Tales From the Ruby Plaza

Author's Note: This story is completely fictional and did not happen. All characters and names are fictional and were made up. I do not make money from these stories. Please do not copy and plagiarize my work.

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Las Vegas, Nevada

The morning sun could only evaporate so much of the cold air from a night now in distant memory. For anyone who was used to hot weather, low temperatures were seen as a relief after long heated days. In the early morning hours, one could still feel what was a temperature below sixty degrees outside. For one man, cooler weather would be a wonderful feeling after spending his life in southern Florida. This was a good way to start off a Tuesday morning by stepping off a plane. With a suitcase in his hand, he stepped through the inner gates of the McCarran airport while glancing up and reading the neon lit sign. 'Welcome to Las Vegas: Clark Couty, McCarran International Airport'. The bright lit words hung in a hue of orange and yellow. Seth Dupree was just the kind of man to see those words and wonder where this journey was going to take him. Stepping to the escalator, he stood idle while the machine moved to send him down.

Vegas was a place that Seth had dreamed of visiting some day in the future. At thirty-one years old, he had lived through what was a relatively successful career in journalism thus far. Born in Georgia, he had ventured down to southern Florida after finishing his time in college. Sports was his forte as a beat writer. It had been something he had been now for over seven years living in Miami Beach. Basketball had been the first major sport he covered, documenting the rise of the 'big three' Miami Heat before he eventually crossed over into reporting golf. This trip to Nevada had been bought and paid for by an associate with a major publication whom claimed he had a specific 'major story' that would cause shock waves over the media. Seth accepted the booked flight and reservation without question. The plane had landed in the early hours of the morning, just after eight, leaving plenty of time to get settled in before the afternoon hours.

With vague details from his contact, Seth could only wonder just what the truth of this matter was. Michael Johnson had been known to drop tips to him in the past about golf related stories, but this was apparently a huge deal to warrant a trip all the way to Las Vegas for a special meeting. The old man had been a retired manager of several golf courses spread out the east coast of the U.S. Seth had learned pretty early on that he had connections to important people and knew just where to dig in for the juicy stories in headlines. In the past, Michael had given him a breaking story about a sex scandal involving two golfers and an escort in California. It was a story that landed Seth on ESPN for a special, gaining his name to a status of prominence for a short brief time. From that memory, Seth wondered just what this deal was over to meet in Vegas of all places.

Stepping through the front doors to the McCarran airport, he clutched the suitcase in his hand while gazing out to see a line of taxi cabs waiting for passengers. Seth was a short man with a skinny frame beneath a black pinstripe suit jacket with a blue T-shirt underneath. He wore a pair of stone washed blue jeans down below that didn't match his upper dress code by any means. Over his feet were a pair of white tennis shoes that may have stuck out more than his pants. His hair was brown, cut short and fixed up with a light wave. Seth always kept his face clean shaved, as he wasn't fond of growing facial hair. Feeling the cool breeze of air, he stepped his way around while holding off his hand, hoping to flag down one of the waiting yellow taxi cars. He could see one driver waving his hand in response beyond the visible windshield, signaling to him that he was waiting for a fare. Seth made his way over to the cab, opening the right side passenger door as he was greeted to a friendly voice.

"Good morning there! Looks like you need to get somewhere."

"I sure do."

Seth replied as he sat the fat suitcase down over the left side seat and then sat down. He shut the door as the cab driver leaned back and got a look at his fare from the rear view mirror hanging above.

"Where I can take you?"

"Ruby Plaza. I don't exactly know where it's located."

The driver laughed. Seth couldn't quite see his face, though he knew the man had a black beard and short black hair. He was obviously older and had probably been working as a cab driver for an extended period of time, as Seth guessed.

"it's on the Strip, just across from the Flamingo. I'll get you there, no problem."

After his subtle response, the driver shifted gears and pulled the yellow taxi car out from the airport. He proceeded to roll the vehicle a little bit through traffic, all while his passenger sat cool, calm and collected in the back seat. Seth's eyes wandered around his surroundings, examining the interior of the black seats and glancing out the window. The cab itself was neatly clean the car was. Over the years, he had been in the back of many taxi cars, some of the worst memories popping up in his mind from a trip to New York City about three years ago. Sitting back in the seat, he didn't notice the driver studying him from the rear view mirror. He soon spoke up to strike a conversation.

"I take it that this is your first time in Las Vegas?"

From the back seat, Seth nodded his head before answering the driver back.

"Yeah. I guess you could see I don't know my way around this town at all."

The driver chuckled briefly.

"I could tell that you were a first timer given that expression on your face when you looked around outside the doors. So, are you here for vacation or business?"

"Business. I'm only here for a week on a job."

"Ah, so you're not a tourist. If you don't mind me asking, what is that you do?"

"I don't mind at all. I'm a sports journalist coming out here to see an old friend about a story. If you follow golf or basketball, you may have read my articles before. My name is Seth Dupree."

"Dupree, huh? Sorry I've never heard of you. I don't watch golf or basketball, sorry. I used to watch football, back when the Niners were good."

Seth went quiet for a few seconds as the driver turned the steering wheel of the car and continued on piloting down the streets. Traffic was visible beyond the windows, but he paid it no attention. The driver carried on, keeping his focus on the traffic in front of him and navigating the roads. Seth's mind was already wandering onto the Ruby Plaza itself and what kind of guest room he would have at the casino and luxury hotel resort. After a few moments of considering it quietly, he spoke up to the driver.

"Do you know anything about the place that I'm staying at?"

"The Ruby Plaza?"

"Yeah. Have you ever been there before?"

The driver laughed before shaking his head. Hands gripping the steering wheel, he slowed down at a yellow light waiting for the car in front of them.

"I've only been outside the place at least several hundred times with fares over the years. It's your typical big time casino and hotel resort, I guess you could say. What made you choose it for a reservation to start with?"

"I didn't choose it. A room was booked for me by my client who I'm seeing today."

"Oh, I see. I can't tell you what the place looks like from the inside, if that's what you're wondering. I do know it's listed as one of the top hotels in the world. I'll never be able to afford a room there, so I wouldn't know what it's like."

Pausing for a moment, the driver smiled to himself. He made another turn down the road before slowing the cab down in traffic once more. Licking his lips, he spoke again.

"I've heard a couple interesting stories about that place from passengers I've had the past few years."

If he was trying to grasp Seth's attention, the comment had worked.

"Oh yeah? What kinda stories?"

The driver laughed again before carrying on with his words.

"Rumors are a better term for it. I hear that a lot of stuff goes on in there with important people, if you catch my drift. I had a couple get in my cab just a few months back during the summer and tell me a grand story about some famous people sitting for poker matches. But then again, I guess you could see that sorta thing anywhere out here."

Such a 'story' almost made Seth roll his eyes. He let out a quiet sigh, dropping the topic all together. He didn't buy into the man's story, figuring that he was just trying to shake his leg with a rumor that couldn't be backed up in testimony. As the taxi cab continued through the streets, Seth remained quiet in the back seat. Time had passed by with the driver navigating through the strip of Las Vegas Boulevard before making a turn once they approaching the road near the Flamingo casino. The Ruby Plaza casino and hotel resort sat on the opposite side, to the left off the street. Seth could see the giant white building in the distance from glancing out one of the view. The driver waited for the light to change before taking the final turn. He could not believe his eyes once the taxi car turned and was now heading down the road in entrance to the casino resort.

Seth's eyes focused ahead from the back seat, witnessing the giant sign above in bright red colored calligraphy font with a logo of the initials RP. 'Welcome, now entering the Ruby Plaza'. The road stretched out to massive car park building to the right side, meanwhile the hotel and casino resort was to the left view. The building itself became larger to his sight with each passing second as the wheels of the taxi car rode through. The driver slowly turned the wheel as they were nearing the entrance which led into a garden with a roof hanging atop the entry walkway that led into the casino and luxury hotel. Seth couldn't believe his eyes. Never had he witnessed something so big, apart from the basketball arenas he had been inside when covering NBA games. The driver slowed down and then he knew that it was time to make an exit soon. Reaching inside his jacket, Seth pulled out his wallet getting ready to pay for his fare.

"Here we are. That will be fifty-five dollars for the fare."

It was an expensive ride taxi, but Seth wasn't about to complain. Any other day, he probably would've questioned the driver's motive in charging him this much. The sight awaiting him outside had a stronger hold on his mind than this possibly inflated fee. Grabbing a fifty and a five dollar bill, he leaned over the seat as the driver turned around to accept the payment. He gave Seth a smile before saying farewell.

"Thanks, enjoy your stay."

"You have a good day."

Reaching across the seat, Seth grabbed his suitcase and then opened the door. He stepped out to the sound of pedestrians walking by and cars coming and going. As he walked away from the cab and it drove off, his eyes wandered above glancing at the elaborate decorations of the roof top. Standing in front of him was two small statues of lions with patches of red flowers around them. The walk way to the front doors was a unique sight and he had yet to enter this magnificent place but was already quite impressed with the visuals before him. Stepping forward, he made his way to the gold plated glass front doors, moving beyond the two security guards dressed in black suits. Seth was greeted to white marble stone floors in the entry lobby as his eyes wandered all about. To say that he was blown away by the visuals from outside was simply an understatement by now.

Every corner of the lobby was beautifully crafted with a unique style of architecture that made Seth wonder just how many millions of dollars were spent building this place. There was a touch of Italian style paintings hanging on the walls, all positioned in gold lining frames. The reception desk of the lobby sat in the center of the room. It was a large round desk with four people in black and white uniforms attending to each side. The front of the desk was shiny in a reflective marble ruby stone. Seth stepped forward, still glancing around to room to view the grandiose display of luxury before him. He thought that he had witnessed fine hotels in the past, but this was an otherworldly experience. Once he had his fill of embracing the beautiful scenery if his surroundings, he approached the reception desk while still clutching his briefcase among his left hand fingers. The blonde haired receptionist gave him a smile after peeling her eyes away from the computer screen down below in front of her.

"Hello and welcome to the Ruby Plaza Casino and Resort. Are you here to make a reservation?"

"I'm already booked, I'm here to check in."

"Can I have your name, please?"

"Seth Dupree."

The receptionist broke eye contact with him to glance downward. The sound of her fingers punching down over the keyboard were loud as she typed up his name and then hit the 'enter' key. After a few seconds, she spoke while gazing back at the flat screen computer monitor.

"Ah, Mr. Dupree. It appears that you're already booked and payments have been made for a one week stay. Your room is on the nineteenth floor. Room number is nine-oh-five."

After finishing her words, she turned to the second receptionist whom gave Seth a slight smile. Her brunette hair matched her eyes, fixed up in a small ponytail that hung beyond her shoulders. She broke eye contact to move her hands down below to slide open a drawer that was neatly organized into various sections. Seth stood patiently while a gold key was taken out. Once it was put on a key ring, it was passed to the main receptionist and then over to Seth's waiting hand.

"Before you go Mr. Dupree, you need to check in with the offices for V.I.P. registration."

A puzzled expression moved over his face while looking back at the blonde haired woman.

"What? V.I.P.?"

She smiled at him.

"Yes, the V.I.P. registration. Don't you remember applying for it when you made your payments? You paid over two-thousand dollars to book your stay. Then you paid the full price of seven-thousand dollars for V.I.P. access. You will need to check in with the V.I.P. offices to get your access card made. You can leave your packed belongings here, I'll see to it that room service delivers them up for you."

The receptionist pointed her hand over the right side of the lobby near the elevators that led to an extended hallway. Seth went on and placed his suitcase over the ruby marble stone desk as she carried on with her words.

"Go through there and take a left. You'll come across a black door with a gold frame near the bathrooms. I'll go on and buzz you through."

With a complete shock of a revelation, Seth could figure it out the more he thought about this. It was his contact Michael who had paid for his hotel room, so he must have also shelled out the extra seven grand to pay for this V.I.P. thing he had just learned about. If there was one thing Seth could relate to with the taxi driver he had met earlier, it was the fact that neither of them could afford this place at all. Seth had Michael to thank for more than just a couple thousand dollars to stay for a week, as the price for this V.I.P. deal seemed ludicrous to his mind. He had barely brought just over two grand with him for this trip. Stepping away from the receptionist desk, he followed her instructions and went through the doorway. His eyes were greeted to white walls, extending through a short hallway that led to dark red wooden mahogany desk with a black top surface. A tall man stood behind the desk in a black button up shirt and matching black colored pants.

"How you doin'? You must be Seth Dupree."

Seth glanced up to see the man's face as he could hear something of an Italian accent in his voice. His hair was short, slicked back and appeared to be colored to hide away the few single grey hairs above his forehead. Seth nodded his head before replying to the man.

"Yeah, that's me."

The man moved his right arm out, pointing across the room to where a white panel board was.

"Stand over there for me. I need to get a picture of your face."

"What? Why do you need me to take a photo?"

"It's for your V.I.P. card, tough guy. Everyone has to get their mug snapped. This is simply for verification purposes. We don't want anyone to steal your card and get through security."

The more words spoken about this V.I.P. section of the resort, Seth was beginning to believe that it must be a major deal. He stepped his way across the room, just as the older man had instructed him to do. With the back of his head up against the white panel, he waited patiently for the man to move in front of the camera and snap the photo. It was a similar experience to taking the photo for what was to appear on a driver's license. Within a few seconds, his photo had been snapped and the man waved his arm to signal him to move.

"I'll be back in just a moment, wait right here."

He pushed a button on the black camera work station to eject an SD card. Seth stood there as the man stepped away from the desk and opened a door leading to a private room. The door shut to momentarily isolate Seth in the office room. As he stood around waiting, his eyes wandered beyond the desk at a pair of framed photographs hanging above. There was a total of sex frames, each of them displaying the same man with different people. Seth guessed that these photographs must have been from parties at the casino resort. In one of them, he thought he could recognize a famous blonde haired woman with brown eyes. She had her arm around the man, her lips curved into a bright smile while her black dress exposed a heavy cleavage. Seth recognized her, but couldn't quite figure out where in the back of his mind. After a few minutes, the back door came swinging open and the man stepped back out.

"Alright, you're all set to go. Here's your V.I.P. card, fresh outta the machine."

The man spoke before extending his left hand out to reveal a shiny plastic card. Seth's eyes glanced down to see the gold mining around the card. 'Ruby Plaza V.I.P.' was printed in a dark red calligraphy font. His name was on the card under a small square box that had his photo embedded into the card. On the back side of the card itself was some visible gold chip that Seth figured must have been for a scanning reader.

"Thanks. So, where exactly do I find the entrance into the V.I.P. section of this place?"

"You take the elevator down to the ground floor and then you gotta go searching for a different elevator. In fact, there's one around here, keep going left past this office. You can find one in the casino too near the cashier spot too. Just remember that it's black and ain't got any sign on it. You go in, there's only two options. Ground floor or the basement. Basement is where the V.I.P. section is."

Seth nodded after the man finished his explanation.

"Thank you."

As he began to turn around, the man spoke up.

"Oh yeah, one more thing."

Once Seth turned to face him again, the older man grinned before finishing his words.

"If I were you, I wouldn't go down there dressed like a bum."

He almost laughed, uttering more words.

"Don't wanna give anyone the wrong impression to anyone, you know?"

Raising his eyebrows, Seth took the jagged insult but didn't say anything back. He figured the man must have been referencing his style of clothes with the denim blue jeans going with his suit jacket top. His dress code didn't bother him, even with the man making a comment on it. Seth turned around and made his exit from the V.I.P. offices as he brought his left hand into his jacket and shoved the V.I.P. card down into the inner pocket. As he stepped away, he figured it was time to go up to the nineteenth floor and check in to his suite. Room 904 was waiting for him, though Seth had to fight off the urge to go around and explore this magnificent resort. In the main lobby, he witnessed a sign hanging high that mentioned a jewelry store and a Rolex watch store together and over a dozen different restaurants named on the sign. Sadly he didn't have the kind of money to go on a spending spree in a place like this, let alone the money to gamble. So far though, his impression of Ruby Plaza was almost of a fantasy.