by Skyy
“Sure.”
“I usually like to be a little early, but I’m probably not going to make it there until around eight forty-five exactly.”
“That works for me.”
“Fine, then I’ll see you then.”
“Wait, which hotel is it at?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right.” She looked at the tickets again. “Excalibur.”
“Fine, I’ll meet you there.”
Dakota ended the call and then darted to the shower. She made sure to keep the double head massage showerhead on low pressure so that it wouldn’t splash on her face and ruin her makeover.
Fifty-five minutes later Dakota was dressed, had coordinated her jewelry, hailed a taxi, and was approaching the theatre doors for the Tournament of Kings dinner show.
“And with no time to spare,” she heard a voice say.
She looked up and spotted Leon looking all dapper in a nice sweater that was just thick enough to fight off that Vegas evening breeze. He had on some midnight blue crisp creased jeans and was carrying a satchel. Dakota always loved a man bold enough to carry what she referred to as a man purse.
“Well hello, Mr. Rico Suave.” She gave him an obvious once-over and then circled him like she was the lioness and he was the prey.
“I knew I was meeting you here”—he pretended to be popping his collar—“so I knew I needed to bring my A game.”
Dakota play patted/punched him on the shoulder and went in for a hug. When she felt his arms around her and lightly squeeze her back, she was almost shocked at the fact that she’d even instigated the hug. A hint of doubt and embarrassment crept in and caused her to pull away. She didn’t want him to think she was desperate. Or a ho. Or a desperate ho. “So, uh, shall we head in?”
“Yes, we shall.” Leon guided Dakota with his hand on her back. They turned in their tickets and were seated.
“This is sooooo cool,” Dakota said as she looked around, feeling as though she’d been transported into medieval times. “It’s so lifelike.”
“Well, it is real. I hear they are supposed to have like real horses and everything.”
Dakota’s eyes lit up as she continued to admire the place. Shortly thereafter they were given their options of a three-course meal. They ordered and their drinks were brought to them.
“This place is really filled up,” Leon said.
“Yes. The man at the hotel said it was popular. We were a little late, but I’m just glad we didn’t miss anything.”
They drank their beverages. Leon had ordered that brewski he would have had at the sport’s bar. They chatted a bit while they waited on their meals to be brought out.
“So, Leon,” Dakota started, “where are you from?”
“Your entrees,” the waiter said as she placed their meals in front of them.
They oohed and ahhed over the meal that they ate with their fingers for authenticity of the time period. Before long the show started and they watched in amazement as maidens danced, armies fought, including some jousting. There were even fireworks.
Dakota felt like she was right in the middle of a fairytale, not just because she was at this show. Her entire trip to Vegas had been like a fairytale, something a real person in the real world could have only dreamt. And she never wanted to wake up. But just like Cinderella, instead of the clock striking twelve midnight, it would be striking twelve noon and she’d be packing up to head back home. The fairytale would be over. But for now, she was still living it ... and she was going to live it to the fullest indeed.
Chapter 12
“That was so amazing!” Dakota said as they exited the show.
“That was pretty nice if I do say so myself.”
Dakota play tickled him. “Oh just admit it was awesome. I won’t strip you of your man card. I know it wasn’t a beer with the fellas at the sports bar, but it was nice.”
“I said it was nice.”
“You said pretty nice. It’s not the same. You’re trying to downplay it and hide how much you really enjoyed getting taken in by la-la land.”
“Yeah, those strobe lights were pretty cool,” he admitted. “All right, so it was cool.” He put his head down and smiled.
“See, I knew it. Don’t worry, Leon, you can keep it real around me.”
“Oh can I now?” he looked up at Dakota and said.
“Sure you can,” she said as they talked and walked.
He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. Dakota, sensing he had stopped, followed suit.
“I don’t want you to go. I want to spend the night with you.”
“What?” Dakota sounded shocked, appalled, surprised, flattered, and everything in between. Hell, she didn’t know exactly how she felt. But she did feel some kind of way.
“Oh, no, not like that. I don’t want to get with you.” He scrunched his face up.
Dakota’s jaw dropped. Now she knew exactly how she felt: hurt, sad, insulted, pissed! Had this man just told her to her face she was an ugly, fat cow who he wouldn’t fuck with somebody else’s dick? Never mind what he said; that’s what she heard. She took a deep breath and reeled her emotions back in. Okay, maybe she was being overly sensitive. She counted to two. Three took too long. She might have caught a case by the time she made it to ten. She calmed down some. Maybe he’s like William, not that into her, not that into girls period.
“I’d get with you in a heartbeat,” Leon said, “if I were that kind of guy.”
Dakota gave him the side eye.
“Oh, no. That’s not what I’m trying to say either.” He shook his head. “Damn it, Marie. You got me all mixed up and tongue-tied.” He swallowed and took a deep breath. “What I’m trying to say is that I don’t want us to turn in for the night.” He reached out to take Dakota’s hands.
She was a little hesitant but allowed them to rest inside his.
“This is my last night in Vegas. I like you. Hopefully you like me just a little bit or you wouldn’t have called me up tonight.”
Dakota loosened up and let a smile free.
“Hey, so what do you say we head to the strip? If it’s not too late we can see the water show at the Bellagio fountains, take a gondola ride down at the Venetian. Maybe even the hotel I’m staying at has one more outdoor show with those pirates and stuff.” He squeezed her hands. “Let’s just not let the night end without getting to know each other a little better. Call me crazy, but I don’t think it was a coincidence that we ran into each other at the airport, that we’re here together tonight. I truly enjoyed your company. You are so down to earth, and I hope this doesn’t offend you, but just a little quirky.”
Quirky. That was a compliment to Dakota, because that meant that underneath the façade, he was still able to find a true part of her.
“You are one unique individual. It’s not every day God blesses someone to encounter a person like you.”
“You had me at ‘hey,’” Dakota said, mocking one of her favorite movies, Jerry Maguire. “You didn’t even have to drop the G word: God.”
The two laughed.
“So is that a yes? Marie, will you spend the night with me?”
Knowing exactly what Leon meant by spending the night with him, she gladly said, “Yes.” But when he lifted her hand, placed it to his sensual lips, and kissed it, her yes just might have changed its intended meaning.
“I feel like I’m in Venice or someplace just like it,” Dakota said as she and Leon sat in the gondola as it floated on the waters in the manmade canal inside of the Venetian hotel. It was so late that the outdoor one was closed, but they were just in time to catch the last indoor ride.
It was just beautiful. And when the girl rowing their boat started singing in Italian, Dakota thought she was going to cry. She closed her eyes, and for a moment she forgot she was inside a hotel in Las Vegas. She forgot who she was period. It was no longer about a Dakota versus Marie thing. It was about her just losing herself in the fantasy. But it really wasn’t a fantasy. This was real life. Her life. Anyone
could call her whatever they wanted. Who she was last week or yesterday didn’t matter. Neither did it matter who she was just an hour ago. All that mattered was right now. And right now she was ... happy.
“Is that a tear I see?” Leon took his index finger and placed it on Dakota’s cheek. The tear that slid from her eye landed on the tip of his finger. He slid his finger upward, wiping away the trail the tear had left.
Dakota remained still, her eyes still closed, the entire time. She exhaled as yet another tear fell.
Leon slowly scooted in closer to Dakota. He gently placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in to his chest. Dakota just released. So many more tears followed. All tears of joy, none sorrow. None were because of the memories of always being the chubby one when it came to her and Billie, or even her and her clique. Even back in high school she was thick. But through it all, she still tried out for the high school drill team, big legs and all, and made the team. She stayed on the team all four years. She was even voted “Most Spirited” by her senior class. She’d always been blessed with friends who never cared about what size or color she was all the way up to adulthood.
“Girl, I didn’t know you were mixed,” had been Trice’s words to Dakota after she’d met her parents. Trice hadn’t cared. Shyla hadn’t cared. They’d never asked her once. They’d never been curious about anything other than who she was; not what she was.
“I’m a human being damn it!” Dakota had once snapped off on a college classmate for asking her the infamous “What are you?” question.
“I’m just pretty!” she’d snapped at a guy in the grocery store line for using the “You are pretty to be big,” comment, not compliment.
Even Billie, outside of the name calling siblings do when they are younger in heated battles, never got on Dakota about her weight, unlike how adult Toni Braxton did with her adult sister.
The only thing the people who loved Dakota ever cared about when it came to her was just her, and making sure she lived a happy, carefree, fun life.
She couldn’t deny that through all their little digs about how she hadn’t lived such a life, it had pushed her to do just that while in Vegas.
“You okay?” Leon finally asked.
Dakota opened her eyes, leaving her thoughts. She wiped her tears of joy and complete happiness. She nodded her head as she looked up to face Leon. Staring back at her were eyes that she’d seen before. Trice, Shyla, Billie, her parents; they’d all looked at her with those same eyes. Nothing mattered about Dakota but her. No hidden agenda or thoughts. They didn’t look through her or beyond her, just deep within her soul, only yearning to know the person God had created her to be.
Gosh, how she’d love to add his eyes to her collection at home. The more the merrier and it wasn’t every day she met someone who deserved to be among those who loved her the most and whom she loved the most in return. But God had made it so that she’d met one more, even if it was just for one night. And Dakota wanted to take advantage of it. So she smiled then placed her head back against Leon’s chest and enjoyed her now.
Chapter 13
Dakota stood at the door of her suite looking around the room. What she was looking for only she knew. She’d already scoured the entire place, right down to the shower stall, to the drawers, closet, and under the bed, making sure she wasn’t leaving a thing. She surely couldn’t have been looking around the room taking in memories. There weren’t that many. Most of her memories had definitely been made outside of those four walls, not that anyone who knew her back home would believe. But she knew the truth. She knew the life she’d lived while in Vegas, and she couldn’t even hardly believe it, so she surely wasn’t going to waste time trying to convince anyone else.
She double checked on top of the nightstand to make sure she’d left housekeeping a tip. She gave the place one last sweep, smiled, then exited the room, heading to the checkout desk.
“How was your stay?” the clerk at the checkout counter asked after Dakota handed him her room key.
“Let’s just say that coming back is definitely on my bucket list,” Dakota said as the clerk handed her her receipt for the extras she’d purchased such as room service and the items from the hotel stores.
“Were you here for business or pleasure?”
“It was business.” Dakota smiled. “But very pleasurable.”
“Well, then by all means you must come back and see us, Ms. Smith, for pleasure only.”
“Like I said, it’s definitely on my bucket list,” Dakota assured him as she stuffed the receipt in her purse.
“Good, because you only live once.”
Dakota stopped, smiled at the clerk, and said, “Who are you telling?” and with that she shuttled to the airport, heading back to Michigan.
“Sister!” Billie exclaimed as soon as she saw Dakota approach the baggage claim where she’d been waiting for her.
“Billie.” Dakota put down her carry-on and hugged her sister. “Thank you for coming to pick me up from the airport.”
“Of course.” Billie grabbed Dakota’s suitcase by the handle. “I saw your suitcase come around the bend, so I grabbed it. And telling by its weight, you got some shopping done. I hope you bought me something. And not some stupid airport souvenir.”
Dakota laughed. “Well, what had happened was ...”
Billie rolled her eyes up in her head already knowing she wasn’t about to like what Dakota had to say.
“I meant to pick up everyone something while I was shopping at the mall, but it totally slipped my mind.”
Billie frowned. “So you didn’t bring us back nothing?” “Of course I did: some stupid airport souvenirs.” Dakota busted out laughing at the distorted face Billie was making. “Sorry. I didn’t want to have to pay an arm and a leg for those ridiculous things either.”
“Well, thank goodness you won five thousand dollars. You can just give me some of that.” Billie held her hand out. “Yep, Dad told me. I talked to you how many times, and you kept that from me. Umm, hmmm. I see how you are.”
“Girl, come on.” Dakota picked up her carry-on. Billie pulled her sister’s suitcase and the two headed toward the exit so they could walk over to the garage that Billie had parked in.
“So tell me. What was Vegas like? Did you follow my advice and let your hair down and live a little?” Billie asked as soon as they stepped out of the airport.
Dakota looked over at Billie and wagged her finger in her sister’s face. “Oh, no you don’t. Remember it’s like you said: what goes on in Vegas stays in Vegas. And I did just that: left it all behind me.” Dakota stuck her tongue out at her sister.
“Oh goodness!” Dakota felt like she’d run into a brick wall. Instead it was a man who had been walking in front of her. Obviously while Dakota was teasing her sister, the man in front of her had halted his steps for some reason.
“I’m so sorry,” Dakota apologized to the gentleman. He turned around with his mouth opened prepared to speak. His words got caught. He quickly recovered them though. “Marie?”
“Leon!” Dakota replied in shock.
Guess not everything had stayed in Vegas after all.
Urban Books, LLC
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A Lover’s Embrace? Copyright © 2014 Skyy
You Only Live Once Copyright © 2014 Treasure Hernandez
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ISBN: 978-1-6016-2406-2
This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living or dead, or to real locales are intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents is entirely coincidental.
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