The club was closing, so they loaded the merchandise into the van and Donna and Haley left to drive back to the hotel. Ellie had invited Hana and Jenny back to her house for a drink, and they had eagerly accepted; the invitation probably would have been extended to Donna and Haley as well, but they were worn out and wanted to call it an early(ish) night.
Stepping outside into the crisp, chilly night, Hana and Jenny followed Ellie on foot for a few blocks, into a residential neighborhood and to the front door of a huge, tacky McMansion. Alarm bells were ringing in Hana's head as they entered -- clearly this was Ellie's parents' house, and in the clearer light inside, Ellie looked younger than she had at the club. Hana's policy was to take no chances with jailbait, especially in Texas.
As soon as the door closed behind them Hana spoke up. "Listen, Ellie, I hate to ask this, but, um... how old are you?"
"I'm 18," said Ellie. "And don't worry, my folks won't be back till after New Year's."
"Sorry to be like this," continued Hana, "but you wouldn't have any, like, ID, would you?"
Ellie looked pouty but after few seconds she walked over to a bureau in an anteroom off the kitchen. Her birth certificate was in the top drawer, and she handed it to Hana with a bit of attitude. "Will this do?"
Hana looked at the birthdate, did the math, and handed it back to Ellie. "Sorry," she repeated, "but you can't be too careful."
Ellie got over her sulk quickly, and led them to her father's liquor cabinet, a towering wooden structure in a corner of the living room. When she opened the door they saw what had to be more than a hundred bottles of high-end liquor, most of them full or nearly full. Hana immediately developed a picture of Ellie's father as the type who liked to brag about his fancy booze but didn't really have the taste for it. He was probably a Bud Light drinker, really. But Hana would enjoy it properly.
"Help yourself," encouraged Ellie. "He won't miss it."
Hana spotted a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue, which she'd never actually tasted before. She poured herself a generous glass and went to the kitchen to find ice. When she returned, taking a first delightful sip of the golden nectar, Ellie was standing there with a pile of records in her hand.
"I feel silly," Ellie said, "but would you mind?" She handed Hana the records and a sharpie.
Hana was impressed -- Ellie really did have all their records, including their first single, of which only 500 copies had been pressed. She signed them happily and handed them back. "Which one should we listen to?" asked Ellie.
"To be honest," answered Hana, "I hear plenty of our music. What else do you have?"
Ellie pointed her to the stereo, an expensive-looking system with a top-of-the-line turntable. There was a shelf of records next to it, and Hana quickly happened upon a Marvin Gaye album. It took her a minute to figure out the stereo but she wasn't about to ask for help, and soon enough the warm, sexy tones of the soul master were echoing through the house.
Hana sat down and sipped her whiskey as Ellie and Jenny picked out drinks for themselves. Then they were dancing, swaying slowly to the music like any carefree young women on a Saturday night. Was it Saturday? Hana sometimes lost track of the days when she was on the road. But who cares, thought Hana. She was drinking top-shelf booze and watching two beautiful 18-year-old girls shimmy to Marvin Gaye. It felt like Saturday night, that was what mattered.
* * *
Miss White and Jodie's connecting flight had been delayed, and it had been fairly late when they arrived back at the Bellagio. They went immediately to bed and made love slowly and tenderly, after which Jodie quickly fell asleep with her head on the older woman's shoulder.
Now Miss White sat with her phone in hand, swiping idly back and forth. Monika had sent some of the pictures she'd taken of the two of them, and Miss White was impressed. They were artful, sensuous shots and the rapport between Jodie and herself really came through, even though their faces were hidden.
Finally she sighed and sat her phone down, looking over at Jodie's sweet, peaceful face. Though their time at Monika's had been eventful and satisfying, it was kind of nice to be back to just the two of them. Miss White closed her eyes and surrendered herself to the arms of Morpheus.