“No,” he whispered. “This is…Thank you, Jazz.”
A wide smile lit up her face and she handed him the chocolate sauce. “You’re welcome.”
It took less than a minute before she reached over and dipped her spoon into his tub. “Really?” he asked. “We’re eating the same thing.”
“Yours has more chocolate sauce. Also, it felt like I was in a parallel universe. I thought you were being…niceand my braincouldn’t comprehend that, so I decided to bug you to restore some sense of normality.”
He laughed and it was something he didn’t think would happen today. This girl. This crazy, thoughtful, annoying girl. She took the little she knew about him and turned it into a gift. He was trying to push her back, keep her at a distance, but she wouldn’t take a hint. He could feel it; slow and stealthy, she was getting under his skin. They fought all the time, but every now and then they had a moment like this, a moment where he completely forgot about the pain of the past and just submersed himself in the present. These moments were rare and fleeting, like a shooting star. And just like a shooting star, it showed him the wonderment of possibility again.
November, 11
Las Vegas, Nevada
“VEGAAAAAAAAAAAS!” Jasmin screamed, pumping her fists in the air like she was Rocky at the top of the stairs. She was at top of the stairs, but there were only five and it was in front of a hotel. “Woohoo! We’re in Vegas, Kevin! Vegas!”
Her excitement was gushing over. She rushed down the stairs, ran a few steps to the right, then turned back and ran in the other direction. She didn’t even know where to start. Everything was just so big and bright and beautiful.
“I feel like I need to do something crazy, Kevin. I feel like the Vegas bug has bit me.”
“We’ve been here all of three seconds.”
“It’s a fast-acting bug.”
He was still at the bottom of the stairs in front of the hotel and she walked back to him.
“I feel like taking off all my clothes and running through that fountain over there.” She pointed to the massive fountain outside the Bellagio hotel. “I mean, there’s a reason why they call it theStrip.”
“That’s…not the reason. And I’m not sure about the laws here, but I think public nudity is still a crime.”
They slowly walked down the sidewalk lined with palm trees and neatly trimmed hedges, taking in all the fabulousness around them. It was ten in the morning and there was still a buzz. It could just be her, but there was definitely something electric in the air. Each building was more beautiful and extravagant than the last. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. Not a normal city, but a paradise. Each hotel had its own theme, whichmade her feel like she was in a hundred different places at once. New York. Egypt. France. Italy.
“I want to seeeverything!” she shouted. “Like in Debbie does Dallas, but this will be Jasmintha does Vegas.”
He stopped walking. “Jazz, have you…have you ever watched Debbie does Dallas?”
“No, but I’ve heard the title a lot.”
A sullen look came over his face. “Um…It’s…it’s not…” His tone was somber, like he was about to deliver the news that she had a life-threatening disease. “She…Debbie…” She didn’t know Debbie, but she felt like she should be worried. He took a deep breath, almost as if the reveal would be heart-wrenching. “Debbie didn’t go sightseeing, Jazz.”
“Then what was she doing in Dallas?”
He shook his head sympathetically. “She…she did a lot. She dida lotof things in Dallas, but…sightseeing wasn’t one of them.”
Slowly, she pieced it together and the illusion that had been built up in her mind for years just crumbled. What a disappointment. Debbie was a dream-wrecker.
They explored the Strip by foot, bouncing in and out of stores and hotels. It wasn’t just electric, it was magical. Gold plated staircases. Glass elevators. Crystal chandeliers. Colorful lights. Luxurious, extravagant beauty—an overload for her vision, but that Vegas bug had bitten her bad because she couldn’t stop herself. A lot of her visits were short because she was technically underage to go into a casino, but there was so much more to see. She went crazy with photos, taking selfies in front of every landmark and building. Kevin was also taken in by the exuberance, though he showed his excitement in a very low-key way—that being, he didn’t complain or argue.
They eventually stumbled upon a casino/hotel that promised an amazing view of the Strip. They travelled up to the openrooftop and she was in awe. The cool breeze flitted through her hair. The aerial perspective added an entirely different view of Vegas, the expanse of urban entertainment mixed with dusty desert in the distance. The buildings and streets were pierced with streams of blue from hotel pools and fountains. It was gorgeous and only added to the anxious buzz zipping through her. She walked to the railing, leaning slightly over the edge to allow the wind to swirl around her. It was a breath of freedom.
“I’m on top of the world!” she screamed, quite unexpectedly.
A few people turned to look at them, but Kevin didn’t seem embarrassed by the attention. He was definitely adjusting to the shameful discomfort that came along with her.
“I’m gonna do something crazy,” she said, turning to him.
“Please don’t jump off.”
“I’m gonna do it.”
