FAUST 1997 "Viva Las Vegas" 9808.16 by Nytshaed. ©1998 Chaotic Works Inc. No part of the manuscript may be published, posted or reposted without explicit written permission by the Author. This story is of an Adult nature and is intended for persons over the age of 18.

As the cab pulled up in front of the Hard Rock Hotel, Nyt dug out some cash after glancing at the meter, and handed it to the driver. grabbing her duffle bag, she slipped out of the cab, and looked up at all the lights strobing and flashing overhead in the drop off area. It was only mid afternoon, and all the flashing lights were already on, waiting for the dark of night to truly come alive.

Stepping inside the doors of the hotel, she was barraged by the sound of hundreds of slot machines and other games going off in a cacophony of bells, buzzers and flashing. A second more unpleasant element also enveloped her as she made where way t through the labyrinth of one armed bandits to the lobby proper. Nevada, unlike California was a smoking state. Even though this state of the art hotel sported a magnificent air-conditioning system. It still smelled like an ashtray. Holding her breath she wandered and negotiated the narrow rows of slots until she ascended a staircase that after a few more detours took her to the check in desk.

After giving her name to the clerk, she looked around while the room information was brought up. This was definitely a happening place. She wondered where she should start.

"Here's your room key Miss Dubois. Enjoy your stay."

"Thanks, I hope I will." She said taking the card key, then stopped and returned to the desk.

"Has the other person registered to this room checked in yet?" She asked.

The girl checked the computer, then shook her head.

"Nope I don't see anyone else having arrived yet."

Inwardly, Nyt pouted and reshouldered her duffel bag.

"OK, thanks." She said heading off in search of the elevators. Reaching the 17th floor, she followed the guitar shaped signs until she found the correct wind of the hotel and then her room 1702. Sliding the key through slot, the green light came on and inside she stepped. Nyt smiled at the first glance of the room, not bad for a double. She stopped at the closet, tossing the duffel bag in, then stepped into the main part of the room.

"Greetings..." A silky voice purred off to her right.

Startled she turned to look, and there stood Rik. He was dressed in a black suit, complete with black tie, his hair of course meticulously styled, and a grin as wide as Texas on his face.

On the table beside him was a bucket of ice containing champagne, and a vase holding a dozen red roses.

"Welcome to Las Vegas..." He purred as he took a step towards the still astonished Nyt, and pulled her tightly to him. She smiled up at him.

"This is what I call room service."

"You ain't seen nothin' yet..." He said before covering her lips with his in a slow deep kiss. Nyt slid her arms around his waist, following his lead, and held him tight. Rik kissed her for a long time, framing her face in his soft hands, nipping her lips with his front teeth. After several moments, he gently broke the kiss, and smiled down at her.

"Surprised?"

"Yes! Considering they told me at the desk you hadn't arrived yet."

Rik grinned.

"My doing. I bribed them not to tell. Told them I had a surprise for you."

"Really? And this surprise is?"

"Me!"

"I like that kind of surprise." She said giving him a power squeeze.

"But wait!! There's more..." He said rotating them so she face the other side of the room and pointed. Nyt gasped.

"Oh my god!! It's beautiful..." She said letting hold of Rik and walking over to look at the marvelous dress hanging on the curtain rod. It was black, glittery, and a delight to behold. Nyt went over and touched the shimmering fabric then turned to look at him in shocked delight.

"This is amazing!!"

"Size nine right?" He asked raising his eyebrows expectantly.

"Yeah, how did you know?

Rik walked over to where she was standing, and made a circle with his hands around her at chest level.

"Thirty six, um... D.." He said then dropped the circle lower to around her waist, reducing it's size.

"Twenty seven.." He continued, then dropped his hands onto her hips in the same fashion.

"Thirty six. How'd I do?" He grinned.

Nyt was dumbstruck.

"Right on the money. That was amazing how did you do that?"

Rik nodded and looked guiltily.

"Lots of practice caressing the female form."

Nyt turned his face back to look at her.

"I'm flattered you would remember me. Shall I try it on?"

Rik nodded and looked at his watch.

"Yeah, you have time for a shower too before our dinner reservations."

"Great!" She chirped, giving him a long hungry kiss before disappearing into the bathroom.

After getting dressed, and finding the shoes he had picked out for her fit to a tee as well, they walked hand in hand down the hallway toward the elevators. Nyt turned to him as they waited for one to arrive.

"This was quite surprise." she said looking over the dress again.

"Where did you get the funds for this?"

"I sold my basses. All of them." He said without hesitation, sliding an arm around her waist.

Nyt looked over at him, shocked.

"You did WHAT?!"

Rik nodded.

"It's part of my therapy. Out with the old life, in with the new."

Nyt frowned.

"Just what sort of new life are we talking about?"

Rik bit down on his lower lip, and paused before answering her. She could tell whatever he was going to say was hard for him to do so.

"No more music. I'm changing careers."

Nyt looked up at him, shock filling her entire being.

"What?"

Rik nodded.

"Doing what I've been doing, the WAY I've been doing it has gotten me no where. It took your pal AJ and his own version of a wake up call to make me realize that. I need to improve my quality of life."

Nyt stared at him, still shocked to the core, then smiled and punched him in the stomach.

"You liar!! You're putting me on!!"

Rik's solemn expression and slow shake of his head reiterated what he had said.

"No, I'm not. I sold all of my equipment, boxed up all of the former Rik Fox memorabilia, and signed up for college."

Nyt took a step back away from him, mouth hanging slack in shock.

"Get out!"

Rik nodded.

"Yep. Gonna be a Computer Tech. I always had a thing for electrical stuff. So I figured I would go with that." He smiled at her warmly, the glint returning to his eyes and she pulled her close.

"Besides, I'm getting too old for this stuff anyway. Playing it anyhow."

Just then the elevator door opened and they stepped inside. Not wanting to discuss this in front of the other people in there, Rik squeezed her hand in his, and rode the elevator down in silence.

Sitting at dinner, Nyt pushed her plate away, and took a deep breath.

"I'm stuffed. If I eat another bite, I'll pop." She said picking up her wine glass and finishing off the merlot.

Rik nodded and pushed his plate way as well.

"I agree. Dessert?" He grinned at her.

Nyt returned the sly smile.

"Maybe later. Let's go gamble."

Rik raised his eyebrows and shook his head.

"I didn't make THAT much selling my stuff..."

Nyt smiled, and reached into her evening bag. She pulled out a black Death Records envelope, and slid it across the table at him. Rik looked at her confused, then picked up the envelope and looked inside. His blue eyes grew wide and he looked at her in shock.

"What did you do, rob a bank?"

"Nope. Just saved up my paychecks."

Rik looked at the envelope again, and fanned through the stack of one hundred dollar bills crammed in the envelope.

"Jesus, how much do they pay you to shuttle that psychopath around?"

"Enough. Wanna go play?"

Rik pushed the envelope back over to her.

"Not on your money... My sponging days are over."

"My treat."

Rik looked over at her, and shook his head slowly.

"I don't want you to pay my way."

Nyt looked at him, and smiled.

"I'm not, you're gonna win your way..."

Later, with ten thousand dollars in cash in his inner jacket pocket, and the rest banked, Nyt held onto Rik's arm as they wandered about the casino.

"Where do you wanna start?" She asked giving him a hug. Rik scratched his head and looked around at the adult Disneyland.

"I dunno. What are you good at?" He asked her.

"Skeeball." She grinned.

"Great, maybe we should head on over to Circus Circus then?"

"No, this!" She said dragging him over to a craps table.

"I like dice." She grinned pushing him up the the side of the table. Rik rested his hands on the railing, and watched the action. Nyt sidled up close beside him, looking at the rolling dice and the chips changing hands. Rik leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"This is a good way to loose a lot of money in a very short period of time..." He smiled.

"I know.... Let's play."

Twenty minutes later, the present shooter left the table, and Nyt was offered the chance to shoot.

She grinned at the stickman.

"I've never done this before so be gentle with me..."

"Virgin Lady shooter!!" He called out and immediately all the room at the table was taken up by eager bidders. Rik looked around in amazement, then at Nyt.

"You seem to be popular."

Just then she felt a light touch on her left arm. She looked over into the violet eyes of AJ. He was dressed far less formal than she and Rik, but still a cut above Rocker Chic.

"Good evening Nyt. Testing your fate with those little cubes are you?"

She smiled at him and did not look over at Rik, keeping his focus on her.

"I thought I might give it a go."

AJ reached down and took her hands in his, and kissed them.

"You are a winner. In all that you attempt, you shall succeed." He smiled, then kissed her hands again. After giving her a light kiss on the cheek, he disappeared into the casino with Jackie following behind. Nyt watched him go then looked over at Rik for his reaction. He rolled his eyes, and shook his head.

Nyt then accepted the pair of dice handed to her, and began to roll them between her palms.

"New shooter!! Place your bets!" The dealers called out, and Rik looked at her for a cue.

"Buy some chips silly."

Rik nodded, and laid out five thousand dollars. He was handed an assortment of chips, and he placed a few on the table in various areas. Nyt smiled at him and began rolling the dice. A cheer went up as lots of chips where shuttled about and Rik was given more then he had put out.

"I think you're good at this." He grinned, placing more bets. Nyt blew him a kiss and rolled the dice again. More cheers and chips came her way. This went on until twenty minutes later, she crapped out for the last time, and had to pass the dice along. Nyt shook out her fatigued arm while Rik cashed in the chips, and gave them a quick count before dropping them in his inner jacket pocket. Nyt handed him the last of the drinks she had been given, since she was beginning to feel very tipsy. Rik drank it down in one long draught, and set the empty glass on a table as he slipped his arm around her waist.

"How'd we do?" She asked now that they were away from the table.

"Well... We started at five thousand, and went up and down, up mostly, then down a lot at the end, and we finally ended up at one twenty." He whispered quietly in her ear.

Nyt frowned.

"We lost all the way down to one hundred and twenty dollars?"

Rik grinned at her.

"We lost down to one hundred twenty THOUSAND." He smirked.

Nyt's jaw dropped, and she let out a squeal as she hugged him tight.

"Are you kidding me? How much?"

Rik put a finger to his lips, and smiled.

"One hundred twenty thousand." He repeated.

Nyt swooned against him, and he caught her easily up in his arms. She looked up at him.

"Let's put some of that in the bank so we don't get rolled and go SHOPPING!!"

"Shopping for what?"

Nyt shrugged.

"Who cares?"

Rik pursed his lips as he thought and nodded.

"OK, after you..."

Across the room at the Baccarat Lounge, AJ watched the happy couple leave the casino for the cashiers window. He smiled as he fingered his own insurmountable pile of chips. He liked to share the wealth. He was already up on the house a half a million. Turning to the Barmaid bringing him his next drink he smiled, and tipped her well.