And Finn, well, I found out during dinner that not only does he own Allure, but Fick’s as well and he’s recently purchased another hotel. I’m surrounded by money. The one thing that can make my life easier and these assholes piss it away by ordering expensive wine and bottles of liquor for the table. I’ll give Finn kudos on the wine, though, because this by far is the best thing I have ever tasted.
After dinner, Finn tells his friends that he’ll talk to them later, then takes me by the hand to lead me out of the restaurant. I struggle to keep up with his long stride and find myself hanging on to his arm with my free hand as well.
“Where are we going?”
He slows down, maybe realizing that he’s walking faster than I can keep up with. “Home,” Finn says, as if I knew. “Is that okay?”
I nod, not understanding why he’s worried about how I’m feeling. According to him, I’m his for the week, and for me that translates into me not having an opinion about anything, although he’s been very kind.
“Come on, I want to show you something.”
We continue to walk out of the hotel, but now his pace is leisurely and I can easily keep up with him. I may be holding his hand, but that doesn’t stop other women from eyeing him or even calling out his name. What surprises me, though, is that he nods at them and keeps walking, never stopping to engage them, even though that’s what they want. Somewhere deep inside of Finn, he’s a decent guy and in another life he’d be someone I’d fall for. In this life, I’m going to give him what he wants, collect my money and go home.
Stepping out of the hotel, the night air is hot and heavy. Finn doesn’t walk in the direction we came from earlier. Instead, he guides us down the Strip and mixes us in with the tourists who are always in a rush to get somewhere.
On every street corner there are people, both men and women, handing out coupons for what they’re calling exotic dancers. When one is thrust into my hand, I can’t help but take a look. My stomach turns as I see the woman on the front. She looks like me, even though I know she’s not. But that isn’t what bothers me. There are children walking the Strip right now and these people, the ones handing out these flyers, don’t care. The woman on the front is naked, crossing her legs perfectly and bending at the right angle to hide her lady bits from the camera while her hands barely cover her breasts.
I look around at all the children out with their parents and think about Morgan. I told Steph that I thought I could live here, but not like this. I can’t keep taking my clothes off to provide for Morgan. Sooner or later she’s going to figure it out. Right now, she thinks I work in a bar. It’s the only way I can explain my late nights.
Finn tugs my hand and we walk across the street. I’m not paying attention, focusing on the flyer in my hand and making sure I don’t trip. The ground is littered with these advertisements, selling sex everywhere people look.
Cool concrete grazes against my stomach and the pressure is enough to make me look at my surroundings. Finn is pressed in behind me, his hand resting on the wide railing, locking me in. There’s a somewhat large body of water in front of me being overshadowed by the Bellagio hotel. I’ve been told I need to check it out because the inside is magnificent, but up until now I didn’t have the proper clothes to walk into a hotel like that. Maybe Finn will take me there.
“Have you ever seen the fountains?” His words are soft, sending a shiver down my spine. I expected him to be harsh and treat me like a prostitute, but so far he’s treated me with respect and dignity, such as asking for my permission to order for me. I’ve never had anyone do that for me, or even care about what I liked on a menu.
“No,” I say as the music swells and the fountains start performing. I stand there, mesmerized by the artistry on display. I find myself swaying to the music, trying to mimic the direction of the water. Finn chuckles and leans in closer. The smell of his cologne excites me and I find myself pressing back into him. He hasn’t changed much since the time I knew him in high school, except his looks are more distinguished. Finn went from cute to handsome, some would even say suave. All I know is that his blue eyes, that cocky smirk and the way he carries himself will get me into trouble if I’m not careful. One week, that is what I tell myself as I feel his hand on my hip. Friday, I’ll board my flight and forget everything about Vegas.