Chapter 6

POV Zelda

No way I was going to spend my night in that hotel room! No matter how beautiful it was, I sure as hell wasn’t locking myself inside. Especially after almost beating the crap out of Tauro's room door to deliver all the notes he asked for. And the bastard wouldn’t even answer me. My footsteps echoed down the hall to Bruce's door, but there was nothing there either. I shoved the papers under the door and walked quickly to the elevator.

Biting the tip of my finger, I observed every detail of that damn metal box. I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened, I couldn’t help it, since the sensation of bodies next to mine wouldn’t leave my mind.

"Shit, Zel..." I shook my face and covered it.

I was truly shocked at how quickly my body reacted, and I walked for hours inside the room, thinking about what happened in the elevator, whether it was real or just in my head. As tempting as it seemed and made me burn, I decided to push those thoughts to the back of my mind as the large golden doors opened on the selected floor.

I walked, already planning. He told me to go back to the hotel, but didn’t say I had to stay in the room. There were interesting things inside the place. Lots of interesting things. I had read about everything the casino hotel offered, and maybe I could try my luck with the gambling, who knows?

"The nightclub!" The word jumped from my lips as I remembered that little, wonderful, detail.

I nearly ran to my room, already thinking about which dress I’d wear; and yes, my smile grew when I remembered the black fabric Elly threw in my bag while packing. The girl got it as a gift from one of her friends from the orphanage, but hated the dress as soon as she saw it. I laughed at the grimace she made while looking at the black dress. And then, she threw it in my bag.

As soon as I got out of the shower, my fingers ran over the zipper, opening the suitcase, searching for the piece; and there, at the bottom, was the rejected gift. The long curls fell down my bare back as I turned in front of the mirror, looking at my butt.

"Shit, small ass, Elly..." my friend had a slightly smaller butt. Even though we were the same size, I still had more rounded curves than she did. But it was amazing how it fit my skin, even though it was a bit short for my taste. The front part had only two straps and tied around the neck with a shiny chain. — "Las Vegas, Zel... you don’t have to be a nun here!"

I laughed, deciding I’d wear the dress. I finished my makeup and put on the big hoops in my ears. I was grateful I had switched the color of my toenail polish in the late afternoon. The red looked perfect with the delicate thin-heeled sandals. And with one last look at the mirror, I left and locked the room door behind me.

***

I lost myself laughing amidst so many lights and lives that vibrated inside the casino. The sound of the gambling machines, the shouts of joy and anger from the players, it all made me feel freer as I strutted around, looking at everything with curiosity.

I grabbed a chip at the counter, placed it in the big machine, and pulled the lever. The sound was loud, and the lights flashed, blending with the falling pairs of games.

"Shit!"

I muttered when the big machine showed me that nothing came up in pairs.

"You know what they say..."

I turned, looking at the cheerful lady who was depositing chips in the machine.

"Bad luck in the game, good luck in love, little one."

I smiled, shaking my head in disagreement. Definitely, I had no luck in love.

"I think... I'm unlucky in everything..."

I said sweetly to the lady who was laughing.

"Bad luck?"

"I think so."

"I know how it is, I’ve got it too. That’s why I only gamble."

The woman deposited another chip, shrugging.

"A drink, miss?"

The beautiful waitress stopped beside me with several drinks on her tray.

"I... I don't know. I don’t drink much."

"Forget that, we're in Vegas, darling. As long as you don’t wake up married, it’s worth it."

I burst out laughing, cheering up with the laughing lady. She pushed her empty glass away, grabbed another, and handed me one.

"Start with this one, you'll like it!"

As I brought it to my lips, the taste of tequila with strawberry exploded in my throat, burning as it went down.

"God..." I squinted my eyes, forcing the drink down.

"It’s tequila..."

"Yes!" The woman laughed at my face. "Come on, let’s play some more. I guarantee after the second glass, it’ll just taste like strawberry juice."

I took the straw in my mouth, sucking down more of the drink. God! I’d need about five more drinks to be able to drink this like juice.

Actually, it was six, and I didn’t need my then friend to help me drink more. My fingers were already reaching for the waiters as I cracked up laughing with the damn machine that never gave me anything.

"God! I think she doesn’t like me!"

I yelled loudly, hitting the machine.

"She’s a bitch, you know? Doesn’t like me either!"

We both laughed, leaning on each other. One thing was certain: when you walk into a place with drinks, you're likely to leave with a childhood friend, a secret from the past, a trip you’ll never take, and one hell of a hangover. But still, I kept enjoying my night.

It was my party, almost a farewell to Ozborne! I wanted to make the most of my internship farewell. The loud music playing in the casino vibrated through my body, along with the sixth glass of strawberry tequila mix.

"We should leave!"

I found myself saying loudly, looking for where to get to the hotel nightclub.

"Where would we go?"

The woman looked at me confused, holding my shoulder.

"Dance, my friend... uno mas!"

I raised my glass to the waiter, laughing, asking for another drink.

I didn’t need to panic that much: I followed the loud beats, and when Poker Face by Lady Gaga got louder in a dark hallway with neon lights flashing, bodies pushing each other coming and going, I knew I was in the right place.

"I think I preferred the machines, darling."

"Ohh, no... God! Let’s dance, see, feel the rhythm!"

My fingers grabbed hers, pulling her through the dark hallway, falling into a large dance floor filled with bodies. My eyes sparkled, watching everything with passion. Beautiful women danced inside giant glasses filled with foam, while others were on stage, performing pole dance choreography.

I pulled my new friend, bringing her closer. My body was already swaying. If there was something that got me excited, it was the beats of the melodies! Since I was little, I grew up with my mom blasting the speakers at full volume while laughing, dancing for me. My mom was like a beautiful dancer, and she made me learn everything. I loved being able to let go after so long without being able to.

My fingers rubbed against my body as I let myself be carried away by the music. With free movements, I danced for hours, feeling my hair stick to my back, not realizing I was attracting more and more attention. My body just expanded when it recognized the Latin melody. Shakira was my mom’s favorite. And I let myself go back to the small room where we danced, and my mom showed me the free movements of Latin music. I held the waist of my dress, swaying my hips, letting my legs move to the rhythm.

A man near me laughed, holding my hand high, spinning me like a top. My feet were on the tips of my heels, and I lifted the other leg to calf height, giving more freedom to my movements. My hair spun with me. The man let go of me, and my foot hit the floor, like a true Latina, shaking my hips while playing with him. I moved so much that I didn’t even realize I was already on stage. A delicate hand startled me when it touched my fingers. The pole dancer on stage laughed, clapping, calling me up.

And before I could refuse, I felt my body being lifted up. Hands spread over my skin, lifting me up all around. I laughed even more... and God! I was in Vegas, why not?

And I lost myself in every movement my body made.