Seduced by the moment

It was the dead hour, between Three and four am - yet the casino at Bellagio’s foyer was still alive. Alfred strolled between the slot machines – smoking, sipping bourbon, and watching folks playing and having fun. Seeing the reels spinning was interesting even though it turned rapidly to create excitement and not more. He knew that the actual result of what would appear on the pay lines had already been chosen by a random number generator determining which combination of symbols should appear in the reels. He watched gamblers winning or losing money, having a big smile or long face, but gambling was the last of Alfred’s concerns that night. His married life was at risk of having divorced, and he wanted a vacation in a vital city like Vegas to take a fateful resolution that would change his life once and forever.

Alfred passed a blond woman playing the Zeus slot machine. He stopped for a moment to look at the machine themed on the Ancient Greek God Zeus and provided an exciting, thrilling, and adventurous gaming experience. The blond woman checked him out and smiled, but he ignored her and headed to the nearby bar counter, which was crowded by people believing the night was still young.

‘In my town, the residents go to bed early. The life there is quiet and peaceful but makes me settle to a routine of work and sleep,’ Alfred thought. ‘But here in Vegas, in the Sin City, the people keep awake because their devils never sleep. Some are up all night to get some with whoever warm their bed. Some play ‘from sun up till sun up again’ to get lucky and win a jackpot. and some are only looking for good fun.’

The bartender interrupted Alfred’s thought; he took the empty glass, wiped the counter well, and asked if he wanted more drink.

“Yes, sure,” Alfred took a full breath; he was feeling like out of himself, “But may I ask something may sound silly?”

The bartender smiled; he was familiar with boozed guys who liked to chit-chat with him.

“Do you agree with me that Lucifer is much better than his reputation?”

“Of course I do, sir. Lucifer makes life sparkling,” the bartender said happily and poured bourbon, Campari, and vermouth into a mixing glass and stirred it, then strained it into a rocks glass over a large piece of ice and garnished it with an orange peel. “And to prove my statement, this good glass of bourbon Negroni is on the house,” the bartender said and raised his hand for a high-five.

Alfred’s eyes were still watching the blond woman playing the Zeus slot machine, and he noticed that she was watching him in return. A dark skin woman sitting next to him asked if he enjoyed the challenging taste of bourbon Negroni. He looked at her and guessed she was the sexiest dark-skinned woman. “Who are you?” He asked.

Her answer was simple and arrogant, “I’m the beautiful Nubian goddess, but you may call me Sara.”

Alfred eyed her up, “Oh, my goddess.” He said, taken by her beauty and the unique Sandalwood scent oozed from her body to influence the place with a distinctly exotic, sweet, creamy, smooth, and warm aroma. “It is the first time I’m in the presence of a goddess, and I would be honored to become one of your faithful worshipers.”

“I doubt. You look more a playboy than a worshiper!”

“me!”

“Yes, you. A playboy catches the women’s interest. Look at that blond lady; she’s like can’t take her eyes off you.”

“A lot of blond ladies are around tonight!” He said and took a long sip.

Sara got closer to Alfred till their hands brushed by accident, “I mean that lady in a long black dress.”

“I see,” he said, trying to control his voice and sound indifferent. “ignore her. Yes, ignore her and tell me what you like to drink?”

“It’s ok. We share this bourbon Negroni; then we go somewhere more comfortable.” Sara whispered and gave her hand the liberty to touch Alfred’s knee.

Alfred’s heart started to beat faster, and his breathing got heavier. The warm touch on his knee was too much.

“Look, she feels jealous now,” Sara said in excitement.

“Who?”

“The blond. I can read her body language from a distance. I can even feel her blood boiling like hell.”

“Why don’t we leave her in peace!” Alfred said and ordered two bourbons Negroni to gain time. The invitation to go somewhere more comfortable made him feel uneasy. The Nubian goddess was certainly smoking hot, and he was already feeling aroused. But he was here to take a fateful resolution on the future of his married life and not to fornicate with a stranger.

“Wow. Alfred, look. The blond is trying to get your attention! She invited an alfa man to have a seat next to her.”

Alfred gave the blond a dirty look.

“He’s really something,” Sara said excitedly.

“Who?”

“The man. The alfa man. He looks like an excellent leader and well-respected guy.

Alfred gave the blond another dirty look and was stunned to see her putting her arm around the alfa man’s shoulder. He stood up, picked a tissue paper, and wiped the sweat off his front head.

“Alfred, what’s going on! You’re the one who is feeling jealous now.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you are all sweaty.” Sara insisted.

Someone screamed from a distance. Alfred winced, “what happened?”

“Nothing,” Sara said and exploded in laughter. “possibly someone had won the Jackpot, that is all.”

“I see.”

“Why are you so nervous?”

“The place here. It’s warm. A barn-burner. And noisy.” Alfred said and could not take his eyes off the blond lady and the alfa man, who now were sitting shoulder to shoulder and laughing like mad.

“If it’s so, then let us go someplace else.”

“No, I’m fine,” Alfred said, and his jaw dropped down to see the blond lady and the alfa man leaving the slot machine and disappearing among the crowd. He could not be patient anymore, left Sara shocked and surprised by his attitude, and harried away.

……………………

……………………

It was hard to find the blond woman among the crowd. Alfred searched everywhere reached out to the Botanical Garden, the most memorable thing to do in Vegas. Yet, the five acres of seasonal plants, inspiring sights, sounds, scents, and colors, were the last of his interest at that moment. ‘Where’s she? Where’s she gone?’ He thought and continued his search. He checked every restaurant; Spago, Le Cirque, and others. He looked inside Sadelle’s Café continued to the shopping area, Bulgari, Chanel, Dior. And he lost heart when he ended up again at the same bar where Sara was still drinking.

“What’s going on?” Sara said, “Is it Tom can’t succeed in getting the best of Jerry?”

“Tom and Jerry!” Alfred objected.

“ Looks like.” Sara took a long sip and laughed, “Was that blond woman your Jerry?”

“No, she’s.” Alfred paused and ordered a shot of tequila. He Breathed out, licked the salt, and downed the tequila shot.

“Who’s she, for God’s sake?”

“She’s,” Alfred paused and ordered one more shot of tequila. “She’s my wife,” he downed the shot. “We’re on vacation. Yes, we are. In separate rooms.” He ordered one more tequila, “Yes, We’re -”

Sara giggled, snickered, snickered, grinned, then went on cachinnating till her eyes were full of tears. “Bravo, bravo,” she said and continued cachinnating. “So, you’re spicing your married life.

“Sort of,” He paused for a moment. “I mean, it’s the boring life in a dull town,” he ordered one more drink. “The monotony of work, eat, and sleep,” he downed the tequila in one shot. “ bore each other in bed.”

“Then!” Sara asked and placed her hands on his lap.

“Then, we had one choice; to divorce or do something crazy to bring life to our sexual relationship.”

“Good.”

“Or maybe not, “Alfred said in a hesitant tone and ordered a drink.

“Stop drinking like a fish; you’re pretty drunk.”

“I know, I know. But now I’m not sure.” He breathed heavily, “ I searched everywhere. I couldn’t find her here.”

Sara couldn’t stop herself from laughing loudly, “Of course, you won’t find her here because she’s there.”

“There! Where there?”

Sara raised her forefinger up, “there. In the alfa man’s bed.”

“No!” Alfred screamed.

“Don’t make a scene. Isn’t that what you both were looking for?”

“Yes, No, Ah, I don’t know.”

Sara let her hands start wandering around his body, touching him up here and there.

“What’re you doing?” He sighed.

“I’m feeling you up.”

Alfred’s blood got boiling up. He imagined the alfa man doing the same to his wife. The alcohol, anger, and arousal congested all in his head. Sara gave him a peck on the lips, things were pretty heating up, but he didn’t respond. His mind was jumping like a monkey in a jungle. He called back the boring time in bed with his wife, then sucked in the seduction of that moment. He almost forgot what his wife might be doing now and surrendered to the warm hands of the beautiful Nubian goddess.

Sara gave Alfred another peck and whispered, “Why, don’t we go up to your room?”

“My room!”

“Yes, to do the same as what they might be doing now?”

Alfred’s hands trembled, and his face turned white, “ who’re they?”

“Your wife and the alfa man.”

Sara’s bold statement hit a raw nerve. Alfred had shit–faced, yet he ordered bourbon on the rocks.

“Come on. What are you doing? You’re already drunk as a skunk.” Sara said in an offending tone.

“Make it double,” Alfred told the bartender.

“Fine, when you’re done with the drink, I’ll see you around,” Sara said and left him to his double bourbon on the rocks.

………………………..

………………………..

Observing what was going on, the bartender served Alfred an excellent black coffee.

“What’s this!” Alfred objected.

“It might be what you need now, that’s it.”

Alfred was confused, hungry, and tired. So, he didn’t argue. He felt that what he needed most at that moment was to be back home, dine with his wife - hamburger or hot dogs and mashed potatoes as usual- and then go to the boring bed to sleep like dead.

“Sir, why don’t you go to your room and try to sleep,” the bartender said when he found Alfred not interested in the black coffee.

“Ok, yes, maybe, I’ll do!” Alfred said.

Instead of heading to the lifts, Alfred took the wrong way to the main entrance. He got out of the hotel wanting to breathe fresh air. The sun was up, and he looked at Las Vegas lavender sky and strolled down to the Fountains of Bellagio, The icon in action and the most ambitious, complex water feature ever conceived. The Fountains were destined to romance the visitors’ senses, but nothing would make him feel better now, not even the nice and cool breaths of early December.

Alfred was not surprised to find his wife standing alone, watching how the fountains were performing in harmony with light and music. He expected that. They’d been together long enough to anticipate how far she could go. He took short steps till he stood next to her, hesitated for a moment then, asked his wife. “So, how did it go?”

“Nothing more than the seduction of the moment. What about you?”

“Likewise.”

“So, what next?”

“How about going to Maxie’s Las Vegas to eat breakfast?” Alfred suggested.

“Good, I’m hungry.”

They took their time till the water show was over and then walked down, not sure yet what could be following in the future of their married life.