Sam went straight to the roulette wheel he had played last night. Just as he had done the night before, he started low, upping his bets as he won.
He had just lost $200, and decided to give it one more try. He held his chips in his hand, trying to think of a good number to play. Then, a number popped into his head. He considered it, putting his chips down at the last minute.
He watched the ball roll around and hop into all the other cubbies, at the last minute it jumped and landed on his number. "Black 30" was announced. He gave a sad smile as he collected his chips and left the table.
He had won on that number, but he would never play it again. He had picked the date of Sarah's birthday.
Sam met up with Leon and Barry at the poker tables as they were getting ready to leave. The three of them agreed that they were done gambling and decided to hit a bar instead. They spent the afternoon, eyeing the girls and getting drunk.
***
Pete and Sarah had decided to go to the beach. She was getting a lunch ready for them to take as he got together a cooler of beer and rolled some joints to take.
"I really think we should stay here and pack. We're moving in a few days, you know." Sarah called out to Pete from the kitchen.
Pete licked the paper around the joint he had just rolled. "Fuck that, baby, it's a beautiful day, I think we should go out and play! I don't have that much stuff. We can start tomorrow."
Sarah went into the bedroom and came back out in her bikini. "Then I'm ready. Let's go."
Pete grinned as he held up a joint the size of his pinky. "Let's smoke this fatty first."
"Oh my god, Pete! Just half, or I won't be able to walk out of here!"
They stopped at the tent first, leaving their cooler with their lunch on the picnic table. Pete pulled out two beers, handing one to Sarah, who eagerly tilted the bottle and gulped.
"God! That tastes good." She gasped as she lowered the bottle.
Pete looked over and chuckled. "Slow down, baby. We still have that half a joint to smoke before we hit the beach." He held it up as he walked towards the tent. "Let's go smoke this."
Ten minutes later, they headed for the beach. It had been awhile since they'd done this last, and both were laughing and talking, excitedly, as they settled their things in the sand.
"I wish Midgie was here with us!" Sarah sighed as she lay back on her elbows, stretching her legs out beside Pete's. She tipped her face to the sun and felt it's warmth soak into her skin. The light breeze touched her body and felt refreshing.
"It would be like it used to be." Sarah's voice caught. Suddenly she felt as if she would cry again. "Things will never be like that anymore." Sarah continued in a sad voice. "I needed this. Thanks, Pete."
Pete sighed. "I'll help you get through this."
***
Everybody was wound up at dinner that night, there was a lot of horse play and joking between the group. Gisette ducked as a roll went flying by her ear, as she was talking to Sam, sitting next to her.
"This is looking like it's going to be a good night." She talked loudly over the noise.
Sam grinned. "Oh just wait and see!" He promised.
Trish sat next to Tex, watching as he joined in the boisterous activities. There was something different about him that she couldn't figure out. Tex looked over at her watchful expression. He leaned toward her, covering his mouth with his hand.
"If I tell you something, can you keep it secret?" He whispered.
"Yes! Tell me, I know something is going on with you."
"I called Sarah today." He admitted with a wicked grin.
"No! Really, how is she doing? Why didn't you tell me you were going to? I want to talk to her too!" Trish was excited.
"She's doing okay, it seems. And she is living with another guy."
"Pete! I knew it!"
"She would probably like to talk to you. Maybe you should call." Tex passed her a paper. "Just don't let anyone else know this number."
***
Sam nailed it. He put all his emotions into his songs, just like Trish had told him to. His hair was dripping around his face from his performance.
At one point in the evening, he had taken off his sweaty tee. He looked over at the girls in the front row and grinned, causing them all to lunge forward and scream his name.
"Hot up here!" Sam flirted, grinning deeper, causing his dimples to deepen.
He went over and knelt on the edge of the stage. He picked out a girl with honey blond hair and held out his shirt to her.
"Here ya go, sugar." The girl grabbed it, jumping up and down; Sam grinned down appreciatively as he watched her tits bouncing. "Nice! Real nice!"
Then he jumped back up and tore into the next song, putting his emotions into every word, jump and shimmy that he did.
The party that night was on the bus, they had a seven hour ride ahead of them. To Las Vegas. They were all so stoked from Reno, Vegas was the icing on the cake.
They pulled the privacy screen as soon as the bus hit the highway. The air was soon filled with smoke and the smell of marijuana mixed with the sweet scent of hashish. Water could be heard bubbling as the bong made its way around.
Sam snagged the coke mirror as it passed in front of him. He snorted two lines and passed it to Trish, sitting beside him on the couch. He picked up his glass of whiskey, emptying it and held it out for a refill.
"God, Sam, you were fucking great out there tonight!" Trish said as she filled the red cup.
"Hey, I took your advice. And thank you for that, by the way." Sam grinned down on her. "I know you'll keep me in line from now on."
"You bet your sweet ass I will!" Trish laughed.
The group partied for several hours and then one by one, everyone dropped out, finding a place to sleep for the night. Sam was curled up on the couch, trying to get comfortable.
Everyone had claimed the seats and the only open ones were where he and Sarah had always sat. He did not want to sit in them.
"Sam." Gisette whispered from the last row of seats, just beside him. She leaned up over the back of her seat, looking down on him. "If you want, you can come up here. The seat beside me is empty."
"Nah, I'm good." Sam whispered back. He shifted to his side, then over to the other, then he rolled to his back.
"You are keeping me awake! Would you just come up here?" Gisette hissed in the dark.
Sam sighed as he grabbed his blanket and pillow and sat in the seat next to her.
"Thank you. I won't bite." Gisette reclined her seat then she curled up, pulling the blanket around her, presenting him with a view of her back.
Sam reclined his seat and turned his back to her, chuckling at the same time. "No, but I do."
Gisette was smiling, he could hear it in her voice as she answered. "That thing was on my neck for nearly a week."
"Sorry about that." Sam whispered.
"No you're not. Go to sleep." Gisette whispered back.