by Jayce, Aven
“You bet. I’ll do anything.”
“Follow me,” he says, placing his elbow out for me to grasp. I hold him tightly and we stroll down the strip. We sightsee, shoot photos of the casinos, and admire fountains along the way to our next stop. I’m like a child on Christmas morning, eager to see what’s next, and thrilled at the sights and sounds of the city. Cove is just as energized, and at one point he buys me a white rose from a street vendor. He snaps the stem and places the flower over my ear and through my hair, planting a soft kiss on my mouth. His lips and tongue are as warm as his heart and I wish I could be half as loving.
“You did it.”
“Did what?” he asks.
“You wanted starry-eyed, you got it. I adore you, Babe.”
He blushes and nods to our right as we stop next to the Bellagio fountain.
“Now that’s impressive,” I say.
“I know. I love it. It’s a spectacular hotel with expansive grounds. Nothing’s as grand in Vegas as this fountain.” We take a seat on a bench and watch the show. Soft music plays and shots of water soar and sway while lights glow and disappear under the water. “Have you ever seen it at night?” he asks.
I shake my head no, completely mesmerized, sitting quietly through two songs. The water moves freely and flows with the music. I’m hypnotized.
“It’s beautiful at night. Meditative,” he says, kissing my hand as he guides me up next to him. “You ready?”
“Yes, but I’d like to come back here again. It’s so pretty.”
“You got it.”
We walk inside the Bellagio and Cove laughs at how obvious it is that I’m a tourist. I stare wide-eyed at every square inch of the elegant interior.
“Jesus, marble floors and massive columns? Whoa, look at that fountain, oh my God, and that glass on the ceiling. Cripes! Where am I?”
“That’s the Fiori di Como chandelier, it’s a Chihuly,” he says, trying to snap me out of whatever world I just fell into. “Can you hear me?”
“Yeah. You have to remember I grew up poor, so…”
“You did?”
“Well, yeah. I told you my father left us and later he was upset by the way we had been living. I had nothing as a teenager.”
“But didn’t you see all of this when you were here last time?”
“Mera and I partied. Isn’t that what Vegas is all about? Gambling… getting shitfaced?”
“No, this city has a lot of culture. And yes, tons of people come here to party, but there’s so much more to it than that. Look at this place,” he says, holding out his hand at the massive space that surrounds us. “Look at the opulence. It’s magnificent. I could spend an entire week just studying the architecture. People miss out on this stunning city when they spend all of their time in the casinos. There’s a whole other world outside of those dark gambling rooms.”
“I see that now. Look, there’s the gallery,” I say, pointing ahead. “Have you ever been here before?”
“I come here every chance I get.”
“Really?”
“Yes, my mother has placed a love for art in my bones, especially photography. It’s hard to grow up with an artist and not have some appreciation for it, you know?”
“If you had asked me that question last week I would’ve said no, but now that I’ve spent time with you I completely understand. Your love for certain things is rubbing off on me as well. So yes, I understand, and I’m grateful.”
“Me too.”
We enter the gallery and spend an hour admiring the current exhibition. Cove knows a lot about the artist and I listen to him discuss the work, captivated by his knowledge. I can tell he’s intelligent and would have done well in college. I wonder if he would want to attend now. He asks me what my favorite piece in the show is and I take him over to an acrylic silkscreen of a pile of colored shoes. Cove smiles and nods; commenting on the composition, unity, and movement in the piece. I ask about his favorite work and he points out a series of Polaroids.
“I love the facial expressions and the feelings that radiate from the eyes of each person. He really captured their personalities,” he says, as he walks me through the set. I feel like I have a personal guide for the exhibition and just like the other events of the day, I’m a bit sad when we’re finished.
“Are you hungry?” he asks as we leave the gallery.
“Yes, what time is it?”
“Five. I think we should get a bite and then head back to the room to change before we speak to your father.”
“Oh,” my voice low and sad. “It’s that late?”
“Hey,” Cove says. He wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head. “Sophia, beautiful, everything’s going to be okay. Let’s have a nice dinner together and then get the rest of the night over with. I promise you, I’ll be back in that hotel room with you after I speak to Paul.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, you can count on it. I want to sleep next to you, nude. My hand needs to be all over your flesh and then inside your body throughout the night. I’ll suck and lick that pulsating clit of yours, make you moan and beg for my dick,” he whispers, kissing my cheek and ear between sentences. “You wet for me now, Baby?”
“Hmm, mmm,” I whimper.
“You gonna suck on me tonight?”
“Yes,” I exhale.
“I can’t wait to make love to you. We’ll be in that room together. Just you and me, I promise.”
“Oh, Cove,” I say in a wavering voice, close to tears. “Okay. Let’s have dinner and then change our clothes. Every moment with you means the world to me.” He sweeps in and presses his mouth passionately against mine, giving me a deep kiss. I want more. He backs away and places his hand on the small of my back, then guides me down the hallway and out the front of the hotel. I see the beautiful fountain and wish we could just stay here forever.
“You see that?” Cove leans in, whispering in my ear. He points across the street and I see a replica of the Eiffel Tower.
“It’s lovely. I saw it earlier when we walked down this way. It looks just like the real thing.”
“Yes, but look, up there,” he points and I see windows part way up the building. “I made a reservation for us at that restaurant for five-fifteen. You’ll have your own private view of this fountain that you love so much while we dine.”
“No way, are you serious? How did you plan all of this out? You’ve thought of everything. When did you make the reservation?”
“Yesterday, when you were in the shower in the hotel room,” he smiles.
“You amaze me,” I beam, giving him a big hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” I say, with soft kisses across his cheek. “This whole day has been perfect.”
“I’ve spent a lot of time down here when I’ve come out for work and the trade fairs. I used to imagine what it would be like to take a woman to these places. Now I know, and it’s better than any of my best daydreams.”
I take his hand and smile, walking to the Eiffel Towel. We take a glass elevator to the eleventh floor and are seated at a table that overlooks the strip. The dining room has large windows and as the sun sets, the city lights sparkle across the quickly approaching night.
Cove orders, requesting two glasses of pinot noir and the slow roasted salmon filet for each of us. I smile in approval and he winks at me, taking my hand from across the table. The Bellagio fountain starts a new show and we enjoy the water from a different perspective along with all the other diners who were lucky enough to reserve a window seat.
“Make sure you don’t tell anyone your name while we’re out tonight. When I texted your father I mentioned that we’d both be there, but I still haven’t received a response back from him, which isn’t unusual if you consider the circumstances. I guarantee he’s not happy that I’m taking you to that place, but at least he’s prepared and knows we’re coming. On top of that, he’d be furious if people found out that you were his daughter, so don’t say your name.”
&nbs
p; “I don’t think he cares anymore, Cove, but I agree. I don’t want anyone to know that I’m a Jameson.”
“No, he cares. He cares about having to deal with problems. He’s at his best when there’re no issues and the company runs smoothly. Let’s keep who you are private. He’ll expect that from us, at the least.”
“I’ll go by Sara. No last name.”
“Okay, Sara. Be prepared for everyone to call me Star. That name stuck even after NOVA ended. Your dad used to call me his White Dwarf Star, then it turned into Shooting Star when I got older.”
“Oh God,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Hey, it’s better than Carl Caverns.”
We laugh as our food arrives. It looks and tastes delicious and I’m surprised I can eat with all the anxiety I feel about the expo.
“So that’s what NOVA stood for? White Dwarf Star?”
“Yes, and no. A nova is an explosion in a white dwarf, according to Wikipedia.”
“Oh,” I have to roll my eyes again. “Wikipedia, now there’s a reliable source, you sound like Mera.”
“And other sites,” he smiles. “That explosion was me, I was Paul’s nova star.” He hesitates and takes a bite of his salmon, closes his eyes and swallows. He swirls his wine before taking a sip then continues to inform me about the past. “NOVA as a whole stood for Night of Virgin Adolescents. The scenes were all shot in the late afternoon or evening; we were promoted as pure and young, or made to look young. I don’t think any of us had a clue as to what we were doing, but that was the draw for Paul’s clients. People are keen on innocence. It’s rare and hard to come across in the porn industry.”
“Cove?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I ask you about your father?”
He looks at me and then at his wine. I wait for an answer as he takes another drink. He gulps it down and pours himself a second glass from the bottle. “I suppose,” he finally responds.
“What happened?”
“You mean in the end?”
“Yes. When he was arrested. How did that happen?”
“Dayne picked me up, like he did a lot when I did something wrong. He said it was my last mistake.”
“You mentioned to me before that you went to the police. That was the mistake?”
“Yes, I tried to. Twice. The first time I was fifteen. It was when the Rosens still lived in St. Louis. Dayne, Doron, and a few others who were involved would pick me up almost daily on my walk home from school. They’d take me to a brownstone that Paul purchased from the Rosens’ father. Originally Paul had a few rentals, but later he bought two properties, the brownstone being one.”
“So you were fifteen?”
“The first time, yes. Dayne grabbed me as I was about to walk into the station. I have no idea how he knew I was there besides the fact that I wasn’t on my usual path home. Your dad was in town as well. Which surprised me to see him in the kitchen of that place. It was as though he had read my mind. I got what I deserved that day, and was scared enough that I didn’t think to try it again for years.”
“I hate it when you say things like that. You always make it sound like it’s your fault.”
He fills my glass with wine and sends a half-smile my way. I take a drink, prepared to hear more.
“The second time was years later, when I was eighteen. Paul had warned me of the consequences of what would happen if I ever talked, but I thought I could beat him. Someone else also wanted out and was supposed to come forward with me. I thought it was the right time. He turned on me and the only reason he didn’t go down with my father was because of Dayne. Brotherly love.”
“Doron?”
He nods. “He loves the money like the rest of them, and he doesn’t mind the other sites, but was never thrilled about NOVA. In the end he ratted me out to Paul. Dayne waited for me once again on the street by the station. I didn’t run, fight back, or deny anything. He was living in Vegas at the time so I knew when I saw him on the street that he had flown in just for me. Just for that situation. It was over. I walked in silence with him to his car and he drove me to the brownstone where Paul was waiting. He told me my father had already been taken in. I was a wreck. He wanted me to testify against him and if I didn’t my mother would run into some problems as well.”
“Did you?”
“No. I couldn’t do that to him, but of course no one would believe me that it was Paul and not my father behind all of it. No one could pin anything on your dad. He had someone tip off the police about the child pornography, sending people to our home and my father’s office. Paul had planted some videos of me, and others in both places. The videos found in our home were actually my fault. Doron gave them to me a day before my father was arrested. He asked me to leave them in my father’s office. I didn’t know what they were, and I never questioned it. I had delivered things before so it didn’t seem unusual. Then, and I still don’t know how this happened, Paul was able to place some files on my father’s home computer.” Cove finishes his second glass of wine and pours a third, his hand shakes as he puts the bottle down.
“You can stop. I get the picture.”
“No. Let me finish. I think you need this information.”
I nod, cross my legs and lean in, allowing him to lower his voice so people can’t hear the conversation. He holds my hand and brushes his thumb over my fingers.
“He paid off two incarcerated men to testify against my father. They said they distributed the porn for him. Then the police ‘magically’ came across a few phone conversations with my father talking about NOVA. The person on the other end was never identified.”
“Of course,” I say in a pissed off voice. “I think I’m going to scream right now.”
“That’s how I felt. I couldn’t get anyone to listen to me. The police thought I was blaming Paul to protect my father. And then my mother’s job came under scrutiny. Her years as a nude photographer didn’t play well in the courtroom. My parents were portrayed as living a sinful life and it appalled the jurors that they involved their underage son. There was absolutely no evidence linking my father to the Rosens or Paul. I even took the police to the brownstone but it was wiped clean. No furniture; freshly painted and newly carpeted. There was a ‘for rent’ sign out front and a woman confirmed that she had rented the place from Paul for years, and that nothing unusual ever happened there. I looked like a fool, just like your father had planned.”
“That’s fucked up.”
“I went mad, and so did my mother. She was furious that both my father and I never told her what went on for all those years. The bank account that my father set up also didn’t help his case. Paul always gave me cash, and that’s what my father deposited. It was a lot, and he couldn’t explain where it had come from. We were all in a hole, unable to climb out.”
“Couldn’t anyone find the other people in the videos?”
“Yes, they did. Natalie was one. She testified against my father. That was another reason why I said I didn’t like her, but I also understood where she was coming from. If Paul did some of the things to her that he did to me, then I get why she testified. I can’t blame her. The other two were the brothers from LA, but they died in a car accident.”
“And that wasn’t suspicious?”
“No proof, Soph. They were drunk. Well above the limit. Your father had it all planned out so well that if anything ever went wrong during those years, well… he knew what to do. It was always set to end this way from day one.”
“So all of that because you were outside the police station? Dayne couldn’t have just taken you back to the brownstone and, I hate to say it, punish you?”
“It was time to end NOVA. We all knew it. Age had become an issue and Paul wasn’t going to bring in any random teens that he didn’t have a connection to. It was too dangerous to start over. Doron exposed my plan and that was enough for Paul to let it all go. He could still make money from me, but as an adult.”
“So why not just end it? Why go t
hrough all of that and ruin people’s lives? Why not just move and let it all go?”
“Good question, and I’m not Paul so I can’t answer it. Lack of trust perhaps. He could’ve felt that something could still go wrong in the future, even though it was over. Or maybe just because he’s a dick.”
“How can your mother stand to even look at my father now?”
“It took some time, but eventually she realized she needed him, as sick as that may be. My father gets beat up and abused in prison. Paul steps in and pays off some of the inmates and guards to protect him. He’s kept him safe, unless I fuck up, then it always seems like my father pays for my mistakes. My mother says it’s a coincidence, but no way, I know Paul, it’s never a coincidence.”
“Dickhead.”
Cove laughs and clinks my glass. “You bet he is,” he snarls. “My mother’s keeping her enemies close, as the saying goes. Plus, she still makes a shitload as the head photographer for his magazine, and she knows I’m still working for him as well, or I was. I think, like me, she’s waiting for the right moment. Waiting for Paul to slip up, or for something to happen, something to open like a magic box with a key that sets my father free. That’s how she can stand to look at him.”
I hear a high-pitched ding and turn to see a man tapping his fork against his wine glass. He stands and looks around the room, smiles, then takes the hand of the woman at his table.
“Excuse me everyone. I’d like to have your attention for just a moment. Please look at this beautiful woman who I’ve been blessed to have in my life for two wonderful years. Admire her beauty as I have, and as I’d like to do for the rest of my life.”
He kneels, pulls a small black velvet box out of his pocket, kisses her hand and continues his proposal. The room is quiet, and the woman raises her free hand to her mouth, as a tear runs down her cheek.
“Katelyn, you have captured my heart. My love for you continues to grow with each passing day and will never end.”
“Sounds like he memorized that one,” Cove whispers.
“Shh,” I hush him.
“Will you do me the honor of….”
“Yes!” She screams before he can finish his sentence. A few women in the room wipe tears from their eyes while others say ahh. There’s a refined round of applause as the two hug and kiss.