Writers note: Sorry to be gone so long. Right when I expected life to calm down it became hostile. Hopefully this will entertain and cheer folks up if they find themselves in unexpectedly turbulent surroundings. Let's have some fun.
Part 2 is finished and ready to be submitted.
What Didn't stay in Vegas Part 1
Loni was reserved in public. Very happily married, she liked the adventuresome boisterous women she supervised at work. They were full of energy, quick with a joke, had an endless supply of ribald tales, and always had an amusing running competition to best each other. Loni was always bemused when they jibed her about being scared to join in. She explained she found their stories very entertaining except while she loved to hear of their misadventures, she simply wouldn't enjoy doing any of the things they talked about. She further pointed out she was deliriously happy with her Jim and some of their exploits wouldn't pass the husband test. She'd give them a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile adding in a sultry voice much to their delight, "With a man like Jim a woman wants an "A" on that test!"
The girls would playfully respond with a number of rapid-fire questions. "How is he at clapping your erasers after class? How much extracurricular activity is there? How fun is the homework? Does the "A" you wants stand for anal?"
Loni would answer by letting her eyelids drop to a smokey half open.
The ladies all wished they could find a man they could feel about like Loni felt for Jim. But until they did, they just wanted to go out and have fun. They weren't out looking for husbands. Guys were just part of their fun; their loyalty and emotion were reserved for each other. Until they ran into a man who made them want to change their habits, why not live a little? They invited their supervisor out to numerous happy hours explaining while Loni didn't have to pick up a guy, how would a little dancing hurt? Declining to join them Loni always told them she didn't want to find out how a little dancing could hurt. She'd turn the heat back on them thanking them for their invitation while reminding them she would be dancing horizontally with Jim at home. That was an argument the ladies were never able to counter.
Still, everyone knew they'd love to have Loni join them just once. The ladies told her they'd protect her from unwanted male interference if she would only go with them. Which sounded reasonable, until one would eventually blurt, "Would a little flirting really hurt?"
Loni would smile answering, "I know it's fun, but mind two things girls: first off, flirting with someone else can wreck a marriage. Regardless of the reason, if you start doing the wrong thing on purpose you should expect it to blow up in your face and not in a good way. The other reason is simple: I'm so happy with Jim. The very idea of my flirting with another man turns my stomach. It isn't that the guys aren't attractive, but my gut says it's wrong. My gut goes to hell if something is wrong or out of bounds."
The ladies resolved they'd failed again this time, knowing they'd try again soon. It was a pattern everyone, including Loni, was very happy with.
Their company decided to make a huge splash at a trade show in Las Vegas. Loni's customer service department was the perfect choice to "man" the display. The gals were super excited over the prospect. They pressured Loni to go with them, but she went because it was her job to supervise them, and now the display.
The display was set up before they arrived. Although they had to organize and spruce to make the space the best it could be, as well as make it their own. Their first day was rapid-fire, sort of like changing the oil while driving the car. They ladies did well, and it looked like the show would be a success for the company. The mood was happy, and they deserved to go out for some fun that night.
After dinner and some exploration in town, came the realization that the hotel bar would serve as their best option for partying. Although they were packed into rooms together, the company had paid for a really nice hotel. Their lodging was right beside the convention center they worked in during the day and the bar was fantastic with an absolutely huge dancefloor right beside! No driving and being an elevator away from your room, meant at least one extra cocktail each night!
The hotel was crawling with handsome young salesmen and executives, or as the ladies put it, "a target rich environment". They quickly established their routine with Loni playing both the non-drinking wingman as well as mother hen protecting her wild chicks. She had discussed her role at the show with Jim before she went. He completely supported her, which also made her proud. She'd checked in with him each night and looked forward to the calls all day. Then came the universal party the last night of the show. The salespeople and execs were leaving tomorrow, so this was like a graduation party or spring break.
Near the end of their Vegas assignment the gals decided they wanted to do something for Loni to thank her for taking such good care of them at work and especially this week. They also really wanted her to be part of the pack for at least one night. They determined that between them they would make sure Loni's cocktail never ran out. Working in tandem the gals became a well-oiled machine at filling her glass a little more each time she looked away. They plied her with alcohol, lessened her defenses, had her rolling with laughter, and eventually got her to dance with them. Under the influence, Loni was now all-in on things she'd always demurred. She was loving dancing with them; for once they could be friends instead of co-workers. The ladies knew Loni didn't want to flirt but decided they could do one more "nice thing" for her.
Loni was a beautiful woman, and beautiful people appreciate beauty too. They were very protective of her but once her inhibitions were lessened, they set her up to dance with some very handsome men by trading off their own dance partners to her mid song. The girls saw Loni flush. She didn't approve of what was happening, but she sure enjoyed dancing with those handsome guys. The problem was the gals were getting pretty well oiled themselves. They were working in groups, handing off care of Loni, from one group to the next. As they imbibed more, their focus on what the later evening might hold for each of them intensified, and their protection of Loni began to fray at the edges. Constant drinking while dancing on the huge dance floor made it too easy to blend into the mood of the crowd where hundreds of people were attempting to line up attractive company to make their last night in Vegas a memory that would keep them warm on the coldest future nights.
It took some time before the ladies noticed Loni was hammered. She was enjoying these handsome men only because she knew the ladies were looking out for her. However, Loni wasn't making sure the ladies were looking out for her. It wasn't long before the ladies realized Loni wasn't with them. Their heads swiveled around like prairie dogs looking for her. Some gals stopped dancing staring out in a singular direction, signaling the others to stop and look where they were looking. Once they were all locked on, they issued a collective gasp.
Loni was being passed around a large group of guys like a piece of driftwood tossed in choppy waves. Some of the guys had Loni in their arms and some were very openly handsy. Loni, gulp, was really liking the attention. Oh no! Loni was too far gone to notice or have a problem with it. Worse, Loni was so nuts for her husband they couldn't imagine her shrugging this off when she sobered up. She'd trusted them and they'd not only failed her, but they'd also plied her with so much booze she couldn't defend herself. Then they'd thrown her into the wolf's den by setting her up to dance with guys then left her alone with them. When she came to her senses Loni would never go out with them again. This was going to mess up their relationship at work. They had to fix this!
The gals got together and began the recriminations, "I thought Seal Team Two was watching her this hour."
"No, it's Seal Team Six's turn."
One pointed towards Loni on the dance floor. She'd been semi hunched over in the pretense of dancing with a good-looking guy grinding her with enough fervor he should be employed by Starbucks. The tall dark-haired man was smashing his groin against her rear holding her upper arms from behind to "help her maintain balance".
One of the girl's blurted disconsolate, "Loni's doing doggystyle in front of a thousand people and it's our fault! We can't stand here and argue. Look at his fingertips: they're reaching inland reconnoitering for nipples!"
There was another collective gasp from the ladies. Another piped in, "Damn it, girls, while we're arguing, Loni, who doesn't want to do anything to make her husband doubt her, is one pull down in the front and one pull up in the back from being made into a human wheelbarrow ON the dance floor! We've screwed this up and have to fix it before Loni actually gets screwed."
Pretty smashed themselves the gals decided to take the direct approach. They marched out to the dance floor "en masse" and dragged Loni away from the handsome man. Deciding there was no reason to waste a good opportunity, the last gal armed with a seductive smile, slid into his arms where Loni had just vacated.
The group was discussing exactly who comprised Seal Team One and Seal Team Three as they got Loni back to their table and started pouring some water into her. Each team had lost some members as the gals became more inebriated and found some handsome guy to devote their energies to. The competition phase had begun. Loni was the mother hen, none of the others was even aware of what duties the job comprised. Not sure of exactly how to mother hen the mother hen, and not being sure which team was currently assigned to take care of her, Loni was quickly left alone at the table.
