Chasing Rainbows

Part Eight

"So THIS is what you call the Vegas Experience?"

Jacob looked up at Emma who was stood in front of his reclining seat in the back of the limo he'd hired, her head and shoulders out of the sunroof, the wind blowing her hair dramatically, whipping it around her face.

"Nope this is merely one of many parts!" he called back, his voice fighting over the music and the loud sounds of the road. Every car was honking the blonde hottie who was dancing out of the top of the car. And she was waving enthusiastically back to everyone, even the gangs of leering men who were squeezed into cabs, who really weren't deserving of her attention. But he'd found out that she did everything enthusiastically and without restriction. And they'd fitted in SO much since leaving the poker game.

Riding the strip at night was on his list of essential things to do in Vegas, a hastily constructed group of things that was created as soon as he realised it was her first time in the city. Earlier the list had seen them visit the Mandalay Bay Shark Reef Aquarium, an amazing place. It was one of Jacob's favourite places, and he had taken her hand to drag her through the building until they were on the walkways that passed under the huge deep and sparsely illuminated aquariums.

He gave a running commentary, almost by memory of all the major fish. They'd been there for a good while before he realised that Emma was shaking with fear. She admitted then to an almost phobia of deep water, and even the sting rays terrified her - after Steve Irwin of course! But as they left, she'd admitted this was close to becoming one of the most exciting days of her life. Despite that blip!

Next Jacob dragged her on a visit to see an Elvis Impersonator on Fremont, with his Asian appearance he really didn't look like Elvis, but he had the hair, the rhinestone jumpsuit, and an amazing voice. The whole place was kitsch, full of people looking for a break from the chaos of the strip, and it replaced the previous places as her favourite part of the evening. As 'Elvis' sang, the whole place danced and sang, Jacob had joined in with the excitement, and whizzed her around in a dance to Burning Love before they'd disappeared to yet another item on their whistle stop agenda! The trip up the strip!

Once this car ride ended he was trying to decide whether to take her to paddle in the Bellagio fountain, and evading the security guards, something he'd never managed to do in all his rebellious years, but was desperate to. Or, and this was his particular favourite - a shot in everyone of the eight bars in New York New York. He'd intended to take her on the open top bus that travelled up and down this ultimate street, but the timing was wrong, and they were in a bit of a rush, and with half a million dollars in his pocket, and for the first time in ages, money was no object, so they had plush, though slightly tacky limousine, complete with strobe light and bubble machine in the back, and enough champagne to serve ten!

Jacob watched her dance intently, the limo driver was booming nineties tunes and Emma had been dancing since the car had started. Now as she swung her arms and wriggled her hips to Living La Vida Loca, all the while belting out the lyrics, he couldn't help but smile! Where had she been all his life?

Could they fit the paddle AND the tequila bar crawl in? He looked at his watch, it was after three am! Vegas was still coming alive. So throwing caution to the wind, he stood beside her and bumped his hips against hers as he slid through the sunroof with her. Singing and swaying together, Emma called out, "more, more, more!" And the driver obliged, turning around and cruising back along that strip of road.

Finally the car stopped outside New York New York, and the sudden stop sent Emma catapulting across the back seat, and right into Jacob's arms. They'd come in from the sunroof a few minutes earlier, and were talking, in a "getting drunker by the moment" manner. They liked the same films, comedies of course, the darker the better, and both instantly named Arrested Development as their favourite TV show, though Emma caused Jacob to collapse into bursts of hysterical laughter as she did a monologue of debate between it and her favourite daytime TV show of Judge Judy before finally deciding on the comedy as her number one.