Chapter 7 

After settling ourselves into the suite - which really consisted of two, two bedroomed suites with a joining door between to make it one huge suite – we decided it was time to glam up and head on out.  Even though we’d had a long flight and had been up even longer, there was no way we were giving in and going to bed just yet, not in the city which never sleeps! 

There were four bathrooms so we could all get ready at the same time, something we weren’t usually used to when we had our girly weekends away back home. 

Half an hour later and we were deciding what to wear, all of us gathering in one room to advise each other on what to wear.  Jess’s pregnancy was hardly showing yet, so she could still wear all her usual stunning clothes, much to her delight. 

We sipped on champagne which I’d had sent up, Jess allowing herself half a glass and then drinking orange juice, whilst we downed the bottle and made a start on another. 

“Well girls, we all look gorgeous, are we ready to get out there and hit the town?” Izzy asked as she carefully studied herself in the mirror one last time. 

“Come on, let’s go” I said “we’ve got some serious gambling to do” 

“Erm, can we eat first?” asked Jess “I’m gonna pass out with hunger otherwise” 

“Of course” we all agreed and left the suite, again marveling at it’s luxury as we closed the door and descended in the lift. 

There was so much choice of restaurants, and that was just in the Bellagio.  We could’ve had anything from a snack to a full on gourmet experience.  We left it to Jess to decide, the rest of us weren’t fussy. 

“Hmm, so much choice according to the hotel brochure, but what I really fancy is Chinese, do you mind?” she asked “we don’t need a reservation and it’s near the bar and casino too” 

“Sounds perfect” I said and we headed towards ‘Noodles’ as it was called. 

A little while later we were tucking in to exquisite Asian cuisine, so much better than the grease soaked food which was served back in the grotty little takeaway around the corner from my place at home. 

“My god, this is gorgeous, I could just eat and eat and eat” I said 

“Mmmm, me too” everyone else replied as we washed our meals down with cocktails (non-alcoholic for Jess). 

I took care of the bill and then we took a wander around the casino, sussing it out and deciding what we wanted to play first.  

“Do we want to play the slot machines or the tables?” I asked “or both?” 

“Well, I have no idea how to play the table games” Jess replied “and I am kind of wiped out.  Do you mind if I just head up to bed?  It’s been such a long day” 

“Of course we don’t mind.  Are you sure you’ll be OK?” I asked 

“Yeah, I just don’t have the go in me at the moment” she said, rubbing her hand over her almost non-existent bump and yawning “I’ll see you all in the morning, have fun” 

We made sure she got to the elevator OK and said goodnight, then turned our attention back to the casino. 

“I quite fancy slots” said Chloe “always wanted to have a go on those ones with the high pay outs, like in the movies” 

“OK, well here you go” I said handing out a couple of hundred dollars to each of them. 

“Steph?  You can’t go wasting money on us” they both said. 

“Hey, remember one of the items off my list?  The one about blowing a fortune in a single night?  Well, I think this could be that night, so make the most of it.  There is more where this comes from, OK” I said with a smile.  “Now, let’s go and spend it” 

Chloe walked off in the direction of the slots, saying she’d come and find us later.  We didn’t agree on a time, but we all had our phones on us and we were all knew where we were going to be. 

“So, what table game shall we try first?  Blackjack or roulette?” Izzy asked 

“Hmm, I’m thinking roulette” I said “come on” 

We had absolutely no idea what we were doing, and I soon lost a couple of hundred dollars, but it was so much fun. 

“Blackjack?” I said 

“Yeah, come on, maybe we’ll be luckier there” replied Izzy. 

We approached a table that had a few people around it already, all men, they were well dressed and it wasn’t until we took our places at the table that we actually got to see who we’d be up against.  Oh my god, oh my fucking god.  We were only sitting here at a blackjack table with none other than Nick Carter, AJ McLean, Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Jason Orange. 

“Oh my god” Izzy whispered to me “some of Take That and some of the Backstreet Boys.  Could we be any luckier?” 

“I know” I almost squealed.  It was no secret from my friends that I had a huge crush on Jason Orange, had done since I was a teenager.  But to see him here, of all places, and with the hotness that was Nick Carter too, it was just too much to take in.  I wondered what they were doing here together?