaurant was crowded and extremely hot.
They had checked into a hotel. It cost a small fortune, but she didn’t care.
She wanted to indulge for once. Her father was going to freak when he got the credit card bill, not because of the money, but because of the places she was spending it.
By the time he found out, she’d be back at the South Star in Montana and she’d deal with consequences when they came.