“Because in Asia the number four is bad luck, and in this town they don’t tempt luck!”
Chapter Nineteen
Leslie and Cher
I am telling you that when I got off the plane in Las Vegas I thought I would die from the spectacle of it all. There were slot machines all over the airport and a kind of excitement in the air I’d never felt before. You could see the anticipation in the faces of arriving passengers that they were about to have the vacation of their lives. And win a fortune. And others waiting at gates filled with disappointment.
I spent a little time talking to a guy next to me on the plane, and he said he came to Las Vegas all the time. He said every night he’d see a show, have a big dinner, and then go to the casinos. Every night would be different entertainment, a different restaurant, and another casino. He was meeting his brother there, who was coming from just north of San Francisco. They did this every year without their wives, just the two of them. I thought, Well, why not? But Las Vegas didn’t really hold a lot of appeal for me. Okay, I’d never been there, but gambling wasn’t my thing. I was doing this for Charlie. My sweet Charlie.
And Charlie was excited. He met me in baggage claim and was talking nonstop.
“Kiss kiss!” He kissed my cheeks and continued. “How was your flight? Don’t you look wonderful! Do you have luggage?”
“No, just this roller,” I said.
“Well, did you eat? Are you starving? The Mexican food in this town is AH-mazing! Or would you like sushi? I could always eat sushi.”
“I’m fine, Charlie. I ate.”
“Okay, well then, let’s get a move on!”
He took my roller and I followed him through the terminal and out to the parking garage. He was walking so fast I could hardly keep up with him.
“Charlie! Slow down!”
“Oh, sorry, Leslie. I guess I’m excited to show you everything.”
“Well, so far, even the airport is pretty colorful!”
Charlie stopped at an unfamiliar car, a bright red Toyota RAV4, unlocked it, and raised the hatch door. He put my suitcase in and slammed it shut.
“New car?” I said. Charlie usually drove a luxury car, so I was a little surprised.
“Yeah, a new car for the new me.”
I thought, Oh boy, exactly who is this new me going to turn out to be?
“So the climate here is one of the best things to recommend it. I mean, it’s hot like hell in July, but it’s hot in Maine in July, isn’t it?”
“Yes. And I think it’s pretty dry here, too, isn’t it?” I said.
“Yes, you’ll have great hair here.”
He drove, talking the whole time about all the things he loved about Las Vegas.
“I rented an apartment, too. Wait until you see it. It’s very tiny, but until I get to know the town, it’s very centrally located to the Strip and all that.”
“You rented an apartment? Charlie, we have a house in Ohio.”
“I’m aware,” he said. “But I have to tell you, you couldn’t pay me any amount of money in the entire world to shovel snow again.”
“You never shoveled snow. Not once. I did. And salted the walkways and steps.”
“Well. It was a pain in the neck to deal with all your complaining about shoveling it then.”
“Oh, Charlie.” What was he saying? “Are you saying we should sell our house in Glenwillow?”
“Not today. But if my plan works, yes, we should. You’ll like it here so much better. We’re close to Sedona, you know. A mere four-hour drive. We can go sit on the vortex and meditate.”
“The vortex?”
“Yes, the vortex. Sedona, Arizona, is in the Verde Valley, which is one of the most spectacular places on this entire planet. Think Wile E. Coyote. But there is the spot called the Red Rock that some people think is an alien spaceship or a portal to another dimension. It’s very popular with psychics and artists. Sedona used to be full of old people and hippies, but now it’s got more private jets coming and going than you can count.”
“What makes it a vortex? I mean, isn’t a vortex something that’s moving? Seems to me that the desert is pretty still.”
“I think you’re right, and I don’t know why they call it that, either. But it’s supposed to be a place where you meditate more deeply and maybe the cosmos speaks to you.”