Romance in Vegas - Showgirl! (13 page)

Who was she really? Was her name really Dani
Troubix? Or did some foster parent along the way pick out a name
for her? She had no pictures of her past, never knew where she came
from, what city or town and why her parents gave her up.

After a while, she showered and washed her
hair, took her time and let the spray relax her. Toweling off, she
used a little of the perfume Kim gave her the day before. Still
naked, she walked in front of the full length mirror. She'd lost a
bit of weight because of the strenuous workouts. Her waist was
smaller and her hips also.

She jumped as the loud house phone rang.
"Yes?"

"You don't answer your cell," Al said
irritably, "so I'm calling you on this one. Why don't you answer
your cell?"

Sitting on a chair, she lied, "I was in the
shower."

"You gave a wonderful performance tonight,
but then you always do."

"Thank you." She was silent for a few
seconds, before she said, "You've hardly called me all week."

"You've missed me, then?" he asked
softly.

The tone of his voice made her ache inside.
"No," she lied, "I just was commenting on it."

"I see. Well, I'm pretty well caught up here,
and I was wondering if you'd like to get away from the casino for
your weekend. Tomorrow and Monday."

"And go where?" she asked warily.

"It's a property I own. It's very nice, I
think you'd like it."

"What clothes should I bring?"

She could tell he was smiling as he replied,
"Not too much. Just what you're comfortable in." Then his voice
lowered to a whisper, "What are you wearing right now? Right this
minute?"

"My jeans," she lied again, looking down at
her nude body, "a white top and shoes."

He burst out laughing. "Why don't I believe
you?"

She sniffed. "I don't know. Why don't
you?"

"Just a hunch. So I'll come and get you
around ten in the morning. We'll go for brunch somewhere, then on
to the house."

"All right. See you then."

Around two in the morning, in surveillance,
Robert had almost dozed off at his station when he finally realized
that Dani's door was opened part way. Where was she? Damn, he
thought, I'm in trouble now.

But then, she appeared at the other side of
the door and stood in her nightgown. "What the hell is she doing?"
he said.

Les and Jerry came over to look.

Robert got on the phone. "Security base,
ten-eighteen at room 210. I repeat ten-eighteen at room 210."

They watched as she looked up then down the
hallway. She seemed confused then sat in the room doorway just
staring blankly at the pattern on the carpeted floor.

He called Scaletti's private number. "'Lo?"
the man answered.

"Robert in surveillance, sir."

His boss sounded more alert now. "Yes?"

"She's...she's in the doorway of her room,
sir. I called security and they'll send someone down."

The phone went dead in his hand.

Al's private elevator seemed to take forever
to arrive at the second floor. He hastily tucked in his shirt then
realized his feet were bare.

As he ran towards her suite, he saw guards
moving quickly from the other end of the hallway. "Where is she?"
he said loudly.

His cell phone rang. "Where is she, Robert?"
he said.

"Down the hall sir, in the stairwell."

"Stairwell," he said as he headed back
towards it. Smashing the door open, he looked up and down. "Dani!"
he called.

"You go up there," he told the guards, "I'll
check down here."

As he came down the flight leading into the
casino, he saw a flash of white. Cursing, he pounded the door
open.

She stood in the bustling casino, flame red
hair flowing down her back, barefooted, in her white nightgown,
looking straight ahead. He knew better than to grab her arm, like
the man in her past, so he ran up and stood in front of her. "Dani,
look at me."

Green, trusting eyes stared up at him.

By then, casino patrons stood staring and
other guards had arrived by his side. "Get the elevator," he told
them, while he picked her up in his arms. She lay against his
chest, still saying nothing, and they rode up to floor two.

The guard, Matt, stood at her suite
doorway.

"You checked inside?" Al asked him.

"Yes, sir. All clear. Need any help?"

"No. Thank you Matt. You can get back to the
station now."

He deposited Dani on the bed, which was still
warm from her body. He covered her with the sheet and blanket, and
lay next to her on his back. She fell asleep immediately.

He sighed and punched a button on his phone.
"Robert. Good job."

"She was on the casino floor then. Do you
know why, sir?" the man asked.

"Good question. Wish I could answer it. Still
trying to figure it out. Keep up the good work, my friend." He
placed his cell on the end table, and turned towards her.

Was she under too much stress? Was it too
much for an eighteen year old? He thought of the long days,
difficult practices and grueling performances. She seemed to enjoy
her dancing, but perhaps he should put her somewhere else in the
casino. God knows, she'd be a success anywhere she worked. And he
was certain she wouldn't accept any charity from him. She'd want to
work doing something. She had a lot of pride, this woman.

His hand stroked her long hair away from her
face, and he nestled up to her, threw his arm over hers. He'd talk
to her this weekend. They'd work something out. As usual, just
being with her had worked magic on him.

Dani woke the next morning, but when she went
to stretch she jumped as she realized someone was behind her in the
bed.

"Don't move," he said, drawing her closer
with one hand, "you feel wonderful."

"Why are you here?" she said softly.

"Mmmm," he drew her hair back and nuzzled her
neck with his lips. "Because I wanted to wake up next to you."

"You aren't even under the covers."

He laughed then and rolled on his back. "Oh,
Dani. You are just so damn sensible sometimes."

She wasn't sure what to say about that, so
she didn't say anything.

He got up and punched numbers on the house
phone. "Mattios? Can you do me a favor? Bring a pair of my shoes to
room 210. Thanks my man."

Running a hand through his tousled hair, he
sat on the chaise in front of her. "Do you remember last night?" he
asked her gently.

She saw a slight stubble on his chin, and
thought he looked tired. But last night? She didn't remember
anything. Had they slept together? Wracking her brain, she couldn't
remember what the doctor had told her about her birth control
pills. She was just starting to take them and he'd said to use
another method to prevent a pregnancy. "Did...did you use a
condom?"

Bending down, he held his face. Then she
realized he was trying to suppress a laugh.

"What?" she said, throwing her legs over the
side of the bed. "I need to be careful, you know. Kim says a girl
can never be too careful."

That set him off again, and now his shoulders
shook. He lay back on the chaise and took a deep breath. "I don't
know quite what to make of you sometimes, Dani," he gasped finally.
"So," he sat up, "are we still on for today?"

"I suppose so. You said ten o'clock, and I
need time to get ready."

"Well, I need some shoes, woman," he said
dryly, "and a shower. Pick you up in thirty minutes."

Al let her pack in a suitcase she'd hurriedly
borrowed from Kim, which he carried while they walked to the front
of the casino. The valet brought his bright red Lamborghini
convertible, and he casually flung the suitcase in the back seat
before he opened the door for her.

They rode down The Strip, with its neon
flashing lights and tourists, onto another road until she lost
track of where they were. She'd never seen any of this, as the car
raced up a hill, but she thought the fresh air was a wonderful
change from the smoky casino atmosphere. Al chatted on amiably
about the casino business and his other ventures.

She found out he owned real estate and
shopping centers along with his other casino in Atlantic City.

Then she asked him, "You know, Teeny seems so
sad. Why do you suppose that is?"

He smiled as he drove along. "He's tough and
loyal. But he lost his best friend in a fire four years ago, and he
doesn't seem to have recovered really well. He doesn't care for
Vito very much. Lefty is his best friend now, though."

"And he doesn't have a girlfriend?"

"No," he laughed, "Teeny has the feeling that
all women are scheming and bitchy. I think you really impressed him
with your right hook. Or was it your left?" He looked over at her
and grinned.

He seemed so relaxed now, away from the
casino, and she smiled too, even though she still hadn't thought of
a way to pay Teeny back for giving him the black eye that time.

At the top of the hill, he pulled into a
huge, Spanish-styled home, with bougainvillea and lush ferns in
front of the entrance. He led her up the path and unlocked the
stained glass front door.

She gasped as she looked at the inside of the
two-story house. A winding marble staircase led to the second
floor, the hallway and columns were also marble.

Al took her on a tour, through the huge
kitchen with hanging pots and pans, the wine cellar, and to the den
with its huge TV screen and inlaid fireplace. There was one large
bedroom downstairs with a king bed topped by a fluffy light green
colored bedspread and throw, patterned pillows and an offset
bathroom with a huge sunken Jacuzzi tub, and gold fixtures.

Upstairs, there were four more bedrooms, each
done in an elegant color scheme of blue, lavender, green and yellow
with four similar marble bathrooms, and a work-out room, complete
with a stair-stepper, free weights and a weight bench.

She walked with him from room to room,
exclaiming about the paintings and free standing works of art.

They returned to the living room, which had a
wrap around beige couch and, again, a marble fireplace.

But when she looked out the sliding glass
door, her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, Al. It's just beautiful,"
she gasped. The backyard held a low swimming pool and Jacuzzi,
which had been designed in large squares, lounge chairs, roses,
geraniums, and huge ferns, as well as a tiled built-in barbecue.
"It doesn't overflow?" she asked, as he opened the sliding
door.

He smiled. "I asked the same question.
Something about the design lets the water come right up to the top
of the pool. And, the Jacuzzi is great for muscle cramps."

Her face flushed when she thought of him
watching her after Charlene massaged her, half naked with her
breasts exposed. And he seemed to notice it, as his eyes caught
hers, blue-grey eyes that captivated her.

"Would you like to go for Mexican food?" he
asked politely.

"Yes," she said quickly, "that would be
wonderful."

He drove her to a place called Nana's Serape.
She ordered cheese enchiladas and rice and Al ordered shrimp
fajitas. She finished a bowl of chips waiting for the food to come,
and he laughed at her appetite.

"Don't forget, you'll have to pass my
inspection again on Tuesday," he told her.

"Yes," she countered, with her mouth full,
"but that's Tuesday. Today is Sunday, so I'm not going to worry
about it."

"That reminds me," he said between bites of
fajitas, "do you need to open a checking account for your
paychecks?"

"Well, I have one paycheck I was going to
cash at the cage. Why do I need a bank account?"

"You shouldn't keep cash around. I don't
trust anyone around cash. I don't care how honest they are. There's
a bank right across from the casino, you know."

"And that reminds me, did you ever catch
who's on the take at the casino?"

"Not yet. We're still working on it."

It was late afternoon by the time they
returned to the house.

"I took the liberty of bringing your suitcase
to the downstairs bedroom. In here," he said. "Would you like to
lie down for a while? You must be exhausted from your
performances."

She nodded. With her stomach full, she really
was sleepy now.

Chapter 12

She woke in the dark, and at first didn't
know where she was. Then she remembered. Al's house. He had covered
her with the soft throw and taken off her sandals while she
slept.

Still trying to wake up, pulling her sundress
down, she wandered barefooted into the kitchen. Lights were on, but
he wasn't there. Frowning, she looked around then heard a noise by
the pool.

Pulling back the sliding door, she stepped
onto the warm concrete. The pool was electric blue, lit from below,
and the Jacuzzi bubbled invitingly. Dani realized he was swimming
laps, as she glimpsed his powerful back muscles and arms gliding
through the water gracefully, and she sat on a chaise to wait.

After he'd done about twenty laps, he pulled
himself out at the deep end. As he toweled his hair, she knew he
hadn't noticed her yet.

Her eyes roved his body. His thick arms
muscles glistened with water, as did his solid chest. A bit of hair
lay against his chest, dripping now. His small, black bathing suit,
she thought, didn't hide his manhood very well. His powerful thighs
tightened, as he bent down to dry himself.

He finally noticed Dani, and walked towards
her, smiling and wrapping the towel around his neck. And she saw
how gracefully he moved for such a tall man.

Running a hand through his hair, he asked,
"Have a good sleep?" He sat on the chaise opposite her.

"Yes, thank you."