Chapter One

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

When Andrea and I decided to go to Las Vegas we kind of said that to ourselves jokingly, as if we were going to maybe get up to some wild and crazy stuff there we wouldn't tell anyone else about. Though to be honest, neither of us was really the wild and crazy type.

I mean, I'm taking Law, well, pre-law at Penn State, and she's taking Public Administration. Does that sound like we're a couple of wild and crazy girls? Granted, we were freshmen, but we hadn't picked those subjects because we liked living on the edge.

Andrea is your classic blonde (meaning dyed), with very big breasts. She was really sweet, if not terribly clever or inventive. We had met because we lived in the same dorm building. And we were both feeling like, well, our first year away from home hadn't exactly been filled with adventure.

So we decided to go to Vegas for spring break. There were all kinds of deals out there, and she found one and persuaded me. And then the very day we were to leave her aunt Mary died. Since the funeral would be in two days her week in Vegas was pretty much shot. And there were no refunds!

We tried to find someone at the last minute but everyone had made their plans, so I decided there was nothing for it but to go to Vegas alone.

I was very unhappy about that. It wasn't like I was a party girl who could meet people to have fun with easily. I was boring. Yes, I'm pretty. Yes, I have a nice body. Including my boobs, by the way. They're not as big as Andrea but boys have told me I have perfect breasts.

Not that I show them to anyone, for the most part. I'm not the kind of girl who's comfortable in low cut tops, and I don't sleep around.

So when I got off the plane in Vegas I was wearing, sandals, cutoffs, a bra, a pink tank top and an orange t-shirt, with my brown hair pulled back in a pony tail. I was not, in other words, dressed to impress. And it was hot out, even thought it was March, and I wasn't used to it, since it was snowing back in Pennsylvania.

Most of the tourists were dressed much like me. Certainly the taxi drivers weren't under any illusions as they rushed forward to get customers, and one told me he'd take me to the strip quicker than anyone else.

Which was probably so much bullshit, but whatever. I got in, probably overpaid, and wound up at my hotel fifteen minutes later. I was excited to be in a whole new city, especially Las Vegas.

The hotel room wasn't exactly super expensive but I was very excited at it! I took a bunch of pictures, and sent a couple of them to Andrea and others as I unpacked. With that done it was time to go out and explore!

I had done research, of course, because I always do research. I knew the places I wanted to go and the things I wanted to see, and roughly where they were. It was all loaded on my iPhone. I had a shoulder bag with a bottle of cold water and suntan lotion, and a floppy hat and sunglasses. I wandered the strip much of the day, exploring, gawking, shopping, gambling, and eating junk food.

I bought a 'what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas' t-shirt from a vendor, and several souvenirs for people from the shops and stalls along the strip.

I did not meet anyone, though someone groped my ass in a crowd.

I returned to my hotel for dinner, then faced the question of what to do next. The plan called for visiting some of the more famous bars and clubs, but that plan hadn't been to go alone. Going out drinking alone wasn't exactly safe for a girl!

I worried over this for some time, because I do that, worry over things. Would I get hit on by all kinds of creeps? Would someone put something in my drink when I wasn't looking? Would I sit alone at a table looking like a pathetic wallflower? I mean, if nobody hits on you and you're alone, what do you do exactly? Pick out a guy and approach him? I could do that at school but not in a strange club in a strange city!

So that was why, at eight O'clock, I was sitting in my hotel room watching PBS on TV.

Yeah, I'm overly careful and thus very boring. Sorry.

I did feel bad about it, though. I cursed myself for being boring. And then finally decided to go out and see the strip at night. It would be cooler and I wouldn't need lotion. So I did that. I gawked at the bright lights, including Freemont Street, of course, which was cool. There was a lot going on. But being all alone, I kind of felt left out.

I returned to my hotel before eleven. Alone. I got into the elevator and pressed the button for the forty third floor where my room was, and the elevator took me up to forty two. Then it sat there, ignoring me pushing the buttons. I was about to press the emergency button when it started up again, only it stopped now on fifty three.

“Oh for gosh sakes,” I muttered.

It went down to fifty, then back up to a floor that was only marked P. And there it opened.

I jumped out, naturally. Wouldn't you? Stupid elevator! I found myself in a very small, marble hall, and pressed the button for the elevator. The same elevator I'd just gotten out of opened its door.

Great.

I waited for it to close, waited a minute, then pressed the button again. The same damn elevator door opened. So I decided to hold it open and pressed the elevator button again. The elevator door kept trying to close, and then started making a rude buzzing sound because I was holding it.

“Fuck you!” I said to it.

I was getting irritated. This was NOT how I'd imagined spending my first night in Vegas!

I shoved it and it opened back, then tried to close again. I put my foot up and kicked it and shoved it back with my foot. It made more rude noises but opened.

“Fucking piece of crap!” I said to it.

“May I be of some assistance?”

I whirled around and a man stood in an open doorway. He was actually sort of leaning against the door jamb, holding a glass of something dark.

He was wearing sweat pants. And nothing else I could see. His feet were bare, and his gray sweatpants hung low on his hips. He was maybe thirty, maybe the right side of thirty? Somewhere around that area, about a decade older than me. He had long hair, like, to the shoulders, and an accent, maybe Eastern European? Maybe German?

And he was... well... hot. I mean, he had a heck of a body! And there was a lot of it on display with just the sweatpants. This guy worked out!

I immediately got all flustered, and I knew I was blushing, and that made me feel more flustered, and then the fucking elevator door closed, while I was distracted.

“Uhm... the elevator malfunctioned and went up and down and up and down and finally took me here instead of to my floor,” I said apologetically.

He pushed himself away from the door and strolled forward about ten feet until he was standing right in front of me. I licked my lips nervously and backed up a bit as he reached out and touched the elevator door.

“Good elevator,” he said in a soothing voice, like you would talk to a horse or something. “Nice elevator.”

He stroked the elevator door and then grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes but grinned back.

“My name is Karl,” he said. “And what, may I ask, is your name, beautiful girl?”

“Uhm, uh... Megan,” I gulped, my eyes flicking nervously up and back and away from all that looming male flesh.

“Well, Megan, I see only two possible resolutions to your issue,” he said.

He took a sip from the glass as he eyed me, then licked his lips and smiled.

“You can walk down the stairs, there, about sixty five floors, to the lobby and complain, or you can come into my room and call them up to fix the fucking elevator.”

I hesitated, glancing past him at the door, well, double door.

“I'm a quite respectable fellow,” he said with a grin. “And I have no weapons on me at all. You can search me if you wish.”

He held his arms out to the sides, and I gulped again, eyes flicking over his bare chest.

“That's uhm, okay,” I said.

“A trusting girl! How wonderful! Come? Have you seen the penthouse here? It's quite lovely. And the view is spectacular.”

“I uhm, well...”

Well, what could I do? Act like a frightened child and stay out here in the lobby? Walk all the way down? I suppose I could have asked him to call while I stayed out here safe, like some fraidy cat. But honestly, he could do whatever he wanted to out here just as easily as in there. I mean, we were already alone.

“Sure,” I said.

He beamed at me and headed back to the door, sliding his arm across my shoulder as he did.

“And how long have you been in town, lovely Megan?” he asked.

I shrugged off his arm as he led me into the penthouse, looking around curiously.

I had a nice room, well, for what I'd paid. This was not a nice room. This was... like... wow!

I tried not to gawk, and failed. It was huge! The room was two stories tall, and had tall windows along the far wall, past a conversation area of sofas. A staircase ran up the right wall. The floor was some kind of hardwood, but a rug sat under the sofas. There was a three person sofa facing a big flat screen on the far wall, with two love seats at right angles, and then two of what looked like low, padded ottomans forming the fourth side around several coffee tables.

Off to the left was a full sized pool table.

“This is, uh, some room!” I said.

“It's a remarkable suite, but nothing less than I deserve,” he said insouciantly.

I looked at him doubtfully.

“I am, after all, a remarkable man,” he said.

“Okay,” I said.

His smile broadened. “May I get you a drink, lovely Megan?”

I almost reflexively said no as I saw the phone. I would pick it up, call room service and complain. That was me. That was Megan. But I hesitated for some reason. He was big and half naked but he really didn't seem very threatening. He seemed, well, kind of lazy for that. Like if I ran away he wouldn't bother to chase me even if he wanted to.

Going back to my boring room alone was... the right thing to do.

“What kind of drink?” I asked warily.

“What would you like, lovely Megan?”

“Just Megan,” I said with a snort.

“But you deserve the title!” he exclaimed as he walked over under the stairs to where there was a bar.

“Yeah, right.”

“Is beauty not in the eye of the beholder?” he asked, with arched eyebrows.

I looked at him doubtfully. This was not the sort of guy I usually talked to. He was cocky, and I'd met those before, self-confident, sure, but there was more arrogance than usual.

“I suppose,” I said.

“Then in my eyes, you are indeed beautiful.”

I flushed a bit. I never know how to react to comments like that because, well, I'm a very literal minded person. If I'm beautiful, it's not due to anything I did. If I have nice hair it's because of nature. If I'm moderately tall, then that's on nature. People say I have nice legs. What did I do deserve a compliment for that?

Added in was my strong suspicion that guys who said things like that were just trying to get on my good side so they'd have a better chance at sex.

“Thanks,” I said.

“What would you like?”

He swept his arm at the bottles on the wall behind the bar.

“A screwdriver?”

“Assuredly!” he said, going behind the bar.

I watched very closely as he prepared it, believe me!

“And what about me?” he asked.

“What about you?” I asked.

“Am I not beautiful?”

He beamed at me and flexed.

I rolled my eyes.

“You sure aren't shy,” I said.

“What do I have to be shy about?”

“Well...”

To be honest I couldn't think of anything.

“I'm rich, successful, and amazingly good looking!” he exclaimed.

“Amazingly modest, too,” I said, accepting the drink from him.

“False modesty is not in me,” he said with a shrug.

I took a careful sip. “How about real modesty?”

“Only when necessary. When trying to impress, however, I do not act modest.”

“You're trying to impress me?”

“Of course! You're a beautiful woman! And I was bored, to be honest. And here you are like a gift from the gods! I want to sleep with you, so I impress you.”

I gaped at him and then flushed.

“What? Am I being too honest? Surely you realize any man who sees you wants to sleep with you.” he said, pouring himself a fresh drink.

“They do not,” I said, frowning.

“Well, the gay ones don't. The rest certainly do. Unless they're blind and stupid. You're a very beddable looking woman.”

“You're a … sexist,” I said.

“No, I'm heterosexual,” he replied.

I snorted. The thing was, he wasn't saying anything I didn't know. But most guys at least pretended they were interested in me as a person, not just as a sex toy.

“You don't know a single thing about me,” I said.

“I know you look very attractive. What more is needed for sex?”

Well, he was European, and a guy.

I rolled my eyes.

“Oh yes, yes, yes. For women, you have this terrible cultural imperative which demands you get to know the man, and that he ply you with meals and dinner and theater tickets and flatter you and do his best to impress upon you what a fine and sensitive fellow he is and how much he cares about you.

“Until that happens, barring much alcohol, you feel it would be wrong to engage in pleasurable activities. Thus is the gaping difference between men and women,” he sighed.

I was taken aback by that, even though, well, realistically he wasn't wrong. I mean, everyone knew guys would have sex with any attractive girl at the drop of a hat. I never knew a girl, even the slutty ones, who were as bad.

“And if women were willing to sleep with every man who found them attractive she'd be sleeping with men all day every day.”

He smiled broadly. “You state something which men would consider a fantasy.”

I rolled my eyes again, though I have to admit I was kind of liking him. He was a likable guy, despite maybe too much honesty. And I felt kind of safe on the other side of the bar.

I took another drink from the glass.

“Of course, you'd only sleep with the attractive ones,” he said.

Then he flexed his muscles at me again.

“Stop,” I said. “I get that you have a nice body.”

“Thank you. Does it incite lust within you?” he asked hopefully.

I laughed.

He came around the bar, and I grinned, though I felt a little more, uhm, intimidated as he stepped right up beside me. I was seated at a bar stool, and twisted around to face him.

“I'm afraid not,” I said.

“Then I shall have to work harder. Would you like me to do pushups?”

“Uhm, no. Where are you from, Karl?”

“Berlin. I had business in Los Angeles, and stopped here on the way home to meet an old acquaintance. And you?”

“I came here with a girlfriend,” I said. “Only she couldn't come.”

I explained what happened and he nodded.

There was a banging at the door and he winked and left me there, going around the corner. I looked around at the place, thinking, wow, so this is how the rich and famous live. I slipped off the stool and wandered in under the balcony overhead, peeking into a big kitchen, then into a bathroom, then came back out and almost ran into Karl – and a tall blonde.

A very hot looking blonde. She was slim and Nordic looking, wearing a very short white dress, the kind some girls might wear out clubbing. She was no girl, though. She was about Karl's age.

“This is Lily,” he said, introducing her. “Lily, this is the lovely Megan.”

“Uhm, hi,” I said, flushing a bit.

Was she his girlfriend? Was she going to think I was, like, going after her guy? Was this going to get nasty? I felt a bit guilty, even though I hadn't done anything with him! Admittedly I had been seriously thinking about it, though...

“She is lovely,” she said, in the same accent as Karl.

“Lily works here now as a... what is it you do anyway, Lily?” he asked.

She snorted at him. “I'm a marketing director, and you know it.”

She turned back to me. “His act of being the lazy playboy is not entirely true, you know. He's as sharp as they come.”

“But soft on the edges,” he said, slipping his arm around her waist.

“I just came in to use the phone,” I said.

“Ah, but now we have enough for a party,” Karl said, slipping his other arm around me.

I was startled. I mean, wasn't he worried Lily would get angry or jealous? But Lily was just smiling tolerantly. Then I realized what he was suggesting, which was like, unless I was wrong, a threesome. I flushed again and wriggled out of his arm.

But at the same time I suddenly felt this tightness in my chest, this... breathiness. I mean, the very idea of having sex with... both of them, just the idea of it, made something thrum way down low.

The truth was that up until Lily showed up I had only just entertained the notion of doing anything with him. I mean, I didn't know him and … well, he could be dangerous or crazy or something. It was unlikely, but still, a girl can't be too careful!

But Lily seemed sane and ordinary and not at all threatening. And so her presence kind of made me actually think, well, seriously about the idea of sleeping with him – and her!

I had kind of fooled around with a girl once. It had been really incredibly hot, but it hadn't gone as far as I would have liked it to. She was drunk, and then she had to leave our little make-out session to throw up, and after that she wasn't really in the mood.

But I'd entertained... fantasies... of what it would be like to sleep with a girl. It was on my list of things I wanted to do while away from home at college. And suddenly I was feeling a bit flustered at the offer apparently being made to me, even though of course, there was no way I could really bring myself to accept it!

A kind of electrical current seemed to be traveling through my body as I pretended to snort at his beaming offer. Then he turned to his left and kissed Lily hard, his left hand rising to cup her breast.

I tried to turn away but he pulled me in closer, and then turned and kissed me. Startled, I didn't react at first, then jerked my head away, mostly out of instinct, and fear how Lily would react.

“Hey!” I protested.

Lily wasn't angry, though. She laughed in amusement.

“You should be flattered. He has very high standards of beauty,” she said with a smile.

“I don't offer my magnificent body to just any woman,” Karl said with a sniff. “I deserve the best.”

“God, you're arrogant!” I said in amazement.

“It's mostly an act, but.. not all of it,” Lily said, smiling at me. “Though he does think a lot of himself, it's true. But he exaggerates to shock people.”

He turned and kissed her again, his hand still on her left breast, then turned as he pulled me in closer so the three of us were basically all pressed together in a triangle, and tried to kiss me. His hand and slipped upward, too so it was cupping my breast.

That wild electricity... sexual electricity, was growing more intense as Lily giggled and then reached her left arm out to draw me in as I tried to pull back. Then she kissed me! That was startling!

So startling I didn't react, at first, as her mouth closed so firmly on mine.

Her hand slid up behind my head and she kissed me for long seconds before I forced myself to pull back.

She was a very good kisser! And... I don't know, was it my imagination or was her mouth... softer than that of guys? I hadn't spent a lot of time kissing girls but..

“You guys!” I protested.

“Life is for having fun, Megan,” Lily said with a grin. “Especially when you're young and free.”

“Yes, fun, excitement, thrills, pleasure!” Karl said.

Which... wasn't untrue. I mean, well, the whole reason I'd agreed to go to Las Vegas was that I hadn't had much of that fun stuff since leaving home. And now I was in Las Vegas all alone and... and I could go back to my room and watch TV and go to sleep or... or something... else. I could have an experience, a wild, possibly really hot experience!

But my mind was kind of fumbling through the thoughts and dangers and worries and anxieties and embarrassment and uncertainty and inhibitions and keeping me from making any kind of actual decision about what to do! I should go! I should go right now! I knew that! That was the responsible thing to do!

I squeaked as Karl's big hand cupped my buttocks and drew me in tighter again, then his left hand rose to cup my left breast! At almost the same time, Lily drew my head in and kissed me again as her right hand rose to cup my right breast!

Holy shit! My eyes were wide and my heart was pounding and my pulse was racing and my mind was still fumbling around trying to figure out what to do! I knew I should leave but... but I didn't want to leave! I wanted to... to do something... wild!

And two separate people were squeezing my breasts! One of them a girl! Wow!