Chapter 1
Erin wanted this weekend to be special. It was finally her time. Just about a week ago, she had been on the phone with her friend Liz, chit-chatting about their boring lives, what this guy did to that girl, why Arnold cheated on Maria, etc. Erin had let out an audible sigh during the twenty minute conversation as she was flipping through the channels. Then, that same commercial came on again, "What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas." She heard it a million times. Somehow this time it hit her like a hammer. Vegas. Gambling, shows, Wayne Newton, the lights, rich men spending money, showgirls. It was only a three hour drive from her small town in California.
A week from Sunday was her 40th birthday, and dammit, it was time to have some fun. She cut Liz off mid-sentence. "Get ready, we're going to Vegas next weekend."
"What? Are you nuts? I can't get anyone to be with the kids all weekend...."
"Just do it. No excuses." Erin hung up and dialed Veronica.
"Vegas, next weekend. You, Liz, me. Shopping tomorrow at noon."
"Girl, you are crazy!" Veronica laughed. "I'm in!"
The planning was easier than she thought. She made the hotel reservations, a suite with two bedrooms. She and Liz would share the master bedroom, and Veronica would have the guest room. She got tickets to Cirque's Ka, and planned to check TKTS when she got there about seeing David Copperfield as well.
Thursday, she had her mani-pedi, bright red polish for both sets of nails. The excitement was building. She woke early Friday and had her final packing done by 8am. She poured her travel coffee mug, locked up and headed for Veronica's. They both stopped by Liz's house and the three were on their way. There was lots of singing and laughing. Yes, this would be a great birthday present for herself.
Pulling up to The Hotel, she handed the keys to the valet, had the bellboy take the bags in (he struggled; it looked like they were staying for a month with all the clothing they brought), checked in quickly and went up to the room to freshen up.
Veronica ran to her bedroom's bathroom and Erin let Liz use theirs first. She opened her bag on the bed, pulling out the new dress that she'd been just dying to wear. Pulling her blouse over her head, she then unbuckled her jeans and slid them down her shapely legs. She glanced at her reflection in the full length mirror on the wall of the bedroom and paused. She turned, looking over her shoulder. Yes, she had a tight body. The workouts did pay off. Her ass was firm, barely covered by the black thong, her hips curvy but not fat. Her full red hair cascaded just past her shoulders. She unsnapped her bra, and her breasts bounced slightly as they freed. Erin turned back to look at herself in the mirror. Her dark nipples hardened as she ran her hands over her flat stomach and up underneath her firm breasts.
"Yeah, girl, you still got it!" a soft voice intoned.
Instinctively, Erin covered her breasts as she turned to see Liz leaning back against the bathroom door frame, watching her, smiling broadly. Liz was 35, divorced three years, a curvy long-haired blonde. Her arms were crossed over her ample breasts, one leg forward of the other. Erin laughed and turned back to pick up the dress. She stepped into it, pulling it up over her body. A chill of excitement came over Erin's body as she did.
A low whistle escaped Liz's lips.
The dress was emerald green with a subtle black leopard print pattern. It clung tightly to Erin's body as she struggled to pull the stretch knit up, adjusting her breasts into the sewed-in cups. Her full cleavage was prominent, and she ran her hands over the smooth material, pulling it into place. It was scandalously short, barely covering her shapely butt. Her long, tanned legs were showcased perfectly with this dress. As she turned to her friend, Liz felt her breathing actually increase as she looked into Erin's green eyes, perfectly set off against the color of the dress.
"Like it?" Erin winked at Liz.
"Love it!" Liz's eyes roamed over Erin's body as Erin twirled around to model the outfit. Liz had a fleeting thought that she should feel self-conscious staring at her friend's body like that, but she had never seen Erin look more beautiful. She was a sight to behold. The curves of her body in that dress were perfectly displayed.
Erin reached into her bag again, and pulled out the shoes. Black caged sandals with 4 inch heels were tricky to walk in, but really added shape to her legs as she slipped them on and brushed past Liz and into the bathroom. She touched up her makeup and hair, and after a few minutes, came out ready to go.
Veronica and Liz were chatting in the kitchenette, still in their travel jeans. They both turned together to look at Erin.
"Wow, who's the hot chic?" Veronica now was looking over Erin's body. "You're hot! Where did that come from?"
"Vicky 'S' baby! My birthday present to myself! Hey, why aren't you girls ready?" Erin was slightly annoyed.
"Relax, girl, we have all weekend. We opened the wine we brought. Want some?" Veronica offered.
"Tell you what, I'll meet you both at the bar. I want to see what's going on in the casino." Erin was ready to head down, she didn't want to be all dressed up and sit in a hotel room!
"OK, we'll be down."
Erin grabbed her tiny purse, put her cell phone and credit card in it, and pulled it over her shoulder. She looked in the mirror one last time. Satisfied, she stepped out into the hall.
"Don't take all night!" she called over her shoulder as the door closed.
Erin punched the lobby button as she stepped into the elevator. The ride down was quick and quiet. As the door opened, the contrasting noise and excitement of the casino floor confronted her. Stepping out, she strode confidently past the slot machines, black jack and poker tables toward the bar in the center of the casino. She was aware of more than the usual heads turning to watch her. She tried to concentrate on walking upright in the high heels as she grinned, checking out the crowd herself.
As she walked past the high-rollers poker side room, she slowed to check out the action. There were a few men at the tables, and more than a few women surrounding them. Erin looked around. It was easy to spot the rich ones. They seemed to be in control of the table. An older guy, maybe 60, was looking distressed. The chips in front of him were dwindling. The other guy at the table was a salt-and-pepper haired, well dressed man who had a big stack of chips in front of him. He was joking with the dealer, leaning back, relaxed. Erin watched his mannerisms, noting the tailored sport coat and making a mental note of the lack of ring on his finger as he twirled chips between them. As her eyes moved up to his face, she noticed his eyes. They were dark and staring directly into hers.
Erin felt her face warm from her blush. Her eyes immediately dropped, then carefully glanced back at him. His eyes hadn't moved from hers, and a smile came across his face. He motioned with a nod of his head, sending an unmistakable silent invitation to Erin to come sit by him. Erin breathed deeply, then with a shrug, moved inside the room toward his table. His eyes never left hers, holding his gaze with her eyes until she stood beside him. They were silent for what seemed to Erin like an almost uncomfortably long time. His smile broadened.
"I'm Ace," he offered his hand, finally breaking the gaze as his large hand reached for hers.
Erin couldn't help but laugh. "Ace? Wow, a perfect Vegas name! It's nice to meet you, I'm Erin," as he took her outstretched hand with a firm handshake. Erin smiled broadly. She hated when a man gave a limp handshake. Some were afraid to squeeze a woman's hand. A firm handshake showed confidence, and it oozed from Ace.
She sat next to him, watching as he expertly played the game. There were drinks, quite a few, including champagne all around when Ace went all in and cleaned up the table. There was also a lot of flirting by them both. He made her laugh almost constantly, and time stood still for her. The chemistry was strong. It was almost 2am when Erin thought to check her phone. There were five texts and a few voice messages. She quickly texted Liz back. "srry in hi rollers rm. Will txt l8tr n tell u all about it."
Erin noticed that the keys on her phone were hard to push in the right order. She realized that she had way to much to drink. She stood up, her legs rubbery. She giggled.