Free Romance in Vegas - Showgirl! by Nancy Fornataro

mammograms. Al's insisting on
it. His wife, Clarice, was only twenty-five when she died of breast
cancer. He's paying for it all, don't worry about that."
    "I've never had one."
    "Oh, Sugar, you'll hate it. Trust me."
     
     

Chapter 8
     
     
    When she checked her wallet in the morning,
Dani realized she had some money left from the thousand Al gave her
the first night. So she and Kim spent the day shopping for clothes,
and little items for Dani's suite, to make it more like a home.
    But now, she was flat broke after their
shopping spree.
    She let herself into the suite, dropped her
bags, and groaned as she realized she hadn't taken her phone.
Checking her messages there were four messages, blank, with no
voice. But they were all from the same phone number.
    Hesitantly, she phoned him back.
    "What?" he snapped as an answer.
    "I'm just checking in," she said
cheerfully.
    He was silent for seconds then said, "I'd
appreciate it if you'd carry your phone. I was worried about
you."
    "Why?"
    "This is Las Vegas," he said dryly. She heard
rustling of papers in the background. "What did you do all
day?"
    "Why?" she repeated.
    He sighed. "Because I'm interested."
    "We shopped."
    "We, who?"
    "Kim and I."
    "I see. And what did you buy?"
    "A few things for the suite, and some
clothes."
    She didn't hear him fidgeting with the papers
anymore. "Tell me about the clothes."
    "Well, a few t-shirts and some dresses."
    "What color are the t-shirts?"
    "One is pink and the other light green. One
says welcome to Vegas."
    He chuckled. "And the dresses?"
    "Yes, you know, in case someone asks me out
dancing, I'll need something to wear."
    "What a thing to do on your day off. Would
you really want to dance? After all, you do that for a living now."
She could hear the smile in his voice.
    "Yes, I would. Actually, I was going to call
you when I got home anyway. Kim and I are going out, and we wanted
to ask if you and Tony would like to go."
    "Is that right?" She heard his chair squeak.
"And, are you two paying for this night on the town?"
    She hesitated. "I don't really know. When is
payday?"
    He burst out laughing then. "You are so
funny. Of course we can go out somewhere. All you have to do is
ask. And you don't have to pay."
    She thought her first attempt at asking a man
out had not gone well at all. He was still laughing as they rang
off.
    Kim had given Dani her phone number, and Dani
programmed it into her cell. "We're going to someplace called Chez
Vous," she told her friend.
    "Oh, that's a happening place," Kim replied,
"you'll love it."
     
    A few hours later, the two met up with the
men at the penthouse. Kim wore a white sequined mini dress and Dani
had on a pink sequined mini dress; they both wore matching sandal
heels.
    "Mama mia," Tony said under his breath as the
two women entered the penthouse suite, "a double header."
    Then louder, he said, "Come to papa," and he
walked to Kim, picked her up and swung her around as she
squealed.
    Dani stood awkwardly, then moved to the floor
to ceiling window which overlooked Vegas twinkling lights. Al came
and stood in back of her, and she saw his reflection. It was the
most relaxed she'd seen him dress, with a casual navy jacket, chino
pants and his white shirt having a few buttons open.
    "The view so beautiful," she said, "I can't
believe I didn't notice it the last time I was here."
    "You're the one who's beautiful." After
trailing his hand down her hair, it rested on her back by her hip.
She closed her eyes at the sensation his touch created.
    She turned and walked over to the shelves
housing the stereo and big screen TV. Spotting him in a picture,
she moved closer. It was Al with his wife. And Dani thought the
woman had been stunning. Turning back to him, her eyes met his. How
could he have said good-bye to her so soon in her life? she
wondered. His gaze was impartial and she didn't find any answers
there.
     
    They ate at The Broiler, a steak house twenty
minutes from the casino. All the way there,