~Viva Las Vegas!~
Chapter One: Christian's arrival
The airplane tilted and made a sharp turn, and suddenly, the city below came into view. The bright lights sparkled like diamonds, gathered in the center of a dark, rich blanket. The surrounding desert seemed so much vaster in the dead of night. Christian let out a heavy sigh, and sat back in his seat. He smiled slightly, as the plane made its descent.
Time, it seemed, slowed to a crawl, and after what felt like hours, the plane landed, and lumbered toward the waiting gate. Christian scrambled out of the plane, eager to touch solid ground after the long flight. He gathered his luggage, and was on his way into the city in no time. His spirit was high-he was looking forward to hitting the casinos. The taxi sped into the city, and as the yellow car turned onto Las Vegas Boulevard, Christian began to sing to himself:
Bright light city gonna set my soul
Gonna set my soul on fire
Got a whole lot of money that's ready to burn,
So get those stakes up higher
There's a thousand pretty women waitin' out there
And they're all livin' devil may care
And I'm just the devil with love to spare
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas How I wish that there were more
Than the twenty-four hours in the day
'Cause even if there were forty more
I wouldn't sleep a minute away
Oh, there's black jack and poker and the roulette wheel
A fortune won and lost on ev'ry deal
All you need's a strong heart and a nerve of steel
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas Viva Las Vegas with you neon flashin'
And your one arm bandits crashin'
All those hopes down the drain
Viva Las Vegas turnin' day into nighttime
Turnin' night into daytime
If you see it once
You'll never be the same again I'm gonna keep on the run
I'm gonna have me some fun
If it costs me my very last dime
If I wind up broke up well
I'll always remember that I had a swingin' time
I'm gonna give it ev'rything I've got
Lady luck please let the dice stay hot
Let me shout a seven with ev'ry shot
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas,
Viva, Viva Las Vegas
The taxi pulled up to the massive hotel, and Christian stepped out, and looked around him. It was just as he'd imagined it to be. He paid the driver quickly, and grabbed his bags. He gawked as he wandered toward the hotel, and stumbled into the main entrance. He walked into the main lobby, and immediately, his eyes gravitated toward the massive replica of the Eiffel Tower, and the sky blue ceiling that enveloped it. Grinning wildly, he made his way toward the front desk.
"Welcome to The Paris Hotel, Monsieur," said a perky young woman who barely stood above the tall check-in counter.
"Thank you," Christian smiled warmly.
"Do you have a reservation?"
"Yes," Christian nodded, and tossed his American Express onto the counter.
The woman tapped on the keys for several seconds, then handed Christian his credit card and key card.
"Room 1899, Monsieur."
"Thank you," Christian smiled and walked away from the counter, and toward the elevators.
Once he was settled, Christian wandered down to the casino to try his luck. He spotted an open seat at a corner blackjack table, and decided to try his luck at cards first. He sat down next to a diminutive man with a beard and thick glasses. To Christian's right was a small, bald, frightened- looking man, and on the other end was an angry-looking Latino. Christian smiled stiffly, and exchanged his cash for a small stack of colorful poker chips.
"Hello," said the diminutive man, "my name is Henri Marie Raymond Toulouse- Lautrec Montfa. You can call me Toulouse."
"Hello Toulouse. I'm Christian."
"Is this your first time in Vegas?"
"Ye-uh-yes. Is it that obvious, then?"
Both Toulouse, and the bald men nodded, as the Latino's head went crashing toward the table.
"Ah, not again! Toulouse! Get your Argentinean buddy off my table!" said the annoyed dealer.
"Sorry! Sorry! Uh, he is narcoleptic, and he doesn't always take his medication," Toulouse said more to Christian than to the dealer.
Christian smiled politely, and looked over at the Argentinean, who was now snoring.
~*~
The next night, Christian again ran into his new "friends" at a craps table. Considering the remarkable luck he'd had at Blackjack, Christian decided that it was time to roll the dice.
An hour later, Christian's luck hadn't changed, and he had managed to build up an impressive stack of cash. This fact was not lost on the casino manager, who approached Christian following a small break in his winning streak.
"Monsieur, you are doing quite well here tonight! Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Harold Zidler. I'd like to offer you and your friends here free tickets to our wonderful dinner show downstairs!"
"Uh, thank you, Mr. Zidler," Christian smiled humbly.
"Please, my boy, it's the lease I can do, as you have managed to take all of my money!" Harold laughed loudly, and handed Christian four VIP tickets.
Christian looked at the tickets and smiled. "Spectacular Spectacular?"
"It's the best show in town.you WON'T be disappointed!"
~*~
Christian, Toulouse, Satie and the Argentinean changed into suits, and made their way downstairs to the theatre.
The Moulin Rouge was a typical tacky Vegas theatre, with a large stage and several tiny tables and booths. Late at night, it was often converted into a nightclub, complete with pulsating music and hundreds of sweaty singles. Christian and his friends took a seat at a table that had been reserved for them: an oversized red velvet booth, to the right of the main stage.
The next thing Christian knew, the lights dimmed, and several spotlights illuminated the main stage. He watched, open mouthed, as a stunning redhead, dressed in head-to-toe sequins, graced the stage. Just when Christian didn't think it could get any better, she opened her mouth, and sang:
Baby it's wrong wrong as can be
To try and tie gal like me
I could never settle down in a little sleepy town
There's so much world to see Sure would be happy for a while
But then we'd have to part
When tears replace your loving smile
Well I don't want to be the girl who has to break your heart
So here's where it ends
Not lovers but friends
Though your lips are tempting me
Maybe I'm a fool and yet
This wanderer just can't forget
There's so much world to see Sure would be happy for a while
But then we'd have to part
When tears replace your loving smile
Well I don't want to be the girl who has to break your heart
So here's where it ends
Not lovers but friends
Though your lips are tempting me
Maybe I'm a fool and yet
This wanderer just can't forget
There's so much world to see
For me, there's so much world to see
Yeah! yeah! Mmm
Christian found himself completely enchanted. He had to meet her. He had to.
Song Credits: Viva Las Vegas (Words & music by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman); There Is So Much World to See (Words & music by Wayne - Weisman)
Chapter One: Christian's arrival
The airplane tilted and made a sharp turn, and suddenly, the city below came into view. The bright lights sparkled like diamonds, gathered in the center of a dark, rich blanket. The surrounding desert seemed so much vaster in the dead of night. Christian let out a heavy sigh, and sat back in his seat. He smiled slightly, as the plane made its descent.
Time, it seemed, slowed to a crawl, and after what felt like hours, the plane landed, and lumbered toward the waiting gate. Christian scrambled out of the plane, eager to touch solid ground after the long flight. He gathered his luggage, and was on his way into the city in no time. His spirit was high-he was looking forward to hitting the casinos. The taxi sped into the city, and as the yellow car turned onto Las Vegas Boulevard, Christian began to sing to himself:
Bright light city gonna set my soul
Gonna set my soul on fire
Got a whole lot of money that's ready to burn,
So get those stakes up higher
There's a thousand pretty women waitin' out there
And they're all livin' devil may care
And I'm just the devil with love to spare
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas How I wish that there were more
Than the twenty-four hours in the day
'Cause even if there were forty more
I wouldn't sleep a minute away
Oh, there's black jack and poker and the roulette wheel
A fortune won and lost on ev'ry deal
All you need's a strong heart and a nerve of steel
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas Viva Las Vegas with you neon flashin'
And your one arm bandits crashin'
All those hopes down the drain
Viva Las Vegas turnin' day into nighttime
Turnin' night into daytime
If you see it once
You'll never be the same again I'm gonna keep on the run
I'm gonna have me some fun
If it costs me my very last dime
If I wind up broke up well
I'll always remember that I had a swingin' time
I'm gonna give it ev'rything I've got
Lady luck please let the dice stay hot
Let me shout a seven with ev'ry shot
Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas,
Viva, Viva Las Vegas
The taxi pulled up to the massive hotel, and Christian stepped out, and looked around him. It was just as he'd imagined it to be. He paid the driver quickly, and grabbed his bags. He gawked as he wandered toward the hotel, and stumbled into the main entrance. He walked into the main lobby, and immediately, his eyes gravitated toward the massive replica of the Eiffel Tower, and the sky blue ceiling that enveloped it. Grinning wildly, he made his way toward the front desk.
"Welcome to The Paris Hotel, Monsieur," said a perky young woman who barely stood above the tall check-in counter.
"Thank you," Christian smiled warmly.
"Do you have a reservation?"
"Yes," Christian nodded, and tossed his American Express onto the counter.
The woman tapped on the keys for several seconds, then handed Christian his credit card and key card.
"Room 1899, Monsieur."
"Thank you," Christian smiled and walked away from the counter, and toward the elevators.
Once he was settled, Christian wandered down to the casino to try his luck. He spotted an open seat at a corner blackjack table, and decided to try his luck at cards first. He sat down next to a diminutive man with a beard and thick glasses. To Christian's right was a small, bald, frightened- looking man, and on the other end was an angry-looking Latino. Christian smiled stiffly, and exchanged his cash for a small stack of colorful poker chips.
"Hello," said the diminutive man, "my name is Henri Marie Raymond Toulouse- Lautrec Montfa. You can call me Toulouse."
"Hello Toulouse. I'm Christian."
"Is this your first time in Vegas?"
"Ye-uh-yes. Is it that obvious, then?"
Both Toulouse, and the bald men nodded, as the Latino's head went crashing toward the table.
"Ah, not again! Toulouse! Get your Argentinean buddy off my table!" said the annoyed dealer.
"Sorry! Sorry! Uh, he is narcoleptic, and he doesn't always take his medication," Toulouse said more to Christian than to the dealer.
Christian smiled politely, and looked over at the Argentinean, who was now snoring.
~*~
The next night, Christian again ran into his new "friends" at a craps table. Considering the remarkable luck he'd had at Blackjack, Christian decided that it was time to roll the dice.
An hour later, Christian's luck hadn't changed, and he had managed to build up an impressive stack of cash. This fact was not lost on the casino manager, who approached Christian following a small break in his winning streak.
"Monsieur, you are doing quite well here tonight! Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Harold Zidler. I'd like to offer you and your friends here free tickets to our wonderful dinner show downstairs!"
"Uh, thank you, Mr. Zidler," Christian smiled humbly.
"Please, my boy, it's the lease I can do, as you have managed to take all of my money!" Harold laughed loudly, and handed Christian four VIP tickets.
Christian looked at the tickets and smiled. "Spectacular Spectacular?"
"It's the best show in town.you WON'T be disappointed!"
~*~
Christian, Toulouse, Satie and the Argentinean changed into suits, and made their way downstairs to the theatre.
The Moulin Rouge was a typical tacky Vegas theatre, with a large stage and several tiny tables and booths. Late at night, it was often converted into a nightclub, complete with pulsating music and hundreds of sweaty singles. Christian and his friends took a seat at a table that had been reserved for them: an oversized red velvet booth, to the right of the main stage.
The next thing Christian knew, the lights dimmed, and several spotlights illuminated the main stage. He watched, open mouthed, as a stunning redhead, dressed in head-to-toe sequins, graced the stage. Just when Christian didn't think it could get any better, she opened her mouth, and sang:
Baby it's wrong wrong as can be
To try and tie gal like me
I could never settle down in a little sleepy town
There's so much world to see Sure would be happy for a while
But then we'd have to part
When tears replace your loving smile
Well I don't want to be the girl who has to break your heart
So here's where it ends
Not lovers but friends
Though your lips are tempting me
Maybe I'm a fool and yet
This wanderer just can't forget
There's so much world to see Sure would be happy for a while
But then we'd have to part
When tears replace your loving smile
Well I don't want to be the girl who has to break your heart
So here's where it ends
Not lovers but friends
Though your lips are tempting me
Maybe I'm a fool and yet
This wanderer just can't forget
There's so much world to see
For me, there's so much world to see
Yeah! yeah! Mmm
Christian found himself completely enchanted. He had to meet her. He had to.
Song Credits: Viva Las Vegas (Words & music by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman); There Is So Much World to See (Words & music by Wayne - Weisman)