Chapter Twenty-Seven - Becca
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The closer we get to the Vegas strip, the more I want to press my face to the window and take in all the details.
The city is a swirling kaleidoscope of brilliant colors, with bright neon stretching across the skyline.
It’s as if the city has a heartbeat, pulsing with a bright, palpable energy that permeates the glass.
The colors, the buildings, the people—there’s so much to look at, so much I want to stop and experience, but Starlight is waiting for us.
I settle on mentally cataloguing everything. Vegas, in all its vibrant, shimmering chaos and wonder, is every bit as glamorous as I always imagined it to be.
It’s nearly dusk, and with the sun dipping below the skyline, the bright lights from the heart of the city seem to call my name. “I hope they let us go exploring,” I say, gripping the steering wheel a little higher. “I’ve always wanted to come here.”
Lucky leans forward as best as he can with his long legs and scans the horizon. “It’s definitely one of the coolest cities I’ve ever been to. We don’t have lights or buildings like that in Alabama, that’s for sure.”
On the dashboard, my Google Maps app begins to speak, giving me my next direction. In the packet from Starlight, we were given an address for our destination, but no inclination as to the sort of establishment.
So, when we pull off Las Vegas Boulevard, I’m surprised to see a small, oddly shaped building with dozens of neon signs behind it—huge, colorful neon signs like the ones you’d see on the main strip in front of the casinos and hotels sit stark against the black velvet of the night sky.
Some of the signs are fully illuminated, while others are bathed in pools of brilliant white light from ground spotlights.
“Where are we?” I ask, slightly awed. I’d expected for us to arrive in Vegas and go straight to the hotel for the night.
But this place doesn’t look like a hotel at all.
“You got me,” Lucky replies, scanning the building and the signs. He looks as intrigued as I am.
A bunch of Starlight producers are waiting for us outside the front of the main building, so Lucky and I are immediately directed inside where Mr. Dozer, the camera crews, and the other finalists are already gathered.
“Ah, Becca and Lucky,” Mr. Dozer greets us. “You made it. Just in time.” He snaps his fingers, and the Starlight crew begins to bustle around, setting up cameras and turning on lighting equipment.
Since today was a travel day, I’m surprised to see so many cameras. But Dozer is clearly gearing up for filming.
Tony is among the camera crew and although he’s keeping his distance, his camera still ends up pointing in our direction.
I catch myself leaning into Lucky’s warm side and instantly snap to attention, side-stepping to make sure there’s enough space between us.
After a day with him in the car, a day where we didn’t have to play any kind of game, it’s hard to go back to pretending I hate him.
The feelings that stir in my chest every time he looks at me are far from hate. And they’re getting tough to hide.
Chewing on my lip, I will my face into what I hope is an annoyed expression as we wait to see what Starlight throws at us. One of the producers gives Mr. Dozer a signal, and he steps forward to address us.
“Finalists, welcome to Las Vegas, Nevada! I know you were probably expecting a night of ease, some rest and relaxation after a long day of travel, but I’m afraid that’s not going to happen.”
“So, we’re not going to the hotel?” Iris asks, lifting her hand in the air as if she were asking a teacher a question.
Dozer chuckles. “Not yet, my dear. You see, two of the qualities Starlight values in its clients is adaptability and flexibility, both of which you are about to be tested on. Instead of in the morning as you were expecting, our next challenge is happening right now!”
Ziven lets out a whoop, lifting his hands up like he just scored a touchdown. Maybe it’s the thrill of being in Vegas, or maybe it’s because we’ve been cooped up in cars all day, but a tangible energy ignites the air, mimicking Ziven’s excitement.
“This is going to be interesting,” Lucky muses, a half smirk on his face. “Think you can handle it, Holly G?”
I know he’s aware of the cameras and this is part of our fake-hating plan, so I roll my eyes for the cameras. “Of course I can handle it,” I snap.
“I don’t know, you look sleepy. Maybe we should find you some coffee.” There’s a sparkle in his eye as he makes a reference to the first time we met.
I almost burst out laughing, but I swallow my amusement and cross my arms.
“Well, that’s probably because I did all the driving. Somebody got to nap most of the afternoon, while I battled traffic and generally kept us both alive. So watch your mouth, yeah?”
There’s a twitch in Lucky’s cheek, just above his jaw—the tiniest sign that he’s also fighting back laughter—but he covers it well, stretching his arms above his head. “Boy, do I feel rested and ready for the challenge,” he says pointedly.
Tony steps closer, capturing the “You ass,” I mutter for the camera’s sake right before Dozer claps his hands, calling us to attention again.
“Alright, finalists! Let’s get started. You’re probably wondering where we are. We’re standing inside the former La Concha Motel Lobby, which currently houses the visitor’s center for Vegas’s famous Neon Boneyard.”
Dozer pauses for effect, waggling his bushy eyebrows at us.
“The Neon Museum is a non-profit organization that was formed in the early 90s with the goal of collecting, preserving, and exhibiting some of Las Vegas’s most iconic neon signs that are no longer in use.
The collection here is an important part of Vegas’s history and also chronicles the evolution of neon sign design through pieces ranging from the 1930s to present day. ”
Dozer waits as the camera pans to get our reactions.
“In the main exhibition space, there are more than 250 neon signs that call the Boneyard their final resting place. At sunset, they are illuminated by ground spotlights, giving us all a taste of what they were like in their heyday. There are also a number of signs that have been fully restored to light up the Vegas sky, including the 82-foot tall Hard Rock Cafe guitar, which you’ll get a closer look at in just a bit.
It’s an honor to be here tonight and we’re so thrilled to be hosting your next challenge in the Neon Boneyard! ”
I’d never heard of the Neon Boneyard before, but now I’m eager to explore.
Dozer claps his hands together, and all of us join in—the air still electric with energy and anticipation.
“For your challenge today, you and your partner will visit the mock casino that we’ve set up within the Neon Boneyard.
There are several stations, each one featuring a popular game or activity that you might find in one of Las Vegas’s casinos.
You’ll have one hour to go through the Boneyard, choosing which games to play and how long to stay at each station.
You’ll need to be strategic about your choices.
If you win, you’ll be given game tokens.
If you lose, you risk losing your tokens.
At the end of the hour, all game tokens will be turned in and converted to points that will determine our teams’ standings.
The goal is obviously to collect more tokens than your opponents. ”
He pauses to make sure we all understand before continuing.
“As always, there is a catch, however. Unlike previous challenges, we will not be revealing the winner or the updated standings until we’ve reached our final destination in Anaheim.
” Dozer wiggles his fingers. “For a touch of added flair, we’ll also be revealing the results in front of a live audience and streaming for the fans at home!
So what do you say, finalists? Are you ready to see how you fare against Lady Luck? ”
“Let’s do this!” Skai pipes up, her smile bright. Sean nods his agreement while Iris gives a thumbs-up.
“Yeah, sounds really fun,” Evie adds, while Ziven starts doing some sort of pre-challenge warm-up next to her. The cameras move in, focusing on him, which gives Lucky and me a few seconds to share a knowing look.
Our plan is exactly as it was in Tombstone: act like we’re trying to win, while also annoying the hell out of each other and arguing as much as possible.
I know it’s going to be harder to pretend this time around—especially with the image of being wrapped in Lucky’s warm arms under the stars playing on repeat in my mind—but we’re so close to the end.
We just have to keep convincing the people back home that we hate each other.
If we can do that, we’ll earn their votes.
The Starlight producers began herding us outside. The sky has darkened significantly, and I gasp the moment I step into the Boneyard. Everywhere I look, massive brightly colored signs line both sides of a wide walkway.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathe, absolutely floored by how incredible it is. Beside me, Lucky’s face is equally awed. The lights play a trick with his eyes, making the blue in them even more pronounced.
If we were alone, I’d probably tackle him, the need to kiss him so strong it’s almost hard to breathe.
But with the ever-present cameras trained on us, the only thing I can do is let out a frustrated huff.
The audience won’t know the real reason behind my frustration.
But the corner of Lucky’s mouth quirks up slightly, and I know he knows exactly what I’m thinking.
Focus, Bex. I go back to examining the Boneyard, still in awe of how beautiful and bright the signs are. The space is shaped like a long rectangle with a winding walkway setup with various tables and booths.
A blackjack dealer wearing a striped vest stands next to the table closest to us, and a little further down from him, there’s a whole row of shiny slot machines.
I even spot a craps table and one for roulette and poker.
Starlight has completely transformed the Boneyard into their own, private casino—paying homage to the ones that made the Vegas strip famous.
Even though it’s not the real deal, it still makes the breath catch in my throat.
A Starlight official comes around and hands Lucky a plastic bucket with five shiny gold coins at the bottom.
“Alright finalists,” Dozer calls out once buckets have been distributed to the other teams. “We’re ready to begin.
You’ve been given five tokens to begin your play here at the Neon Boneyard Casino,” he pauses for a second.
“Remember you have one hour to collect as many tokens as you can. It’s up to you and your teammate to strategize who does what during this challenge, but the winning team will be the one who earns the most tokens.
Ready? On your mark . . . get set . . . GO! ”
Dozer bellows the final word and we all rush down the pathway as if it’s some kind of speed challenge, the camera crews trailing behind us.
“So, what’s the plan?” I ask Lucky, scanning the different station options.
“The plan is to get as many of those tokens as we can,” Lucky deadpans, making the first move. Tony zooms in.
“Oh really? Is that what we’re supposed to do?” I stop walking and roll my eyes. “Gee, why didn’t I think of that, Lucky?”
It’s getting harder and harder to keep this fake-hating game up without cracking a smile or laughing, so I flip my hair over my shoulder and resume walking, hoping Tony’s camera can’t see I’m struggling to hold my composure. “Whatever, just come on. We need to pick a station.”
We make a full lap around the Boneyard, exploring our options before we end up back at the blackjack table. “Have you ever played this game before?” I ask.
“Nope,” Lucky replies, reaching for the cards the dealer passes him. “But there’s a first time for everything. You?”
“No, but I know the rules. The goal is to get as close as you can to twenty-one without going over.”
“Sounds easy enough.”
“Yes, but it requires counting.” I bat my eyelashes at him as Tony moves in for a close-up. “You do know how to count to twenty-one, right?”
Lucky cocks his head, playing along. “Wait . . . nobody told me that I was going to have to math.” He throws the cards down on the table. “I’m out, then.”
I glare at him. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Yeah, well you’re a pain in my ass,” he fires back, scooping up his cards again.
“Just . . . don’t do anything stupid,” I say, leaning over to see his hand. “The whole point of this game is knowing when to take a risk and when not to.”
Lucky beams. “Taking risks is what I do, baby.”
“Ugh, don’t call me baby,” I groan, yanking the cards from his fingers. “And maybe I should be the one to play this round.”
“Whatever you say, baby,” Lucky waggles his eyebrows, eliciting one of those “if looks could kill” expressions.
Tony’s camera whirs as Lucky throws his head back, his laughter loud, as the dealer cuts the deck.