One of us needed to forge toward an honest living, before we both got carried away in evil acts we couldn’t be saved from.
Chapter 8
Cassie
It took me eight days to be called in for an interview at a casino. My hours would vary, but at least I’d be making honest money to put away. The job requirements were simple. I had to be twenty-one, without a criminal record, and able to wear a slutty little outfit around while serving drinks to gamblers. I could be friendly all the day long if I needed to, plus meeting new faces seemed like a good side of it.
Brant didn’t like the idea, especially after he saw the uniform. After two days of arguing, he was dropping me off at the back employee entrance, warning me to let him know if men tried to grope all over me.
I snickered as I walked inside the establishment, getting off on the fact that he’d be jealous. A part of me wanted him to be overprotective, because it was reassuring. Another part wished he’d let me breathe. Since we’d been away from home I felt like he was watching me constantly. I liked freedom.
My boss was an older woman in her fifties. She still had a nice body for having six kids. She took me under her wing and showed me the ropes, introducing me to employees and going over my job duties. Carol Tanner had worked in Vegas since she was sixteen years old. Her husband, Joe was a party planner for major clubs in the area. He’d met her while he was a guest at the casino, and they’d been together for thirty years. Her story was sweet, and to hear her talk about her children made me want to be a mother of my own.
I didn’t divulge the story, which led us to Vegas, except for the part where love was involved. She seemed like a hopeless romantic, and I appreciated her caddy way of bringing out the best in people. Standing a good foot taller than me, with legs to kill for, was a co-worker named Chloe. We hit it off fast, especially since she was from Virginia. It was nice having another east coast person to chat with while on the clock.
After my first week I’d met a ton of new people. My life didn’t seem to suck as much, but more than anything I knew I had to reach out to my family, so one day during my lunch hour I used one of my co-workers phones to call home.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Mom. Before you say anything I want you to know I’m calling to tell you I’m okay. I have a roof over my head and Brant is being good to me.”
I could hear her getting choked up. “Cassie. It’s good to hear your voice. We’ve been worried sick. I’m glad to hear you’re doing okay, but you need to know we want you to come home. Your dad has calmed down. I know you don’t understand, but the things he said were because he loves you. We don’t want to see you with a criminal when we know you can do so much better.”
Rage filled me once again as she gave her honest opinion about my boyfriend. I think what made it worse was the truth in it. I was more worried about the things I’d said to her, not that I could admit it. It was better if I kept my distance and didn’t give her false hope. Criminals or not, I wasn’t living under my parent’s roof and they would never be able to tell me what I could and couldn’t do again.
“I’m not calling because I’m coming home, Mom. I’m calling to let you know I’m doing fine. I’m happy,” I lied. “Maybe if you could have given Brant a chance things could be different. We’re starting a life out west, and I’m sorry you won’t be a part of it.”
“Please, you need to know our door is always open.”
“Actually it’s not. I made my choice, and it’s obvious you’ll never understand.”
I hung up the phone before I could say or do something I’d regret worse. I’d already shattered her soul, but at least she knew I was alive and well, at least to her knowledge.
I spent the rest of my break bawling my eyes out. Chloe came outside to fetch her phone and light up a cigarette. Briefly I explained how I’d left home to run away with my boyfriend. Right in front of me she lit up a bowl and inhaled some type of strange smelling drugs. Then she passed it over to me. “Take a couple hits. It will relax you and keep you focused.”
“What is it?”
“Weed. I get a strain from this guy I know. It’s potent.”
Feeling overwhelmed by depression, I sucked in the mystery herb, letting my lungs fill with the substance. After a coughing spell, I could feel it taking affect. Chloe took another hit and slipped it back into her purse. “You’re not the first person to run away from her life, Cass. If you ever need to talk to someone I’m your girl. My apartment is small, but I always have room for a friend, especially if you bring the alcohol.” She walked away while laughing at her own response.
I remained standing in the same position, realizing immediately that I hadn’t just smoked marijuana, but something else laced with it. Everything around me was starting to spin, but if I started walking it straightened out. My heart was beating faster than normal, at least that’s how it felt, and I wanted to smile at everyone for no apparent reason. Chloe spotted me once I was back on the casino floor. She shot me a wink while taking someone’s drink order. Thankfully, I made it through the rest of my shift with ease. In fact, it went by so quick I wondered how dangerous the substance could actually be. It had made my performance better and lightened my mood.
The next day I struggled to stay on my feet. I was tired from lack of sleep, and kicking myself for calling my mother and getting her upset all over again.
I waited for Chloe to get off and asked her if she could get a little more in case I had another bad day. She let me take another hit of her bowl while we sat in her car, and gave me a Xanax to hold me over. I hadn’t realized how pathetic I was until she’d given me something to fix me. Now I felt devastatingly alone and in need of a fix to keep me on my toes.
Figuring it was easy to stop whenever I wanted, I agreed to the amount she said it would cost, and believed when she said it was only a strong strain of weed, not laced with any other drug. Being naïve had never been a problem for me, but in this instance it would come back and bite me in the ass later.
Like after every shift, Brant showed up when I called him for a ride. I found it funny how he didn’t notice anything different about me. I suppose I was super paranoid from taking a couple hits of Chloe’s bowl, and assumed everyone would be able to tell I was high. Instead he acted like everything was normal.
Once home, we sat out at the pool by ourselves while drinking a few mixed beverages. The drugs made me extremely adventurous, and in no time at all we were in the hot tub with nothing on. Music played in the background from inside the house, and the only light was from the pool under the water.
The air was cool with a slight breeze. We stayed close, letting the warmth from our bodies keep us comfortable. Brant’s kisses were both hungry and passionate. His hands cupped my ass while my legs wrapped completely around his back. He leaned me against the seat, slipping inside of me with ease. I was fully aware of what we were doing outside, on display for anyone to walk up and see, though I didn’t care. We were in love and free to do whatever our hearts desired. Everything was fine until I heard voices radiating from inside the house. I could make out three figures from afar, and sat up straight with alarming speed. “Oh my god. We’re not alone.”
He kissed me again, this time ignoring what I’d said. I pulled back, shielding my breasts with my arms as the figures came walking outside. Tammy got an eyeful before a wicked grin flashed across her face. “Well, well, well, it looks like the princess has finally come out of her shell.”
I growled at her assumption and looked to discover my towel was out of reach. “Don’t flatter yourself, Tammy. We were just finishing up.”