Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas

Faith - Part 4

What the fuck do I do now?

Brandon and I had left The Venetian and were making our way down the Strip. There weren’t too many people on the street, and compared to the crowds that were usually around, it was almost deserted. My hands were in fists in my pockets, and I was holding my house keys between my fingers in makeshift brass knuckles, just in case.

Yeah. Like that’s going to help.

Brandon absolutely towered over me, and I had seen how built he was. If he wanted to, he could overpower me without a problem.

I clenched my teeth and seethed silently. What was Carmen thinking, leaving me alone with him like this? I may have known him in high school – which he recalled much better than I did – but I didn’t know him now. I didn’t know if I could trust him, and the only thing he had going for him right now was that he hadn’t tried anything so far.

The night is young, though.

I glanced at Brandon out of the corner of my eyes. What brought him to my doorstep? What brought him to Las Vegas – and on Christmas Eve, of all days?

Brandon caught my gaze. “Anything on your mind?” he asked with a smile.

You have no idea.

I shrugged and shivered in the chilly breeze. If I was going to spend another moment with this guy, then I wanted answers.

“It’s just a bit odd,” I began slowly, “that you decided to move back to Las Vegas on Christmas Eve.”

He chewed on his lip, considering this. “It’s a fair point,” he admitted, “but it’s also a day like any other day. It was a natural enough break at work, and my lease would have been up at the end of the month anyways…and I hated my roommates.” His laugh faded quickly when he saw I wasn’t smiling along with him. “I just wanted to start over. I just wanted to come back home and start over.” 

“On Christmas Eve?” I was still not convinced. “Don’t you have family to spend the holidays with?”

“Don’t you?” he shot back, and I felt the blood explode in my face. Spencer.

He grimaced and hung his head. “Sorry,” he apologized after a beat. “That was harsh.” We walked a few more paces before he continued. “Family? Yes. I could have gone to my stepfather’s, but we’re not on amazing terms. Well, that’s not true – I’m fine with him, but not fine with others in the family. It’s – it’s kind of a complicated story.”

“That’s fine,” I said quietly. “Believe it or not, I get it.”

He nodded and didn’t press for details.

We passed The Mirage, the volcano in front spewing bright red lava, before Brandon spoke again. “I think I can guess what your next question is.”

I kept silent, but clutched the keys more tightly. Another breeze made the palm trees ripple, and I shivered again. Brandon frowned and slipped his jacket off.

“Oh, no – wait – you really don’t have to,” I insisted as he gently placed it on my shoulders. It was quite warm from his body heat, and I could feel the soft leather against my bare arms. It smelled like weary travel – of days on a bus, of sweat and exhaustion, but also of sun and dust. It was a jacket that had gone through a lot – most recently, a mugging – but still held together.

He crossed his arms and shrugged. “Really, Averie, it’s the least I can do. You’ve done enough for tonight.”

I freed a hand from my pocket to pull my hair from underneath the jacket. “You’ve also had quite a night,” I observed gently. “You lost everything.” You lost everything and still found enough to share with me.

Come on, Averie. Don’t get soft.

Brandon snorted. “I had a duffel bag and a backpack, my phone, and my wallet. They took everything…but I guess the joke is on them. I didn’t have much to begin with.” He sighed. “I’m going to have to call and cancel my debit card, my phone plan...I’ll need to get a new driver’s license, too.” He ran a hand down his face. “This is going to be fun.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice so low that it was almost a whisper.

Brandon looked over and smiled. “I can’t thank you enough,” he said, “for showing a little kindness tonight. It makes all the difference to me, Averie.”

I opened my mouth to accept his thanks, but I blurted instead, “You said you knew what my next question was.”

Brandon grinned and shook his head. “You’re quite on top of this,” he commented with a sly smile. “You don’t really let things get past you. I remember you from high school, Averie. I just do. After I went to the police station, they paid for a cab ride anywhere, and I didn’t know where to go. I found you in the phone book, and…” he shrugged. “You know the rest of the story.”

“So what are you going to do next?”

“Contact my stepfather, I suppose.” He made a face as if he was eating something particularly distasteful. “I’ll have to borrow some money to get back on my feet, find a place to stay. I’ll find a job and try to pick things up from there. I came here for a fresh start. How much more fresh can you get?”

I looked away from him, not knowing what to say. We walked along in silence, and I was looking at the familiar, bawdy lights of the Flamingo when Brandon spoke again. “I’ve been speaking an awful lot, and it’s your turn now.”

“I don’t think I’m particularly interesting,” I said icily. We’re not turning this conversation to me, boy.

“I think that anyone who hates Christmas is interesting.”

“I don’t hate Christmas!” I insisted, exasperated. “I don’t know how you got that idea – ”

“Carmen kept saying it,” he shrugged.

“Well, Carmen is wrong. I don’t have a problem with Christmas." 

“You know, you’re getting awfully worked up about it….”

 “Christ, I wonder why that would be!” 

Brandon raised his eyebrows but didn’t press further.

I was still fuming when my phone chirped loudly, making me jump. I whipped it out of my pocket, hands trembling from the fright it gave me. “Carmen is coming,” I said, feeling a wave of relief wash my annoyance away. “She’s asking where we are.”

He squinted at the street sign. “Flamingo – if we just cross the street, we’ll be at the Bellagio. Want to see the dancing fountains?”

I nodded and texted Carmen back. Hurry, Carmen. I pleaded silently.