Page 5 of Rev

“I don’t know what my plans are yet, but I’m thankful for the opportunity.”

She cackles. “Don’t thank me yet, girlie. I’ll work ya to the bone.”

I grin. “Oh, you can try. I grew up on construction sites, and summers on a farm. I know hard work.”

“Well, then. You’ll do fine.”

And I do. It’s every bit the hard work she says it is, but I don’t mind. It’s gross, but so is cow poop. A few days turn into a week, and I spend my days cleaning with Lisa and her cousin, and I spend my evenings exploring Las Vegas.

I check out the big casinos, spend a few bucks on the slot machines for fun—I even win a hundred bucks. Once I’ve won, I walk away, because I know the temptation of gambling is a dangerous sin, and not a road I care to walk down. I go to a show, a weird one with naked people doing circus tricks, and I have to sit on my hands to stop myself from covering my eyes.

A week turns into two, and Lisa’s cousin who runs the motel I’m staying in hires me to clean the rooms for her in exchange for staying free; there’s only a dozen rooms and they’re never all full at the same time, so it only takes me a few hours a day after finishing with Lisa for the day—a heck of a deal to get a free room.

Finally, I decide I need to mix things up a bit. Try something new. It’s Friday, I’ve got cash in my purse, and I just bought a new outfit, a daring one I’d never have worn at home. Short khaki shorts that only just barely cover my booty, and cling tight to it—and as mentioned, I’m generously endowed in the booty department. A new top, too—a clingy, gauzy, sleeveless thing that looks see-through but isn’t, thanks to the built-in camisole underneath it. It’s sexy, and comfy in this blazing Vegas heat. New strappy gladiator sandals and a clutch purse I got on clearance finishes the outfit, and I feel…

Womanly. Attractive, even. It’s been a while since I felt that way. It’s nice.

Maybe I’ll even get hit on. I’m not ready to do anything about it, if I was to get hit on, but it’d be nice to have an opportunity to reject someone.

I order a Lyft, with the Strip being my general destination. When the car gets here, the driver is a young Hispanic woman, pretty, with purple highlights in her inky black hair, tattoos on her forearms and shoulders, visible under her spaghetti strap tank.

“Anywhere on the Strip?” she asks.

“I want to get a drink and people watch,” I tell her. “Not too crazy, or expensive.”

She eyes me in the mirror, nods. “I know a place. On the Strip?”

I shrug. “Doesn’t have to beonit. I’m not picky. Just not a diveora high-end place I can’t afford.”

She nods. “You’ll like this place, then. Where are you from?”

“North Carolina. You?”

“Vegas born and raised, sister.” A smile. “So. What brings you to Vegas?”

I shrug. “I’m just traveling. My life sort of unexpectedly…blew up. So I left, and I’m just…” I wave a hand in a vague gesture. “Drifting, I guess. Trying to figure things out.”

“So you don’t got any real plans?”

I shake my head. “Nope.”

“I get off in an hour. My cousin is getting married and her bachelorette party is tonight—it’s gonna beoff the chain. So many people she won’t notice one more, and I know Cassie, she’ll be like ‘the more the merrier, bitch!’ You oughta come! I’ll bring you to my boyfriend’s bar and you can pregame, and then I’ll come get you and we’ll get turnt up.”

I can’t help laughing. “Are you for real?”

She shrugs, smiling and eying me in the mirror as we wait at a light. ‘Sure. I know people. I can feel good people, and you’re good people. And nobody should drink alone. That’s party rule number one.”

“If you’re inviting me out drinking, you should know that I’m from a very conservative background. You’ll have to babysit me, because I’ve never really partied too much.”

“I got you, girl. Gotta learn sometime, right. And I’m telling you, Cassie’s fiancé wentall outfor this shit. Party bus stocked with top shelf shit, a couple’a great bars on the Strip with private rooms—and she’s been hinting at some kind of secret club or something later. I dunno. She’s cagey about that shit, but I know Cassie, and I know her man, Isaiah, and he’sloaded. He don’t fuck around. He goes hard, and he likes nice things. So whatever this secret club is, it’s gonna belit.”

She’s so amusing, and her energy is infectious. “If you’re for real, I’ll take you up on that.”

“Hell yeah, I’m for real, girl!” She grins at me in the mirror. “I’m Angel.”

I reach between the seats and shake her proffered hand. “Myka. Great to meet you, Angel.”

“You too, you too.” She pulls into a bar parking lot—off-Strip, but not too far. “This is it. Sit at the bar, at the far-left end. The bartender is my boyfriend, his name is Miguel.” She pulls a business card from the console under her right elbow, scribbles on the back. “Give him this.”