Lucky 13
Elaine and I had too many belongings too fit into the few suitcases that we had originally arrived in Vegas with so we had to go onto the strip and purchase more. The whole day was devoted to packing and booking a one night stay at the Excalibur across the street until our flight the next afternoon that Criss had arranged for us. Once we were settled into the Excalibur we were exhausted from the endless packing and unpacking. I thought it was completely foolish the length he was going to get rid me. It made me feel like there was nothing ever even emotional between us in the first place. Maybe I was just better off going home if he couldn't trust my word. I thought he knew me much better than that he did. I guess I was wrong.
The next morning Elaine and I woke up and got ready for our flight. We were supposed to leave at noon so we decided to leave the hotel by 10:30am. It felt odd being driven around in a taxi again and not being escorted in a limo or a Lamborghini but I figured I needed to get used to normal life again sooner or later. Elaine seemed quiet as she flipped through some pictures on her digital camera. She came across one of her and Matt and shut the camera off with a sigh. I pulled my sunglasses down and glanced around the street as the cab driver made some small talk with me.
"Were you girls on vacation?" He asked with a middle eastern accent.
I nodded. "Yeah, more or less." I replied.
He stopped abruptly at the next red light causing Elaine to catch her balance on the side of the backseat.
"You're not here for… uh, what's his name… Criss Angel?" He laughed.
My eyes rolled and I drew in a deep breath. "No, not really a big fan."
Elaine snorted at my reply.
"Yeah, I wasn't either really until I saw him walking on the side of building one day durning my cab route and I said, holy shit! That guy is for real ya' know!" The driver raised in voice in excitement.
I focused my eyes back to the side of the street and replied, "Yeah… maybe."
He went on for awhile about Criss climbing the building and then pointed out, "I hear he is supposed to be doing another stunt today, maybe I'll catch part of it when I drop people off at the Luxor."
I stitched my eyebrows. "Which one?"
"Some underwater one or something…" He cut another sharp corner and Elaine glanced at me.
"Right… well, maybe you'll get to watch it." Elaine noted.
I was more than happy to get out the cab and when we boarded our plane I was trying to be positive about going home.
When I got back home I realized for the first time that I no longer really had a life back in Chicago. It took me nearly a week to get everything back in order at my apartment. My landlord was so surprised to see me I thought that he was going to faint. Actually, I had just sent him a letter informing that I was giving him my months notice that I'd be moving out. I figured that there was absolutely no reason to have an apartment in Chicago when I was living in Vegas but apparently the tables had turned yet again. He asked me if I was moving my belonging out and I told him that I needed to cancel my notice because I got fired. He understood but looked disappointed because he had been opening the place up for people to walk through and see if they wanted to rent. I felt horrible about that but at least the situation with Criss and I happened before my 30 days were up. When I called Lesley at the shop she said that she was now manger there and they were so over staffed that they only needed someone for part time not full time. I was the one who had made that shop successful! I was the one who had managed it for years and now she was going to tell me that she didn't need me! I guess I would have to resort to looking for a job with people I had never met before again. I pulled the phone book out and called random salons in the area, I got about 5 call backs and put that on my lists of things to do for the next week. At least I had a decent car from all the money I had saved from working for Criss but the payments on it were outrageous.
When I told my mom that I had gotten fired she was fuming. She told me that she was going to personally fly to Vegas herself and kick Criss in the ass. Since my mom and I were close and open about pretty everything I even told her about why Criss and I broke up and how he thought I was the one trying to kill him. She agreed that he was being nonsensical about the situation and needed to trust me more. My mom lifted my spirit a bit with her humor and compassionate attitude but when I called my dad it was whole different story. I didn't tell him exactly the whole truth as to why Criss and I broke up because he didn't know Criss like my mom did and he also wasn't as open minded about the life of "celebrities" to understand that they did in fact deal with people wanting to murder them for money and or frame. My dad was more old fashioned than my mom and believed mostly in hard work and the basic ways of typical American lifestyle. Through hard work and dedication you will find success and happiness… that was always what he rammed into my head in high school. I guess that it had worked out pretty well for him. My dad owned his own construction business and was a fairly wealthy upper-middle class man. I think he dreamed that I would go to Harvard or become a doctor instead of being a cosmetologist but I know deep down that all he truly wanted was for me to happy, monetarily successful or not. The whole phone call evolved around him laying a guilt trip on me that I hadn't put my 100% into my job and that I had let a good man go. I bit my tongue the whole time trying to hold back the real reason as to why I had left Vegas. He could think what he wanted but I wasn't going to tell him. I knew he wouldn't grasp it anyway.
~*~
December 19th
I knew it was Criss's birthday and from the snow on the ground I knew I still wasn't in Vegas. I thought back to last time I had left and come home. Oddly enough it was right around it this same time last year. Elaine was back home in her apartment and had started her job back up. I however still hadn't found a salon to work at. I had a few interviews but either they were only looking for part time or they said that they would call me back because they didn't need anyone at the moment. I had enough money saved that I wasn't too worried, I could wait a few more months but I was bored out of my mind. I had already cleaned and re-cleaned everything in my home including the walls. I decided to put in a movie. I hadn't watched a good movie in a long time and I needed to get my mind off of the fact that it was Criss's birthday. I flipped through my DVD's underneath my entertainment center and found the movie Interview With The Vampire. I loved that movie and that book. I could watch it over and over a million times and still not be tired of it. When I went to switch my T.V. to DVD setting I saw a news update flash on MTV. I grabbed the remote and turned the volume up.
"Britney Spears is now in rehab…"
I laughed to myself thinking about when Cristo, Tony and I had been chatting about her in the break room.
They flashed a few risky photos of her at a club in LA then finished the report.
"And this just in…" The girl from MTV news smiled. "World record breaking magician Criss Angel is now turning 42 tonight! Happy birthday Criss! It is reported that he and a few friends, including Sully Erna from Godsmack, Pam Anderson, Lindsay Lohan, Carrot Top and Holly Madison too name a few are out partying at TAO-"
I cut the T.V. to DVD and sighed.
Interview With The Vampire here I come…
After I devoured in Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise dressed up as sensual vampires and another half gallon of cookie dough ice cream I decided to head off to bed. I wanted December 19th to be over and done with.
I popped the DVD out and slid it back into it's case saying farewell to Brad Pitt. Reaching upward I placed the T.V. off of DVD setting and headed back to the couch to grab the remote.
The same brunette from MTV news appeared and I saw a picture of Criss flash on the screen.
Not after I just shut off Brad, bitch…
"We've just received some tragic news, Criss Angel, who has just celebrated his 42nd birthday tonight is reported to be in the intensive care unit in Las Vegas. It has not yet been clear as to why he is in the hospital but sources say he grew fatally ill at his birthday bash at TAO just nearly an hour ago. We will keep you posted as this develops."
Somehow I knew that this would happen but I still dropped the remote control and gasped. I was frozen and unable to move until the commercial break.
