always curled it into a mane of golden ringlets. They were
 
 now stringy and flat. Summer was only twenty-one, but she
 
 looked utterly exhausted. She was upfront about her
 
 background, her age, all of it. Cassia had gotten to know her
 
 quite well over the past three months since they often worked
 
 as waitresses together.
 
 Cassia never told anyone her real age, as she quickly figured
 
 out it would get Stu in trouble. He’d definitely fudged
 
 something somewhere so she could be allowed to serve drinks.
 
 “I did grow up here, but we never came to the Strip. Or
 
 hardly ever. All that craziness you hear about in Vegas? I just
 
 ignored it. I never realized how true it was until I got this job.”
 
 Cassia turned to watch as the last lights of the Strip faded
 
 and changed out into the lights of hotels, stores, and shops
 
 further back.
 
 “How long do you think you’ll have to do it before you can
 
 pay for college?”
 
 “I have no idea,” Summer responded, somewhat morosely.
 
 The fact that they were both exhausted made it a terrible time
 
 to ask something like that. “Probably another year at least.”
 
 Summer didn’t come from a family who was well off. Her
 
 parents were still together and worked two jobs each. They
 
 had a small house on the other side of the city. Summer was
 
 the oldest of their four kids, all sisters. Her dad hadn’t been
 
 pleased when he found out what she would be doing, but he
 
 hadn’t stopped her either as long as she didn’t take things any
 
 further than waitressing. She didn’t even do the one-on-one
 
 companionship bookings that Cassia did.
 
 Cassia touched the other girl’s shoulder in sympathy. “I’m
 
 sure it will go by fast.”