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always curled it into a mane of golden ringlets. They were

now stringy and flat. Summer was only twenty-one, but she

looked utterly exhausted. She was upfront about her

background, her age, all of it. Cassia had gotten to know her

quite well over the past three months since they often worked

as waitresses together.

Cassia never told anyone her real age, as she quickly figured

out it would get Stu in trouble. He’d definitely fudged

something somewhere so she could be allowed to serve drinks.

“I did grow up here, but we never came to the Strip. Or

hardly ever. All that craziness you hear about in Vegas? I just

ignored it. I never realized how true it was until I got this job.”

Cassia turned to watch as the last lights of the Strip faded

and changed out into the lights of hotels, stores, and shops

further back.

“How long do you think you’ll have to do it before you can

pay for college?”

“I have no idea,” Summer responded, somewhat morosely.

The fact that they were both exhausted made it a terrible time

to ask something like that. “Probably another year at least.”

Summer didn’t come from a family who was well off. Her

parents were still together and worked two jobs each. They

had a small house on the other side of the city. Summer was

the oldest of their four kids, all sisters. Her dad hadn’t been

pleased when he found out what she would be doing, but he

hadn’t stopped her either as long as she didn’t take things any

further than waitressing. She didn’t even do the one-on-one

companionship bookings that Cassia did.

Cassia touched the other girl’s shoulder in sympathy. “I’m

sure it will go by fast.”