Masquerade
A/N: Carnival season is here and the muses that be fed this little story to me. Not entirely sure where this is going except that it's an AH/AU. Hope you like it :D
CHAPTER 1
"Oh, Elvis! Elvis! Over here!"
Bella Swan raised her eyes from the card table in front of her to see a big, blonde buxom woman screeching at the Elvis impersonator standing just inside the double doors of the casino.
She hid a wince as the woman planted a big sloppy kiss on Elvis but when his bright blue eyes turned almost accusatory to meet hers, Bella lowered her dark brown ones to the table, gave the patrons a polite smile and quickly dealt another hand of Blackjack.
She had barely finished handing the deck when a blonde woman clad in an apple green tight vest and black pants the Casino uniform identical to hers touched her gently on the shoulder. On the woman's breast was a silver pin with her name 'Caroline'. Bella nodded and with a last smile she stepped back allowing her to move in and take her place.
"You're missing a button Care"
Bella whispered in her friend's ear before walking away. Break time. Thank God.
She made her way past the noisy slot machines, stopping to give directions to a flock of teenagers eager to lose their money, and down the long hallway with the sign Hotel Employees Only.
She wanted to lose the uncomfortably high heels she wore, but knew she'd have to be out on the casino floor of 'The Casino' again in fifteen minutes. Slipping inside the little break room for the employees on this side of the hotel casino, she grabbed a cold water from the fridge located there and sat at a little corner table. Other than herself there was Bonnie in her cocktail waitress uniform (identical vest but with skirt that should have been honest with it self and admit it was a belt, sitting at another table using her cell phone.
Bella frowned. Where the hell was Mike? They always took their breaks together and she was sure she had seen him leave his Elvis post a few minutes before Caroline relieved her...
Reaching in the pocket of her vest she pulled out her cell phone and turned it on. Employees were forbidden to take calls while working. She only had one message and it was from her boyfriend, Mike.
"Hey, it's me. Listen, I tried to find a way to tell you this, but well, I never could. I'm moving out today. I'm sorry."
Bella swallowed and stared at the phone, her stomach giving a sickening lurch. She shook her head. Had to be a joke or something. Didn't it?
Her finger shaking, she hit the speed dial for Mike.
"Oh,"
Mike said after two rings, she could hear an engine running in the background
"There you are. Good. I'm going to leave my key on the coffee table."
"Wait, what? I don't understand."
Chancing a look at bonnie, who was trying very hard not to look back at her, Bella turned to face away from her. She leaned her elbows on her knees. Mike sighed.
"Look, you're a good girl, Bella. But sometimes things don't work out."
"Don't work out? We've been dating for years and live together for six months"
"That's pretty good. As long-term as anyone's ever gotten out of me. I'm leaving Vegas."
Her heart racing, Bella frowned.
"Leaving? You were just in the casino 5 minutes ago"
Her boyfriend—former—snorted.
"I quit"
"You quit? What the hell Mike?"
"I'll go down to Cali for a while. My mom's been sick so maybe I'll pay her a visit. Anyway, sorry, babe. No hard feelings. Being with you was real nice."
Real nice. A deep sense of loss and anger were slowly flooding Bella. Biting her tongue not to make a scene she looked around for a distraction. She glanced at her watch. Fuck, she needed to go back to her post.
"I gotta go back to work,"
She whispered.
"Bye"
As soon as Mike ended the call Bella stood up and mechanically turned off her phone. Putting it back to her pocket she headed back to her post. As her eyes burned she missed Bonnie pulling her phone out again and making another call.