[IC] Cancelled - until next time family. Thank you for understanding.

[Grimoire Gaming]

_{@Plank Sinatra@TootsiePop@GhostMami}
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While AJ, Aleks, and Chris bantered with each other over fresh bread and spiced olive oil for dipping, the lunch crowd of Rao’s began to populate the restaurant. For the first time since this morning it was starting to feel like the road trip vacation of a lifetime that this summer was meant to be. The boys were comfortable, having let their guard down without the trappings of any post-high school drama weighing on them. They were laughing perhaps a bit too loud and boisterous for such a nice restaurant, yet no one shushed them or even looked twice. The ambiance and attitude of Vegas was all around them — it seemed that anything goes here, and it felt fucking awesome.

Having been previously consumed with a bout of ‘hanger’, Chris ordered an appetizer as soon as their waiter showed up to take their drink order. It seemed a shame to come to an italian restaurant famous for their meatballs without ordering said meatballs, so that is what Chris got as a starter. Munching happily on what was probably the best meatball that he would ever eat in his entire life, he offered a close-lipped grin at his friends with a stupidly euphoric expression. “Fucking delicious,” he said after swallowing a massive bite. “So, we’re here, we’re eating. What’s next on the agenda? How are we going to spend our first day, and night in Sin City?”

AJ’s chosen appetizer was bruschetta. Something his mom would usually get whenever they got Italian. For the most part, the host with the most wasn’t too picky, but he did have a pattern of getting things he was used to having, meaning ordering food his family preferred. It wasn’t that he didn’t crave anything or have urges, he just liked the familiarity of it all.

If his friends didn’t know by now, they would surely know by the end of this trip that little boy Tyler wasn’t good with change, hence the whole ‘last summer of our lives’ voyage across the country. Worries aside, he was finally able to focus on the moment and enjoy his time with some of the best guys on the planet. Yes, Aleks included. AJ’s excitement was not even close to Chris’ level, which made everything worth it in his book.

Half smiling, he watched his Valentine blissfully eat, like he never ate before. Finally, someone was feeling the vibes AJ was hoping he could get everyone to embrace. Sadly, the road trip started with drama. He could only hope the rest of the day would sail smoothly. Munching on Bruschetta topped with tomato salad, caramelized balsamic vinegar, and Grana Padano, he came to terms with how… ordinary Sin City was to him. To others, like Chris, this was a place to have wild and reckless adventures of a lifetime. To be surrounded with good people and wake up not remembering half the shit you did the night prior. To him, this was the third most visited place on his list. The other two being the roads of LA and his father’s go-to-campsite. Although the city didn’t excite him like it did when he was little, he did like seeing his friend enjoy himself.

“Wherever you want.” AJ shrugged at Chris’ question. He wasn’t necessarily the planner type. He was the idea guy. He brought something into existence, like this road trip, or passing through Las Vegas, and he’d let his friends take the wheel, while he cruised with no hands. “There’s a bunch of cabaret shows, so that’s a thing we could do. I think you’d like the zombie one, but I still want to see what everyone else is into.” Munch. Munch. Munch. Waving his bruschetta around as he talked, he cooly admitted, “I’m going with the flow, let people do what they want, pick and choose, you dig? There’s a lot happening, and I’ve been here PLENTY, so whatever you want, do it, man. With friends, of course, but you get what I mean!”

Aleks carefully rolled the tiniest of his ciabatta crostinis over his knuckles like a coin, mouth tugged up at one end in an amused little smile at Chris’ happiness. The decision to pick the restaurant was a double edged sword, a high-risk, high-reward scenario where he could have either disgraced his father’s name by acting like a jackass or brought his friends to a restaurant they were only okay with. At that point he might as well have taken them to a fucking Burger King. But thankfully everything had worked out.

He had mostly finished with his roasted peppers and mozzarella, and was now picking off the last, precious few of his lovingly-toasted crostini, careful to portion out his olive oil and remaining pine nuts for each. The one he was playing with like it was a quarter must have been the very crust end of a ciabatta, so he was careful not to overload it with portions before he ate it whole. He chewed over AJ’s hands-off declaration and swallowed before responding.

“Chloe and I saw the cabaret last year,” he said with a small shrug. “She wanted to go to the strip club. I see no reason to disenfranchise her. I could use something sleazy for a change. But that seems like denouement for the evening. As for pre-game…”

The token foreigner of the group narrowed his catlike eyes a little at Chris, head tilting sideways and teeth scraping his lip in thought.

“You know much about the cards, Chrissy?”

“Cabaret sounds fun, that’s the show with the girls dancing in lingerie with the big feathers and stuff, right? But there’s a zombie one? Sounds hot… I’m down.” Chris pondered as he finished up his appetizer and perused the menu for a main course option. He listened as Aleks said that he and Chloe would be skipping out on the cabaret, but Chris was still set on going. He could go to a strip club anywhere, the cabaret sounded like a more unique Vegas experience. Speaking of Vegas experiences, “Cards?” Chris responded to Aleks with a raised brow. “I played a poker phone game a while back, but that’s about it. Why? You lookin’ to teach me how to make a pretty penny while we’re here?”

Aleks shrugged innocently.

“I may have a little knowledge to impart,” he said simply. “If you had the patience to listen and learn, I could front you some training wheels money tonight. Although Chloe may yet wind up making both of us look like bitches..”

“I’ll pass with gambling.” AJ’s father had poker night with his friends bi-weekly, and AJ didn’t really like losing money in a game he didn’t have a high percentage in winning. He didn't have full confidence with card playing and he couldn’t count cards like some people. Racing was one thing, but cards? Nah man. “Knowing Ava and Rey…. they’ll drag poor Emi somewhere. I’mma stalk Em until I know she’s safe.” Ever since the break up, she’s been a hot mess and AJ couldn’t help but feel partially to blame. He withheld information, in hopes that she could find out the right way, through Brandon, but looking back… he probably should’ve told her. It’s as if he let it happen. Like he could’ve stopped the cheating, he could’ve protected her heart, but he didn’t. “There’s a few shows for whatever Cabaret we decide to go to! So, yeah, we can catch one later, for sure.”

In time, their waiter did come by and take their order. To AJ, while the calm was welcomed, it did unsettle him. The moment they leave this restaurant, things would move again and there was bound to be another explosion. He just didn’t understand why it was so hard for everyone to set their differences aside and get along. Hell, he was putting up with two pain in his asses! Reyna and now Katie. With high hopes, he believed tonight would be the night that would make people feel like this trip was worth it. They are worth it. At least, he could imagine.

After finishing a fantastic meal, Chris had to stretch from his fingers to his toes to feel human. He was a bit uncomfortably full for a lunch, but the meal was worth every bite. “So, casino and cabaret. Sounds like a fun night. Remind me… why do we have to go to the store right now?”

Aleks exhaled patiently, hands in the pockets of his jacket as he gently pushed in his chair with the tip of a sneaker. He supposed this hadn’t been covered while Chris was locked in Gotterdammerung with the receptionist downstairs at the Bellagio, but still, he found everyone’s exhaustion over the thought of so much as entering a convenience store a little taxing. Life had been very easy for them, having the fastest Uber Eats driver in LA for a friend. He had gone years without demanding tips from these paltry bastards, the least they could do was humor him for a couple bottles of Hershey’s.

“Chocolate syrup is a good addition to White Russian,” he reiterated, repeating what he’d told AJ earlier at the flat. “I need a few bottles if I’m going to make cocktails tonight. If you have a cute name I am all ears.”

“We’re going to the store so that you can make alcoholic choccy milk?” Chris confirmed with a teasing tone. “Shall we pick up sippy cups as well, then?” The right side of his mouth lifted in a half smirk.

”If you would like yours in one, yes.”

“Man I can’t drink milk, I ain’t about to spend our first night in Vegas on the shitter.”

Looking between his two friends, AJ narrowed his eyes in confusion while grabbing his debit card from the waiter, “...what is wrong with sippy cups?” Like it was just a cup? They were being judgy toward dishware. Waht.

“Oh my god…” Chris groaned at AJ’s comment and then said something in tagalog under his breath. He pushed open the door of the 7-Eleven that was around the corner from the restaurant and hoped that this conversation would be taken away with the breeze it generated. While Alek’s goal was chocolate syrup, Chris went to the snacks aisle to grab a few handfuls of stuff for munching at the hotel once everyone was drunk off of Aleks’... brown russians? That... probably wasn’t pc, but he had one even better. “Hey, what about Cocoa Commies?” Chris yelled the name suggestion over the aisle divider to his friend.

As Chris and Aleks went their own way, AJ was left at the slurpee stand. After hooking his sunglasses on his shirt, he debated what flavor he should try. Truth be told, he never had one. He’s heard only good things about these sugary-sweet-heart-attack drinks, yet it was rare for AJ to do his own errands or go to a 7-eleven. Therefore, he never needed one. Too distracted by the debate in his head, he didn’t hear the resounding sound of heels, with just the right balance of femininity and practicality. A woman with one hell of a rack leaned beside him and whispered, “Wild cherry is my favorite. Mm, but you look like a coke boy.”

Glancing over, AJ was taken aback. Was it natural for someone this… sexy to be in a 7-Eleven? Maybe he should come more often! Unable to answer her, he watched her lips as they sucked a red lollipop. Her face matched her body incredibly well. She was like a goddess, who didn’t belong here.

He would’ve thanked her, but he was so stunned he couldn’t speak. She simply simpered at him and pranced away down an aisle. He immediately grabbed a large cup and went for the coke. She suggested it, so he probably was going to like it! In the aisle right beside Chris, but two away from Aleks, Esme started whistling a familiar song that Aleks would be well aware of and randomly dropped things in her basket. She had a long day ahead of her, so he either took the bait or let it pass. The kids would be in for a surprise soon enough.

From the corner of his eye, Aleks watched AJ’s poor, malleable ass immediately select the Coke Icee like a simp. The woman looked at AJ with the note of glee universal among those who make successful food, fashion, or relationship recommendations - Aleks had just felt it himself, with how well their lunch at Rao’s had gone over - and went down the aisle, whistling to herself a song Aleks had learned well soon after arrival in America. It used to be one of his favorites.

He has kiiiilled Cleopatra, Cleopatra…

He switched playlists on his phone before leaving his aisle, two bottles of chocolate syrup in hand.

“I believe Cocoa Commies were knockoff cereal, brought to homeland to avoid temptation of the American Dogs and their Cocoa Krispies. My father says they tasted like Reeses Puffs,” he replied to Chris as he leapfrogged Chris’ aisle to reach the next one. Scanning the various bubblegum options on display, he took small, graceful sideways steps away from the end of the aisle and towards Esme. “What about Belikov Cocktail? A little egotistical?”

“Too pretentious, you should definitely call it The Leksi.” With her lollipop in her mouth, she went for a piece of random fruit bubblegum and unceremoniously opened it, placing two pieces in her mouth and the rest in her cart. Leaning her hand toward him, the one that held her sucker, she childishly offered the candy at the store, before putting her pop back in her mouth, “Want some?”

”Sure.” Aleks picked up two giant packs of gum, one peppermint, the other strawberry Trident. After a moment’s consideration he picked up some Bubble Tape too. His voice lowered to a quiet, accented purr. ”I don’t know why you bothered to come all this way. I got everything done before we left LA. I made sure. Did you forget to pack me a lunch, big sis? It’s cool, I do not mind.”

Interrupting Chris’ and Aleks’ conversation, AJ obnoxiously slurped his drink as he strolled down Chris’ aisle, “Yo, this just tastes like ice-y coke. I should’ve gotten wild cherry.”

I knew it.

“Dude… it’s a 7-Eleven… and we’re assholes.” Chris looked at AJ and shrugged. “Just go dump it out and fill the cup up with cherry instead.” They boys might be in a new city, but Chris would always be the same old Chris. Plus, it’s not like the acne plagued teenager behind the cash register was paying attention, and even if he was, ten bucks said he wouldn’t give a shit. “More importantly… cool ranch or nacho cheese?” He asked, pointing at the Doritos options. “Oh shit, they have Takis!”

“Buy them all. It’s a vacation, but I prefer nacho cheese.” After taking another sip of the coke slurpee, AJ dramatically sighed, “That’s a lot of effort, Chris. I just got here and now I gotta go back over there?”

Shrugging at Aleks hushed hushed tone, Esme ran her fingers on the snacks and teasingly smiled, “You might be seeing me more this lovely summer, if you don’t find something for me.” Gracefully, with an unbelievable amount of sex appeal, she looked toward the door where a big man waited for her in his car. “A flash drive Alejandro stole from his father.”

Aleks’ music felt like it was pounding in his ears. He didn’t even have to spare a look out to the front of the store for him to understand Esme’s body language, or the implicit warning therein.

“Spy movie bullshit,” he grumbled under his breath. “This has nothing to do with me. Sami and I have said fifty words to each other in our lives. Everyone brought flash drives with their laptops, too.”

He discreetly popped open the pack of strawberry gum and started to chew a piece over. Sure enough, the immediate rush of sugar, as well as the mechanical motions that came with chewing, started to calm the tongues of flame, licking away at his temper.

”What is on it--? No. Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know, I don’t care, if it isn’t cars it is not my business. You know that. Tell him that, too.”

Rolling her eyes, Esme turned to him, dropping the suggestive act that she was known for, and coldly glared at him, “It is your business if something happens to that—” she pointed to AJ, before snapping her gum, “—boy over there. Or his friends. This was pure coincidence. I saw you pull up here and thought I’d relay a message. I’m not paid to hurt you, I’m paid to protect you, but as far as Hyde knows, we both want the same thing.”

She shook her head in annoyance, knowing it was getting around the time where her impatient driver would start thinking she was up to something (which she was). “Now, make sure you’re all out of your rooms at eleven tonight. I doubt your friend has it in his luggage, he isn’t dumb. Then, meet me at the pool at 5:30 am. If you’re not there, expect us to follow you, this whole trip. Got it?” This wasn’t a request, this was a demand and Aleks would know just by the way she looked at him that this was serious and not a child’s game of tag or cat and mouse.

“My big sister, looking out for me,” Aleks grumbled quietly, letting out the same impatient exhale he had earlier at Val’s antics. This trip had been cursed from the start. He should have just listened to Chloe and gone to fucking Tokyo or Thailand, but noooo. He had wanted to see America. Cursed, empty fucking America. Cheap, tacky fucking America. He would have been better off doing a tour of the country’s fucking Wal-Marts. He took another deep breath and finally relented, “...Maybe. I’ll see what I can do. Do you have a burner?”

“Duh.” Just when she was going to slip it to him, AJ poked his head and she pretended to trip, dropping it with all her snacks in her basket. “Oh rats. Clumsy me.”

“Wild cherry is SO MUCH better! Hey Chris! Look. Told you she’s hot.” AJ watched her bend over as she scrambled to pick her things back up. Instead of a verbal reply, Chris followed AJ’s gaze and nodded in appreciation.

Aleks was crouched on the ground next to her, putting his gum and the phone in the pockets of the burnt leather jacket that had once belonged to AJ Tyler before Aleks had lit it aflame. He helped gather up a few of the snacks and placed them in her basket, springing to his full height of six feet again with a fluid motion, starting from the knees and stretching up.

“You’re braver than I am, wearing heels in a 7-11,” Aleks joked, in the playful, polite tone he normally used. “Have a good day, alright? Try Converse next time you shop. They’re chic again. And you keep your balance easier..”

“Not a chance, Leksi.” She grinned up at him and then went back to pretending that they were strangers. Standing up, with her high red stiletto heels, she thanked him and then walked away. When she was certain the other two were distracted, she dropped the basket on the floor, only taking the gum and quickly went through the register. Once the exchange was done, she hurriedly went back to the car. From the glass door, it could be seen that the man she was with was annoyed that all she bought was gum for how long she was in there. Impishly innocent, she shrugged and gestured to her watch. With that, they drove off. The coast was clear.

“Leksi, huh?” Chris raised an eyebrow at the russian. It was impressive how quickly he could hit on total strangers. They were there, what, five minutes? And suddenly he’s getting new pet names. “Should we be expecting her to stop by in the dark of the night or what?”’

”I am sorry I have such a way with people,” Aleks deadpanned, chewing his gum innocently.

“Cosmos! Valentine! I’m ready to bounce.” AJ was already by the cash register piling the counter with all the bad goodies he decided was best to get for his suite.

You know who gave out the best nicknames?

HE DID.

[Venus]

_{A super unexpected Val & Leon adventure}
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“Oh my god…” Leon quietly exclaimed, patting and rubbing his belly, “I had no idea that food could be so tasty...or that one person could yell so loud.” The two having left the restaurant not too long ago, walked down the Las Vegas strip, a small way to burn off the calories of the lunch that they ate, or rather Leon practically inhaled. It cost a small fortune, but they were in Vegas and it’s not like he was going back anytime soon to eat there, or burp up for a second very appreciative tasting. He definitely appreciated Val’s recommendation to go eat there and though he was fairly comfortable in his workout clothes he was strongly advised to wear something at least slightly more ‘formal’. Turning to his food companion he piped up, “Did you ever have risotto before that? I didn’t even know you could turn rice into basically a cheese pudding with toppings!”

“Right?!” the cheerful Val in the short denim dress, white sneakers and round sunglasses responded, with an ear to ear grin that seemed to be permanently etched on her face. Suggesting lunch at Hell’s Kitchen had proven to be a fantastic way to finally put aside the awkwardness of their prom date and go back to the way things used to be between her and Leon, with the added bonus of some extraordinary cuisine. Of course, not being surrounded by an entourage of people certainly helped matters (at least in Val’s case). “What about that steak, though? I swear to God, I never understood the concept of meat ‘melting in your mouth’ until I took a bite out of that filet mignon.”

“I could probably die happy after having a meal like that, but...kind of stinks we didn’t even get dessert before he closed down the restaurant though…” The unfortunate side effects of Hell’s Kitchen, piss off the chef too much and everyone pays for it...well not literally. Pondering his thoughts, Leon locked his hands behind his head, “Maybe we could get some ice cream or something? It is pretty warm out…” Leon didn’t care much for things of a ‘frufy’ nature, but something about that meal made the prospect of going for cheap, frozen treats almost not worth it. Idling close by, his eyes caught a brochure stand near a bus stop and he decided to inspect it. His eyes glazing over the different titles and colorful thoughts, maybe something would stand out that might sound better than just the ol’ razzle dazzle of ice cream. Out of everything in the stand though, one thing did stand out, two simple words, ‘Helicopter Tours’. Like the cat killed by curiosity, Leon pulled the brochure out and quickly scanned it’s contents. Vegas strip tours… Grand Canyon… Night time city lights…

Wait. What?

Immediately a grin planted itself on his face as he got an idea, “Hey, think you could wait here for a couple of minutes? I need to make a phone call.” Before even giving Val the chance to respond he started to walk away, all the while grabbing his phone to dial in the number on the cover of the brochure. “Hey, I saw your ad about sunset tours? Does that picnic come with just dessert?”

---

Within about 30 minutes Leon had booked an open tour, called an Uber and both he and Val were on a helicopter in the sky, flying over the city, with the sun hanging over the horizon. “This is pretty freaking cool right?” He yelled to Val over his headset, the whirring of the helicopter blades only partially muffled. If the brochure and flight crew had it right, they were going to be flying out over the city, to a secluded part of the area called ‘Black Canyon’ to watch the sunset and eat some kind of fancy treats. “We got pretty lucky with this, too. I guess someone else booked for today, but cancelled at the last minute.”

When Leon had told Valeria that he’d be taking her on a ‘surprise adventure’, the girl had been her usual skeptical self. The buff boy wasn’t exactly known for being creative, so a part of her was expecting that his idea of a ‘surprise’ would be something sports-related, like a basketball museum or even visiting some fancy gym he found online. However, she was pleased to be proven wrong this time around, and highly intrigued by what her friend could possibly have under his sleeve. When they arrived at their destination and Val realized what they would be doing, the short girl couldn’t contain her excitement.

“I can’t believe we’re actually doing this!” she cried out, grinning widely at him. “I’ve never been on a helicopter ride before! This is so fucking awesome!”

“Same here, I didn’t think they’d be this loud though! Good thing they gave us these things!” He shouted pointing to his headset. It wasn’t long after that the pilot informed them of their destination coming up. Looking out the window, all Leon saw was a vast expanse of rocky terrain overlooking a canyon, and try as he might he didn’t see anything that resembled where they might get some dessert. Thinking on it, the brochure did say that the area they were headed to was secluded, maybe it was underground and would pop up like the villain’s base in a James Bond movie. “I know it’s not Hell’s Kitchen, but hopefully where we’re going for dessert is going to be amazing!”

“Are you kidding me?! This is so much cooler than Hell’s Kitchen!” she shouted back. As if dining at a fancy restaurant could ever top a fucking private helicopter ride!!!

The helicopter slowly descended and landed upon the rocky plateau of the canyon and the two were led along a trail to their destination. The air was still warm from the sun beating down all day, but was slowly beginning to cool as it descended down towards the horizon. After a few minutes of brisk hiking, able to take in their surroundings, they were brought towards a small table situated on flat terrain. It was just big enough for two, with a chair on either side, white tablecloth, plating and silverware, adorned with a single vase containing a small bouquet of red roses. This was unexpected in both fanciness and seclusion, how Leon hadn’t seen it on the way in, he was unsure, but perhaps that was the majesty of the terrain. As for the table setting, well his only real experience in ‘fine dining’ was only an hour or so ago at lunch so maybe this was just another level of sophistication he didn’t understand. The two sat down and before a word could be said, a bottle of champagne was opened and poured in their empty glasses and they were informed the chef would be with them shortly.

Leon looked at the glass curiously, it wasn’t that he didn’t drink alcohol, but they hadn’t even carded or anything, maybe they got special service or something? “You think he was talking about that guy who was riding shotgun in the helicopter?” Leon asked as he lifted the glass to inspect the slowly rising bubbles.

“I don’t know, but I’m not complaining,” the smug girl answered, clinking her glass against Leon’s before taking a long sip of champagne.

He jumped back a little at the clink, preoccupied by his filled glass, but as Val took in her sip he felt it cordial enough to take on himself, the fizzy, somewhat dry and bitter drink flowing down his throat.

For the next few minutes, Valeria remained quiet as her brown eyes scanned their surroundings. There was something to be said about the beauty of the canyons, with mountains upon mountains of red rocks and vegetation stretching out in front of them under a blue, yellow, and orange sky, while The Strip and all its adventures seemed to gracefully fade into the distance. Although the day had been warm before, the altitude provided them with a comfortable breeze that played with Val’s long, dark locks of hair. Meanwhile, the retreating sunlight basked the pair and everything around them in a warm, comforting glow. “This place is beautiful, isn’t it?” she mused aloud, still admiring their breathtaking view.

Leon smiled as he watched Val relax for a moment, sometimes she was so high strung that it was a pleasure to actually watch her be calm for a moment of time. It’s not to say that their day wasn’t great, she was smiley and giggly and laid back, but this moment, right here, it was a good one in and of itself. “Yea, it sure is,” he chuckled, taking another sip.

It wasn’t long before their ‘esteemed chef’ appeared before them and introduced himself, “Bonjour, welcome to the Black Canyon. My name is Andrew, and it is my pleasure to be serving you this evening. I understand I am preparing you a delicacy of the dessert variety, I hope you will both enjoy it!” So polite and again, fancy, Leon was rather excited to be here with Val. With things having been so weird between the two of them lately, this was a rather refreshi-

“So how long have you two lovebirds been together?” Chef Andrew asked the pair with a polite smile.

...Wait..wut?

Valeria, who had been excitedly anticipating for the chef to start working on what she knew would be a five-star dessert, was throwing for a loop at the older man’s question. “I’m sorry… Come again?” she heard herself asking with wide eyes, curiosity getting the best of her. Did he mean what she thought he meant?

Leon found himself rather stunned by the question, only bits and pieces of it made sense to him, maybe he just meant, ‘how long had they known each other?’ “Since the beginning of high school. Freshman year, actually…” Despite the answer, his emotion was rather deadpan as his brain continued to wrack itself trying to understand the question he was being asked.

“Oh, so you two are highschool sweethearts?”

WAIT...WUT???!?!?!

Oh, he definitely meant what Val was thinking.

Giggling, the young woman decided to just go with it. “Yup, we sure are!” she answered cheerfully, giving the chef a bright smile as she placed her hand over Leon’s. It was Vegas, after all, so why not have a little fun with things rather than make things awkward with the truth?

Leon’s expression was a mixture of confusion-- okay, mostly confusion. But there was also surprise. He wasn’t really expecting this and Val was… Val was definitely doing a thing that Leon wasn’t sure how to comprehend. When she placed her hand on his, he stared at it, mouth slightly agape.

“Sir, are you alright?”

Leon turned to him, mouth still hanging a bit, “Uh huh,” he nodded in a rather affirmative motion. He wasn’t sure what was happening, but rather than get any more weirded out than he was, he just rolled with whatever situation he was thrown into. “It’s great, just...the best!” Without thinking, he placed his free hand on top of hers and clasped it gently, just going with the moment.

Grinning, the young woman turned to Leon with soft, affectionate eyes. For the first time in four years, Val would be able to truly experience what being his girlfriend could be like- even if it was just by playing pretend for a little while. This chance was certainly the opportunity of a lifetime. “Being with him has made these the best four years of my life, without a doubt. I can’t complain.” she told Chef Andrew, keeping her eyes on Leon. He’d know what she was saying wasn’t a lie this time.

“I…” He felt somewhat choked and at the same time, Val kept looking in such a comfortable way that he felt a little relaxed, “I can definitely agree with that.” If not somewhat awkwardly, he did manage a smile, he did enjoy being in Val’s company even if it was… whatever this was.

As he looked at Val, and she looked right back at him with their fingers still gently grazing over each other, the chef brought them their dessert: a decadent chocolate cake in the shape of a decorative heart, with a few strawberries strewn around it for decoration. Leon’s eyes grazed over the cake, partially hungry, partially confused, before he raised his gaze back towards Valeria, who was staring in awe at the delicacy in front of them. Without wasting any time, the two picked up their spoons and dug in.

To nobody’s surprise, the dessert was gone in less than five minutes, but the best friend duo spent the rest of their time talking, laughing, and simply enjoying each other’s company without a care in the world. It was refreshing to know that, even after her weird behavior and the tense atmosphere between them after the prom night sisterzone fiasco, they were able to easily fall back to their old dynamic. It certainly further convinced Val that she’d done good in attending the trip.

Finally, it was time for them to return back to the group. But before they left, the day had one more treat under its sleeve…

“Alright you two!” Chef Andrew exclaimed with a smile, pulling out a camera, “How about we take some photos of your date before we go back?”

Valeria gave Leon a quick look, but wasted no time in standing up, pulling him up along with her, and dragging him in the direction of the nearby cliffs. Without missing a beat, he started taking pictures, flash after flash on the sweet young couple, with the breathtaking view of the sunset in the canyon behind them. Leon stared at the camera somewhat unfazed, while Val with the brightest of smiles, both of them closely holding each other by the waist.

“Now, how about a kiss?” The chef asked, raising the camera’s lens towards his eye to grasp the perfect shot.

“Um…” the young woman hesitated for a second, looking up at Leon with nervous, questioning eyes. “Are you fine with that?” she asked him in a small, rather shy tone of voice, her cheeks flushed.

She was...so innocent, and red, and yet, could he just... was his face just as flush as… “It’s not like...I’m..you’re just someone I...I…” his mouth hung open, unable to speak. Was this really happening?

Well… It's now or never, Val.

The short girl swallowed hard, took a deep breath and stood in her tiptoes. She took a second to take in Leon’s handsome features, focusing on the way his blue eyes were shining in the dusk sunlight, before closing her own eyes, cupping his face with one hand and pressing her full lips against his.

And all Leon felt in that moment was the flashing of the camera as he kissed back his best friend.

[Aewin]

^{A collaboration between @NeoAJ, @Spooner & @Aewin}

It was a good thing Emilia had finished enough of her first drink, because she definitely wasn’t prepared for when Ava grabbed her and brought her up onto the makeshift dance floor the living room was being turned into. She could scarcely utter a startled “Wha-!” Still, at least it was a sign that whatever clouds were hanging over Miss Esposito, they were able to be pushed aside at least for now. That was going to be a crucial part of Emilia’s strategy for the evening as well. So she set her drink back on the bar and let herself be whirled around by her fellow Kings fan. It was fun, and made Emilia a little bit dizzy. But that was a feeling she was going to need to get used to.

Eventually, plans were made and the various members of the suite departed for other ventures. Even Val and Nate emerged from their respective bathrooms and headed out to explore Vegas in the daytime.

But not Emilia. Not Josie. The two best friends hung back in the palatial room, content to decompress from what had been a somewhat stressful morning and a long RV ride into Sin City. Besides, there were still plenty of drinks available on offer. The only problem was the food.

“When do you think room service is going to get here, Jojo? Can they even make it this high up? What if we’re too elevated to get food?!?” The mojitos may have been hitting Emilia already at this point, but she was too hungry to notice, and she didn’t dare break into her precious supply of Pizza Pringles already. What if the East Coast states didn’t have them? Nope. Best to let the hotel provide food. It just needed to arrive quicker...

Josephine wasn’t faring much better. After that thorough verbal spanking from Sami, Josie had taken to sulking on the couch with her blessed mojito. It was only her desire to eat that stopped her from mixing herself another drink, and luckily, Emilia had the same idea.

Josie found herself disappointed when she noticed hamburgers weren't part of the Bellagio specials, but she could do with a cheeseburger instead. There was no one to judge her, so why not? Josie lazed on the couch reading through the menu over and over again, her stomach complaining with every. Delicious. Word. "The menu says thirty minutes. It's only been four." It felt far longer than that, but when you're counting each second it feels like an eternity. "Ems, take this from me. If I keep looking at it, I'm gonna mistake it for chips." She waved the laminated paper over her head, somewhat amused by the wiggly sound it would make.

Emilia made the sacrifice of hopping off her bar stool and bouncing over to her pink-haired friend to claim the menu. Of course, she was in just as much danger as Josie of eating the options at this point. The desire not to eat the reserved cargo in her bag led to her ordering a Margherita pizza and now she was worried it would take way too long to make. “I feel like we should have ordered more things. I mean, we are on vacation, right? We should be taking full advantage and seeing what we can get and do and eat and see and eat and I’m not helping… OK, think, what can we do to pass the time until our food gets here? We need a distraction or something…”

“And be so full that we can’t get drunk tonight?” Josie shook her head. “No ma’am. I’d like to go to bed completely shitfaced, celebrate graduation in style.”

Josie had seen Emi’s face that morning. Katie’s presence hadn’t been something either of them had been expecting, and the resurfacing memories clearly hit Emi in the feels. Josie didn’t want such a bad start to their trip leaving a bad taste in their mouth. A distraction was very welcome, from their emotional and hunger plight, and Josie had just the idea in mind. She finally stood up to join Emi at the bar. “How about a little game of Never Have I Ever? Get us in that Vegas hype?” She asked. Surely the best way to resolve your feels was to drown in alcohol! ...Well, it worked for her mom.

Emilia was a little unsure. She knew the game very well, but with just her and Josie going at it, and the fact that they both knew practically everything about each other’s lives, it was going to be very easy to make the other person drink.

But supposedly that was the whole point of the game, wasn’t it?

“OK!” Emi agreed as she started rummaging through the bar. There was enough juice to mix with the rum that Sami had brought out so they could continue to keep pace even without those marvelous mojitos available. “But don’t be too mean, OK? I want to at least be able to make it out the door tonight!”

“If you can remember your name by the end of this, I’ve failed.” Josie responded in jest. Truthfully, all Josie wanted to do was get their minds off their morning troubles. It hadn’t exactly been the best start for Emi, and Josie just wanted to help her friend.

“Wait,” Some movement at the balcony reminded her that they weren’t the only ones in the room. “D’you think Nate and Sami’re here somewhere? Leon and Val look like they’re ‘boutta hang out.”

Emilia hadn’t noticed the return of some of their travel party, especially given that Val didn’t make an audible noise of disgust when passing by. Maybe that meant she was in a good enough mood to just give the blonde an eye roll. Who knows? “Did you ever notice Val seems to get along REALLY well with the guys? Wish I had that ability.” Emi stopped in her motions for a second upon saying that, but shook her head and moved on.

She finished mixing a couple of poorly-leveled drinks at the bar. Clearly missing the skills that Sami brought to the table, she brought the cocktails over to where her friend sat. “All right, you want to go first?”

Meanwhile, out on the strip, it turns out finding out that one of your best friends has a secret relationship with the girl you’ve had a crush on for ages, and breaking up a fight drains you of energy. Who would have known? Not Nathan Matthews in any case. The walk back from the gym was quiet, or at least Nate thought it was. He might have grunted and hummed when Leon asked something but nothing of substance. His thoughts were completely somewhere else.

Somewhere along the way, the pair of friends got separated and Nathan was alone for the first time in hours. He decided to stay behind for a while, walking around and taking in the craziness that is Las Vegas. He didn’t have his camera with him but he got some good shots on his phone. After a while, he decided it was time to head back to the hotel. Nathan hoped dearly that the rest of the group had headed off for some sort of adventure, all he wanted was to collapse on his bed and take a long nap before AJ probably dragged him out to some show.

As he stepped out of the elevator on their floor he thought he caught a glimpse of Val stepping into the elevator next to him going down. This boded well for him having the suite to himself. But when he opened the door he was met with a sight he didn’t expect to see Emi and Josie obviously a little tipsy getting ready to play a game by the looks of it.

“Oh!” he tried to sound a little less disappointed than he was “You alright guys?”

Ah, exactly the person Josie wanted to see! The morning awkwardness, despite being unpleasant for the two of them, really helped clear the air. Josie had even promised Nate that they’d hang out once at the hotel. She waved him over, a giddy expression on her face. “Come come, I was just asking about you.”

“We’re gonna play never have I ever, come join us!” At least the game wouldn’t finish too soon. “You look like you could do with a drink. It’s not gonna be a Sami style mojito, but I can assure you that rum and…” Josie took a sip of the drink that Emilia had mixed for them. “Apple juice? Yeah, it isn’t so bad. And it's made by our girl Emi.”

Emilia closed her eyes and smiled at Josie’s last comment. “I’m sure I can find some other juices if you prefer! I know there is orange soda still kicking around from the RV ride!” She took a drink from her own mug. It definitely wasn’t anywhere near Sami’s mojito but it tasted enough like apples that it should do the trick.

Nathan rubbed the back of his head looking towards the room and bed that was calling his name. “Mmmmhhh….” he pondered looking from the girls to the room and back again. He let out a little sigh “Sure I’ll play” he chuckled softly before heading over to where they were sitting. “I’m sure it’s very tasty Emi” he smiled broadly at the blonde as he took a glass from her. He took a sip and almost choked on the liquid running down his throat. He had spoken too soon, but kept his poker face up so as to not hurt her feelings.

“So who starts?” he asked looking between the two.

“Don’t worry Emi, it tastes… fine.” Josie gave Emilia a reassuring grin before turning to consider Nate’s question. Given that the question had come up twice, Josie decided to answer. “I’ll go first.” She then gave her friends a conspiratory smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll go easy. Never have I ever been to Vegas before today.”

Emilia’s drink remained at the level. She did get to take a trip with her father last year during one of the road trips, but it was pretty uneventful. They went for dinner at one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants, and then she spent the rest of her time at T-Mobile Arena before the team headed back to Los Angeles that night. Hardly debauchery at the levels promised today. But still it counted. “Sorry, didn’t get me!”

“Sorry…” Nate held up his glass, confused with the rules since he wasn’t really used to playing drinking games. “So… I drink if I have been here before or… if I haven’t?” he laughed at how stupid he must have sounded.

“Ah shit, that’s my bad. I started off with a bad one. You drink if you’ve been here before, yeah.” She laughed sheepishly before suddenly pausing. “I… I think? I’m sure that’s how the game goes anyway.” Like Nate, Josie wasn’t exactly used to participating in drinking games. Most of her knowledge came from late night fanfiction readings on Tumblr, and they usually ended quite… explicitly. “So, like, I won’t be drinking because this is my first time in Vegas as well.”

“Ohhhh, um… shoot.” Emilia sheepishly took a drink from her glass. Figured she would misunderstand the rules already. “Fine. Ummm… never have I ever… dyed my hair?” Yeah, it was a cheap shot at Josie, but she had to get her back for the first drink. And at least make it known that she could play this game.

“Low blow.” Josie pouted in Emilia’s direction before taking a drink. Of course, dying her hair was as natural as breathing at this point. Some may even question what colour her hair naturally was. She sent another pout in Nate’s direction, knowing that he was the last of the group yet to take a drink.

Nate screwed up his face in thought trying to figure out a question to ask. “Uhm…” he looked around the room for some inspiration. He was coming up with blanks. All he could think about was Val’s pouty face when she freaked out earlier today in his Van. “Never have I ever… been forced to do something I really didn’t want to do.” he blurted out. Crap he got himself, he had to drink. Confessing his feelings for Josie was something he had been pushed to do by none other than Val herself. He lifted his glass to his company and took a long drink.

Josie took another sip of her drink upon hearing Nate, her heart feeling heavy all of a sudden. Was working at the Pet Inn really forced upon her? Questionable, but she felt that she had no way out of that life. No matter how many times she'd told herself that it was for the best, she could never help that twinge of disappointment each time.

She wasn't sure whether it was just her, or had the air had really gotten thicker after Nate’s turn, but the sip of her drink had really helped. Josie sighed, rubbing her cheek awkwardly. “I have a feeling you're going to need to make us more rum and apple juice.”

Emilia had to think about the question, but thinking about the question led back to a place she was desperately trying to avoid at the moment. There were times when she stayed at parties later than she wanted to, times when she hung out with people she didn’t want to. But she did it for someone else. Someone who… who…

The drink request from Josie derailed the tear train in Emilia’s head for the moment. “Drinks? Oh, yes, drinks! Um, I’ll see how much apple juice is left! Yes!” Focusing on trying to outdo her rotten apple cocktail was now first and foremost in her mind. Aside from the game at hand. “Also, never have I ever paid for a camera!”

“Your tone sounds very pointed right now Em!” Nate laughed as he drank once again. Obviously he had paid for many cameras and wasn’t planning on stopping anytime soon.

Josie laughed, feeling the tension pass finally. She even decided to jump in after Emilia, get her revenge on Nate. “Never have I ever had a part time job.” Sure, she was shooting herself in the foot, but that sip of her drink had never tasted more sweeter.

Again, no drinks for Emilia as she prepared a new batch of cocktails for her friends. They seemed to be losing the game worse than she was. Or was it winning? Maybe she should start giving herself a drink or two. She would have a fresh one, as her particular style of mixing didn’t require much effort. Put in an ice cube, pour in alcohol, pour in whatever juice was available in the bar. This time it was mango. She looked around for a sort of tray, and decided to empty the one that sat and offered coffee fixins for the drinks. That made this feel like a part-time job at least. Still doesn’t count though. Does Kings’ unofficial mascot count? Probably not.

In any case, Emilia rejoined her drinking companions and handed out the new beverages. “I don’t think I’m doing too well at this game. I haven’t drank in a while.”

“I feel like one does never do good at drinking games… do you win if you get the most drunk? Or if you stay sober?” he queried, taking another sip of his drink, since he has had a part time job since he was 15. “Ok! Never have I ever had hair past my shoulders!” he burst out laughing “Good one right? Huh? Right?” he looked from Emi to Josie who both have long gorgeous locks.

Surely the win condition was to be the one as sober as possible… But then again, Josie’s fanfictions never lasted long enough for her to confirm. However, did it really matter? Josie could see that both Nate and Emi seemed to be in good spirits, and that alone was enough to warm her heart.

Unless that was the rum talking...

“Emi…” Josie turned to face her best friend, a glint in her eye. “How about we team up. Two against one, he can’t get the both of us!”

After Emilia took a long drink from her original apple cocktail, enough to finish it off and allow her attention to be fully turned to her new mango concoction, she turned to her bestie. “Girls against the guy?” She looked back at Nate. “Oh yeah, we can take him.’ The pizza was forgotten. The troubles were forgotten, Josie having unwittingly staved off another potential breakdown. Val was forgotten. There was only one thing that mattered in the moment. She took a small sip of the mango drink to make sure it was good to go. Once that was verified, she set her mug down and pointed at the lone male in the contest. “Let’s dance, Nate!”

[AlteredTundra]

_{A @Ejected@HaleyTheRandom@Icy Hot@metanoia@smarty0114 Collab}

As the drinks were taken from her hands, Reyna was sure to save one for herself. While she definitely wasn’t the cheap type, alcohol at clubs was hella expensive. It always made sense to pregame.

Twisting the top off of the bottle before taking a drink, Reyna looked to Chloe, Ivy and Katie.

”Is there anyone else we want to invite? Maybe Ava?”

Katie eyed the bottles, wondering how acceptable it was to get drunk before five. She ultimately decided that she didn’t care much about how acceptable it was, especially given her earlier conversation with Carter. In fact, getting wasted before the sunset seemed like her best course of action.

“Ooooh, definitely let Ava know. She is stuck in a suite with Val after all,” Katie said, smirking as she picked up one of the glasses on the nightstand and poured a shot of Grey Goose. She tipped back her head and downed the clear liquid, wrinkling her nose as it burned a trail down her throat. She shook her head and poured herself another shot, before screwing on the lid and holding out the bottle. “Any takers?”

Chloe took a moment to blow a kiss at AJ and Aleks as they left the room, with the door shut and locked she turned her attention back to the girls, “Mm I usually like my alcohol sweet like my girls,” she took the bottle from Katie and twisted the cap off, taking a double straight from the source before passing it on to Ivy, “but I can make exceptions for french vodka. I’m glad you made it Katie, no offense but I definitely had my money on you chickening out, but here you are, hot and ready to fuck up the night with us. Let’s get Ava and get the hell on the road, I can order us a car!”

Katie grinned at Chloe. “Honestly, I’m glad I made it too, if only to see Val singlehandedly end the Tyler family tree. Though we have this girl to thank,” Katie said, playfully nudging Ivy.

Ivy couldn't help but tense up a bit at Katie's last statement, her smile faltering as she poured herself a shot from the bottle Chloe had passed on to her. It was after the young woman had forced the burning liquid down her throat that she faced the girls head on and shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, it was me who gave her the details of the trip." Ivy admitted, mostly to Reyna, with a sheepish grin. And it was in that moment that she realized how grateful she was for AJ and the rest of the guys leaving the girls to their own devices. "I mean, of course I did. Katie's our girl. It wouldn't be the same without her here... I just hope word doesn't get back around to Val and AJ, you know? I don't think they'd be too happy about it. And there's enough drama as it is."

Reyna shook her head at the blonde, holding one of her mini tequila bottles up ever so slightly in the air like a trophy. ”All I need is my one true love. I’m good.” Sipping as the conversation filled the room, Reyna nearly choked on her drink and Ivy admitted to inviting Katie along. ”IVY?! Holy --- giiirrrllll,” Giving her friend a sly grin, Reyna couldn’t help but to laugh. Of course it was Ivy. Ivy was the one who usually tried to keep them together. Not as forcefully as AJ, or with as much love as some of the others, but Ivy always had a plan. ”My lips are sealed, scouts honor and all that other shit.”

“If AJ does find out, feel free to tell him I held you at gunpoint until you gave me the details,” Katie said, grinning as she took a pull from the vodka bottle, ignoring her now empty glass, and sending it back into rotation. She hardly made a face this time, and as the third shot lit a fire in her stomach, she felt good for probably the first time today. Like, maybe, the world wouldn’t come crashing down.

With a half-smile, Ivy shot appreciative looks at both Reyna and Katie and said, "Let's hope it doesn't get to that point... Now, who's ready to find Ava and get this show on the road? I don't know about y'all, but I can't wait to explore Vegas."

”I’m just gonna go snatch her out of the room,” the Latina said, standing up from the bed as she shrugged her shoulders. ”She’s my main hoe. She doesn’t get a choice.”

Chloé followed suit standing up and stretching her arms above her head, “Let’s send Ivy in there to grab her, she’s the least hated by Val and Ava can never say no when it comes to her.” Chloé wagged her eyebrows as she linked arms with her sister and started towing her along to the door of the hotel room.

Reyna rolled her eyes as she finished off the last of her tequila. Val could suck her metaphorical dick for all she cared. All Reyna needed was for Ava to agree to come along. Making a pouting face in Ivy’s direction, Reyna was sure to add the puppy dog eyes for a little extra convincing. ”Can you please go rescue our Rapunzel?”

Katie grinned at Ivy, before sliding off the bed. “Chloe has made some excellent points, and I’m afraid I have to agree. You’re just too damn likable,” she joked, before turning around and giving her reflection a quick look in the mirror.

Laughing at Katie's last statement, Ivy shrugged her shoulders and let Chloe drag her along to the door. "Okay, fine. I guess I'll be the one to go get Ava... hopefully they haven't all killed each other in there." And without wasting another moment, the young woman pulled open the door and led the way to the elevator, where they'd then ride to the floor right below them, and walk down until they came to a stop at the front door of the Grand Lakeview Suite. Ivy unlinked her arm with Chloe's just before rapping her knuckles three times against the door, hoping that it would be Ava who'd answer. "Avaaa," Ivy called in a sing-song manner, slightly raising her voice so she could hear. "Come on, let's go!"

“About fucking time!”

Ava’s voice rang high, nearly seconds after Ivy opened the door. She came out from the bathroom, sporting a striped white midriff top and black shorts. Her hand was clutched tightly to her phone, a faint sight of the group chat with her and the girls in it and her purse dangling on the opposing shoulder. The room was kind of dull in activity, the looping echoes of music still playing from when she and Emilia danced for a song and a half.

“Any excuse to get the fuck out of this place is one I’ll gladly take.” Her laugh carried her out the door.

Chloe gave a short enthusiastic whoop as Ava finally made her appearance and held her hand out for a solid high five before dancing down the hallway back to the elevator, “Great to have you on board, now it’s time to jeter l’argent par les fenêtres!

[smarty0114]

_{a @smarty0114 x @icy hot collab}

Liquored up and ready to blow their parents’ money, Katie, Chloé, Ava, Reyna, and Ivy started off their shopping trip together, before drifting off to different stores, with promises to meet up once they were all done. Katie had mentioned not having anything “Vegas appropriate” and Chloé had happily dragged her off to the mall’s Versace store.

Katie wasn’t unfamiliar with opulence, but she was definitely averse to it in many ways. Growing up in Beverly Hills, it was impossible not to end up a little spoiled, but Katie had always felt weird spending obscene amounts of money on clothes. Newly single, slightly stressed out Katie, felt differently on the subject, however. She wanted to look hot, and no one could deny that Chloé was really good at looking hot.

It didn’t hurt that Aleks and his accent had lodged themselves in her brain, crossing her thoughts whenever she let them wander. Whatever guilt she might’ve felt after her conversation with Carter had been numbed by her buzz, and she was in the market for something, or someone, to keep the bad feelings away. If that interaction in the parking lot had been anything, Aleks and Chloé were close, and Katie figured it wasn’t such a bad idea to do some investigative work. “So like, what’s the deal with Aleks?” As soon as the words left her mouth, Katie was reminded that subtlety was her brother’s art form, not hers. She wasn’t used to beating around the bush, but nevertheless, she would try her very best.

Chloé had been looking through high-end rack, after high-end rack, stopping to pick up and examine a pair of dazzling shoes, only to be drawn away again by a peculiar little black piece. Katie’s question was barely enough to draw her attention away from the dress she circled on the mannequin, “Hmm? Did something happen with him when you guys were talking? Sometimes he says too much, but I can give him a little reminder if you need me to.” Chloé replied with a short laugh shaking her closed fist as a promise to Katie.

” What do you think about this dress?” Chloé gestured to the little blackdress that had been the object of her attention.

Katie paused her line of questioning to examine the dress, running her hands over the black fabric before taking it off the rack and holding it up in front of her. It wasn’t something she’d have ever picked out on her own, but she had to admit, it looked good. “Okay, okay, this could work,” she said. “Anyways, I was just curious. You’d think the whole ‘International Man of Mystery’ vibe would’ve faded by now,” Katie said, peering inside a glass case to get a look at the necklaces inside.

Chloé paused a moment to ponder Katie’s observations, it was always interesting to hear how people viewed Aleks, and it always seemed to be the opposite of her own views. Aleks had always been easy to read, but maybe it was due to them using similar masks to hide away behind. But Chloé wasn’t about to out her partner in crime if Katie thought he was mysterious, then Aleks would be, “Yeah, but doesn’t that ‘Secret Agent’ vibe make him hotter? I know you’re thinking about it, I saw you drooling a little earlier.” Chloé responded with a laugh as she moved on to search for her own outfit, “I’m not one to pry... But just know if you need to talk I’m great at listening. If you don’t want to talk, I think you should take tonight to leave Beverly Hills completely behind you.”

Katie’s smile faltered and she froze for a moment, still staring at glittering diamonds. The way Chloé had left it, she didn’t need to come clean yet. So, maybe it was the Goose, or, more likely, Katie needed to talk to someone. “Carter and I broke up. Well, I guess it would be more accurate to say I dumped him. Hence my surprise arrival this morning,” Katie said, facing Chloe with as much confidence as she could muster. Even in front of her friend, in a moment of vulnerability, it was difficult to let the walls come all the way down. “I’m fine, obviously, I mean, I’m me. But, long story short, yes, it definitely makes him hotter.”

“ Yes, you are you, vibrant and fierce, and in that-“ She pointed to the dress Katie held in her hands, “No man, secret agent or mafia boss, alive would dare turn you away tonight. One of us has to have a scandalous Vegas tale to tell over a campfire, and I think you might just be in the market for that, what a way to declare your new bachelorette status than seducing a man worth a few hundred million dollars?”

Chloé’s grin was mischievous as she brandished her own simpler mini dress, “Or woman, girl’s do some things better than boys do, you can ask little Josie about that one, or I can give you a first-hand demonstration.“ She issued a playful wink and looped her arm through Katie’s, ”Do you need to try it on?”

Katie grinned, Chloe’s playful flirting lifting her spirits a bit. “Yeah, I need to make sure it looks perfect for tonight,” she said, leading them towards the fitting rooms, where an employee led them to an empty room and drew the curtain. “What about you? Anyone, you’re after on this trip?” Katie asked as she began to undress and slip into the dress, unfazed by Chloe’s presence.

“Mm I’m here for the journey, not the destination.” Chloe’s response was noncommittal as she set her things down on the bench and tended to the zipper on Katie’s back once the straps were pulled over her shoulders, “If things happen, then they happen. But that’s just my style of doing things. But if you’re a go-getter, make it happen girl.”

“Well, I am known for making things happen.”

Stepping back she let out a low whistle as she took in Katie, “Okay, ex-boyfriend, who? Damn, this dress was made for you, please tell me you’re getting it.”

The blonde looked over her smiling reflection in the mirror, turning around a few times to check herself out from all angles. “I mean, I kind of have to, right?” She did one more spin and nodded confidently. “Yes, absolutely. Thanks, Mommy’s credit card!” After some help from Chloe with the zipper, Katie was slipping out of the dress and back into her clothes. “Thank you, for finding this. I needed some retail therapy.”

Chloé was gathering her things from the seat as Katie changed back into her clothes, “Don’t mention it, what better way to kick off a night in Vegas than to do a little splurging. And if it gets that pretty smile on your face, job well done on my part!”

As Chloé was exiting the dressing room a glittering black dress caught her eye, “And so, Versace becomes the modern olive branch,” she murmured aloud as she took the dress from the rack, “Alright, you good to go? I’m ready for some food and more day drinking.“

“You read my mind,” Katie said. The girls paid, and left the store behind them, in search of food, friends, and more alcohol. Luckily, Vegas wasn’t short on any of the three.