Page 24 of Isla

Isla

Harrisoncancelledourdinner, he was called into work because of an emergency.

Not sure what was so urgent for bellhops to be called back to work, but it was fine. Maybe he changed his mind about me. Fine again, because as much as I liked him, I didn’t want to get too involved with an alpha right now. A one-night stand was as much as I could handle and I would have liked that to be with him, but I would find an alpha in the nightclub later.

Yes, I was a little disappointing at first, but now I was excited about tonight. The girls at the pool invited me to party with them in Vegas. I accepted, and I was going to have fun, blow some money in the casino and then find a nightclub and have a dance, and later I might find an alpha. A fun romp before my heat took hold.

I wore a very short silver dress and slipped on a pair of matching high heels. And after brushing my hair, I put it in a high ponytail and then put on light make-up, and I was ready. There was no point in getting overly made up because, with the humidity in the city, it would only wipe away with the sweat.

Bronwyn waved at me as I departed the lift. I didn’t know her or her friends until a few hours ago, but I was glad of the company. She took her seat at the slot machine. June and I stood back and watched her for some time as the screen in front of her flashed and Bronwyn whooped as the machine made a crazy tune.

“I’m going to win,” she screamed, then laughed. “I feel it.”

June and I smiled at her excited face and her jumping on the stool in excitement. Her red curly locks bounced as she clapped her hands and pressed the button, excitedly waiting for the reels to stop.

Her facial reactions were funny, and I stood laughing behind her, taking in the best show ever. June and I roared with laughter as Bronwyn lifted her hand to high-five a passing stranger. He didn’t have a clue.

The machine finally stopped, and... she only went and won. Not the jackpot, but a lot.

“Stand.” The sound came from the distance.

I strode to where the sound came from and glanced around at the real casino. This was so exciting. I never wanted to come to Vegas, but now I was here, I was having so much fun. I’d never gambled in my life, but blackjack seemed the easiest to learn.

“Are you playing?” June asked.

I nodded, and June patted Bronwyn on the back. “We’re going to the blackjack table.”

“Shush,” she hissed and jumped out of her seat, fist-pumping the air.

“Let’s go,” June said, taking my hand and dragging me away.

I wasn’t a gambler but, if I was brave and held my nerve, like I sometimes could, maybe I’d at least double my money.

Money I should keep for when I got back home. But this was a one-off occasion, never to be repeated, so I joined June as we took our seats at the blackjack table.

We both handed our cash to the dealer. He pushed our chips to us over the green felt.

There were five people, including us, around the table. The dealer tossed the cards, I turned my cards and memorised them and glanced at the strangers around us studying their cards. The dealer showed an eight of hearts.

The first person was an older guy, probably in his sixties, wearing a large Stetson and a thick gold chain hung around his neck. I didn’t know if he was an alpha, but he certainly didn’t smell like one. He played, his cards showing nineteen.

The next guy was a much younger guy, a surfer looking man with a bronzed face and golden hair. It didn’t go unnoticed that he had his eye on June. He took another card from the dealer, then threw his cards down, showing his cards totalled twenty-four.

There was a whoop in the background and the sound of a machine paying out. I didn’t think it was the jackpot. I expected those sounds were rare and when they happened, the entire casino erupted.

I spun my attention back to the table, noticing it was my turn. I requested another card and smiled when the dealer threw me an eight. The other players give me a look of ‘hard luck.’

I turned my cards over and smiled—twenty-one. I held a ten and a three and expected nothing other than a big, fat bust.

“Well done,” June whispered, holding eighteen before going bust.

The dealer flipped over his other card, showing a king. He needed to go again, otherwise the house had lost, regardless. He flipped another card; it showed a four; the house lost and this time I was the only winner on the table.

“Yes,” I whispered as I grinned at June.

“I’m going to find Bronwyn,” June said, glancing at the machine we left her playing.

I noticed the surfer dude guy got up at the same time and followed her.

---