As I was laying on the couch with my daughter trying to fall asleep, the unfamiliar sounds of being in a new place kept me awake.
"This looks like a good table." "Well, get in there then. I'll be right over here for a few minutes. After I leave, I will meet you by the main entrance on the hour every hour till we catch up." I hand the dealer a fifty and wink. He gives me the confirmation nod and I'm in the game. The man to my right was playing big, but I could tell that he was constantly counting his chips. The man on my left was drunk and playing fairly average hands, but had a large stack of black and green chips in front of him. My first hand was a black jack and the table welcomed me with open arms. I ordered my usual sapphire bombay and tonic. Time was passing and I hadn't managed to snag one chip from the man. My money was up and it wasn't seeming like a total loss. I was a bit too nervous to palm the chips, but was so impressed with the amount of money she was able to get from the guy without him even noticing. So I reached in and was successful. I slipped the black chip into my pocket and made eye contact with the dealer. The waitress came around with our drinks and the man was becoming more and more inebriated.
More time passed and the guy on my right who wasn't drinking and kept counting his chips got up from the table. It seemed as if the entire table was relieved by his departure. The spot opened up to a young lady who seemed to be naive to anything that was going on. She placed her chips on the table and started in on the next hand. Everyone seemed interested to see how she was going to play, but as she looked away I managed to swipe one of her chips and put it on my board. As the dealer laid out the cards and I reached into signal a hit, I grabbed one more from the drunk guy. It could have been the alcohol, but it seemed that my confidence level was increasing. Maybe it was just my competitive nature that wouldn't allow me to settle for anything less than Abby got, but as the night went by I continued swiping. I walked away when I felt I was up enough and gave the dealer a hundred dollars.
I went to the meeting location to find Abby, but she was no where to be found. I walked around the casino for a bit more and found another victim at a table. I sat next to him and looked at the dealer. Without a wink, the dealer nodded and I grinned from ear to ear. The man I sat next to had no idea what was about to happen. As his he won, he lost at the same time. He looked at me and asked if I was a working girl and I got up with a look of disgust and walked away. Something about him seemed to be off. I walked over to the bar, paranoid out of my mind and ordered a drink.
As the bartender handed me a drink I pulled out a couple of the chips to pay him with and he said, don't worry, this one is on the house. It didn't seem right, so I left him a twenty-five dollar tip and walked away. As I was walking away, a man approached me and asked if I would accompany him to his room. I looked at him and was completely unsure of what to do. In a panic I agreed. I figured it would get me out of the trouble I could sense was lurking. On our way to the elevators I stopped at the cage and exchanged my chips. I looked at him and said "I will join you for a drink, but then I have to go."
The man appeared to be shocked by this response. I explained that I had gotten separated from my friend and really wanted to head home. I didn't tell him about the meeting spot, but I knew I had about thirty minutes before the next attempt to find Abby. As we were going up the elevator, the man and I had a small conversation about where we were from and he told me his name was Mike and he was in town for a meeting. When we reached the hallway, I asked him what type of meeting he was here for and he turned to me and said "you're under arrest."
I wanted to cry. All I could do was look at him. I asked him why he was arresting me and he just said that I knew why I was being arrested. I really had no clue what was happening or why. I told him that I couldn't stay and that all I could do was have a drink. I never solicited any services or asked for any money, so I thought maybe they had caught me on camera stealing the money. From that point on I just kept my mouth shut.
Mike took me into the back of the casino to what appeared to be an entire police station full of undercover cops. There had to be fifty guys all on patrol. Some of them with girls they pulled off the floors and others writing their paper work. Mike took me to a back office that seemed to be more private than the rest and had me sit in the chair. "What are you doing here?" "I was with my friend gambling and we were separated, so I was looking for her and about to give up when you asked me to join you for drinks." "What was your name again?" "I already told you what my name is Mike." Mike didn't seem impressed that I had an attitude with him. "You think I believe your real name is Corey?" "You should since it's on my ID Mike. Are you going to explain to me why I am being arrested or should I wait until tomorrow to get that report from my lawyer?" Mike was silent. He seemed frustrated, like he knew he was doing something wrong, but following his gut instincts. Of course he was right, however, I hadn't done anything illegal for him to have arrested me... especially if it wasn't about me palming the chips.
The hum of the refrigerator had gotten loud. I moved Kiarrah to the other end of the couch and got up to get some water.
I reached into the fridge in my room and grabbed a soda. As I closed it and turned he was in my face asking me about the car I had outside. "I need it to get around. It's cheaper than paying for taxis and drivers!" I figured he would be happy to hear that I was trying to save money, but because I didn't ask him permission first he had to show me who was boss. This was his second time in Las Vegas with me. He flew in unexpected and surprisingly. His first time, a year prior, we stayed at some sleazy strip motel across from the old Aladdin.
"Hey Corey, you want to go to a movie tonight after I'm done training?" "Sure, what time are you going to be done?" "I should be back anytime between seven and nine, so be ready so we can just go." "Ok. See you later. Have a good day."
As soon as five o'clock hit, I started getting ready for the movie. When I had finished getting dressed and doing my hair and make-up, I sat down to watch a movie. When it was over I looked at the clock. I tried paging him, but he never called me back. I started another movie and fell asleep on the sofa. The next morning I realized he didn't come back and I wanted to go home. I used the calling card I had to call my step mom. I was telling her that he left me at the hotel alone when we were supposed to go to a movie. "I'm not happy in Las Vegas. You said if I didn't go I would always wonder, but I'm here and I want to come home." She gave me the advice mother's always give and in the middle of the conversation he came storming into the room and ripped the phone out of the wall.
He tossed me around like a rag doll and was choking me. I was sitting on the floor at the end of the bed while he was sitting on the bed. I tried grabbing things to throw at him and was unsuccessful. He flipped me onto the bed and put the pillow over my face. "Don't you ever call anyone ever again." That was the last thing I heard before my body went limp and everything around me blackened.
"Corey. COREY!!! Wake up! You're scaring me... for crying out loud, wake up!" As I gasped for air an immediate escape response reaction occurred and as I sat up, my forehead came in full contact with his face and I broke his nose. There was blood all over me and all over the hotel room. I ran out of the room and across to the Aladdin to use a phone. I called the police and then I called his friend Joe, whom I had met in Seattle and knew was living in Las Vegas. "I called the police. He tried to kill me!" "Corey, you gotta get out of there. In Las Vegas, the police arrest both people in domestic assaults to ensure both parties show up to court. Where is he?" "I think he's still in the room." "OK, get in a taxi and come to my house. I'm going to pick him up."
When I pulled up in front of Joe's house, Sunny, his girlfriend came out and paid for the cab fare. "Come on. You look like shit." I followed her into the house. There were three girls sitting on the couch all looking at me with attitude. Some guy came out of one of the rooms and told me to go in the room and wait for Joe and Ronnie. "He had to go to the hospital. You broke his nose."
I didn't even know who this other guy was, but I could hear the girls in the living room talking about how they wish their man was like mine. I didn't even know what they were talking about, but I knew they were referring to me and Ronnie. They didn't even know me and they hated me. I sat in the empty room on the floor in the corner until after dark. That was when Joe came in the room. "I didn't mean to do it Joe. It was an accident!" "I know, but there is going to be no fighting in my house and no calling the cops either. Understand?!" "Yes."
Ronnie came walking in the room with what looked like two tampons shoved up each nostril. I wanted to laugh because his eyes were swollen as well and he just looked pathetic, but I knew it wasn't the time. He closed the door and sat in the corner opposite of me. "I'm sorry." I just glared at him and didn't say anything. Where was he going with this? Was he sorry because he ended up getting hurt? "I'm sorry. I was trying to be something I'm not and tried to control you." I just continued to stare and listen to what he had to say. "I just thought because everyone else had girls that were working that I should have one too. It's easy money and I thought that was what I had to do to get you to work."
"I'm going home. My mom bought me a ticket and I fly out tomorrow morning."
Silence filled the air. As I began falling asleep I felt him pull me into his arms and as much as I wanted to pull away, I had no where else to go. The next morning, he borrowed Joe's car to take me to the airport. I didn't think he would come inside with me, but he did. After I checked in he pulled me to the side and begged me to stay. "I love you and I swear this isn't how I wanted things to be between us. Don't leave me! I forgive you for breaking my nose and I will never put my hands on you again, I promise!"
"I'm going home Ronnie. You should have never put your hands on me in the first place."
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