Romance in Vegas - Showgirl! (12 page)

Reclining on the sofa back, she thought of
him. The relief she'd felt at his hands last night, the new
sensations that made her whole body quiver and shake. Was that what
Kim felt with Tony? And she'd never seen a man before all the way
naked. But she wanted to, just so she'd know.

Tommy would always change in the bathroom, or
sometimes he never changed at all, just played cards all night. She
wondered idly why she was thinking about him. What a waste of her
time. He was gone, long gone. Besides, she never felt any
attraction to him. He was just her foster brother. Older, more
confident and worldly. And totally two-faced.

She dozed off, but the persistent cell phone
ring brought her around again. "Did she call you?" she said
sleepily, thinking it was Tony.

"Who?" Al said.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were Tony."

She heard an edge to his voice. "Why is he
calling you?"

"It's a long story."

"I'll be down in fifteen minutes to hear it.
It's almost time for dress rehearsal. Take a shower."

She wearily showered, toweled off and waited
for him in her robe.

A few minutes later, she let him in.

He brought her chin up with his hand. "Did
you sleep last night?" His eyes were warm and caring.

"Not much."

"That's my fault. I should have called a halt
to...everything."

"No," she smiled, "it's just me. I wake up
early, and can't get back to sleep. I don't know why."

They sat on the couch. "You'll be okay to do
the shows today? I don't want you hurting yourself," he said.

She watched him for a minute, before she
said, "I'm used to not getting much sleep. When I was on the
streets. I'd have to take it when it came."

His arm came around her shoulder and he
stroked her hair softly. "You're safe now. You'll never go back
there again." After his eyes appraised hers, he said gently, "Kiss
me."

Her mouth came up to meet his. His touch was
electric and the heavy sensation began within her.

Their kiss deepened, and his tongue moved in
her mouth, exploring her, tasting her.

Pulling his lips away, he looked down at her.
"Open your eyes," he whispered. She opened them slightly, languidly
and, as he still stroked her hair, he said in a voice husky with
desire, "This is only for you." He guided her hand to his hardness.
"Just for you. Remember. When you dance tonight. I'll be
there."

His hand searched for the robe opening, and
roved over her skin, exploring her stomach, her back, her breasts,
then between her legs.

She closed her eyes and gasped as his hand
and fingers found her sensitive spots, rhythmically stroking her
now.

"Look at me," he insisted. When she opened
her eyes, he captured her gaze with blue-grey warmth. "Remember..."
he said, as she tightened, and cried out, once, twice, moving with
his strokes.

The newspapers the next day proclaimed it was
her best performance to date, and said she was the overnight
sensation of Las Vegas.

While she danced, the wild dance, she spotted
Al staring at her heatedly. 'Remember' pounded in her head along
with the beat of the music and she moved, shook, and spun, with her
hair flying like a cloud around her.

One photographer had captured her perfectly;
she almost seemed to be stalking the camera, bent down in bare
feet, her arms reaching forward, her eyes half closed and cat-like.
Then yet another pictured her with the thousand watt smile,
reaching for the sky, while her fluffy hair had not quite settled
yet and glowed around her head like a halo.

"Send this photographer a large floral
arrangement," he told Lefty.

They sat in the penthouse having morning
coffee at seven o'clock.

"She really is sensational boss," Lefty said
appreciatively.

Teeny said, "Yeah, and she's even got a
dynamite right hook."

Smiling, Al said, "We need to do all we can
to protect her from more than admiring fans. With the red hair, she
really is noticeable anywhere she goes. I've been told she wanders
the casino floor sometimes."

He continued while his gaze took in Vegas
lights. "I don't know how to tell her, though. There's a fine line
between protecting someone and suffocating them."

"We could send a guard with her," Lefty
suggested.

"That's right on the line."

"What about surveillance?" Teeny asked.

Al looked thoughtful. "I suppose they could
keep an eye on her and let the guards know if she needs assistance.
I'll call Robert."

Kim answered her phone in a pleasant voice
after seeing who was calling. "Yes, what can I do for you?"

"Anything you want, and I mean anything,"
Tony told her.

She smiled and sat on her couch. "You're so
bad."

"You love it. I know you do."

"I don't know...it was up for a while, but
then it left. A girl gets lonely in a big casino."

"Shit, if I was there, you'd be sore as hell
right now."

"I never get sore, I just get even."

"Cute. So anyway, I'm coming...back there in
ten days. Can you wait that long?"

"Guess I'll have to take matters in hand,
won't I?"

"Now you're the bad one. I have this picture
in my mind right now of you on top with your hair hanging over me,
and both my hands--" Then the phone clicked off.

When he didn't call back, she knew he was
messing with her and she smiled.

But a few minutes later Al's number appeared
as the caller. "Yes, boss?" she said.

"I have a favor to ask," he said shortly,
"can you come up here? I'm in the penthouse."

"Sure, be there in a minute." And she thought
it was a very strange thing that Al would be asking for help. This
was a first.

He rose as she came in the large den, and
gestured for her to sit in front of his desk. Her eyes rolled over
his fine physique, the broad shoulders, slim waist, and now his
shirt was open a few buttons revealing chest muscles, and the
sleeves were casually rolled up. And she thought Dani was very
lucky indeed.

She said, "Hope it's okay if I wore my
leotard, but I need to go to rehearsal after this."

He waved his hand.

"What can I do for you, boss?" she said,
watching him closely.

He seemed incredibly uncomfortable, as he
shifted in his seat. Eventually, he ended up gazing out the window
at the twinkling lights of Vegas. "I have a big favor to ask of
you," he said softly.

"Sure. Anything."

"This must be entirely confidential because
of the...nature of the thing. If word leaks out, it would
harm...what I mean to say is..."

He was really struggling now, and she looked
at him questioningly. "Of course, Al. I can keep a secret."

His gaze came back around to her eyes now.
"Dani's a virgin," he said abruptly.

Kim gasped in disbelief. "What eighteen year
old is a virgin?"

Al smiled. "Dani."

"So," Kim said slowly, "what is it you want
me to do exactly?"

"Well, I thought...that is if you wouldn't
mind...take her to the doctor the women go to. And, have him...you
know what I'm saying. I just don't want to hurt her. I don't think
she'd ever forgive me. She's been so hurt in her life, I just can't
add to it. And maybe if you explain it to her, woman to woman,
she'll understand."

"I wish someone had told me that way back
when," Kim said, "my first time was a nightmare."

"And perhaps you could recommend a form of
birth control. I doubt if she would want a baby this early in her
life."

"Right, exactly," Kim agreed. "We're going
for our mammos anyway, so we'll just add that into the visit." Then
she paused. "You know, you really are such a gentleman Al. What a
sweet thing to do for her. Most guys wouldn't do any of that.
Especially with a beautiful woman like Dani."

He smiled and stood up. "Thank you. I'm just
trying to cover all my bases. She's really quite lovely and I'm
afraid I'll get carried away one of these days and regret it. I
appreciate all your efforts, Kim."

Chapter 11

Robert looked at Teeny in amazement. "You're
shitin' me, right?"

"No, kid. That's your special assignment.
Bonus in it for you. Who's on the other shift?"

"Leroy. He's noon to twelve. You want him to
watch her too?"

"Yeah, boss says to do it. He doesn't want a
guard to follow her around all day. Figures you guys can do it
better up here in surveillance, with the cameras and all. And," the
big man added, "I don't need to tell you, kid, this is not for
other ears, got it?"

Robert nodded, trying not to grin.

"You screw up, there'll be hell to pay. Sure
you got it?"

"Yeah."

After Teeny left surveillance, Robert looked
at Less and Jerry. "You hear that? I get to follow Red around after
the show and when she cats around the casino at four in the
morning."

Jerry sniffed. "I might just be looking over
your shoulder, make sure you're doing a good job. If you don't,
I'll tell The Man."

Robert slugged him then went with his
cameras, looking for Dani.

Kim usually didn't have a problem saying what
was on her mind, but how to tell Dani about the doctor appointment
she made for her just one day away, that was something else. Also,
she'd heard Al was really hung, and that made it even worse.

They sat in the lunchroom after rehearsal,
and Kim lit a cigarette.

"You okay?" Dani said, peering at her as she
finished up her brownie.

Kim looked around, and the seats around them
were deserted. So, she began, "Sugar, we need to talk about
something."

Dani sat back.

"I've made you a doctor appointment."

"For the mammogram?"

"Yes, that's on the same day. But there's
something else that...the doctor needs to do."

Curious now, Dani's brows furrowed.

Sighing, Kim said, "You've never been with a
man, sexually, right?"

"Why? Why do you think that?" The words came
out too fast to be believable.

Now Kim was really stuck. "Well, I just
thought since you never spoke of a boyfriend--"

Dani interrupted. "I've been with plenty of
men," she replied hotly, lying.

"All right, sugar, don't get bent. If that's
the case, think of this as an exam. How long has it been since
you've had a doctor's exam?"

"I don't remember."

"Well, there you go. I'll be with you, in the
stirrups. I need to get some more birth control pills and I need a
prescription for those. You taking any now?"

"No," she said shortly, "I ran out," she lied
again.

"Well, I don't know about you, but me, I've
got too much to do and I can't have a child right now, you know,
get pregnant."

"Okay, I guess I could go."

"Wonderful!" Kim said, relieved and elated
she could help Al. "We can take my car. I've got a Porsche Turbo
convertible, you'll love it!"

Dani just looked at her blankly, before they
rose to get ready for the night performances.

For a packed casino house the next four days,
Dani did her wild dances, each a bit different from the last, and
as always, she found his eyes in the audience, burning, promising
her, the gateway to passion. But he hadn't visited her for the
whole four days, and she missed him terribly.

She was sore, though, after the doctor visit
and the breast exams. The doctor explained to her how to wear the
tampon so it wouldn't show, then probed and did something which
really hurt her. As well, she joined in as Kim swore at the
mammogram technician, the poor woman who gave them their exams.

Saturday morning, Lefty sat drinking coffee
in the penthouse with Al. "Got a surprise for you boss."

"What's that, my friend?"

Lefty laid out a newspaper. "How many roses
you want to send this one, boss?"

Al grinned as he saw the picture. Dani was
hunkered down, green eyes exotic; mouth slightly pouting, arms
flung out in either direction, with one leg off to the side and her
toe pointed. The flaming red hair was caught, again, almost down
but still in the air, still in motion. "Who did this one?"

"Looks like Danielson. He sent it AP."

"Ask him if he'll do posters for us. This is
great."

"And," he added, "send someone from
housekeeping to the Brent Lane house. I'm going to ask Dani there
tomorrow. Hopefully she'll say yes. I've been so busy this week,
I've hardly had time to call her."

"Sure, boss. Will do."

Dani came in the suite after her last
performance on Saturday. She threw her bag on the kitchenette
table, and collapsed on the couch. She realized housekeeping
brought a new bouquet of roses, red, and she was sure the card said
the same 'call me.'

Kim told her red roses meant that a person
loved you. But, Al never told her. He never said he loved her. And
this week he'd been so distant, barely even talking to her on the
phone.

The day before, IT had hooked up her
computer, a laptop, and explained to her how to use it. She liked
the search engine, and the first thing she typed in was 'How can I
get a high school diploma?' And she read all about the GED, and she
thought she'd probably have to get it online. Her days were too
full for regular classes.

Now, she thought she'd have some fun with the
thing, and she entered her first and last name then searched. She
gasped, as she saw the startling pictures of her performances. With
make-up, she looked like a different person, older, more
sophisticated. Then she quickly closed the thing. That wasn't her.
She was a street person, didn't they know?

Her cell phone rang, and she looked at it
absently.