“Sure, coming right up.” She walked towards the bar in the middle of the casino floor.
“The drinks are free, you know. You can indulge yourself a little bit.” Ryker chuckled and hit the button on his machine.
“Free? Wow.” I blinked in surprise.
“Yep, get drunk and spend money—that’s what they want.” He turned towards me in his seat and stopped playing on his slot machine.
“I don’t know about getting drunk, but it seems like this machine is going to take money?” I leaned back and nodded. “Even if it is fun to watch it disappear.”
“What brings you to Sin City?” Ryker smiled and tilted his head. “Business or pleasure?”
“I’m just here on vacation. I won a trip for two, but my sister bailed on me, so I decided not to waste it.” I shrugged and sighed.
“Oh, you’re here alone?” Ryker’s smile got a wider.
“Yeah.” I nodded, but immediately felt a bit of concern in my stomach.
Maybe I shouldn’t have admitted that.
“Here are your drinks.” The waitress walked up with a beer and a bottle of water.
“Thank you.” I smiled and took my water.
“Appreciate it. Here—this is for you.” Ryker dropped five dollars on her tray.
Oh crap, I was probably supposed to tip. I’ll have to remember that next time.
“What’s on the agenda for your first trip to Vegas?” Ryker sipped his beer and turned back towards me.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged and twisted the top off my water. “I just got here, but I’m planning to do a couple of tours and see a few shows. I can already say that I’ve gambled, so that’s one thing off my list.”
“Yeah, this place is cool, but you should gamble on Fremont Street if you want the real experience. Plus, you can see Vegas Vic.” Ryker sipped his beer again and smiled.
“That’s the cowboy, right?” I tilted my head to the side. “The one from all the movies?”
“Yep, plus there are a few of the old casinos still down there. People say they have better luck with those machines anyway when they’re playing slots.” Ryker nodded and put his beer beside the slot machine.
“Yeah, I’ll definitely have to check that out.” I nodded and smiled. “Thank you.”
“Well, actually—my buddy and I are heading down there in a little bit if you want to see Vegas with some locals.” He motioned to the bar. “That’s Cole. He’s drinking his money away instead of gambling it.”
“I thought the drinks were free?” I raised my eyebrows inquisitively.
“They are when you’re gambling, but they make sure you lose a little money before they offer you anything.” Ryker chuckled and turned back to his slot machine. “All right, I got a few more spins before I’m done.”
The man sitting at the bar was just as attractive as Ryker. He had a similar build, with the same shredded physique and a lot of ink. I hadn’t noticed Cole before, but once Ryker pointed him out, I realized he was watching us as he sipped his drink. The voice in my head was telling me to proceed with caution, but I also heard my sister’s voice, reminding me not to ignore guys that were hitting on me. Was that what Ryker was doing? Was the invitation to go with them to Fremont Street his way of letting me know he wanted to spend more time with me? I wished I had more experience with that sort of thing.
What if this is my one opportunity to actually hang out with someone and have fun while I’m here? Do I really want to waste it? Ryker is so freaking hot—guys like him never talk to me…
“Okay, I’m tapped out.” Ryker picked up his beer and finished it.
“Yeah, it’s looking like I’m not going to walk away with any money here.” I chuckled and nodded.
“So what do you say? Want to go with us?” Ryker stood up and looked down at me.
I shouldn’t—but I’m going to.
“Yeah, sure.” I nodded and I stood up from the slot machine. “You can be my tour guide.”