One drink was the most Jeannie could ever take during the day, especially since hers had been awfully strong. She'd never had much of a tolerance. They were again sitting at the bar in the Casbah lounge, sun pouring down on them from a skylight overhead. Less talk than the day before and more kissing. The bartender asked if they wanted another round. Steve looked at her and shook his head. His eyes were the warmest green, with flecks of brown and grey. He took her chin in his fingers and wiped the corner of her mouth with his thumb. She giggled and hunched her shoulders. Hopefully her lipstick hadn't smeared all over her face after all that kissing. She must be a fright of a sight by now.
He placed his hand firmly on her knee. "If you were any other chick I'd be inviting you up to my hotel room, but I know you're not that kind."
Her heart fluttered from disappointment. True, she was a 'good girl', but that didn't mean she didn't want to be bad on occasion. "How long are you in town for?" she asked. His hand was still resting on top of her leg, warm through her black nylons. She put her hand on top of his and gave his fingers a squeeze. Maybe he'd get the hint better than Jimmy ever did. She wanted to get laid, Goddammit, she hadn't done so for months!
He bit his lower lip and he looked so cute. "Let's go eat," he said. "I haven't had breakfast or lunch yet and now it's almost time for dinner."
"If you're really hungry I know of a good buffet place. It's only a block or two from here and it's pretty cheap. Most tourists don't know about it, so there's never much of a line."
He hopped off his stool and gestured for her to take the lead.
"And it's always fresh, too," she said, hooking her arm in his. "One thing I can't stand is when food looks like it's been sitting out there all day."
Her heart raced as they strolled side-by-side through the lounge. On their way to the exit, both of them eyed a belly dancer shaking her jewelled hips between two tables topped with Hookahs. Jeannie crossed her fingers. The restaurant she was thinking of had closed down two weeks ago, not long enough for anything new to have come up yet. Steve would see the sign, she'd act all surprised and disappointed, and then suggest they go up to his suite and order room service. So long as the condom tucked into the zippered pocket of her purse hadn't expired yet.
The escalator back down was real narrow, so Steve stood behind her, his hands massaging her shoulders. All she could think about was being alone with him later, maybe lying in bed naked while he gave her a back rub. His touch was firm, not hard, and he knew exactly where to press his fingers in, nice and deep. Yet Steve was right; she wasn't that kind of girl. She had no clue how to be forward. The thought of even trying to be terrified her.
In the lobby they locked arms again and barged their way past innumerable slack-jawed slot-jockeys. She tried her best to tune out all the ringing and clattering machines; she couldn't wait to be outside. Something closer to them bleeped. Steve's phone. "My dad," he said, slowing his pace. "I've been hoping he'd front me some cash. Mind holding on a sec?"
She shivered. They must have been standing right under a vent, with the air-conditioning on full blast. Goose pimples spread on her arms. "All right if I wait outside?"
"Sure. I'll be half a minute." Phone pressed to his ear, he kissed her cheek. "Hi dad."
Jeannie pushed her way out through the glass revolving doors of the casino. She squinted in the sun, trying to get her bearings. Las Vegas Boulevard was to her right, but there was a quicker way to the restaurant if they headed left and went in through the side entrance of the next casino over. There, they were doing construction, which would be the perfect excuse to just turn back and head up to his room. With luck, that was what he'd suggest. She glanced behind and Steve was trailing after her, about to go through the doors, his eyes on the screen of his phone. She passed an Elvis Impersonator walking the other way, wearing a 70s getup of white flared pants covered in fake blue and red gemstones. She was about to step onto the street when––
"Jeannie!" Steve called, his voice muffled by the glass.
––tires squealed and, BOOM.