While Niko used his charms on the linebacker of a masseuse, Caroline got a damp cloth from the bathroom then headed down and slapped it on Lou’s head before she fetched her coffee. Completely ignoring Lou’s shriek, she resumed singing to the radio. Lou’s sleep stupor started to crack as she struggled to find the source of freezing wetness on her head. As soon as she got a grip on the wet cloth, she tossed it as far as she could and tried to open her eyes. The brilliant sunshine was almost blinding, but she managed to eventually focus on the cup that was set in front of her on the coffee table.
“I’m not allowed to let you hold it until I’m sure you’re awake.” Caroline informed her. “Strict orders from your mother and after she told me the story, I understand why.” Caroline crossed her hands over her pubic bone in an act of solidarity to Lou’s old self-inflicted third-degree burns. “That must have sucked.”
“You have no idea.” Lou told her as she started to realize she was not in Dillon’s car and Caroline was not actually in his radio. She waited a couple more minutes before she dared to reach for the cup.
“Inga will be back in a half hour.” Niko informed them as soon as he returned. “I sent her shopping as a stall tactic.”
“Inga? Shopping?” Lou was confused.
“Inga, our masseuse.” He explained. “Yes, shopping.”
“Shopping for what?” Lou continued to lob questions.
“Whatever she wants.” He grinned. “Trust me, she’s worth it.”
“Oh yeah!” Lou suddenly remembered. “Your magic fingers gal.” Niko nodded and Lou perked up even more. “Gimme that coffee!”
The marshmallow smell that Lou thought she was dreaming was actually fresh pastries that Niko had ordered from room service. Lou nearly fell over when she saw that it was almost noon. She had been asleep for twelve hours. Fortunately, everyone had slept in since they hadn’t gone to bed until after three. Apparently they all had a hot streak and the crap table and poker was very good to the rest of the men. Lou felt a little better that she wasn’t the only late riser, even if she went to bed four hours before them.
By the time Inga returned, Lou had managed another cup of coffee and was wide awake and nearly salivating at the thought of a massage. Caroline conned Niko into taking her shopping and they took off, so Lou disrobed and prepared for her massage. The woman could have crushed Lou’s skull in one hand, she was so massive but Niko was right, she was a magician. She spent an hour and a half working every knot and kink out of every muscle in Lou’s body. Lou had even fallen asleep once and woken herself up with her own snoring. She was mortified, but the German goddess assured her that it was a compliment. That she could relax her client and make them feel secure enough that they could fall asleep was a good thing. As the grand finale of the massage, Inga pulled on each individual toe, causing them to make a pop. Lou had never felt anything so incredible in her entire life. She had half a mind to propose to the woman but instead, she gave her an extra large tip and a hug.
After Inga had left, Lou grabbed another cup of coffee, one of the pastries then topped off her indulgent early afternoon with that bubble bath. When she finished her bath, she saw a text from Caroline letting her know that they were in the casino and for her to join them when she was decent. Lou doubted she would ever be decent but understood what she meant.
Lou felt guilty. Mary Sheehan’s face kept flashing in her mind. Over a dozen women had been murdered and Lou was stuffing her face and getting a massage. How was that fair? It wasn’t supposed to be, though. It was life. Lou had nearly died a few times now so it wasn’t a totally charmed life she was living. Why did she feel so guilty for feeling so content? Why certain things happened to certain people was a mystery and that’s just the way it was. She needed to be in the moment and stop thinking so much. ‘Why’ wasn’t going to get answered today, if ever.
After snapping out of her guilt trip, Lou put on the outfit that Caroline had laid out for her then went down to the casino to hunt for her pals. The place was busier than it had been the day before, but the Nugget was a much more intimate place than most of the anthill casinos on the strip. So, the odds were in her favor on finding her friends before the sun went down. She had casino money burning a hole in her pocket and was ready to have some serious fun. After a ten minute search, she finally found Caroline, Niko Abby and Frank at a blackjack table with open seats so she sat down and the hilarity ensued. Within an hour they not only had the dealer laughing, they even had the pit boss cracking up. It was another one of those in-the-moment deals that made Lou feel totally blessed. Now if Max showed up and joined them, life would be perfect.
“Someone needs to keep track of time.” Abby reminded them. “What for?” Lou asked.
“We’re going dancin’, missy!” Dillon magically appeared and took the other empty seat.
“Where have you been all day? Caroline asked with a suspicious tone.
“Looks like you’ve been in the sun.” Lou observed.
“I have indeed.” Dillon grinned. “There’s a grown up pool on the roof.”
“But it’s too cold!” Caroline shivered just thinking about it. “I’m from Washington by way of Washington.” He reminded them. “Anything above sixty-five degrees is hot to me.”
“Good point.” Lou conceded. “Now, what about this dancing thing?”
“I marked your outfit.” Caroline got back to the plans for the evening. “I’ll do your hair and stuff too.”
“Just stick with us, kid. You are gonna have the time of your life!” Abby grinned and winked at Dillon, who clearly had something up his sleeve, but Lou was none the wiser.
“Sounds good!” Lou was in. “I need to dance off last night’s dinner and the four pastries I ate today.”
“Oh man, I had at least half a dozen.” Caroline confessed. “Those were so good.”
“How is it you girls can pack away more food than I can and never gain an ounce?” Dillon whined, it was a total role reversal.
“Caroline can get away with it.” Lou explained. “Me, I’ll pay in serious inches if I don’t dance my ass off tonight, trust me.”
As the dealer passed out another round of cards, they all laughed at the voluminous amounts of food that Caroline could put away without suffering any of the ill effects, besides occasional indigestion. The topic turned to favorite foods then favorite cocktails then to what drinks they each had always wanted to try. It was decided that they would be trying all of them later that evening. Lou was able to ask about Max’s whereabouts without appearing too obvious and Frank informed her that he was touching bases with Yuri and Finn, then would be attending a private poker game or something like that later. She tried to hide her disappointment and figured she might get lucky and pass him in the hall before they went out for the evening.
As five o’clock rolled around, they all agreed it was time to wrap things up, get something to eat so they didn’t get totally inebriated later on, then get all fancied up for the night’s festivities. They wandered out to Freemont Street and grabbed a hot dog while they laughed and people watched for another half hour. Once again Lou’s stomach ached but this time it was from all the laughing and not the food. They were all being so silly, like teenagers faking accents and making up names for passers-by. Lou couldn’t remember the last time she had so much silly fun, excluding every day with her mother, that is. When Abby finally made loud slurping sounds from her empty soda, they agreed it was time to get cracking. They headed back to the hotel, crammed into the elevator singing ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ at the top of their lungs the whole way then went to separate quarters.
When Lou made it to her door, she had worked up enough courage to ring Max’s bell. She had planned to say that she was just checking in to see if Finn and Yuri were alright as an excuse for bothering him but after two tries with no answer, she knew he wasn’t there. She figured he was already at his poker game or whatever he had planned for the night.
Lou absentmindedly rubbed a spot on her chest that ached a bit. She figured it was just her wound still healing but deep down she knew it was something else entirely. As she slipped her key card into her door lock, she felt a sudden sadness again. This time, it was for a lost opportunity. If she hadn’t been so damned tired the night before, and didn’t eat like a royal pig, she might have spent more time with Max. She might have even had the chance to spend time alone with him. The man was only across the hall from here. No parents down on the other side of the house, no chance of the hoard descending on her room to interrupt. She could have been really bold and yanked him by the tie into her room for the night. The thought of that made her laugh as she headed inside. Lou’s room had been cleaned spotless while she was gone and fresh flowers had replaced yesterday’s. As she reached her bedroom she saw a dress hanging on the closet door with shoes set out beneath it. Lou knew for a fact that she had never purchased that dress nor had she ever seen it before in her life. The simple plummy brown A-line garment shimmered even in the dim light and when she touched the fabric it felt pajama soft and Lou was instantly in love. The shoes were a strappy pair of sandals with a reasonable heel that Lou knew she could easily dance all night in, thank heavens. She would never understand how Caroline could find the perfect color shoes to match all her outfits but loved that these were the same iridescent plum brown to match the dress. Lou held the dress against her and looked in the mirror to see how it was going to look and she couldn’t help but do a little dance. Now she was excited to go out, so she put the dress back and headed for the shower. When she got to the bathroom, there was a box on the vanity with a bow and a card leaning against it. When she opened the card it was a simple white rectangle that read:
I hope you have a magical evening
- Max
She opened the box to find a pair of chandelier earrings encrusted in some amazingly sparkly gemstone in the same plummy brown as the shoes and dress. They took her breath away. They were magnificent and probably cost more than she made in two years. Her first reaction was that she couldn’t possibly accept such an extravagant gift but then again, they were just the prettiest things she had ever seen in her life. Then she remembered what Abby had said about their looking for ways to spend money and she wondered. Where was the harm in accepting them, really? She just loved them. Lou closed the box and put it on her bed then raced to take her shower. She was excited to try on her new things and was feeling very pretty and girlie for once in her life without having to. As she showered she thought of how to wear her hair and makeup but then practicality set in when she remembered what a mess she turned into after dancing all night. When she got out of the shower and was toweling off, she found herself grow sad again. Lou wanted him to be there. She wanted him to see her pretty for a change instead of the dirty jean, rag mess after work that he usually saw. Her chest ached again. Max was off doing his own thing. She blew her chance last night. Lou would have to wait until tomorrow to see him when they all headed home.
Caroline stormed into Lou’s room from the upstairs entrance wearing an oversized t-shirt, her hair in curlers and laughing hysterically. Abby was right behind her wearing one of the hotel robes, her hair also in giant curlers, laughing so hard she was snorting.
“Holy crap you two scared the shit out of me!” Lou stood in the bathroom doorway yelling at them. “How the hell did you get in that way?!”
Abby stopped snorting long enough explain. “One of Connor’s gadgets I stole to play a trick on the guys! It’s like a master passkey.”
“What did you do?!” Lou’s eyes went wide.
“Look!” Caroline shouted and shoved her phone in Lou’s hand then fell on the bed laughing.
“Careful!” Lou raced to grab her present off the bed then set the box on the nightstand. Fortunately, she had hidden the card in her suitcase so she wouldn’t have to explain things. Things she didn’t really understand herself. “Video?” Lou asked as soon as the box was safe.
“Watch it!” Abby ordered. “She snuck in and got it!”
Lou hit play on the video and could hear singing in the background. The point of view let Lou know that they were sneaking in through the same upper floor entrance they used to get into her room. Kelly Clarkson’s ‘What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger’ was blasting as they snuck in and pointed the camera into the bathroom. There, in the shower Dillon was singing at the top of his lungs shampooing his hair, pausing to dance between lathers. You could see the camera shake when Caroline held her laughter. After a few bars were completed, she snuck back out of the bathroom and headed down the spiral staircase. She pointing the camera down to catch Niko dancing in the middle of the living area, a towel wrapped on top of his head, another around his waist while he too sang at the top of his lungs. Niko, however, was in full blown music video mode dancing his ass off, literally. When the chorus hit, he jumped up on the couch and sang even louder when his towel fell off his waist, giving the camera the full monty. Caroline was unable to contain her laughter, causing Niko to look up. When he realized what she was doing he leaped from the couch straight to the stairs after her. That’s where the video cut off.
“Holy crap!” Lou understood the hysteria now and wondered why Niko wasn’t beating down her door to get the camera. “He is going to rip your arms off unless you delete this!”
“That’s why you’re keeping the phone!” Caroline yanked it out of Lou’s hand and went to hide it in her suitcase.
“Wait!” Lou stopped her. “I gotta see that again.” The three girls laughed so hard, Lou started crying during the second view.
It wasn’t until the third replay that they started appreciating the men’s obvious talents, but it was getting late so they started getting Lou ready. It also helped them to buy time so they wouldn’t be ambushed in the hall. By the time they were finished with her, all Lou needed to do was throw on her dress and shoes then she would be good to go. Abby and Caroline decided it would be safest to head back the way they came, especially since they weren’t dressed. When they opened the door to the hall, both women screamed. Dillon was waiting for them. They slammed the door and raced downstairs for the main door only to find Niko waiting for them also.
“Give it.” He demanded and the girls screamed with laughter. “It’s gone.” Lou lied, yelling from upstairs.
“You mean it?” Niko yelled back, willing to believe her lie.
“They don’t have it anymore, I promise.” Lou justified her statement as not being a lie at all. She had it now and it was safely tucked away not only in her suitcase, but they backed it up to her cloud account.
Niko looked down and growled at the juvenile delinquents. “Payback is a bitch. Now go get ready!” He stepped aside so the girls could run back to their own room, giggling all the way. There was no way in hell he couldn’t appreciate the prank. Even he was laughing. “You almost ready?” He yelled up at Lou.
“Yeah.” She had already pulled on her dress and was putting on her shoes. “Give me three minutes.”
“Take your time.” He told her. “It’s gonna take them ten minutes to finish between their hysterical giggling.”
Lou couldn’t help but laugh again. “Quite an impressive performance, if you don’t mind my saying.”
“I kinda wanted to see it!” He admitted. “But I expect I will eventually.” He called her out on her lie.
“Nothin’ I can do about it, big guy.” Lou finished buckling her straps and checked herself in the mirror after putting on her new earrings. Though the dress was a little shorter than she liked, it wasn’t bimbo short. It was a safe bet she would have the longest skirt in the club, but still it felt short. Lou felt most comfortable in jeans and a hockey jersey, or golf clothes. This was getting more and more out of her depth. She liked herself in it, though, she felt beautiful. The line of the dress was angular like her sharply cut auburn hair and when she tucked her locks behind her ears, the earrings just danc
ed in the light and made her feel oh so elegant and sassy. How could she possibly thank him for such an extravagant gift? As she turned to inspect the back of the dress and noted how low it dipped, she was a little self-conscious again. Despite the straps that crossed in all the necessary places, like the length, it was a bit out of her comfort zone. “What the hell.” She said to herself and shrugged then grabbed her clutch and headed downstairs.
“Whoa.” Niko paused to admire her. “You clean up good, kid.”
Lou grinned. His approval made her feel a thousand times better. “You’re not so bad yourself when you’ve got clothes on.”
Niko wore an obviously expensive suit in jet black with a white-on-white pinstriped dress shirt, no tie. His hair was longer than Lou remembered, but perhaps it was because it wasn’t slicked back in his usually style. His long layers were loose and feathery, making him look less dangerous than he normally looked. “Ready?” He asked as he held his arm out for her.
“Ready.” She grinned and took his arm. “Where is this place?” It finally occurred to her to ask.
“The roof.” He told her as he hit the button for the elevator.
“Really?” Lou didn’t remember there being a nightclub on the roof. But she hadn’t been there for a while. Things were always changing in Vegas and the Golden Nugget had renovated things since she had been there last. “That’s handy in case I get drunk. I just need to remember my room number!”
Niko chortled. “Very true!” He held the door so she could go first. He put his key card in the slot then hit the button marked pH for the penthouse. After a quick ride up, a giant man stood facing them when the doors opened again and Lou now knew what a sumo wrestler would look like wearing a suit.
“Mr. Gattilusio, Miss Donovan.” The huge man greeted them. “This way please.” He motioned for them to head right down the corridor, Lou going first.
“Crap.” Niko stopped. “Lou, you go in. I forgot my phone in the room. I gotta have it on me in case Connor or one of the other guys call.”
Shadows May Fall Page 38