around to my back.
“And the eye-in-the-sky stuff doesn’t bother you? I mean the cameras everywhere?”
“They’re just a precaution. For security. They check cameras when there are fights or possible cheaters. Or drugs. Mr. Milner is very strict about keeping illegal activities outside. So it’s also quite safe here. Some of the other casinos have problems and can be quite dangerous. Vegas can be risky. But Mr. Milner runs a tight ship. There, go take a look at yourself.” She prods me gently towards the floor-length mirror.
The person in the mirror is a stranger. The fanciest thing I’ve ever worn was probably my high school prom dress but this is something different altogether. The red material trails all the way to the floor. A large slit goes far up my right leg, to my mid-thigh. The slinky material hugs my waist and breasts, and the low cut shows far more than a mere hint of cleavage. The entire dress is held up by thin spaghetti straps, delicately sitting on my shoulders. Against my pale skin, the dark red is truly striking. “It’s beautiful,” I murmur. “But I feel a bit…strange in it.”
“You’re beautiful, Lilly,” Sarah says with a smile. “Mr. Milner will have my head if I don’t make sure you take this one. You can’t get me in trouble now,” she says with an encouraging nod. My fate is sealed. I give her a smile. I know Sarah is a professional, a sales girl. She has to compliment everybody. “Beautiful” isn’t the kind of word I’d use to describe myself. Cute, maybe.
“Now. Let me see what else you need,” she hurries on. “Swimwear. Shoes. And you should hit the salon. You can get everything done there. Hair, nails, makeup, a massage, a facial…” Sarah rattles on, gesticulating excitedly behind me as I take in the person I see in the mirror before me. Just twenty-four hours ago, I was somebody else. Lilly Madison, a small-town girl from Parkville, Missouri, headed to Las Vegas to celebrate her twenty-fifth birthday with her sister. A virgin. The girl I see in the mirror in front of me isn’t the same girl who arrived in this town twenty-four hours ago. Who am I now? Who will I be when these six nights are up? And do I really want to stick around to find out?
***
Hours later, I’m taking David’s advice and trying to make the most of my day. Lying poolside in an embarrassingly small string bikini that Sarah talked me into, I wish I could text my friend Aurora. Her jaw would drop if she knew what I was up to.
I smile as I take a sip from the chilled bottle of water a pool attendant brought me earlier. Aurora and I met in high school. She left Parkville to study in St. Louis though, and never came back. Although she lives a different kind of life in the big city, we stay in close contact. She was by my side when Deanna left in high school, just before our senior prom. She’s almost like another sister. My parents adore her too.
My smile fades as I think of Mom and Dad. While Aurora would be thrilled to hear about my uncharacteristically wild Las Vegas adventures, they wouldn’t be so happy. They also wouldn’t be happy to know what Deanna’s been up to. Ever since she left, they’ve held me even closer. They feel like they’ve lost one daughter. They don’t want to lose another.
If I’m honest, maybe that’s part of the reason I’ve also stayed close to home. Stayed in their home. It’s not their fault. It’s not like they would make a huge fuss if I left. I think I just witnessed how distraught they were when Deanna left so young. I never wanted to inflict that pain on them. I sigh as I take another sip of water. Well, there’s no need for them to know.
This is just a random moment, a sidetrack to my everyday life. The fancy clothes I got earlier? Just superficial. My experiences with David? Purely physical. It’s only six nights, I remind myself. This doesn’t have to change me, not if I don’t want it to.
Chapter Six
David
Having left Lilly in Sarah’s capable hands, I make my way to my private office. Located in the back area of the casino, it’s a space only I have access to. I retreat here when I need to take a step back from the everyday rush of running a massive