I'll turn in, then. " You notice I didn't ask about the errand? That was because I wanted to enjoy myself the next day. I'd find out soon enough what Eric wanted us to do. It couldn't be too bad, right? He was my lover and Pam's boss. On the other hand, he was frighteningly practical about taking care of himself. No, I told myself. He wouldn't risk both of us. At the same time. "Good night, Sookie. " She gave me a cold kiss on the cheek.
Chapter Two
"Have a good time, " I said faintly. She smiled, happy at having startled me. "I plan on it. There are plenty of us here. I'll go . . . Network. " Pam would always rather hang with her own kind than grub around with "breathers. " It took me all of ten minutes to unpack and get ready for bed. I crawled in. It was a king, and I felt lost in the middle of it. It would be more fun if Eric were here. I pushed the thought away and turned on the television. I could watch a movie on pay-per-view, I discovered. But if I paid specially for a movie, I'd feel obliged to stay up. Instead, I found an old Western that I followed for maybe half an hour until my eyes wouldn't stay open anymore. About ten the next day, I was eating a wonderful breakfast at a buffet that was as long as the Merlotte's building. I had sausage and biscuits and gravy, and some chopped fruit so I could say I'd eaten something healthy. I also drank three cups of excellent coffee. This was a great way to start the day, and no dishes to do afterward. That was the kind of vacation I could appreciate.
I retreated to my room to brush my teeth, and then I went outside to catch the bus. The sky was overcast, and the temperature was as unnaturally warm as it had been the day before. One of the valet-parking attendants told me where the shuttle bus would pick me up to take me to the other casinos, and I waited for it with a stout couple from Dyersburg, Tennessee, who had cornered the market on chattiness. They'd won some money the night before, their son was going to the University of Memphis, they were Baptists but their pastor liked to visit the boats (all the casinos were theoretically boats, since casinos couldn't be built on solid land) so that made a little gambling okay. Since I was young and alone, these two decided I was applying for a job at the casinos.
They assured me someone as young and perky and pretty as me would have no trouble. "Now, don't you go to that bad place north of here!" the woman said, with mock admonishment. "What place would that be?" "Henry, close your ears, " she told her husband. Henry good- naturedly pretended to hold his hands over his ears. "There's what's called a gentleman's club up there, " she said in a stage whisper. "Though what someone calling himself a gentleman would be doing there, I don't know. " I didn't say that I was pretty sure real gentlemen had sex urges, too, because I understood what she meant. "So it's a strip club?" Mrs. Dyersburg said, "My Lord, I don't know what all goes on in a place like that.
I won't ever see the inside of one, you can bet. Listen, our oldest son is twenty-four, and he's single, got a good job. You dating anyone?" Then, thank God, the bus came. Whatever casino the Dyersburgs chose, I'd pick another one. Luckily, they got off pretty quickly, so I waited to disembark at Bally's. I went in, to be assaulted by the newly familiar chiming and clicking of slot machines. I saw a sign for a huge buffet. I got a discount coupon immediately from a smiling older woman with elaborate brown hair and lots of gold jewelry. There were three restaurants in Bally's, and I could eat till I popped at any one of them, according to the material on the coupon. I wondered how much of an appetite I could work up playing a slot machine. Out of sheer curiosity I walked over to an empty machine, looked at it carefully while I worked out what to do, fed it one of my hard-earned dollars, and pulled the lever. There, I felt