Vegas Knights

by Maddix, Marina

  "Which one?"

  Kelly wasn't sure. "Both, actually."

  "Well, it's none of my business and I don't judge," Syndee said, dropping her cigarillo to the concrete and grinding it out with the sole of her Dr. Martens boot. "But you don't seem the type to juggle a coupla hotties. 'Sides, that kinda shit never leads anywhere good. Watch yourself, kiddo."

  Kelly was left alone on the landing needing to talk to someone. She pulled out her cell and dialed Beth's number but it went directly to voicemail. "Damn." She left a short message and ended the call.

  She thought about Rick, how he filled an empty space in her heart, and dialed his number on a whim. She just wanted to hear his outgoing message, listen to his voice, so she was startled when he picked up.

  "Perfect timing, beautiful." She never tired of hearing him call her that. "Just stepped out of a meeting and have exactly five minutes to chat before I have to go into another. What's up?"

  "Oh, nothing." She was breathless talking to him. Guilt over her attraction to Brandon was welling up inside. "I just wanted to hear your voice."

  "I love hearing yours, too. Listen, I'm really sorry about last night. I know I left you hanging and that was a shitty thing to do, but these meetings are killing me. I promise I'll make it up to you."

  "When? When do you see that happening?"

  Rick was silent. "I don't know. Things are getting really hairy right now. Few more days, I hope."

  "So in the meantime, you'll be keeping the same schedule?"

  Irritation crept into his voice. "Yes, Kelly, I've told you that a dozen times already." He took a deep breath. "I know it's not ideal, or what you had planned, but I don't know what else to do. I have to get this wrapped up as soon as possible."

  Kelly added another brick to the wall she'd been building back up. "Hey, no worries. I've got plenty to keep me occupied. I've gotta run. I have another call coming in."

  "Okay, beautiful, talk to you s..."

  Kelly clicked over to Beth's call. "Cinderella! I can't talk long but I want to take you to dinner tonight around nine. Where should I pick you up?"

  "Do you know the Vegas Towers?"

  Beth paused. "Yeah, I think I can find it."

  "Okay, I'm in the penthouse. I'd love to show it to you."

  "Maybe we could do that another time. I'm going to be famished by then, so why don't I just pick you up outside."

  "Oh, okay." Kelly was disappointed but understood where Beth was coming from. Nine was awfully late for dinner.

  "Gotta go. See you then!"

  Kelly could think of no other way to delay going back into the gallery, so she pocketed the phone, took a deep breath and slid open the door.

  Brandon sat in the kitchenette, his elbow draped cockily behind him on his chair, his body stretched out and taking up as much space as possible, his robe barely closed enough to cover his goods. He was relishing the attention most of the female — and a couple of male — artists were lavishing on him. He threw Kelly a lascivious wink and an arrogant nod as she walked past toward the little stage.

  Perching herself on the edge of the stage, she watched Brandon work his admirers. Each one received a broad, toothy smile. Some got a handshake, others a brush of the hand against their elbow or leg. When a new person approached, he shifted so a little more flesh peeked out from beneath the robe. It was masterful, really. He knew exactly how to charm the pants off anyone, regardless of whether he actually wanted to get in their pants.

  Kelly shook her head ruefully. What had she been thinking? This guy was a total player. Insincere, egotistical, and frankly, a little disgusting. She couldn't believe she'd felt any kind of attraction for him, much less had been tempted to act on it. Yuck, she thought with a small shudder.

  Greta glided up next to her and sat down. "Kelly, do you have any plans for next week?"

  Kelly laughed at the idea of her schedule having anything but painting and Rick on it. "Let me check my calendar." She pretended to punch buttons on an imaginary phone. "Thought so. Free as a bird!"

  Greta smiled indulgently. "How would you like a show on those dates?"

  Kelly was speechless. Her own show? She repeated the question to Greta, who nodded.

  Her face split into a grin as wide as the Grand Canyon she'd never seen and happiness coursed through her. "Absolutely!" She threw her arms around Greta's neck and hugged her fiercely.

  Greta patted her shoulder. "Good, good. Now if you wouldn't mind easing up, I'm starting to get lightheaded."

  "Oh, I'm sorry, Abuela! I can't believe it. I'm finally getting my own show."

  The older woman's white-topped head bobbed. "It'll be a small affair, but we have a very loyal customer base. I think it will give you some good exposure."

  She glanced over at Brandon, who had three women nearly in his lap, and sighed. "I'd better go wrangle my model." She gave Kelly a wink as she swept off.

  Kelly wanted to shout for joy. She had a solo show! She scanned the room for someone to tell and her eyes fell on Syndee, standing on the other side of the stage with a handful of paintbrushes, staring at her. The joy Kelly had been feeling a moment before was crushed by the despair she saw in Syndee's eyes. She'd heard Greta's offer and was devastated.

  "Syn," Kelly started toward her, wanting to comfort her. But Syndee gave her a rough shake of her pink-haired head and stalked off to one of the private rooms.

  "Let her go, dear," Greta said as she guided a strutting Brandon to his dressing room. "She'll get over it. Syndee's a survivor."

  Syndee may have been a survivor but she didn't emerge from the tiny room for the rest of the day.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kelly was waiting outside chatting with Peter when Beth pulled up in a jet black Mercedes SL550 Roadster two-seater. Kelly could just make out her bejeweled hand waving her over.

  "Thanks for keeping me company, Peter!" A strange look passed over his face as she ran toward Beth's car. She hopped in and immediately pulled down the passenger side visor to look in the mirror.

  Beth started laughing. "Hello?! What are you doing, you maniac?"

  "The doorman gave me a funny look, like I had something on my face or my hair was weird." Patting down a stray lock, she said, "Why don't people just tell you when you've got spinach between your teeth?"

  "I would, darling."

  "That's what I like about you, Beth. You're a straight shooter. Where are we going?"

  "There's a steakhouse outside of town. Up for it?"

  "Mmmm, meat..." Kelly's mouth flooded at the thought of a big juicy filet.

  "So what did you do today?" Kelly asked Beth.

  "Oh, God, a day full of boring meetings. Too boring to talk about. Tell me about your day. It had to be more interesting than mine."

  Kelly felt a blush rising on her face. "You could say that. Remember the bartender from the bar the other night?"

  "Do I? I had to buy fresh batteries after I was done fantasizing about him!"

  Laughter burst from Kelly. She loved that they laughed all the time.

  "I don't know how it happened, but he came in to model for us at the gallery today. Nude."

  Beth swerved into the oncoming lane for a second, drawing a shriek from Kelly, before correcting back into her lane.

  "You're shitting me, right? You are not telling me that super hot stud stood in front of you all day with no clothes on."

  "True story."

  Beth squealed and jumped up and down in her seat. Kelly was a little concerned since the car was still moving.

  "Spare no detail!"

  Beth grilled Kelly on every detail of the day, mostly focusing on exactly what Brandon looked like under the clothes.

  "I can't believe it was really that big. Are you trying to make me crazy jealous?"

  "Swear on a stack of Bibles, it was a monster. I think some of the men were really uncomfortable. I know a lot of the women were, but in a different way. One husband-and-wife team left after the first session, but I
'm pretty sure it wasn't her idea."

  "There was more than one session?! Oh, God, I think I'm going to pass out. How long did this guy pose for you?"

  Kelly smiled at her friend's excitement. "All day."

  Beth fanned herself as they got out of the car and headed into the restaurant. "You are the luckiest bitch alive."

  After they'd ordered, Beth dove right back into the subject of Brandon. "What an adorable name. Was he equally as adorable?"

  Kelly fiddled with her forks, momentarily wondering why there were three, before glancing up at Beth under her lashes. "He was alright."

  "Holy shit!" Beth whispered hoarsely, leaning across the table and grabbing Kelly's wrist, eliciting a blush.

  A huge grin spread across Beth's face. "Dammit! I'm stuck in meetings all day and you're boning hot models! How is this life fair?" She slammed a hand on the table, drawing stares from nearby diners.

  "I wasn't boning anyone, Beth! Pipe down." The diners had gone back to their meals, so Kelly continued. "He just flirted with me a little, is all."

  "Did you flirt back?"

  "No! I have a boyfriend."

  Beth chuffed. "Some boyfriend. When's the last time you saw him?"

  "Last night. We...had relations."

  "Relations? What, are you Bill Clinton now?"

  "Ha! More like Monica. I gave him head. Satisfied?"

  Kelly grew uncomfortable with the appraising eye Beth cast on her. "Were you?" A solitary eyebrow lifted.

  Kelly looked around desperately for the waiter to interrupt. They're never around when you need them. She finally met her friend's gaze and shrugged.

  "He was tired."

  Beth rolled her eyes. "Selfish is more like it. Whatevs. Food's here."

  Kelly was grateful for the silence once they started eating. Rick was a good guy and didn't deserve to be thrown under the bus, but she needed to vent a little and Beth was her only friend in town.

  Beth set down her fork and leaned back. "Listen, Cinderella, you deserve the best. If Rick's not giving it to you, maybe you should look for it elsewhere. Sounds like this Brandon chap might be up to the challenge."

  "I have to admit that his attention was flattering at first, but he turned out to be pretty skeevy. Give me Rick any day."

  Beth shook her head. "Are you sure? I mean, Rick sounds okay and all but, in the immortal words of Miss Janet Jackson, what has he done for you lately?"

  Kelly looked away, frustrated at Beth's insistence on badmouthing Rick. "Forget it. Can we talk about something else now?"

  "Sure, no problem. Oh! I almost forgot!" Beth waved over the waiter.

  "A bottle of Dom PéŽrignon."

  "Whoa, what are we celebrating?"

  "You, my darling."

  Kelly was getting more confused by the moment. "Huh?"

  "So I have this friend who runs a gallery in Manhattan. I sent him a few camera phone shots of your Knight whatever series and he loved them. I called in a favor and, drum roll please, he wants to book you for a solo show!"

  Kelly couldn't believe what she was hearing. She must have misheard. "Wait, what?"

  "Earth to Kelly! Soto Gallery in New York City will be featuring the works of Kelly Saunders. Are you dying or what?"

  Beth was grinning at her. "Are you serious? I have a show? In New York? How? When?"

  Frustration flashed across Beth's face. "Listen, stupid. I called in a favor, got you a show. Simple as that. You're good and I think the world should know it. You're all set up for next week. You don't need to do a damn thing except get on a plane two days from now, and I've already bought the ticket. Happy birthday, Cinderella!"

  Kelly stared in disbelief as Beth slid a plane ticket across the table at her. Her eyes misted as gratitude welled up inside. "I can't believe you did this,” she whispered

  "Believe it, girl. It's a small place on the Lower East Side, so don't get all worked up over it. Now where's that waiter? I want dessert."

  ~ * ~ * ~

  Kelly sat on the couch in Rick's apartment staring at the plane ticket on the table in front of her. Beth had dropped her off an hour earlier, giving her little air kisses and speeding off into the night to God knows where. She couldn't believe the generosity of her new friend.

  But she was torn. The dates conflicted with the show Greta wanted to set up for her. Greta had taken her under her wing since she arrived; how could she turn her back when something better came along?

  "She'll understand, right?" The empty apartment refused to answer. This was all on her. Scooping up the ticket and stuffing it in her purse, she resolved not to think about it again until the morning.

  Of course it was all she could think about. Well, that and Rick. She'd promised him she would stay until his business was concluded, maybe longer. And now she was actually considering leaving the day after tomorrow. But she'd always wanted a solo show. That it was in New York was beyond her wildest dreams.

  It won't be for long, she tried to tell herself. They'd need a few days to get her work from home shipped up, then to publicize it — what little publicizing they could do on such short notice — then the show would happen and she could come back to Vegas, probably right around the time Rick would be finishing up. And if he was free before then, he could fly out to the Big Apple to see her show. Not fly, ride. He doesn't fly, remember?

  She kept trying to convince herself that this is how it would all shake out, but deep down she knew that if she left, it would be the end of her relationship with Rick. There would be no future. An experience like this wasn't a mere vacation. If she did well, she might be offered another show. Even if she didn't do well, no doubt she'd make connections, and would she really want to give up on her goal to become a successful artist? She'd watched enough of her friends pass her by, now it was her turn.

  She went to bed and fell into a restless slumber, waking when she heard Rick enter the apartment. The clock said three in the morning. When he shuffled into the bedroom, Kelly closed her eyes and evened out her breathing.

  "Kell? You awake?"

  Rick's weight on the bed bounced her around but she maintained the appearance she was asleep. His warm hand stroked her hair, then slid down her back to her backside, which had slipped out from under the sheet. Her stomach churned as he snuggled up next to her with one arm pulling her into him so they were spooning.

  Within minutes, his breathing had slowed and he was snoring softly. Only then did she allow herself to break down. Crying quietly in his arms, Kelly's heart broke. She couldn't imagine wanting to be anywhere else but here. But she knew in the bright light of day, she'd want to take Beth's offer and see how far she could go in the art world. Opportunities like this didn’t happen every day, and she’d be fool to turn it down.

  Hot tears dampened her pillow as she snuggled deeper into Rick's arms, not knowing if she'd ever feel them again.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Morning came too early for Kelly. She'd spent half the night tossing and turning, and the other half trying to not wake Rick. She ended up with a solid three hours, she figured. A look in the bathroom mirror confirmed her estimate.

  On top of that, she was running late getting to the gallery. No surprise why. She wasn't interested in fighting off Brandon again, and she had to somehow figure out a way to break her news to Greta. Neither made her want to move any faster.

  By the time she rolled open the gallery door, Brandon was already on stage posing as Rodin's 'The Thinker'. He gave her a wink as she made her way through the artists, but she ignored him.

  Greta was busy helping a newbie, so Kelly set up at a free station as far from Brandon as possible, doing her best to stay out of his line of sight. An hour later, Greta called for a break. Kelly ducked out of the studio and started walking down the street, figuring Brandon wouldn't follow her in just his robe.

  Brandon didn't, but Syndee, cigarillo dangling from her lips, did. "What's shakin', Cinderella?"

  Kelly ignored the snide tone. "Just
taking a walk, that's all." She picked up her pace, but she was no match for Syndee's wiry, toned form.

  "Duh. Why? Thought you'd want to get all chummy with the model, maybe celebrate your show."

  "Nope."

  "So you picked Mr. Motorcycle, huh?"

  Kelly's silence was all the answer Syndee needed. "Good choice. Who needs tall, dark, handsome and attentive when you've got tall, dark, handsome and nowhere-to-be-found."

  Kelly had had it with Syndee's little jabs. "For your information, I'm leaving. I got a show in New York and I'm flying out tomorrow. So I picked neither. Feel better?"

  Shock flooded Syndee's face, which quickly went blank. "What show?"

  "It's at a gallery on the Lower East Side. Beth got it for me. And I have to fly out tomorrow to get everything set up."

  They walked in silence for a long time. Syndee finally asked, "Isn't the show Abuela scheduled for you around that time?"

  Shame and guilt once again ate at Kelly's stomach lining. "Yeah, the timing sucks, but I can't pass up a show in New York. Can I? I mean, that's the big leagues. Greta will understand, right?" She was glad she finally asked the question of someone who would answer.

  Syndee's hot pink hair bobbed in agreement, her face pensive as she puffed on her cigarillo. "Yeah, no doubt." She paused for a beat. "You sure about all this?"

  Kelly's conflicting emotions bubbled over at her question. "No! No, Syndee, I'm not. It's eating me up inside. I'm letting down Greta, I'm leaving Rick, I'm going to a city I've never seen to do a show at a gallery I've never heard of. Of course, I'm not sure." Her volume and pitch had risen steadily during her rant, to the point she was almost yelling.

  Syndee waved her hands in mock surrender. "Chill, little sister, I was just asking."

  "Sorry, I'm just on edge."

  "Better than over it."

  They walked along in silence, until Syndee said it was probably time to get back. The entire walk back, she cast sidelong looks at Kelly. As they clumped down the steps to the gallery, she stopped Kelly with a hand on her arm.