LAS VEGAS

CHAPTER 7

LAS VEGAS:

AN INTERLUDE BEFORE THE NEXT EPISODE

I

            “We will see Las Vegas tonight.”  Ray said to Ella.  She nodded at him as he walked into the other room for some moments.  He returned a few moments later with handfuls of cash, which brought a shocked sharp breath from Ella. 

            “How much money do you have?”  She asked as Ray counted the bundles on the table.

            “In cash?”  He asked her with a grin.  He began to count the money, announcing each thousand.  “We are going shopping with fifty thousand.”

            “Wow.”  She said.  She smiled at him, unsure of his meaning.

            “You can’t go out in clothes from the middle ages.”  He said with a wink.  He tossed her several bundles and pulled the backpack over his shoulder. 

            “Where are we going?”

            “We are going to shop, to eat, and after we go to the club.”  Ray answered. 

            He led her to the car at the back of the building and let George open the door for her, entering after her, moving close as George followed, pushing them all into tight quarters.

            “Are my clothes so awful?”  She asked, as her eyes locked with his.  He placed a hand upon her thigh and nodded to the driver.  The car moved into traffic and for some moments Ray watched the road. 

            “I want you to look like a million dollars tonight.” 

            The three of them remained silent as the driver forced the car through traffic on Flamingo towards the mall.  Ella leaned her head on Ray’s shoulder and let herself drift into the moments of the early evening.  She placed her hand upon his, lacing her fingers with the rough skin of his hand.   

            “Stop at the Forum shops.”  Ray said to the driver. 

            The car took a sharp turn onto Las Vegas Boulevard, causing Ray to lean against Ella.  He could smell a hint of apricots and smiled.

            “You have been reading my stories.”  He said to her.

            “Yes, I have.”  She said, grinning. 

            The car came to a stop inside the parking garage.  Ella’s door opened to reveal a mountain of a man, whom she thought to be almost seven foot tall, with long flowing straight brown hair and a reddish burn scar over his right eye.  He held out his gloved hand and helped her from the car.  She couldn’t help looking up at him, the scar on his face stretching over half of his face. 

            “Ella, meet Mr. Brown.  He will be by your side for the remainder of the day.” 

            “Nice to meet you, Sir.”  Ella said, doing a quick curtsey. 

            The four entered the shops and stood by the entrance for some time as Ella began taking photos with her phone. 

            “It does look like Rome.”  She said; taking pictures of the fountain and the columns and statues that surrounded them. 

            Ray checked his phone and waited for Ella to be done before speaking. 

            “I have a few things to take care of before dinner.  Mr. Brown, please escort her to Louis Vuitton.  I’ll see you all at dinner.”  He said before striding off towards the casino entrance. 

           

II

            George followed Ray into the casino and walked behind him in silence as Ray made way for the hotel.  Neither of them spoke as Ray retrieved the key from the pretty brunette at the check in counter or until they were alone in the elevator. 

            “Are all the items I need in the room?”  Ray asked.

            “Indeed.” 

            “Excellent.  Please change our dinner reservations.  We shall eat at Capital Grille.  Book a private room.  I have a feeling someone is watching.” 

            George led the way inside.  He pulled a gun from inside his jacket and cleared each room in slow careful steps.  Ray opened the wardrobe, revealing a flowing white robe, which he took into his hands. 

            “Why do you insist on wearing that robe?”  George asked, pushing the gun back inside his jacket. 

            “It is my club attire.”  Ray said with a smile.  “Let’s get moving; we’re walking to the mall.” 

            George grunted, but did not otherwise respond and followed Ray out of the hotel room and through the hotel and casino towards the street.  Several people took pictures and a few bold tourists asked Ray to pose.  He did so without question and seemed to enjoy the attention he received. 

            The night was less hot than usual and Ray didn’t mind wearing the thick robes.  They arrived at the mall twenty minutes before the reservation time and waited by the elevator near the front entrance for the rest of their party.  The first to arrive were the short fat bald man and tall blonde man, who passed by them without acknowledgement.  The blonde wore a simple pink satin dress that fluttered in the evening breeze as the door closed behind her and the fat man. 

            He saw Ella, striding towards him, looking beautiful in a dress of teal tweed mesh netting with a black sparkling sash about her waist.  The sleeveless dress, which set of the paleness of her bare shoulders, was matched with a leather handbag and suede leather sandals.  Ella came to a halt less than two feet from him, one bare pale leg exposed by the slit running up the right side of the dress to almost the waist.  He felt short of breath and couldn’t think of a single thing to say. 

            She saved him by bursting out into laughter, her hands clutching the leather handbag.  She reached out for him and put her hand on the sleeve of his robe. 

            “Is it Halloween?”  She asked, still laughing. 

            “It is always Halloween in Las Vegas.”  Ray said, his cheeks reddening under his beard. 

            Mr. Brown stood behind her, smirking and the driver and bartender from Ray’s restaurant to either side.  Ray led them to the elevator, which had glass walls and inched it seems to the next level, giving those inside a view of the Strip, which at night seemed to glow neon reds and blues and yellows.  The door opened and Mr. Brown led the way forward into the restaurant, staying a few feet behind the maître de as he escorted the group to their private room. 

            The blonde and the fat man were already seated, the blonde clicking away at her phone as the fat man watched her in obvious irritation.  Ray sat at the head of the table, with Ella next to him and Mr. Brown to her right.  The others took their places and without a word, their captain began pouring wine and setting out food.  Platters filled with lobster, clams, swordfish, cod, all bathed in butter and crumb dressings as well as roasts and lamb chops piled high on the table. 

            As the captain loaded their plates, the fat man cleared his throat and opened his bible. 

No one can serve two masters.

 Either he will hate the one and love the other,

 Or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. 

You cannot serve both God and Money.

            Ray glared at the fat man and gripped his knife. 

            “Good food, good meat, good God, let’s eat.”  Ray said with his eyes still pinned on the fat man.

            The tension released and all began the meal, save for Ray.  He sat still and quiet as the others ate and talked.  He watched Mr. Brown, who seemed to only have eyes for Ella, who in turn watched Ray.  She touched his hand, which still gripped the knife, hoping to break him from his reverie.  He was about to turn to her when the blonde spoke. 

            “Why so sad, Ray?  You’re not the happiest fellow, but you’re really a downer tonight, even more than usual.”  She said.  She leaned her chin upon her hand and waited for Ray to answer. 

            “Ryan is in the city.”  He said.  There was a murmur from the table and George slammed his hand on the table. 

            “I told you not to go out by yourself.”  Mr. Brown said, taking his eyes off of Ella for a moment. 

            “I will not live in fear.  I will go about my life, business as usual.  I will go to the club tonight.”  Ray said with emphasis. 

            Mr. Brown rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his shiny long hair. 

            The captain brought more trays, laden with shrimp and scallops, a platter of roast tenderloin and side dishes of asparagus, squash, roast red potatoes, broccoli, seared spinach and a variety of mushrooms. 

            “Not exactly the last supper.”  The fat man sneered. 

            “Is he supposed to apologize for his money?”  The blonde responded. 

            “No, he is supposed to give all of his possessions to the poor and follow the lord Jesus Christ.” 

            Mr. Brown made a gagging sound before extending his middle finger at the fat man. 

            “Who is Ryan?”  Ella asked. 

            Silence gripped the table as all eyes fell on Ray.  He sighed and cleared his throat. 

            “I believe he wants to kill me.” 

            Ella gripped his hand.

            “Flee the city, run.  You have enough money to hide from him, do you not?”  She asked, a bit of panic to be heard in her voice. 

            “I will not run and I will not hide.”  He answered.  He cut into the long cooled meat on his plate and forced himself to chew. 

            “Not to change the subject, but when are we getting your new novel?  You’ve been working on it for as long as I’ve known you.”  The blonde asked.  Ella glared at her as she put a hand on Ray’s leg under the table.  Ray coughed hard into his napkin and put down his knife.

            “I do not know.  It is such a departure from what I’ve already published.  I’m not sure if I’m going to release it to the public.” 

            “Boo!  I want…” The blonde began, but Ella interrupted. 

            “Tell me about the new novel.” 

            “It’s a love affair with a stripper.”  The blonde answered.

            “That would explain your presence.”  Ella responded in a loud voice, pinching Ray’s leg. 

            The blonde rose in her chair, but the fat man held her arm and forced her to sit.

            “I don’t care what show you are on, I’ll slap you off your chair.”  She hissed at Ella. 

            The captain entered, bringing a hush over the room.  He cleared the dinner plates and began serving the desserts.  He placed trays of fresh fruit, chocolate cakes, ceramic dishes of crème brulee, and dishes of handcrafted Ice Creams.   

            “Waste not, want not.”  The fat man said, grabbing one of the dishes of Ice Cream. 

            “Shocking.”  George said with a laugh. 

            The captain served cappuccinos, espressos and after dinner drinks. 

            “A bottle of Louis XIII, please.”  Ray said to the captain, who nodded and hurried from the room. 

            Mr. Brown let out a low whistle and the fat man smiled in spite of himself. 

            “What is Louis XIII?”  Ella asked, which brought a laugh from the table, Ray included.  He leaned back in his chair, looking at each person at the table.  As the captain presented the crystal decanter and began pouring for each person, Ray continued to watch.  George stood and waited for attention. 

            “I’d like to propose a toast.  I wish for each of us to have a special night in Las Vegas, which one can have in this city alone.” 

            “Cheers.”  All echoed. 

            Ella sipped the drink and spat it out with violent force, bringing forth another round of laugher. 

            “That was a hundred dollar mouthful you wasted.”  The blonde said to her, fondling her own glass with careful swirls.

            Ella began to speak, but the captain entered with the bill and silenced her.  Ray pulled wads of cash from the folds of the robes he wore and stuffed them into the check presenter. 

“I shall see you all at the club.”  He said, extending his arm to Ella.  She placed her hand upon his sleeve and with George following, they walked arm in arm from the restaurant. 

             

III

            The three approached the black doors with gold embossing, which were guarded by two thick chested men wearing suit jackets and earpieces.  Ropes forced those waiting into lines and as they neared the crowd, Ella pulled on Ray’s arm. 

            “Are they going to let me in?”  She whispered into his ear. 

            “They will serve whiskey to a baby if he asks.”  George answered with a wink.

            George approached one of the men and said something in hushed tones.  The man turned on his heel and opened the door for them, which led to a neon lit escalator.  George palmed the doorman a hundred dollar bill before following Ray and Ella inside the club.  He trailed a few feet behind, but could hear her talking to Ray, asking questions about the type of club it was and what type of music. 

            “It’s a night club, Ella.”  Ray responded.  “The music is varied, but if you find yourself unhappy, wait a few songs.”

            He ceased talking as the host led them to the VIP area George booked for them, the music pulsating over Ella, who looked about her, awestruck. 

            “This place is amazing.” 

            They passed through the Cristal lounge and into the press of flesh and hipsters that packed the club.  Ella saw a blur of short skirts and bare tanned legs and a wide array of colors in dress jackets.  The colors of the place were black with gold trim, pulsating blue and red neon. 

            The host showed them inside their space overlooking the main dance floor.  Ella leaned over the balcony, watching the dancing on the bottom floor of the club.  Ray joined her and handed her a glass of champagne.  He touched her glass with his and nodded to her, as if in silent toast, before draining the glass in one motion.

            “Will you dance with me?”  She asked.

            “No.”  He answered.  At that moment, the rest of the party arrived and they all took seats.  Ella pushed in tight against Ray on a black plush sofa, crossing her legs, which left her pale leg exposed.  Mr. Brown and George and the driver all seemed to stare at her, but Ray looked straight ahead as a cocktail waitress poured more champagne.     

            After the waitress departed, the blonde took a bottle of pills out of her purse and placed it on the table.  She removed two and with a quick flick of her wrist, popped and swallowed them with a mouthful of champagne.  She extended the bottle towards Ella and smiled when the girl refused. 

            “Come on little girl.  When in Rome, as they say.” 

            Ella tried to ignore her and moved her leg in time with the music, each movement pushing the dress further off her leg.  She watched Ray to see if he noticed, but he had not moved his head. 

            The blonde stood and began to dance, at first moving her feet a few inches to each side.  She extended a hand towards Ella as she danced, beginning to move her hips, the eyes of everyone in the room upon her.  Ella clutched closer to Ray, as if trying to escape. 

            “You want to dance.” 

            Ray squeezed Ella’s leg, which caused her to take a sharp breath.  She looked at him and he nodded towards the blonde. 

            “Go, dance.  I will watch from the balcony.”  He said. 

Ella felt a rush of heat in her face as she stood and let the blonde woman lead her out of the room and down the sets of stairs to the main dance floor on the bottom level, Mr. Brown following at a discreet distant.  As they descended the stairs, the crowd of people grew thicker and she could feel hands and eyes touching her.  She felt naked and shivered as a blast of cold air blew across her neck. 

The blonde pressed a small pill into her hand. 

“It will help you relax.  I promise you will be ok.”  She said.  Ella swallowed it in a quick motion before she could think. 

They were swallowed by the mass of people on the dance floor, the bodies seeming to move of one mind, throbbing with the bass that Ella felt pounding in her chest.  The blonde moved against her, her body heat pressing into her skin.  She turned her back to the blonde, who pulled her into a tight embrace, running a hand down Ella’s arm, tapping the tips of her fingers in rhythm on her skin.

She relaxed and gave herself over to the music as the pill took effect.  Her mind began to swim in pleasant tiny shimmering waves as men tried to dance with them.  She felt her body pulled and touched and tasted as the crush of humanity seethed with the pulsing music.  She felt the blonde’s presence near her, guiding her, enveloping her, soft hands directing and probing, wet lips whispering into her ear.

The music stopped and the blonde dragged her towards the bathroom, away from the sweating mass of people.  She forced her way through the line around the entrance and into an empty stall, closing the door.  Ella leaned against the stall as the blonde crushed a pill on top of the toilet paper dispenser.  She gathered a small amount under a painted nail and offered her finger to Ella. 

“No.”  Ella whispered.  The blonde brought the finger to her nose and snorted the powder. 

She placed a hand over Ella’s shoulder and leaned into her, kissing her.  Ella felt her warm lips parted by the blonde’s wet tongue, who kissed her slow and sure before releasing her.

“Vegas baby.”  The blonde giggled, releasing her.

The blonde adjusted her hair in the mirror as Ella splashed water on her face.  She felt lightheaded and leaned against the blonde for support.  She heard another giggle and gripped her arm. 

She heard the first screams before the gunshots.  There was a panicked rush of bodies trying to exit the bathroom and she felt the blonde dragging her.  The music stopped and the crackle of gun fire brought a shrieking sound from the masses as they ran in every direction attempting to escape.

Mr. Brown waited for them outside the bathroom and charged the way through the crowd, gun extended before him like a shield.  She tripped on a body and almost fell, holding tight to Mr. Brown’s belt.  The stairs were choked with bodies and Ella looked up to the VIP area, seeing a flash of fire from a gun muzzle, which caused her to scream.  She saw Ray leaning over the balcony, firing guns in both hands, the white linen of his robes covered in fresh blood. 

Her eyes locked upon his and she could read his lips.

“Go.” 

She felt Mr. Brown pulling her with violent force towards the emergency exit at the moment Ray’s body flew backward, a bullet striking him in the right shoulder.  He disappeared into the crowd as she was pulled from the room, screaming.