Title: The 100 Year Storm
Author: Mackenzie
Email:
Genre: "Las Vegas"
Category: General
Disclaimers: I don't own 'em, don't claim to own 'em, don't sue.
Author's Notes: I saw on my local news that Vegas is getting some flooding, so I went online and saw that the Strip was only getting "sprinkles". Well, I'm gonna punch things up a bit and make it so that the Strip is getting some major flooding, which, causes problems all around. Special thanks to our very own Samantha Jane for giving me the insight that Ed would think his local government was a bunch of morons. LOL
1/
"Torrential downpour has drowned the Strip again for the fourth consecutive day, causing motorists to be stranded in their cars. The 100 year storm, so dubbed by Mayor Goodman, has also put a damper on Vegas' number one money maker-casinos. With people unable to get to the casinos, they are unable to make money."
Ed grunted as he turned off the television and stared out the window at the aforementioned torrential downpour. "Talk about putting a clink on things," he said with a sigh. Since the storm began, he's pretty much been confined to the hotel, due largely in part to him deciding to take his Aston-Martin out instead of the more practical cherry red H2 Hummer.
"Ed, this is absolutely ridiculous! My clients can't come in because of the storm, I can't even convince Brunson to let the jet pick them up! If they don't come in, I don't get paid."
The President of Operations sighed as he turned and looked at his top casino host. Samantha Jane Marquez crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance as she narrowed her eyes at the older man. "What do you want me to do, Sam? Ask God to give us a break?" He walked back over to the window and looked up, "Okay, God, anytime you want to shut the water off, feel free." He waited a few minutes before turning back to look at Sam, "My prayers weren't answered."
Sam rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in exasperation. "Well, we'll see how eager you are to crack jokes when the casino starts to take a real hit. Mr. President of Operations makes almost a million dollars a year, drives two freaking cars worth over $100,000 each. Me? I have to live in the place I work."
"Actually," he began with a smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest, "I make $1.2 million, but who is counting?"
His employee glared at him as she stalked out of his office in anger.
Nessa rushed into the lobby of the Montecito, lowering her head, her exotic eyes hidden by a dark pair of glasses. As she ducked into the nearest bathroom, Mary and Delinda, who had been watching the downpour through the full-length windows caught a glimpse of a woman with large frizzy hair quickly enter the bathroom. The two women glanced at each other and made their way in to investigate.
"Oh my god," Delinda said as she erupted in a fit of giggles.
Nessa sighed as she turned and looked at her surrogate sister. "Do you mind?" She asked in annoyance, "I can't help it if the bloody humidity turns my hair into..."
Mary cut her off with a grin, "An afro?"
The African American woman groaned as she turned and looked at herself in the mirror, "What am I going to do? I can't go out onto the floor looking like this."
"May I suggest a do rag?" Mary asked, causing Delinda to double over in laughter.
Nessa glared at her two friends as she reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of oil and put some in her hair and tried in vain to take some control over it. Within twenty minutes, the girls had transformed Nessa's hair into the sleek coif she normally wears. Walking out of the bathroom, she dropped the bottle of oil back into her bag, "Thanks for the help."
Delinda was bringing her hands to her nose as the three of them walked, "This stuff smells so good, I wonder what it'd do to my hair."
Nessa rolled her eyes, "Trust me, you don't want to find out. It's not for white girls' hair."
Mary laughed as Delinda elbowed her surrogate sister in the side.
"Hey, hey, girls, be nice to each other."
The three stopped abruptly as Mike blocked their path.
"Do you mind?" Nessa asked, her voice laced with a twinge of annoyance. "I have to get clocked in and out on the floor."
"Yeah," Mike said, "I seriously doubt you are gonna get much action, considering that the strip is flooded. Sam is already having a melt down about that."
"There are still some high rollers in the house," Delinda pointed out.
"True," Mike began, "but don't you think that they are more worried about getting home than dropping more money here?"
Mary narrowed her eyes at the man, "You are a depressing man, Mike." That said, she bypassed him and made her way out onto the floor.
"I want all this damn rain to stop!" Danny said in frustration, pounding his hand against his desk to emphasize his point. "It's like a friggen tsunami out there."
"Yeah, I'm sure the people in Sri Lanka and Thailand would agree with you," Mitch replied dryly as he worked at his desk.
The ex-Marine just glared at his co-worker, "Do you always have to be a smart ass?"
Mitch looked at him, "Does it bother you?"
"Yeah," Danny began, "actually it does."
Mitch smirked at him, "Than yes, I do."
The other man sighed deeply in annoyance and was about to come back with a retort when a large crash coming from Ed's office was heard. Danny headed up the steps and popped his head in and found Ed's television on the floor, the screen broke. "You know, Ed, you could have just changed the channel."
The older man glared at his employee, and, in a stern voice, said, "Out!"
Not having to be told twice, Danny ducked out of the office and walked back to his seat. Mitch grinned at him, "Ed pissed at the weather service again?"
Danny nodded, grinning as well, "Yup."
"You know," he said, "that's the second television he's broke in three days."
The other man kept grinning, "Yup, and Brunson's gonna be pissed when he gets the bills."
Mitch grinned, "Yep."
Without another word being spoken, Ed whipped his door open and barked, "Somebody get purchasing to bring me up another television!" He slammed his door and Danny looked at Mitch, his brows raised. "Your turn."
Mitch sighed, "Where's Mike?"
"He's talking to an electrician about making sure the generators are in order." Danny nodded at Ed's office, "You better make that call, Ed's not a fun person to be around when he's pissed."
Mitch sighed as he reached for the phone and made the call.