Idol

by Carrie Duffy

  ‘Zac was thinking about it, but decided to keep his hotel reservation in case Amber flies out to join him. And we don’t all wanna be on top of each other, do we?’ Nick pointed out, thinking how much he wanted to be on top of Jenna at that particular moment.

  ‘Right. So it’s just you and me?’ Jenna could hardly bring herself to look at him, certain that her desire must be plain to see.

  ‘Is that such a bad thing?’

  Jenna didn’t reply.

  ‘I promise to behave,’ he winked.

  ‘Now that would be a shame,’ Jenna shot back, the comment slipping out before she could stop it.

  Nick laughed easily, enjoying her discomfort as she blushed crimson. ‘And don’t forget, my room’s right next door to yours. Just holler if you need me in the middle of the night.’

  ‘I’ll remember that,’ Jenna assured him.

  ‘Awesome!’ exclaimed Nick, picking her up in his arms and swinging her round. His hands were large and strong, and she felt light as air in his grasp. ‘Believe me, you won’t want to leave.’

  14

  ‘I fucking love Vegas!’ Sadie screeched at the top of her voice.

  Hanging out of the limo sunroof, she threw her head back and took a gulp from a bottle of champagne, turning her face up to the cloudless Nevada sky.

  The car sped down the Strip, flanked on either side by gigantic hotels, bigger than any Sadie had ever seen. There was the Luxor, with its giant pyramid and laser beam reaching high into the sky, followed by the New York, a replica of the Big Apple with its very own rollercoaster that encircled the building. It was wild. In the distance Sadie could see the huge Stratosphere tower, and encompassing the whole thing like a security blanket was the sun-bleached desert and the silent mountains beyond.

  She felt as if she was in a movie.

  Americans wearing khaki shorts and fanny packs pointed at her and some Japanese tourists took photos. A group of young guys whooped and waved. They looked like jocks, barely out of college. But they were hot, so Sadie whooped back.

  She made quite a picture; her dark hair streaming out behind her as the desert sun beat down on her sinewy body, shown to perfection in the pale pink slip dress she was wearing. She had spray-tanned before she left, and now her entire body was a gorgeous shade of sun-kissed brown. She blew kisses to anyone who waved at her and felt giddy with all the champagne.

  The flight to Nevada had taken ten hours. Sadie had slept for eight hours straight, then woken up and ordered a double vodka and Diet Coke. She’d barely slowed down after that, and when the VIP limo picked them up from the airport she was thrilled to discover the chilled champagne in its cavernous interior. Sadie was determined that this would be a holiday they would never forget.

  ‘Sadie, you’re drenching me!’ Carla squealed, as Sadie glanced down and realized she’d tipped the bottle all inside the car. There was a puddle on one of the seats, and Carla’s dress bore telltale stains.

  Reluctantly, Sadie sat down, pressing her nose against the tinted glass to make sure she didn’t miss any part of their arrival in Vegas. ‘Look, it’s the Eiffel Tower,’ she yelled excitedly as they passed the Paris. Then her attention was distracted as they drove by the dancing fountains at the Bellagio, and she jumped across the limo to get a better view.

  Even in the middle of the afternoon, the Vegas Strip was a blaze of neon, and the tourists were out in force. It seemed as though every nationality was out pounding the pavements, from parents with young children to teenagers to OAPs, all making their way from one casino to the next, exploring the magic the city had to offer.

  Their limo swept up to the entrance of Caesars Palace, and Sadie gave the driver a stupidly generous tip as a concierge appeared to take their bags.

  ‘Holy shit,’ she swore as she walked into the enormous marble lobby. She pushed her oversized sunglasses back onto her head to get a better view as she squinted up at the painted frescoes.

  ‘It’s amazing,’ Carla breathed, looking stunned. ‘It’s just ridiculous, gaudy—’

  ‘And glamorous and fantastic,’ Sadie finished with a grin. ‘I think I’ve found my spiritual home.’

  They checked in, and Sadie cheekily requested an upgrade. ‘It’s my first time in Vegas,’ she purred, batting her eyelids at the cute, uniformed guy on reception.

  ‘No problem,’ he beamed back. His teeth were impossibly white. ‘I’ve put you on the thirty-second floor. There’s a fabulous view of the Strip.’

  ‘Thank you – Kevin,’ she grinned, giving him a tantalizing flash of her cleavage as she bent over the desk to read his name-tag. ‘I really appreciate that.’

  She shimmied off towards the elevator with a giggling Carla in tow, marvelling at her friend’s chutzpah.

  ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get,’ Sadie shrugged. She planned to start asking – and getting – a whole lot more from now on.

  ‘Oh my God,’ she exclaimed, as she walked into their room, which boasted two king-size beds, a separate living room and an enormous marble bathroom with a whirlpool tub big enough for three.

  ‘Check this out,’ yelled Carla, looking out of the window. The promised view of the Strip didn’t disappoint, and she could see past the concrete hotels and desolate car parks to the looming mountains beyond.

  ‘Shall we eat? I’m starving,’ suggested Sadie.

  ‘Sure,’ Carla agreed easily. ‘Are you sure you’re okay about picking up the tab? I feel bad.’

  ‘Oh no, don’t start that again. I told you, I am going to spend this money how I damn well please, and that involves you and me in Vegas having the time of our lives. Now don’t ask me again.’

  They ordered room service, washed down with more vodka, while they quickly showered and dressed, eager to hit the town. Sadie pulled on denim hot pants which showed off her long legs, teamed with gladiator sandals and a black vest top with a retro print of Madonna. Carla went for a short, floral halterneck and spritzed herself with the Dior perfume she’d picked up at the airport.

  ‘Vegas won’t know what’s hit it!’ smiled Sadie, as they eyed their reflections in the full-length mirror.

  To get out of the hotel they had to go through the casino, where they lingered watching young guys get fleeced at blackjack as they recklessly tried to impress the girls who cheered them on. Elderly women in elasticated trousers sat immobile in front of flashing one-armed bandits, their eyes locked in concentration on the spinning reels. As they passed, Sadie tried her luck. She fed in a dollar, crossed her fingers and pulled the lever. It didn’t pay out.

  ‘I thought my luck was changing,’ she said forlornly.

  ‘It is,’ Carla assured her. ‘We’re going to have an amazing holiday. Something good is going to happen to you, after all the shit you’ve been through.’

  ‘I hope so,’ Sadie told her. They linked arms as they walked out of the hotel and onto the main drag itself.

  ‘Man, it’s crazy!’ marvelled Carla, as their senses were immediately assaulted by the sights, sounds and smells of the city. It took their breath away. Outside the air-conditioned casino the sun beat down, the stifling heat so different to the drizzle they had left behind in London. Hundreds of people swarmed by, some dressed outrageously for stag parties and bachelorette nights. Scruffily dressed Mexicans hustled and pressed leaflets into their hands, urging them to see this show or visit that strip joint, everyone promising them discounts, offers and ‘the best deal in town, chica’, as Sadie and Carla walked joyously and aimlessly, soaking up the vibe.

  They headed from bar to bar, getting steadily drunker on cocktails bought for them by hot men with names like Brad and Chad who thought their accents were just too cute. When Brad and Chad got too friendly, Sadie and Carla made their excuses and left. It wasn’t their fault, but Sadie just didn’t trust men any more, and Carla was staying faithful to Tom for reasons Sadie didn’t understand.

  The Vegas sky was dimming, and darkness fell quickly in the desert. Pretty soon the garish ne
on could be seen in all its glory. The families had disappeared and the streets had taken on a carnival-like atmosphere as gas-guzzling stretch Hummers drove past, filled with beautiful people ready to party.

  The girls were heading south, aimlessly following the crowds, when a six-foot transvestite looking like an extra from The Rocky Horror Show grabbed Sadie by the arm.

  ‘Hey ladies! Are you looking for the time of your lives tonight?’ He peered down at them through eyes thickly rimmed with black kohl pencil. He wore a long, thick, platinum-blonde wig and zealously applied red lipstick.

  ‘Are you the one who’s going to give it to us?’ Sadie asked cheekily. She was more than a little drunk, and she clung onto him for support.

  ‘I’m just the warm-up act,’ he grinned. ‘The real action’s in there.’ He pointed down the side street where a seedy-looking club pumped out 1980s soft-rock ballads. There were two enormous bouncers on the door and the windows were blacked out, while a red flashing sign above proclaimed it to be The Pleasuredome. ‘Free entry, free drink,’ the guy said.

  ‘Free drink?’ Sadie’s eyes lit up. ‘What is it? It better not be a shot of something disgusting,’ she warned, remembering the green concoction she’d downed a few bars back.

  ‘Anything you want.’ He smiled again, showing perfect white teeth. What was it with Americans, Sadie wondered? Even their transvestites were obsessed with dentistry. ‘Just tell them Tallulah sent you.’

  ‘Thanks Tallulah,’ Sadie winked, as she grabbed Carla by the hand. Security parted for them as they headed inside, tottering down a mirrored staircase where a suited guy pulled aside a faded velvet curtain and ushered them through. It took a while to adjust to the dim lighting and thick cigarette smoke, but it soon became clear that the club was filled with semi-naked women writhing on podiums as curious tourists and excitable bachelor parties watched lasciviously.

  ‘It’s a strip club!’ Sadie realized.

  ‘In Vegas? How original,’ Carla returned drily.

  ‘Do you want a table?’ A blonde waitress swung by, wearing only a thong and a blue glitter star over each nipple. She was clearly on the wrong side of thirty, and even the dim lighting couldn’t disguise the furrowed forehead and exhausted expression.

  Sadie glanced at Carla. ‘I’ve never been to a strip club before.’

  ‘Me neither.’

  ‘There’s a first time for everything,’ declared Sadie, turning back to the waitress. ‘Yes, we’ll take a table.’

  ‘Great! I’m Glory, and I’ll be your waitress for tonight,’ the woman told them, as she wove through the black Perspex tables and seated them in a booth beside the runway.

  ‘No room for the name-badge, huh?’ Sadie couldn’t resist saying.

  ‘What?’ Glory looked confused.

  ‘Never mind. Oh yeah, Tallulah said we could have a free drink. Anything we wanted.’

  ‘Friends of Tallulah’s, are you? Don’t worry, I’ll sort you out.’ She disappeared, leaving Sadie and Carla looking around in fascination. Their eyes were level with the runway, and they had an excellent view of the porn-star shoes the strippers were wearing.

  ‘Christ, look at the size of those heels. There’s no way I could dance in those,’ Sadie exclaimed.

  ‘Ooh, they’re my favourite,’ said Carla, cooing over a pair of clear plastic six-inchers studded with rhinestones.

  Glory reappeared with their drinks. Sadie and Carla tipped her a couple of dollars, then settled back to watch the show, fascinated by the women’s bodies and the reaction of the crowd. Men were stuffing twenty-dollar bills into their thongs as if they were going out of fashion.

  ‘Look how much money they’re making!’ Sadie hissed. ‘I need a career change.’

  ‘There’s probably some pimp in the back who takes it all, and they’re on minimum wage,’ Carla said cynically, popping a straw into her drink and sucking hard. It tasted delicious, sweet like bourbon.

  ‘No, I’m serious. I mean, how hard can it be? I can do that!’ Sadie squealed, jabbing her finger in the direction of a tiny redhead who had dropped into the splits in front of a group of very appreciative boys that didn’t look old enough to be there. The stripper ruffled the hair of one of them, who looked as though he was going to come in his pants that second. His friends furiously pushed their remaining dollars into the girl’s underwear, eager to see what she would do next.

  Sadie was looking agitated, her eyes glittering brightly. It had been a long time since she’d been on stage, too long since she’d had the adoration of a crowd. ‘Watch this!’ Sadie cried suddenly, and before Carla knew what was happening, Sadie had climbed up onto the platform in front of them. Steadying herself on the nearest pole, she began to writhe against it, her body snaking from side to side as she raised her arms high above her head.

  Some of the crowd realized what was happening and they whooped and cheered, turning their attention away from their own girls. Sadie lapped up the attention, spinning her body around as she bent over and pushed her breasts up against the pole. The onlookers yelled for more, as Carla shook her head and shouted at Sadie to get down. Sadie ignored her. The other girls on the podium had turned to see what was going on, and they didn’t look happy. Over by the door, the security guys were conferring. One lifted his walkie-talkie.

  ‘Strip! Strip! Strip!’ chanted the crowd. Sadie flicked her hair and looked teasingly at the group of men below her. Pursing her lips, she ran her hand down to the bottom of her T-shirt, sliding it slowly up her body to reveal a glimpse of the black lace bra she was wearing underneath. The crowd hollered in approval. Then, holding her arms above her head, she slid down into perfect splits. The onlookers went crazy. Security left their post by the door and began walking over. Carla grabbed Sadie’s arm and hauled her off stage, to a chorus of boos and braying.

  ‘What did you pull me down for?’ Sadie snapped at Carla. She was drunk and angry. ‘I’m going to get another drink.’ Without giving Carla time to reply, she marched off in the direction of the bar. ‘Bourbon and coke. Large.’ Her breath was coming fast, and she still felt pissed off.

  ‘That was quite some show up there,’ the barman grinned. He was cute. Sadie grinned back. ‘You want a job here?’ he asked, as Sadie laughed.

  As he turned away to mix her drink, a pair of breasts appeared beside her. High, round and clearly fake, the perky nipples rested on the countertop just next to Sadie’s elbow.

  ‘Nice work up there,’ said the owner of the breasts, in a heavy West Coast accent.

  Sadie turned to look at her, taking care to focus on her face. The girl had poker-straight, bleached-blonde hair, heavy make-up and dark fake tan – typical Vegas style. Yet Sadie could see that beneath all that she had a natural prettiness. She was young – probably about the same age as Sadie herself. She wore nothing except a red glitter G-string and matching platform heels, but she seemed completely unselfconscious.

  ‘Thanks,’ Sadie replied cautiously, wondering if she was taking the piss.

  ‘I mean it.’ Sadie’s drink arrived, and the girl said, ‘Don’t worry Joe, I’ll cover this.’ She brandished a crumpled twenty and added, ‘And get me one of whatever she’s having.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Sadie repeated as she took her bourbon.

  ‘No problem. Are you British?’ she asked curiously.

  ‘Yeah. From London.’

  ‘Gee, I thought you guys were meant to be repressed. I’m Brooke, by the way.’

  ‘Hi Brooke. I’m Sadie.’ There was a pause as Brooke took her drink, and for something to say Sadie asked, ‘So you work here?’

  ‘Regular detective, aren’t you?’ Brooke shot back, indicating her state of undress. Through her alcoholic haze, Sadie felt embarrassed.

  ‘Sorry,’ Brooke apologized. ‘But I meant what I said before. You’ve got an amazing body, you know. You move really well.’

  ‘I’m a dancer.’

  ‘Really? Exotic?’

  ‘Nah,’ Sadie shook her head. �
��I specialized in jazz. And hip-hop for fun.’

  ‘Right.’ Brooke looked thoughtful. ‘You know, you should try out for this.’ She reached behind the bar and picked up a flyer. It was hot pink, with bold black text that read:

  Only the Hottest Girls need apply for the Sexiest new show in Vegas!

  Beneath was an address and tomorrow’s date.

  ‘My friend’s running it. He’s the best. He’s gay, so no funny business,’ Brooke explained seriously.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘A cabaret troupe. Burlesque. Dancing, entertainment. He’s holding open auditions tomorrow. We’re gonna be the next Pussycat Dolls.’ Brooke’s eyes were sparkling. She clearly believed whatever hype her friend had sold her.

  Sadie looked doubtful. ‘Sounds interesting but—’

  ‘Oh, it’s not like this,’ Brooke cut her off quickly, waving her arm to indicate the grimy club around her. ‘This guy’s big time. Karl Madison – you heard of him?’

  ‘Sounds familiar,’ Sadie told her truthfully.

  ‘He’s a choreographer. He’s worked with all the big stars – Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake … He’s always in Vegas, he loves it, and he wants to start up a little side project here. He’s got a good club lined up – The Play Rooms, you know it?’

  Sadie shook her head.

  ‘It’s good. Sophisticated. Not like this place.’ Brooke looked around her distastefully.

  ‘Are you trying out for it?’

  ‘I don’t have to,’ Brooke announced proudly. ‘My place is guaranteed.’

  ‘Cool. Well, I’ll think about it.’ Unsteadily, Sadie folded the leaflet into quarters and popped it in her purse.

  ‘What’s your cell number?’ Brooke asked.

  ‘I don’t have one here,’ Sadie explained. She told her she was staying at Caesars and gave Brooke her room number.

  ‘Cool. Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,’ she yelled, waving distractedly at an irate-looking guy who had stuck his head out of a back room. ‘My break’s over,’ Brooke explained reluctantly, as she reapplied her pink lip gloss in the mirror above the bar. ‘Time for me to get back up there. It was nice to meet you, Sadie.’ She gave her a big grin and walked off. The thong she wore was barely more than dental floss, but her body was toned and firm, her butt smooth and peachy.