But I worked hard and I deserved a little fun. Or at least that was what Pacey said. Without her, I would have probably ended up right at home as soon as the semester had ended, hiding up in my room.
Instead, Vegas. We moved through the streets, gaping at the hotels, at the action. It was amazing, and I had to admit that I was already beginning to forget all about my mom.
“Come on,” Pacey said, grabbing my arm. “Let’s gamble our meager savings away.”
I laughed. “Maybe not all of it, okay?”
“Nope. Every penny. I’m putting it all on black.”
“I am not bailing you out, Pacey.”
“Good! I’ll become a lady of the night.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “You don’t have the tits for that.”
She frowned, looking down at her chest. “They may be small, but they’re proud.”
“True. You have very proud boobs.”
We laughed as we stumbled into a casino. Pacey led the way, taking us over toward the blackjack table.
“Now,” she said softly, “we have to act like we belong, okay? Try and be serious.”
I nodded. “Serious. Got it.”
We bought some chips and then sat down at the table. Pacey seemed to know what she was doing, and I was mostly watching. She was the image of a serious player, keeping a straight face and nodding respectfully to the other players.
And as soon as she won her first hand, she started screaming with joy.
“Hell yeah!” she whooped. “Getting rich tonight, baby!”
An older man at the end of the table gave her a dirty look. She flipped him off.
“So much for being serious,” I said to her, laughing.
She shrugged. “We’re here to have fun, remember?”
I watched her gamble like that for the next hour or so. I didn’t bother putting any money down since Pacey was doing enough for the both of us. She was up and she was down, and by the end of the second hour, she was back to being about even.
Finally, Pacey walked away from her third different poker table. “Let’s get out of here,” she said.
“Tired of losing money?”
She shook her head. “Never tired of that. No, I just want to dance.”
“That’s the most cliché girl thing ever. You just want to dance?”
“Ugh, girl, listen. I just want to dance. That’s all.”
I laughed as she began to shake her ass. “Okay, stop it. People are staring.”
“Come on, we’re supposed to be loosening up, right? Twerk with me girl.”
I laughed and shook my head, backing up. She did have a point, though. We were supposed to be having fun, loosening up. We were supposed to be forgetting about all our troubles. So why couldn’t I relax like Pacey could?
Eventually she stopped twerking and we were off, trying to find a club. It didn’t take long, considering Vegas is literally covered by them. We got lucky and the bouncer thought Pacey was hot, so he let us skip the line and head right in.
The place was booming. People in expensive clothes were all over the place.
“Looks like we chose wisely,” Pacey said.
“I feel underdressed.”
“You look hot as shit. Come on.”
We went to the bar and ordered drinks.
“You almost ready to loosen up?” she yelled over the music.
“Fine, okay? Fine!” Our drinks appeared and Pacey held hers up.
“To having a good time.”
“And to forgetting about my insane mother.”
“Cheers to that.” We clinked glasses and I drank.
The music was deep and loud, filling the space. We finished off our drinks and headed out to the dance floor.
Pacey was right. I needed to relax, to have some fun. I lived so much of my life trying not to be like my mother, always saying no to things, always trying to be responsible. For once in my life, I was going to be reckless. I was going to say yes to everything that happened, and I was going to have a good time.
Pacey and I hit the floor, dancing. It felt good to finally decide to let my guard down, to finally relax. I was a little buzzed, but definitely not drunk. Some guys came up and hit on us, but Pacey chased them off with some seriously targeted dirty looks.
“No grade D beef,” she yelled in my ear. “We’re looking for a filet.”
“Why the meat metaphor?” I called back.
“Do you really need to ask?”
I made a face and shook my head. She laughed loudly and twirled me, giggling. I could feel the music getting into me, making me feel loose and good. Everyone around us was dancing wildly, couples grinding, everyone young and sexy. Most people had a drink in their hand, and I felt like I could finally blend into the crowd.
Pacey grabbed me and twirled me again, sending me stumbling a few steps away.