by Claire Angel
The plane taxied down the runway and we lifted off into the sky to a new adventure on the horizon. I was trying to convince myself that this weekend might be a good opportunity for me to seal the deal with Frank. He wouldn’t see it coming and I could have the last laugh by seducing him into my bed.
I had this feeling nobody was going to be laughing by the end of the weekend.
Chapter 7
Frank
It was a good plan and I had a few things lined up with ex-lovers that were going to give Leila something to think about. Las Vegas was my playground and I had been there several times on business and pleasure. It was easy to find those willing to take a walk on the wild side.
I was flirting shamelessly with the dealer on board touching her arm and kissing her cheek innocently. It would’ve been easy to convince her to make a pit stop in the friendly skies to join a certain club. My intention was to rub in Leila’s face and to make it look like my presence was a sought-after commodity by many.
I could feel that she was watching me and shaking her head. It was getting to her and the flight was only part of the plan. Tiffany wasn’t a normal blackjack dealer and I had hired her for certain assets that were busting out all over the place.
Leila was overindulging drinking champagne most likely to dull the effects of what I was putting her through.
She was a consummate blackjack player. If we were playing for clothing, I would’ve been completely naked at her mercy. It would have been interesting to play for those stakes, but this trip was mainly to make her see that I wasn’t a one-woman kind of man.
“It’s just like you to bring me on this trip and have somebody else on board. I remember when we went to Atlantic City when I was 16 and you had a fake passport and identification made up so that I could get my first taste of gambling. My brother still doesn’t know about that one and I wonder what he would say if he were to ever learn the truth,” She said with this wink of evil intentions in her eyes.
I had my arms wrapped around Tiffany drawing her closer with my hands briefly grazing those assets that were on display. I told her that she had to be scandalous and put as much emphasis into flirting as she could. I was going down the rabbit hole and there was no stopping the train once it left the station.
“I’m here strictly for entertainment purposes and nothing was discussed about doing anything more. I’m sure something can be arranged for a monetary settlement. What happens between consenting adults behind closed doors in the friendly skies is something that should be decided amongst them.” Tiffany was bending over slightly rubbing up against me to excite that part of my anatomy that didn’t take more than an errant breeze to get going.
“We’ll talk about that in private and there are some young and impressionable minds on board that shouldn’t be aware of such dealings. You have to keep your voice low and we don’t want this unsavory behavior to get back to her brother. This was supposed to be a gambling expedition and I wouldn’t want to do anything to scar her for life,” I mocked Leila and kissed the dealers neck in an effort to make Leila jealous.
Tiffany giggled and played the part that I had made for her. Acting was what she was attempting to do and this was just another job on the road to broken dreams and casting couches.
“I know I said that I’m just here for entertainment purposes, but you keep doing that and we might have to renegotiate the terms of these working conditions.” Tiffany was enjoying the sexual tension and the games that we were playing, but I could see that Leila wasn’t impressed.
She was staring daggers trying to burst us into flames only using her mind. Those beautiful and lean legs were crossed and her arms were at her side gripping the chair with both hands.
Had Leila not been there, I probably would’ve taken Tiffany up on her offer, but something inside me told me that going into the bathroom with Tiffany was probably the worst idea. I didn’t want to hurt Leila, but I was a cad and I couldn’t be trusted to keep it in my pants.
“Frank, I don’t care what you do with your other floozies, but I would hope that you would have some self-respect for yourself when you’re in my presence. It’s not necessary and I would really appreciate a little decorum. We are playing a game and it doesn’t involve mattress tag.” Her lip was curled and I had seen that expression before to know that I was playing with dynamite with a lit fuse.
“I can’t help it that the girls are attracted to me and the power that I wield with the money that I make. You of all people understand that I have a certain reputation for having one in every port. Tiffany is a friend from New York and I thought that I would take her along for the ride. She has hinted at joining me in my hotel room later for a cocktail,” I said with my hands cupping Tiffany’s breasts and feeling the manmade wonders of plastic that was somewhat lifelike but didn’t have the same texture as natural ones.
I glanced at Leila when she had her eyes averted and licked my lips at the possibility of exposing her chest in a way that would make her yelp in surprise. I tried to drown out those thoughts by thinking about Tiffany, but they would always lead back to the one woman that had captured my attention.
We played another round and I lost again by overplaying my hand. It was easy to get distracted by two beautiful young women competing for my attention. Tiffany was doing it for a bigger payday. I couldn’t blame her for that.
Leila was doing it because she was busting my balls and was using her newfound sexuality to treat me to an experience that made me sweat with nervous energy.
“I have the same problem with guys and I have to beat them off with a stick. I like to party hard and I have learned from the best by observing you and my brother these last few years. Those rare times that you have taken me on excursions for business always turned into moments of frivolous pleasure for the both of you. I’m glad that my brother found someone that could stop his decline into the bottle and take away the power of whatever two-legged opportunist that is looking to get their hand in his pocket,” She said with her voice turning from mild amusement to outright disgust at my behavior.
“I think that we should up the ante and play for something more than money. I suggest that the person that loses has to foot the bill for the liquor for this trip. I plan to get stinking drunk on many tequila shots.” The only way that I was going to get any semblance of satisfaction was to feel nothing at all.
“I’ve beaten you at every hand and what makes you think that anything’s going to be different this time? I know how to play these games and I was taught by the best. You’re probably kicking yourself for giving me those lessons when I was too young to utilize them. I’m going to take the bet and then you can watch me get drunk on whatever damn concoction they can make. I want to throw myself at every guy that wants a piece of me,” She teased, but I knew that she was playing fire with fire something that she was known for when she felt that she was being made a fool of.
Tiffany was amused and began to deal the cards. There was this silence that was almost deafening. I heard the cards slap down onto the green felt table one at a time and I watched them carefully trying to force the universe to give me an upper hand.
She picked up her cards and signalled for another one. I had a king of spades and an eight of diamonds and risking going for another card would make me go bust. The prudent course was to use what I had and hope for the best. It was the best hand that I had in the past couple of hours.
I found myself signalling for another card and my eyes widened in shock when I found I was carrying 22. It was still a bust, but I had this small chance that she had done the same thing.
She was stone cold sober showing no emotion and her poker face was good enough to play with professionals. She didn’t need the money and it would be mostly for show and to give those guys a humiliating defeat by a woman. They would never live it down, but I was learning to laugh at myself despite being on the losing end.
She put down her cards and they were exactly 18. We would have tied, but my arroganc
e and willingness to take a leap of faith had cost me the hand. It was possible subconsciously I wanted to lose and getting her drunk would’ve given me the advantage to see if her feelings could translate into the bedroom.
“It looks like the drinks are on you literally and figuratively,” She said with me looking confused and staring at her to see if she was going to clear things up.
She took a glass of champagne and dumped it into my lap without even thinking about it or showing any signs that she was about to do it. She slammed down the glass and got up from the table to go back to her seat. She didn’t want to witness the way that I was consciously playing the playboy looking to score.
“It’s not my place to say anything, but that woman is definitely going to be a hard nut to crack. I’ve been watching you and she might not recognize the signs, but I have been around many men who have been with other women for less than honorable reasons. You might be able to hide it from her, but it’s written on your face.” Tiffany was giving me sage advice, but I was determined to sour any possibility of Leila thinking we could be together.
“It’s not what it looks like and I’m no good for her,” I said bowing my head and closing my eyes hoping that all of this would go away when I opened them.
“I think that you should let her make that decision and not take it out of her hands. What you’re doing is cruel and you might have good intentions, but it’s going to blow up in your face.” Tiffany’s final words struck a chord and I wondered if there wasn’t a better way.
I was already feeling the buzz from the alcohol on board. Three glasses of Jamaican rum and a couple of tequila shots along with two glasses of champagne were already swimming through my veins. It wasn’t enough to lose control of my faculties, but I was feeling a little frisky.
“Instead of lecturing, you could help me to prove to her that I’m not the right man for her. Kiss me like you mean it and I will return the favor. My secret weapon is not necessarily my charm and I’ve been known to melt the hearts of many cold and calculating women with just one kiss.” I said tempting her to take a chance and found her quite acceptable to my advances.
It was an impromptu display of affection and her ruby red lips drew me to her like a moth to a flame. We made out like lovesick teenagers in the backseat fogging up the windows. I loved the way that her body was pressed up against me with her nipples poking into my chest.
I got a little carried away and had both hands squeezing her ass.
The next thing I knew, I was on my back looking up at the stars courtesy of being punched in the face with an actual fist. Leila held it triumphantly in front of her face and then turned on her heels with this ball-busting attitude that made me want to crawl after her in servitude. I stopped with my heart beating in my chest and there was no way that I was going to degrade myself for a woman.
“I told you that you were playing with fire, but you wouldn’t listen to me. She’s not going to allow you to get away with anything. I would be very careful about pushing her too far. I’ve known girls like that and they can be vindictive.” Tiffany was right and I was feeling the aftershock, but thankfully, any pain that I was in was swimming upstream against the liquor.
I heard the captain announce that we were arriving in Las Vegas. It was going to be a bumpy trip, but I was reminded that any landing that we could walk away from was a good one.
I nursed my right eye feeling it start to swell and I was coming up with a plausible excuse that would get me pity from the girls. It couldn’t have worked out better even if I had planned it myself.
Chapter 8
Leila
I was sitting beside him all the way to the hotel and I couldn’t believe that I had done something like that. He wasn’t mad, but his eye was showing that my anger could get the best of me. It had always been like that but had recently gotten worse watching him play the field with other girls.
“I would apologize, but I really don’t think that I did anything wrong. We are friends and I didn’t come here to watch you sleep with everything with two legs. Don’t even think for one second that was jealousy and that couldn’t be further from the truth.” I was protesting a little too much, but I didn’t want him to think that his childish antics had gotten underneath my skin.
“I’m going to chalk it up to having a bit too much fun with the liquid refreshments. I took advantage of the free bar and you know that I have never met a drink that I didn’t like,” He said with a glass of champagne in his hands from a chilled bottle that was courtesy of the limousine that had arrived to pick us up at the Airport.
The glitz and glamour surrounded us in a way that was guaranteed to blow the mind of any amateur taking their first steps into the gambling arena. I wanted to avoid complications, but he was not exactly shy about showing his affections to other ladies.
The hotels boasted shows with draws like Britney Spears and such favorites as Siegfried and Roy. Their names were up in bold blazing letters and this was the way for every hotel and casino to get the customers into the doors where they were most likely going to try their luck.
“I haven’t been here in almost five years and it’s amazing how little things have changed.” I grabbed the bottle of champagne from the ice and slugged it with no kind of sophistication with the neck firmly clasped in my hands.
“I recognize a few of these places and I have spotty memories of others because of having a bit too much fun. There were times your brother and I never left the hotel room for days blitzed out of our minds on whatever liquor was on tap. We would have a revolving door of women coming in at all hours of the day and night.” His story was embellished and he was purposely feeding me ammunition to make me mad at him.
The white stretch limousine at the curb when we came out of the Airport was a nice touch of class.
The streets were filled with characters and tourists with their cameras recording everything for posterity. It was truly the city that never slept with free buffets and hot and cold running tables with no discernible way to know when you were going to hit the big one.
We walked into the hotel and it was made up of everything that money could buy. The place was extravagant with a huge waterfall in the lobby. The desk clerk was friendly and made sure that our rooms were connected for easy access. I did this behind his back while he was busy ogling the swimsuit models from Switzerland posing in barely anything by the waterfall.
The bellhop was waiting, but we had one piece of luggage that we easily could carry ourselves without worrying about an extravagant tip for services that weren’t necessary.
The doors opened on the fifth floor and I requested a view of the pool. I opened my door and he opened his and he looked at me with this deer in the headlights look. I knew that our rooms were supposed to be separated by at least three rooms, but arranging this was easy with a palmed $100 bill in the desk clerks hand.
“You are sneaky and I’m going to have to keep my eye on you. Are you sure you really want to be this close to me? I don’t want you to hear something that you shouldn’t. This is your birthday celebration and I will try to keep things to a dull roar, but I can’t promise anything,” He said trying to provoke a response out of me and I wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction.
“You forget that I’ve heard and seen plenty over the years. I didn’t buy noise cancelling headphones for nothing. I think for a couple of days that you can keep those tendencies to yourself, but maybe you should keep your stereo a little louder than necessary,” I cautioned praying to god that he wasn’t going to take me up on my offer.
My effort to get a little closer to him might have backfired.
I knew Frank and neither one of us were shy about talking about former lovers. We didn’t believe in monogamy and shared a fixation on trying different flavors. I hadn’t gone all the way, but I had done other stuff that would put other girls to shame.
The one that remained out of my reach was standing right beside me on the balcony overlooking the pool. It was a
n Olympic size and there were scantily clad men and women flaunting what God blessed them with.
“I know some people would say that Hawaii is their favorite vacation destination. Tropical getaways are relaxing, but they don’t give you that rush that you feel when you’re sitting at a table waiting for the other card to drop. We have everything right here except the ocean.” He motioned with his hand and I could see that no money was spared in making this a tourist attraction.
“I’m going to slip into something a little more comfortable and go down by the pool. You can join me, but I’m not your keeper. God forbid that I could tell you what to do and try to change you,” I was using reverse psychology thinking that if I gave him a choice that he would choose correctly.
“I’ll meet you down there and I’ll bring extra towels. Don’t go showing off like you usually do with your athletic prowess. You might be young, but you could still slip and hurt yourself and then I’ll have to answer to your brother. Nobody wants that,” He remarked letting me know that my brother’s opinion meant the world to him.
“He’s not around to police our actions and we can run around with scissors if we choose to. I could easily take off my top at the pool and nobody would blink an eye,” I hinted at the possibility of him seeing brief glimpses of my flesh.
“You do make a valid point and maybe this is our chance to finally let loose. I don’t normally worry about what your brother thinks, but his partying days are behind him. I don’t begrudge his happiness, but I didn’t think the animal inside would be neutered.” He was only saying what I was already thinking, but my brother did seem like he had found the woman of his dreams.
I closed the door in Frank’s face with a resounding echo that made me smile inside. I went back to the balcony and stood there breathing in the atmosphere and listening to those courageous enough to jump from the high board. I was still in fantastic shape and I had a personal trainer who made sure that I didn’t become complacent.