Chapter One
Laura
“Hope, what’s taking so long?”I call from the doorway of our dressing room in Been Jammin’s Gentleman’s Club in Las Vegas.
“Hold your horses. I’m almost ready.”
I smile at her choice of words. She’s from Texas.
When she emerges, she has no makeup on. She is wearing a t-shirt, blue jeans, converse tennis shoes, and her hair is up in a ponytail. She looks like a college kid and not a Vegas stripper.
My astonished look makes her confess. “Rodney is taking me to LA for Christmas.”
“So, you’re meeting the parents?”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t realize you two were that serious.”
She laughs, “Me either.”
I cut my eyes at her as we walk out of the club.
“What? If he wants to take me to LA, wine and dine me, parade me before his parents, I’m down for that. I’ll be his Sugar Baby for the show.”
“Oh!” I laugh with her. “That makes more sense.”
She says, “I should pick up a couple of gifts for them before we go. Let’s start at Caesar’s.”
Dodging and weaving through the crowd, we walk along in silence. When we enter the Forum shopping area, Hope gets a text. She pauses to read it, then types furiously on her phone. When she’s finished, she looks at me and says, “Change of plans. He’s coming now to get me.”
I open my arms and she steps forward into them. “Merry Christmas, Hope.”
“Merry Christmas, Laura. I’ll see you in a few days.”
“Have fun.”
Watching her ponytail bounce back out the door leaves me with a rare sense of loneliness. It is Christmas Eve and my plan is to meander through the crowded casinos and window shop at their stores to while away the hours.
I thought about going home and spending it with my sister and her family. I know she would love to have me, but her in-laws are visiting, and well … I am a stripper. I live in Sin City and make my living gyrating my tits and ass for tips.
Instead, I’ll hang out with my people. Strangers on vacation, just passing through. Enjoying the magic of the season.
Zane
"Okay, Batman, it’s time to fight crime.” I open the cruiser door, and my K9 partner stands. “We’re going to patrol the Strip tonight, so I want you to be charming.” I reach in to hook his leash on his collar, and he shakes his head, flopping his ears. “I know, buddy, not your favorite thing to do, mine either, but it’s Christmas Eve, and because we are single, we are assigned patrol tonight.”
I step back, and he jumps down. Immediately, his nose goes to ground, sniffing around the length of the lead.
This is my third year with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department and my first as a K-9 handler. Batman is my Belgian Malinois.
“We don’t have to do anything special. Just be badass, like always.”
He glances up at me, and I chuckle as we walk along the sidewalk, heading to the Strip. When we round the corner, there is a throng of people beginning to bottleneck at the bottom of an escalator. At the top is a man trying to walk down the upside. Clearly, he is confused.
Better get up there and straighten him out, before there is an accident.
“Hup.” I signal Batman to heel, and we trot to the stairs on the opposite side. As we climb, my radio keys the call in, and Reggie and Gary respond to dispatch that they are on it.
