We were sitting around trying to get wardrobe together for the show on Thursday night when my cell phone rang,
�Yeah.� One of our newest stylists is trying to be cute and convince us to wear outfits to match the 80s theme of the concert. She was about to get her ass fired. There is no way I�m ever wearing any themed outfit ever again. That 70s inspired disaster with Aaron was enough to make sure I never made that mistake again. What was I thinking? What was everyone who saw me and said, �Yes Nick, that looks good.� thinking?
�Hi, it�s Sarah. How are you?� Her voice instantly put a smile on my face. She was damn near perfect. No, what am I saying? She was perfect. Not once has there ever been a moment of discomfort, aside from the usual butterflies such a beautiful woman puts in your stomach, since the moment I met her.
�Hey. I�m fine.� I turned my back to the guys and my voice automatically lowered, �How are you? Did you make it back ok?� I wondered if she had made it back safely but I didn�t want to call and seem like I was hounding her. It might have made me look anxious or gave off the impression that I was trying to keep tabs on her or something. I didn�t want her to think I foolishly thought we were in some kind of relationship. Like I said, I�m on a break from relationships and I�m loving every commitment-free consenting sexual experience. Hell, I don�t see my relationship status changing anytime soon.
I did make my way over to New York-New York Hotel along with Howie and AJ. I decided I was going to experience every bit of Las Vegas, or at least as much as I could in the week we would be here. I�m finally comfortable with my little slice of celebrity, the fans, the attention and semi lack of privacy. It was something that I was going to have to deal with as long as I was in this group and since I had no intentions of leaving or having the whole thing end I know it will be apart of my life for a long time. Now, I don�t plan on being an attention grubbing, red carpet posing paparazzi whore but I�m going to live and enjoy the life my hard work has given me. Why shouldn�t I hang out and not be held captive in my room? At least while I was in a city like Las Vegas I was going to enjoy myself.
�This place is unbelievable.� AJ awed as he turned his head in every direction taking in Hamilton�s. It was a sophisticated cigar bar in New York-New York and was owned by that really old tanned actor guy. I swallowed a sip of cognac,
�Yeah. Who owns this place again?� As AJ took out his trusty pocket guide Howie educated us,
�George Hamilton.� Howie seemed to know more useless things than anyone I know. It�s not so much that it was useless, it was just more or less unimportant, like Trivial Pursuit answers. All around there were men smoking some of the most expensive cigars known to man. The three of us went in on a box of cigars that set us back two thousand bucks. Two thousands dollars for a box of cigars not to mention the other charges for the place. My father would be so proud. He was the one who got me into cigars when he bought some Cuban cigars, took me out on the boat and we smoked under the stars as he gave me the final conversation that convinced me to end things with Mandy. Ever since then anytime I felt free, enlightened or just plain good about my life I lit up. AJ leaned back as he blew smoke out of his mouth dramatically,
�So Howie. Who was the chick you were talking to on the phone earlier today?� I looked over at him as I puffed on my own cigar.
�Claudette. She lives in LA.� I could see the look on his face and something suddenly dawned on him,
�How did you know?� His voice trailed off and he shook his head as he thought better of even asking. In a way he already knew. AJ just always seemed to have his eyes and ears on everyone and everything. The man was constantly in the know. He rubbed his hands together after placing his cigar in one of the ashtrays that looked like fine crystal. What am I saying? This is Las Vegas, I�m pretty sure it is fine crystal.
�That leaves vamp for me.� He looked over at me, �How long is she going to be here?� Brehan, again I hadn�t thought of her in so long. I hadn�t heard from her and in a way it�s a good thing. At least that means Steven hadn�t shattered her soul once again.
�I don�t know how long she�s going to be here.� I can�t remember the last time I talked to her. It must have been at the gala. Howie seems less interested than he did in the past. Maybe this Claudette person has taken over the spot he had once reserved for Brehan. He�s a great guy and I think he would be good for Brehan but she most definitely would not be good for him. She�s too aggressive and too intense. Howie is more laid back and she would eat him alive. Now AJ, even though I wouldn�t want her to get involved with anyone who would hurt her, was more capable of handling her. The new AJ wasn�t as clingy as he had once been. He wasn�t desperate for love, affection and acceptance like he had once been. He was totally capable of loving them and leaving them.
�When does she get here?� Hell, for all I knew she could be here already. The life of a supermodel had to be like the life of a rock star on tour. Fly in and fly out, the only thing you did in between was work. Sometimes, you never saw the light of day in a city. There were times when I would sit in the middle of some of the best and exciting cities in the world and do nothing but pace anxiously around a hotel room. It was so defeating and it wasn�t because I was afraid of being mobbed it was stressful not knowing what was waiting for you around the corner, who was following you or taking pictures without you even knowing there were near.
�I have no idea.� He looked at me as if he couldn�t believe I was ruining his chances with her, �I�ll find out tomorrow. I�ll call her.� That seemed to satisfy him as the waitress came over and refilled our glasses. I looked up at her and smiled,
�Thanks.� She was hot. There was no other way to put it and instantly I knew why she excited me. With her long straight dark hair, her tanned skin and light although green eyes she looked similar to Sarah. Her name tag said India and her body language and eye contact said she was willing to do anything to make her customer happy.
�Is there anything I can do for you gentlemen?� I instructed her to come closer and she did.
�What time do you get off?� I whispered to her. AJ and Howie�s attention wandered off giving India and me a little privacy to close the deal. Her smile never did falter as she let me know she only had three more hours until she was free. I invited her to my room after her tour of duty was complete and she immediately took me up on my offer. That was the Las Vegas way. No was not in the vocabulary. As she walked off and I smiled at Howie and AJ once they magically finished looking at whatever it was that held their attention while India was at the table.
I said nothing and waited for one of them to ask the questions. It wasn�t long and of course it was AJ,
�She was hot.� I laughed,
�My words exactly.� Howie simply shook his head and I waited for him to say something to bring down the mood I was in. I just scored a night, or morning is more accurate, with one good looking woman and I wasn�t in the mood for any knowledge from an older being.
�So what about you and Sarah?�
Chapter 102a