“Cold beer.”

“Cold beer.”

Katie Brekke glanced over to the poker table on her right, as she walked by, on her way to the Double Diamond slot machine.  She noticed four attractive well-dressed men, minus their suit coats, sitting at the table.  She’d bet they were probably here for a trade show or something.  That’s who she’d been encountering at dinner or at the bars, since she arrived five days ago. 

She sat down at the machine she’d claimed as hers.  It had taken a couple hundred dollars from her and had only given her some fun money in return.  Nothing to brag about yet, but tonight she was determined to play the machine till it paid out one of the jackpots.

“Cold beer.”

“Cold beer.”

The men yelled out for the umpteenth time.  She’d been at the slot machine now for over an hour and it wasn’t playing very nice.  She was now down three hundred dollars.  Katie hit the Max Bet button; and the numbers, bars, cherries and the double diamonds rolled.

A single cherry.

The machine dinged and gave her four credits.  Better than nothing.  She hit the Max Bet button and the figures rolled again. 

Two single bars and a blank.  

“Cold beer.”

“Cold beer.”

She shot the poker table an impatience look again; the men were now laughing and saluting with their bottles of beer. 

How rude, she thought.  They were so loud she wondered why security hadn’t asked them to leave. 

“Cold beer.”

This time, they called it out in unison, but still no waitress came by to give them what they wanted.  Without paying attention to the slot machine she hit the button and continued to watch the men disapprovingly. 

Her judgmental stare turned to a wistful look.  The man sitting at the end of the table had brown hair, a mustache, and a pair of gorgeous dark eyes.  Her blue eyes met his.  He then nodded dubiously and raised his bottle in a salute to her. 

Not bad for a suit, she thought.

Katie didn’t get a chance to react; because suddenly the slot machine started dinging loudly and the lights began to flash.  

Hot damn!  She’d done it.  A jackpot! 

Her heart began to pound as she tried to figure out the payout.  The machine was flashing two double diamonds and a red seven.  It wasn’t the progressive jackpot but one of the higher ones. 

Sixteen thousand eight hundred credits.

“Congratulations,” an attendant said.

“Thank you.  This is a nice surprise.”

“It sure looks like it.  Can I see your driver’s license?”

“Oh yea, right.  I wasn’t even paying attention and bam I won,” Katie said excitedly.  She pulled out her wallet and handed over her driver’s license. “Here it is, how much did I win?”

“If you look right here it shows you,” the attendant said, and pointed to the left corner.

She saw it then, the credits were displayed and sixteen thousand eight hundred dollars was flashing.

“Oh my God!  I figured about four thousand.  That can’t be right, I was only playing quarters.”

“Well, you must have changed the denomination to one dollar.”

How could she have done that?  She’d set the machine up for twenty-five cents.  Then she remembered she’d paused and quit paying attention to the machine when the men started shouting for “cold beer”. 

“Has someone brought those men over some beer?  They keep yelling out they want beer,” Katie said.

“Those men at the poker table?”  The attendant asked.

“Yea, it’s very annoying, but I guess I should thank them for the distraction.”

Katie shook her head, still in disbelief at the amount of money she’d just won. 

“Oh, those men; they really aren’t asking for beer.  It’s a code for whenever they see a beautiful woman walk by.  I’m sorry they’re distracting to you.  I’ll have someone go talk to them,” the attendant said.  The woman then talked into her head piece and requested someone to go talk to the men.

Cold beer for when they saw a pretty woman.  Now that was unique.  She looked over at the poker table and regarded the deliciously looking man at the end.  It was defiantly an unusual way to pick up women and it apparently hadn’t been working so far, because they were all still alone.

“Well, Ms. Brekke, I need you to sign this W-2G tax form and then we can give you your winnings.”

Katie signed the paper and held out her hands.  The two attendants started to count out the sixteen thousand eight hundred dollars in one hundred dollar bills.  She looked around nervously and saw people staring and crowding around. 

When they’d finished counting, it was just her and the attendants once again.  Thank goodness!  She folded the one hundred dollar bills and put them into her purse. 

As soon as the attendants left she pushed the Cash Out button.  The machine printed out a ticket for fifty-six dollars and seventy-five cents. 

Time to call it a night.

She’d come out to Las Vegas from Minnesota, for some fun, relaxation and rest.  Life had been getting too hectic.  She’d been driving her parents to and from their doctor appointments for the last year.  One of her brothers was in the middle of a very nasty divorce.  And then to make things worse, her best friend had just announced her engagement, to none other than her two timing ex-boyfriend.  She hadn’t been seeing him for over a year, but it still hurt.  Why couldn’t she be the one getting married this year?

Katie hugged her purse.  This was a good day, no, a good night, she said to herself.  The saying; what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, made her smile.  She stopped at the bar and bought a beer.

The bottle was cold in her hand when she walked towards the poker table.  As she approached, the men yelled out, “cold beer.”

Nice to know they found her attractive. 

She smiled and in a deliberated but casual movement, walked up to the man at the end of the table.  She placed the beer in front of the man and waited. 

He turned, leaned back in his chair, sipped from the beer he was holding, and looked at her with his rich brown eyes.  She inhaled quickly to catch her breath; not missing his very obvious assessment of her.  

“Cold beer.  Are you interested?”  She asked with dazzling determination.

The man’s mouth dropped open and closed.  He then smiled, looked at the other men, shrugged his shoulders, and asked, “Your room or mine?”

“Neither, we’ll get a suite for the night.”  Katie replied in a sweet and tempting tone.

The man’s astonishment was obviously genuine, as his chocolate brown eyes widened, and his eyebrows shot up in a questioning look.

 “Hi, my name is, Rick; would you care to have some dinner before we take advantage of each other?”

“Hello, Rick, my name is, Katie.  I think dinner would be nice.”

She held out her hand to him.  His hand came down over hers and the warmth from the personal contact had her feeling his sexual magnetism that made him so self-confident.  He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.  She felt a sultry glow start to flow through her and she smiled.  Then in one swift motion he was standing next to her, while his fingers stroked her hand sensually.  

“Katie, shall we take our leave?”

She nodded, at a loss for words.   He released her hand and touched her elbow lightly, urging yet protective, as they maneuvered around slot machines, flashing lights and people.  They didn’t say anything until they reached the escalator.

“I hear, The Mix, is a wonderful place to eat.  Have you been there?”  Rick asked.

“No, this is my first time to Las Vegas.  A friend recommended, The Hotel, as the place to be.  So here I am.  What about you?”

“Me?”

Katie laughed.   “Yes, you.”

When they reached the main floor, he turned to walk to the set of elevators.  She noticed when he pushed the up button he wasn’t wearing a ring. 

Thank God.  She hadn’t thought about that little issue.  

“I’m here on business; a convention.  It’s our last night, we were just relaxing.”

“Do you want to skip dinner, we could order up some room service instead?”

“Whatever you’d like, I’m here to please you, Katie.”

“If you’ll excuse me then, I’ll go get us that suite I promised.”  She tried to control her voice; he had no idea how sensuous his reply had sounded.

“Oh right, I’ll wait here for you.”

Katie left him standing by the elevators and walked to the front desk.  She slowed her steps as reality came crashing down hard on her.   What in heaven was she doing?  She didn’t do one night stands.  She didn’t even have sex on the first or second dates.  It was as if winning the money had made her a different person in a matter of minutes.  He must think she was a hooker or something.

“Can I help you?”

Katie stared at the woman behind the counter and knew then what she was going to do.  She was going to live it up for once in her life and not play it safe.

“Yes, I just won a nice jackpot and I want to get a suite for the night.”

“Congratulations.  The H Suite is available for one night only, would you like that room?”

“Yes, that sounds great.”

She gave the woman her credit card and in exchange she got the key card.

Rick Morgan watched as the drop dead gorgeous woman, with black hair, and a figure that made him want to undress her, walked away from him.   What was he doing?  Was he crazy for agreeing to a one night stand?  He hadn’t done a one night stand since his college days. 

A flicker of apprehension coursed through him, gnawing away at his confidence.  He was about to have sex with a woman he just met.  He hadn’t been out on a date in three months.  He’d given up on the dating scene since none of the women he’d been seeing, seemed to fit his idea of a soul mate. 

When the Las Vegas convention had been posted, he’d signed up right away.  He liked going to Vegas.  It was most definitely the Sin City.   Most of his colleagues liked to come for the gaming and the available women.  The stories they would tell were right out of some porn movies but that’s not why he liked to come Vegas. 

He liked to see all the shows and loved the food.  But this time he’d come in search of a woman who’d be interested in having a meaningful relationship.  Katie didn’t appear to fit the bill but he’d caught something in the tone of her voice that seemed mysterious, even a little interesting.

Then a couple of strange thoughts raced through his mind.  Hookers or escorts for the night were very easy to come by in Vegas.   What if she was a hooker and he’d just agreed to have sex for money?  If you wanted or needed companionship, you could buy it here.

Rick watched as Katie approached and knew she couldn’t be one of those women.  She wasn’t dressed like one and she now looked very nervous.

Right foot.  Left foot.  Right foot.  Left foot.  Katie made her lips turn up; wanting to seem like she was confident.  Rick was watching and waiting for her.  This was real.  She was about to have sex with a man who stood tall, with a hint of ruggedness, and a polished veneer; simply by putting a cold bottle of beer in front of him.

When she reached him, he smiled at her and his dark eyes held a secret promise of passion.  He took her hand and led her into the empty elevator. 

“What floor number?”  Rick asked.

“Forty-one.”

The moment the doors closed, he pulled her into his arms.  She didn’t resist but she did hesitantly put her arms around him. 

“Katie, I would like to kiss you.”

“And I would like you to kiss me.”

Their lips met in a soft but yielding kiss.  His tongue traced her lips, sending shivers of desire throughout her body.  When he began to explore the recesses of her mouth, she began to giggle, ending the kiss. 

“Well, that’s a first for me.  Women usually don’t find my kissing funny,” Rick said in a joking tone. 

“Sorry, you tasted like beer.”

“Do you mean cold beer?”

He laughed too and captured her lips again.  This time they were demanding but caressing on hers, leaving her mouth burning with fire.  His lips left her mouth and began to nibble her earlobe.  Katie felt his hands explore the hollows of her back; there was a dreamy intimacy to his kisses. 

She felt safe.  It was as if they’d known each other for a while.  The kiss ended and she stepped out of his arms and buried her head into his neck.  She inhaled deeply to try and gather her thoughts.  

“The attendant told me why you and your friends were saying cold beer.”  Katie blurted out, hardly aware of her own voice.

“The guy sitting next to me came up with the idea.”

Saved by the elevator doors opening, they exited hand in hand.  His hand was warm and gave Katie a comfortable feeling.   

“Rick, I’m going to be bold and tell you I find you very attractive.”

“You sure are a delight, Katie.  Most of the women I’ve been dating seem to be afraid of their own shadow, when it comes to their sexuality.  I find your candidness very captivating,” Rick said as they headed down the hall.

She stopped at room forty-one-thirty-five, slid the key, and he pushed opened the door and paused.  He pulled her forward and clasped her body tightly to his and covered her mouth in a slow and thoughtful kiss.  To her surprise he suddenly raised his mouth from hers, gazed into her eyes and asked, “Katie, are you sure you want to go through with this?  I’d understand if you told me to leave.”

Definitely a gentleman.  He’d earned a huge point in her book but it didn’t really matter.  After tonight she was never going to see him again. 

“Yes, I am.  I’m on the pill so we don’t have to worry about protection, unless you happen to have a condom on you.”

He smiled and laughed as he stepped into the room.  The door swung shut and in one swift, fluid motion, he lifted her up into his arms, and carried her into the bedroom. 

“Oh boy,” she said, as he laid her down on the king sized bed and then joined her.

They lay there looking at each other; neither saying anything.  The air became electrified with sexual tension.  He broke the silence first by reaching out to her.  He placed his hand on her cheek and caressed her lips with his thumb. 

Katie let her eyes close; enjoying the feelings he was invoking in her.  Then his lips replaced his thumb.  She kissed him back and opened her mouth to meet his tongue.  She rolled onto her back and gave him access to her body.  Soon, she felt her shirt being unbuttoned and waited in anticipation for him to claim her breasts, but it never happened. 

“Katie, you’re so beautiful.”

She couldn’t help but smile; no man had ever said those words to her. 

“You’re just saying that.”

“No, I’m not.  I was the first one to yell out cold beer when you walked by our table,” Rick admitted.

She reached up, took his face into her hands, and pulled him down so she could kiss him.  From that moment on time was lost.

He eased her lacy bra down and began to caress her breast.  She moaned softly and waited for his lips to capture her now firm nipple.  She slipped her hands up under his shirt and explored the length of his back. 

He quivered and inhaled, “Katie…”

Rick never finished, just groaned when she unzipped his pants and pushed them and his boxers down over his muscular hips and thighs.  She took his manhood into her hand and caressed the velvetiness of it, in long slow strokes. 

He pulled away suddenly, moved off the bed, and stripped naked.  Katie did the same from the bed; but never took her eyes off his broad chest and muscular magnificent body.  She was being given a gift tonight and she smiled. 

He rejoined her and male flesh met female flesh.  He began to sweetly torment her with his lustful exploration of her body.  Her impatience grew to a precarious magnitude, as his expert touch sent her to a higher level of ecstasy. 

“Rick, now!”  She cried out to him.

Her release came in a downpour of fiery and explosive sensations.  Her moment of rapture passed but his hardness electrified her again.   As they began another round; passion burned quickly within both of them.  Together they rode the tide of pure satisfaction and lay exhausted.  Neither had held anything back, both wanting to leave a lasting impression.

Katie woke up first.  She thought about leaving Rick a note but decided against it.  She didn’t owe him anything; but thanks for making the night full of the best sex she’d ever had in her life.  They’d actually made love three times and had never gotten around to ordering room service.  Her stomach growled as evidence.

She felt happy and sad at the same time, as she looked at his sleeping body; still nude and half covered by the sheet.  One night stands weren’t meant to become so emotionally involved, but somehow in the last twenty-four hours this one had. 

Quickly turning away before she decided to rejoin him, Katie snuck out of the room.  She checked the time and saw she had a little over an hour before she needed to catch the shuttle to the airport.

Once back in her own room she took her time packing.  She wrapped up the shirt she’d worn last night in a plastic bag; wanting to preserve the woodsy and earthly aroma of Rick.  She decided to keep it as a memento of her stay in Vegas.

Katie watched as the Bellagio, MGM Grand, Caesars, Luxor, the New York-New York, Aria, and Excalibur hotels vanished from site as the limo took her to the airport.  When she reached her gate, she glanced around, with a fleeting fantasy that the man who’d unexpectedly won her heart, would be there waiting for her and ask her to not to leave.  It would’ve been a long shot and she was in Vegas but the reality was; he wasn’t. 

Good thing; she wasn’t a betting kind of person, she thought.   Katie sighed; that part of her life was now over.  Time to forget him, time to move on and cross off making love to a complete stranger from her future bucket list.

“Zone three, can now board,” the gate agent announced.

She pushed herself into a standing position, straightened her shoulders, sighed, and moved to stand in line with the other passengers.

“Cold beer.”

Katie swung her head around and stared at Rick in utter disbelief; he was standing next to her, out of breath and was smiling at her.   

“Rick, what are you doing here?”

“This is my flight.”

“Your flight?”

“Yup,” he said in an amused tone.

“It’s mine too, you’re going to Minnesota?”

“Yup, we never got to talk much about ourselves last night.”

“No, we didn’t.”  She blushed, leaned in and covered his mouth hungrily in a kiss. 

“I work for 3-M.  You should’ve woke me up--I almost missed my flight.”

She smiled and stepped aside to allow the other passengers to board.  Maybe she’d changed her fate and Rick was going to be part of her future.   

“I think you still owe me a dinner.”

“And a cold beer,” Rick said.

Katie laughed, held out her hand to Rick, and they walked down the gangway to their plane and to a life of the unexpected. 

Copyright 2012, Sonia Gunter - DO NOT REPRODUCE