Vegas R&R

"Carol, if it had been any better I don't think I would have survived. Go ahead and get yourself put back together so they don't arrest you on your way out. You can shower here if you want to."

"Not a bad idea," she said. "I probably smell like a bordello on a Sunday morning."

With that she disappeared into the bathroom. I went into the closet and opened the wall safe, extracting another $500 of the casino's money. "Hey, easy come, easy go," I thought.

When Carol reappeared from the bathroom she was the proper business traveller again, and she smelled like oranges or whatever citrussy stuff they had put in the hotel's shampoo. There was a bit of puffiness in her face, especially around her lips, that an attentive and experienced person might have put down to recent sexual arousal. But, then, what's so unusual about that in Vegas?

As she got her wheelie bag and started toward the door I held out the $500 tip . She looked at it, looked at me, then stretched out her hand and took it. "Tanks," she said. "The sex was so good that this seems like too much, but my mom always said there are some things you can never get enough of, and that these are two of them."

"Carol, I assure you that this has been my pleasure, and I know I'm not being overly generous here. You are one classy piece of ass, sweetheart. Maybe I'll see you around some time."

"I'd like that," she said, and then she was through the door.

I went into the bathroom and got myself a long shower, a longer tooth brushing and another shave. I'd never been able to figure out why hotels sealed themselves up tighter than a drum knowing that people were going to crap and smell up the rooms, so I always traveled with my trusty can of air freshener. I hauled this out and sprayed the hell out of the room. Then I re-made the bed and folded up the towels that we'd used, putting them behind the dry ones on the rack.

About a half hour after that I heard the lock cycle on the room door and in walked Belinda. Before me was standing the loveliest lady I had ever seen. And I mean lady; she certainly wouldn't have been pegged as a hooker or a masseuse by anyone in the hotel. She blended right in with the business convention crowd, being nicely dressed in what I call business travel. Nice blouse with an attractive scarf. A knee-length skirt somewhere between A-line and full. Sensible but clearly expensive shoes. Sheer stockings. No jewelry visible except for an elegant watch and, I noted, a simple wedding set on her left ring finger. The little rolling suitcase behind her was a quality item as well.

"Hi big boy," she said as she came up to give me a kiss. Her hair smelled like oranges.

"Hi, babe," I said. "Great timing. I have a full body massage laid on for you at 4:30. We'll do your cocktail whatever reception at 6:30 and David will be joining us for supper at 9."

"John, you spoil me so much. It's really good to have you around again. Just one question though. Do I get to keep the fifteen hundred?"