“You wised up and going home?”
“I’d like a ride to the Strip, actually,” April answered. “Please.”
She heard Bunni swear and told herself it was directed at the traffic. “Fine. Okay. Great. I’ll pick you up out front. Warning, I’m going off shift right after.”
“No problem,” April said. “I’ll find my way back after I’m done.” She didn’t want to be rude and say Bunni wasn’t the only cab driver in Vegas. The woman was trying to do April a favor. She just didn’t understand.
Bunni had already hung up. April waited about ten minutes before a yellow cab pulled up to the curb. While she waited, April was treated to a parade of people coming into and out of the Western Pioneer.
I’m not staying. I amnotstaying.
April scooted out to the curb, opened the cab’s door, and jumped into the back seat.
“Where to,” Bunni asked, her tone sounding like she and April were meeting for the first time.
“Someplace with craps tables,” April said. If Bunni wasn’t going to say hi, neither would she. She’d also push down the disappointment that went along with it.
“Craps, huh?” Bunni said.
“Yes, please. Thank you.”
They were quiet the entire drive to one of the big casinos squatting along the Strip. She pulled up under a wide porte-cochere that could have covered a small house. April tried not to wince—again—at the total on the meter and pulled out enough bills to cover it plus another generous tip.
And again, Bunni took the money but refused the tip.
“Keep it, you’ll need it.”
“Thanks.”
Bunni shook her head and refused to look April in the eye. The service light on top of the cab clicked off as she drove away.
April turned to go inside the massive building. She’d been nervous to the point of nausea the whole ride, but now with the sounds of the slot machines inside, the valets in their neat uniforms parking expensive sports cars, her fear turned into excitement.
I can do this. I’ll be driving one of those cars before I know it.
April took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and marched in, head held high. She found the craps tables and settled in to watch the first few games, her brain already calculating odds.
April steppedout of the third casino of the day and looked up at the night sky. She’d had no idea it’d gotten so late—there wasn’t a single window in any of the casinos, and even if there were, the Strip was so bright it would have looked like daylight. She pulled out her phone and dialed Bunni’s number, hoping she was back on shift.
“You’re calling late,” Bunni answered.
“I’m ready to be picked up, if you’re driving.”
“You stayed all day at Flamingo?”
April smiled. “No, actually, you can pick me up at Luxor.”
“Huh. Made it all the way down the Strip, I see. Did they keep kicking you out for being too young?”
“No they did not,” April scoffed. She hugged her new purse to her chest, the pebbly white leather gleaming in the lights under the gigantic Sphinx. The rainbow-colored LV monograms looked like candy sprinkled across the surface.
Bunni scoffed. “I’ll be there in five.” She hung up.
True to her word, Bunni pulled up five minutes later. April strutted proudly to the cab, watching Bunni’s eyes grow bigger.
“Looks like you had some luck,” she said as soon as April closed the cab door.
“I did.”
