I hope everyone enjoys this story. It came out of nowhere when I was trying to finish a chapter of another story. Please tell me what you think of it, constructive criticism is appreciated. Remember to take a second or two and vote!
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Honoria Balcolmbe chewed nervously at her manicured fingernails. For the millionth time, she wondered how she found herself in her current situation. She was in a posh poker room at some ritzy casino on the Vegas strip, sitting off in the corner while her future was being decided for her by a deck of cards. The four men at the table in the center of the room kept their concentration on the hands they were dealt while remembering to give nothing away. Honor heard them throw in chips for the opening bid, each eyeing the other in an attempt to spot each other's tells.
'Oh, God!' Honor thought morosely to herself. It had only been five days ago that she was the average college instructor, looking forward to her summer vacation in Las Vegas. Now she was the ultimate prize in a high stakes poker game.
Back home, she was nothing to look at. Just another nerdy college professor in love with the subject that she taught. Her riotous curly red hair was always pulled back into a tight bun, and she always wore glasses that hid her lush, green eyes. Contacts were too uncomfortable for her. She dressed in nothing but a long sleeved button down shirt and slacks, making sure that no skin showed from the neck down other than her hands. Her body was tall and curvy. She always felt that her breasts and her hips were a little too exaggerated giving her a classic coke bottle figure.
Yet, in Vegas, she looked entirely different. With the help of the clothing stores, beauty salons, and spas, she looked like a complete goddess. Her hair was almost always down, she bore the pain of contacts, and she showed more skin than she ever showed in her life. She wore tasteful clothing that clung to her curves and showed off her cleavage. In the evenings, she switched to classy dresses that whispered when she walked, and made her glow.
When she got to Vegas, all she wanted was to live the life of someone else for two weeks. How did everything get so out of hand?
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Five days ago...
She had been saving up for the trip to Vegas for years. Vegas was a place where you could live out your fantasies and be another person, something she desired. After she retrieved her bags from baggage claim, she checked into her hotel, and started wandering the city.
There were so many sights to the city that it nearly overwhelmed her. Honor was sure that she looked like a bumpkin with her mouth hanging open in awe over everything that caught her eye. As soon as some of the shock wore off, she immediately tried to look for the spa where she booked an advanced appointment and promptly got lost.
Matt Brook found her wandering around the casino part of the complex he was staying in. Poor Honoria was looking at all the signs while trying to find the information desk. She did not seem like anyone that should be catching the eye of a millionaire, but her innocent, lost look seemed to attract him like a magnet.
"You look a little lost." He came up to her, but she did not turn to look at him.
She frowned in concentration as she read every item on the guide sign overhead. "Why do they have these signs up when all they do is guide you in a circle? I'm sure I've looked at this one before."
Matt chuckled at her tone. "Want me to show you an easier way to get you where you want to go?"
Her gaze shot to him and she looked at him as if he were her hero. Although Matt felt nothing like a hero. Heroes were handsome, while he was anything but. They were the same height, and he was skinny. No muscles to his name. His eyes were brown with no flair to them as was the same with his shaggy hair. He always managed to forget to get it cut every so often. Only his clothes showed his wealth, being perfectly tailored to the shape of his body making him look better than he actually was.
"Would you? I'd be late for my appointment at the rate I'm going. It's funny, but when I left my hotel, I thought that two hours would be more than enough time to find my way." She sighed in frustration at the thought of missing her coveted appointment.
"Next time, I suggest you leave a whole day to find where everything is. That's just the way Vegas is." He motioned one of the hotel employees over. The hotel supplied employees to follow him around just in case he needed something. "Could you show us the way to the spa?"
"Of course, sir, this way." The employee started walking at a sedate pace down one of the many paths in the casino.
Matt and Honor walked after him. Honor was a little astounded that it had been that simple for him. She had asked three employees where the spa was and all they did was give her confusing directions, none of them escorted her.
"You must be a high roller." She said to herself.
"Why would you say that?"
Matt's question startled her into realizing that she was thinking out loud again. She would have to remember that she was not alone. When she was teaching at her college, she had to keep in mind to wait till she was tucked away in her office before she said anything, being use to not having anyone around. Honor lived a solitary life, one she was comfortable with, but always wished to have a bit more. This trip was to give her that "more" she craved so she would never crave it again once she got home.
Honor was too plain, too ordinary to catch the eye of people, much less a man. A few years ago, she accepted the fact that she would be alone for the rest of her life. It was after the death of her mother, her last close relative.
"The employees didn't escort me when I asked. They were also behind a desk or doing some type of task. This guy was just milling around."
Matt was amazed at her attention to detail. "You're a very good observer, but I'm not a high roller. I only gamble once a year with some friends here in Vegas. The reason for the eager employee is because I'm worth millions."