Mr. Foti went on. “Shane came to his senses and realized what a whore you are. That you only wanted him for his money and that he’d be throwing away his life if he ran away with you. He’s been accepted into my alma mater back east and he’s going in the fall.”
The ice water in April’s veins froze solid. College had been her dream and she’d worked so hard for it. All Shane had to do was be born in the right family. And the kicker was, he didn’t even want to go.
“He was accepted thanks to me,” April seethed. “I’m the one who made sure he didn’t flunk any of his math classes.”
“You flatter yourself, you arrogant little girl. Go ahead and gamble away that money I gave you to leave town, and then we’ll see how proud you are when you’re living in the gutter. Maybe it won’t bother you though. You came from trash and you will always be trash.”
April had stopped listening. “What do you meanyougave me money to leave town?”
“The money Shane said he gave you.” Then Mr. Foti laughed. “Don’t tell me you thought it was from him. The sentiment in the letter was his though—he wants you gone as much as I and his mother do. But that money was from me. Remember that. And remember too, if you ever try to contact him or set foot in Colorado again, I will destroy you and your worthless family. I’ll bury them so deep in debt they’ll have to take out another loan to buy a stick of gum.”
The line went dead.
April shut her eyes and pressed her lips together. Life was so unfair. She didn’t know if she should believe what Mr. Foti said about Shane or not. It hurt to think he didn’t love her, but people like her didn’t have the luxury to mope over a broken heart. She needed food and a place to stay. She wheeled her luggage away from the station and toward the street. The bright lights of The Strip glowed in the distance. A beam of white light shot straight up into the sky and April wondered if that was Luxor. Well, she was about to find out.
Even in the middle of the night, the street was fairly busy. April raised her hand and waved the minute she saw a yellow cab. She’d never taken a taxi in her life, but she wasn’t stupid. She’d watched enough TV shows to know how to hail one.
The cab slowed down and parked alongside the curb. April was relieved to see that the driver was a woman. The trunkpopped open and April quickly put her suitcases into it, then slid into the back seat. There was a photo of the driver with her name under it. Bunni.
“Hi there!” April said in the most chipper voice she could muster. “Thank yousomuch for picking me up. Could you take me to...oh, what was the name of the casino? Gosh, I’m so tired, I can’t even remember. It’s not one of the big ones. It’s smaller, still family-owned? Do you know it maybe?”
The cabbie looked at April’s reflection in her rearview mirror. “You old enough to set foot in a casino?”
April gave Bunni a small laugh. “I get asked that all the time. I’m twenty-two.” She opened her purse and took out a driver’s license. It was a real one, not a fake, but it had belonged to a twenty-two-year-old woman who looked a lot like April, and even shared her first name though not her last—April Meyer. Shane had bought it for her. God knew how he’d found it—or possibly talked some woman into faking one—but that’s what having money could do for you. It could create an entirely new life just waiting for you to slip into it.
“Here.” She tried to hand Bunni her license but the woman waved her off.
“Don’teverhand a stranger your ID in this city. You don’t know me from Eve. I could grab it, kick you outta the cab, sell it, you’d be screwed.”
“Oh.” April quickly pulled her hand back and shoved the license into her purse. “Right.” She laughed nervously. “I told you I was exhausted.”
The cabbie continued looking at her in the rearview. “You ever been here before?”
“Sure, lots of times.”
“No you haven’t.” The cabbie sighed. “What do I do with you?”
April pushed down the urge to tell Bunni to take her to the nearest cheap but decent motel where she could stay the night, then come back tomorrow and buy a ticket straight home.
“You can take me to a smaller casino with hotel rooms.”
“How old are you really, girl?”
April sat up straighter and squared her shoulders. “I’m not a girl. I’m a legal adult.”
“So eighteen.” Bunni sighed again. “If you were younger, I’d take you straight to the cops. They could figure out what to do with you. But I can’t because, like you said, you’re anadult.” She said the word sarcastically. Then she squinted. “You’re alone. You got some pimp waiting here for you?”
“Oh God no!” April squirmed at the thought.
“He call himself your boyfriend instead? Tell you he’s going to take care of you?”
“No!” She immediately thought of the last guy who said he’d take care of her. Shane.And look how that turned out. No, I don’t have...anyone.”
“Anyone? Or anyonehere?”
April looked down at her hands. Her parents had to be worried sick by now. The note she’d left said California. They didn’t even know where she really was.
“Look, kid. Take my advice. Go home, wherever home is. I can tell you’ve got a good family and they’re worried about you.”
