The next morning Casey almost acted like a completely different person. First of all, she couldn't keep her little hands off of me. I tried to make my way towards the shower like ten different times but she kept preventing me from doing so, not that I was complaining or anything. She also never stopped smiling. She was the perky, giddy, fun-loving Casey again. I knew the Gamma Psi house fire was still in the back of her mind but it was like she was able to push it even farther back in her mind once the two of us declared our love to each other. I have to admit I was on cloud nine also. I knew that I never stopped loving Casey but the fact that she now knew it made me feel the love for her like a million times more than before.
I hesitated in planning our next destination: Las Vegas, Nevada. I knew we just had to visit it being that it was less than a five hour drive away from the Grand Canyon. But Las Vegas is a crazy city where people do crazy things and I wasn't sure if Casey and I should put ourselves in that situation. But I had never been to Las Vegas before and I knew she hadn't either so there was no way we could pass it up.
Casey asked me where our next stop was when we left the hotel earlier in the morning and I told her where we were going through my clenched teeth hoping she would be OK with it. But I got the feeling she was more than OK with it as she threw her arms around me and jumped up and down when I told her. She said that she had always wanted to go there and was excited to be able to share it with me. So we pretty much drove straight through to Las Vegas. There was only one stop for a bathroom break because we were both anxious to get there.
I decided to go all out for Vegas. I booked us a room at the Bellagio which is one of the nicer hotels in Vegas. I also read that they have an amazing water fountain show outside the hotel and figured Casey and I would check that out later tonight. Casey's jaw dropped when I pulled up to the hotel.
"We're not staying here are we?" she asked.
"Of course," I replied. "If we're going to do Vegas we're going to do Vegas right."
We parked the car and headed into the hotel to check in. We took the elevator to the 11th floor and found our room. This room was absolutely amazing. We had a hell of a view of the city below us. Everything in the room from the bed to the pillows to the bathroom was also much more upscale than what we had been staying in. I knew I had made a good pick when I heard Casey gasp at the sight of the room.
"This is amazing Cap," she said. "It must have cost a fortune."
"It's really not a big deal," I replied. "I just used some of the Christmas money my grandpa sent me."
"So what should we do first?" she asked smiling at me.
"There is no time like the present to start a little gambling," I replied.
"Well let's go then," she said grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door.
We went downstairs to the hotel casino. I made a point to stop at the bar first. The two of us had gone the entire trip so far without an alcoholic drink. And what better city to start in than Vegas. I ordered her a lemon drop and a beer for myself as we made our way onto the casino floor.
"Let's do blackjack first," she said. "You were a big baller at the Omega Chi party last year. Let's see if you have the same luck in Vegas."
"You're on," I replied as we sat down at one of the tables.
I have to admit that I was pretty much a pro at blackjack. I taught myself how to count cards one summer at camp because I really didn't have anything better to do. I remember hustling just about everyone in my bunk for their secret stashes of candy. I even took Chambers for a hundred bucks that summer. I laughed on the inside thinking about Evan calling his mom and trying to explain to her why he needed a hundred bucks sent to him as soon as possible. I think he ended up telling her it was some mandatory sewer fee that the camp forgot to add into the bill. Evan's mom was always such a sucker. She sent the money via over-night mail the next day. And I promptly spent it on a six pack of beer from one of the older counselors. Hey, I was underage and stupid then. I believed him when he told me the six pack was eighty bucks and then he wanted a twenty dollar fee for his time. I'll never admit to how gullible I was at the time. Evan still thinks to this day I took the money home and put it in the bank. Ha, he was just as gullible as his mom sometimes.
As strange as it sounds, the more I got drunk, the better I started to play. I started off at the table pretty much breaking even which was better than losing of course. But over the next two hours, and about ten beers later, I was KILLING it. It got to the point where there was a crowd of people standing behind me rooting me on. Casey stood right by my side like my trophy wife looking gorgeous as ever. She started to play at first but when she lost all of her money she decided to just watch me for a while. I was surprised to see her slamming down the lemon drops too. She was probably on her fifth or sixth by the time I decided it was time to end the game. I cashed out in the positive of one thousand two hundred and fifty two dollars. Hard to believe when I only put two hundred dollars in to start things off with.
"I am so freaking proud of you," said Casey hanging off my arm as I got my money. "I can't believe how amazing you were."
"Yeah, I know," I replied smiling at her.
"Oh, oh, oh, we have to watch the fountain thingy before we go upstairs to the room," she said hitting the side of my arm rather hard to try and get my attention, which she already had. Yeah, she was just a little drunk.
"OK, I think, I think, I think," whoa, I had to stop myself and take a breath. Why did I always stutter when I got drunk? I continued after taking a deep breath. "I think we need to go outside to see it."
"That is such a good idea," she said. "You are soooo smart."
The two of us walked, well stumbled, our way out to the fountains in the front of the hotel. We managed to make our way to sit on a bench right in front of the fountains just as the show was beginning to start. It first started with some music and Casey began to freak out.
"Whoa! Where is that coming from?" she asked as she looked all around her like the music was going to come out and attack her or something.
"It's OK," I managed to say to her as I put my arm around her. "I think, I think, I think," Damn, stop that Cappie. "I think it's a part of the show."
"There you go being all smarty pants on me again," said Casey shaking her finger at me.
I just turned my gaze away from her to look at the fountains. I have to admit that the scene was very pretty. But I was so drunk that seeing all the shooting water made me more nauseous than anything. I looked back over at Casey. She had the widest eyes I had ever seen. Her expression reminded me of the first time the two of us got high freshman year. I had done it in the past but Casey was a complete virgin. She took a few hits and complained about how she didn't feel anything. So she kept going, despite my efforts to stop her. The next thing I knew I was protecting her from the all the evil trees in the world and the laughing cookie monster that lived under her bed. I had never seen anyone more frightened in my life. Man was I glad when she finally fell asleep.
I felt bad for not being able to really take in the awesomeness of the water show that just went on before us. And I'm sure Casey felt the same way too because she just continued to stare at the water, well after the show was completed. Finally, like a light switch you turn on and off, Casey shook herself out of her gaze on the water and looked at me.
"So what should we do now buuuddy?" she asked punching my arm again.
"Buddy?" I asked. "I thought I was much more than your buddy."
Casey ran her hands through my hair as she leaned over and kissed me on the lips. I guess that was her answer to show me that I was much more than her buddy.
"Come on, there's got to be some other cool things to do in Vegas," Casey slurred. "What do people do in Vegas besides gamble?"
"They get married," I said jokingly.
"OH YES!" Casey screamed as she stood up. "Let's go get married Cappie!"
"No, no, no, no, no, no, we can't get married," I said to her. "Our mommies and daddies would be so mad."
Casey instantly busted out laughing.
"You're so silly Cap," she said. "We don't need our mommies and daddies to get married. We just need you and me. And a minister. And a witness. But other than that, just you and me."
"Casey this is so, so, so, so crazy," I said. "I don't even have a ring for you."
"You could use the money you won to buy one," she replied.
"True," was all I could manage to say.
I couldn't believe my mind wasn't saying no to her. What in the heck was wrong with me? Maybe it was because my sober mind secretly would love to be married to Casey.
"Come on Cap," said Casey pulling me off of the bench. "Let's go find us a wedding chapel."
"Hold on," I said pulling her to a stop. "Why are we doing this?"
"Because we love each other," she quickly replied.
Apparently that was the only answer my drunk mind needed to hear. Because the next thing I knew I bought Casey a twelve hundred dollar diamond ring at the Bellagio jewelry store and soon after that we were at the Bellagio wedding chapel standing in front of a minister looking very much like Elvis.
"Dearly beloved we are gathered hereā¦.."
