she was cool, she was hot, she was smokin' a lot at the end of the bar,
she had more than one too many buttons undone on that blouse she wore,
starin' too long at her lost in that Skynyrd song was his first mistake...
The plane touches down in Las Vegas. The sun is blinding as it reflects off of the desert sand, and Diana is already sweating at the thought of stepping into the dry air. She pulls her luggage from the overhead bin before following the crowd off of the plane into the airport. She moves towards the luggage carousel, but she's stopped dead in her tracks as someone throws their arms around her midsection.
"Diana!" The other woman squeals with delight.
Diana wraps her arms around the woman with a tired smile. Her blonde hair is in a messy bun on top of her head, her pantsuit wrinkled after the long flight.
"Lizzie!" Diana feigns excitement, though the only excitement she feels is about finding a comfortable bed.
Once she finds her suitcase, she links arms with her friend before the pair walk out into the blaring afternoon sun.
"I'm just glad you could make it." Lizzie helps toss the suitcase into the trunk of the taxi.
Diana nods her head in agreement as she climbs into the backseat. The ride is almost silent, except for the sound of the radio and Lizzie's rambling.
The blonde has to fight to keep her eyes open, only answering when Lizzie asks her a question. Deep down, she's just ready to get to the hotel. She wants to see her friends, but by God, she's ready to go to sleep.
The taxi comes to an abrupt halt in front of the Palms and Lizzie all but jumps out of the vehicle, dragging Diana with her. The girls unload the trunk, and Diana finds herself surrounded by seven of her closest friends.
"You made it!" One of the girls shout as they all walk through the lobby towards the elevator.
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world." She smiled brightly.
Finally, they make it to the elegant penthouse. It's highlighted with marble, pastels, and gold.
Lizzie pours champagne, and she hands them out to everyone.
"Now that Diana is here, we can finally get the party started!" She lifts her glass in a toast.
Diana downs the champagne as fast as she can before she excuses herself to an empty bedroom, dragging her luggage behind her. The bed is untouched, and she plops down in the center face first.
Hours had passed. The sun was beneath the horizon. Music was blaring through the speakers of the hotel room, followed by the sounds of heels clicking against the marble floor. Then there's a knock at the door.
"Di, get up!" It's Olivia shouting this time.
Diana groans in response, but she pulls herself out of bed. She pulls out a pair of black leather leggings and a slinky chiffon shirt before slipping into the bathroom to get ready. Blonde hair falls down in waves around her waist as she puts her makeup on, humming along to music that's playing in the background. She slips into her highest leather heels before she grabs her purse, walking into the living area.
Wolf whistles fill the air as her friends hand her shot glass filled to the brim with tequila.
"Here's to your last days being a single woman!" Diana cheers with a bright smile before she throws the shot back without a chaser.
The girls throw on their finishing touches before they head out of their hotel room for the night.
Diana flags down a taxi, all the girls piling in.
"Where to, ladies?" The taxi driver asks.
Each of the women looks at one another.
"The best bar you can think of." Diana chuckles lightheartedly.
The taxi driver said nothing else, he just peeled out of the parking lot and didn't explain where they were going.
Diana glances over at Liz and Olivia, a quizzical look in her eyes before she shrugged her shoulders.
"Surprises are fun." She mutters, glancing out the window.
The car falls silent as the taxi comes to a halt outside of some old dive bar. Lizzie is the first one to speak up.
"Whoa, this is the best bar in the city?" She asks, her eyebrows pinched together.
Diana almost pushes Liz out of the van before she tosses her cash at the driver, "keep the change."
The other girls follow suit, clamoring out of the vehicle. Each of them adjusts their outfits before they step up to the bouncer outside the bar.
"ID?" He asks with a huff.
They each present their IDs before they link arms, walking into the bar. It smelled of stale cigarette smoke and it was rowdy. There were people singing karaoke on the stage in the corner, while others were dancing in the middle of the floor.
"It seems like an alright place?" Diana was questioning the decision, but she remained hopeful.
She stepped up to the bar to order a round of beer and tequila for the table, along with a Jack and Coke for herself. The blonde leans against the bar, her dark brown eyes watching the crowd of the bar. Diana was on the prowl.
The bartender hands her the tray of drinks and she returns to the table.
The girls hoop and holler at her return.
"Now that we're all here, I just want to say congratulations to Olivia, for being engaged, and finally getting married to a good man! May we all find that someday." Diana holds up her whiskey and everyone else follows suit.
Several shots in, Diana finds her way back to the bar and orders another drink for herself. This time she plants herself on an empty barstool. She sips at her drink without a care in the world. Another table is filled with shouting and it catches her attention. Glancing over at the table, she sees its full of bikers. Their rowdiness holds her attention for a minute more before she turns back around.
Someone sidles up beside Diana, and at first, she ignores them. It's clear that the avoidance bothers them. She listens as they clear their throat more than once.
"Another Jack and Coke please?" Diana pushes her glass towards the bartender.
Once more, they clear their throat.
This time, she glances over to see who is standing there.
His eyes are the brightest blue she's ever seen and his dark hair is disheveled with kinky curls. He appears ragged with stubble on his chin and the tears in his jeans. The kind of bad boy every girl wants, at least once.
"I know you didn't come out to avoid the attention, not dressed like that." His voice is barely above a whisper.
Again, she tries to avoid him though his voice sends shivers down her spine. She takes another sip of her drink before her dark eyes give him a once over.
His shirt is unbuttoned, down past his chest. A tattoo plays peek-a-boo from beneath his collar.
Diana can't help but to bite her lip.
"Name's Tig." He introduces himself.
An eyebrow raises at the name.
"Diana, but you can call me Di."
He hums with satisfaction of learning her name before he presses his lips against the bottle of beer.
"It's real nice to meet ya'." He smirks at her.
Diana looks away to compose herself before she glances back at Tig. Surely he can see the goosebumps across her skin, her shirt revealing all of her back.
Tig desperately wants to reach out and touch her skin, but he refrains.
The moment is interrupted with the girls on stage, screaming along to the lyrics from some Alanis Morissette song.
"You come with them?" He asks, a slight chuckle hangs from his lips.
Diana doesn't answer, just nods her head in response. She finishes the last bit of her drink and she closes out her tab before her eyes meet his.
"Come with me."
She reaches out and grabs his hand, moving towards the bathroom.
"I can do ya' one better."
He pulls Diana towards the door and at first, she's hesitant but she gives in. Tig pulls her across the parking lot and offers her a helmet. He helps her with the helmet, fastening it beneath her chin.
She climbs onto the back of the motorcycle.
"You're gonna need to hold on tight." He whispers as he climbs on the bike.
Diana rests her hands on her knees but she scoots forward, her chest pressing against his back.
Tig slowly moves the bike forward before giving it any gas.
The woman jolts with the speed and she moves to rest her hands on his waist without argument. The chilly desert wind blew through her waves and she had never felt more free. Her friends would have to find her later. Much much later…