Chapter 60: No Chance

I placed another $25,000 worth of chips on the table for the next hand.I was all in.

The guy in the red t-shirt beside me put out his own stack of chips, twice as big as mine.

The dealer began dealing again.

I had a King and a 7 showing - 17.

The dealer revealed her up card: a 6.

I should be doubling down, but I didn't have enough chips.

"Stand," I said.

The dealer revealed her down card: a Jack, she was up to 16.

She drew another card, a 7. Total of 23.

Bust.

+$25,000.

The dealer flashed a bright smile. "Congratulations on the win!" she said, handing me the additional 5 chips I'd won. The man in the red t-shirt beside me was also celebrating, having won $50,000.

I took a sip of my Coke and placed another $25,000 on the table for the next hand.

The dealer dealt the cards: I got a 3 and a 6, totaling 9.

The dealer's up card was a 3.

'What was it again?' I thought. 'I think I should double down.'

"Double," I said, placing another 5 chips on the table.

The woman glanced at me, then drew a card from the deck and swiftly dragged it in front of me.

Ace!

My total was 20.

The dealer revealed her down card: a 9, she was up 12.

She drew another card, a 7, giving her a total of 19.

I won again, with a 20 against the dealer's 19.

+$50,000.

I picked up my Coke can, then carefully gathered my 20 chips and slipped them into a small silver satchel provided by the casino.

I stood up from the table. There was no need to blow $50,000 of profit.

As I stood up, the gentleman in the red shirt turned to me. I hadn't noticed before, but he had a butt chin and rimmed glasses on his nose.

He extended a hand, holding out a red business card.

"You can come... if you find the time," he said, with a grin.

I took the card from him. It read:

"Party Naked Las Vegas

Lake Mountain Nude Club"

I raised an eyebrow, tucking the card into my pocket.

"Thanks, but I would rather keep my clothes on today," I said, giving him a nod and walking away.

As I was heading out of the VIP zone, my eyes caught sight of someone.

"Nicolas fucking Cage..." I muttered under my breath.

I think he was living in Las Vegas at the time so it makes sense he would be here.

I didn't disturb him or anything. I turned and made my way back to my room.

Once inside my room, I hid the satchel of chips in a cupboard, locked the door behind me and walked out of the hotel.

It was just past 4 p.m.

'A nude club... there is Capital N No, Capital C Chance. There was probably an orgy happening there right now..." I thought, 'I am feeling a bit hungry, though.'

There was this cozy, off-the-beaten-track Italian restaurant Sam and I used to frequent whenever we were in Vegas. I think it was called "Bella Notte". I remember it was very homy and they sold finger-licking pasta with marinara sauce.

I walked north for about 15 minutes from the hotel, and soon I reached the Lake of Dreams. It was an artificial lake, surrounded by lush greenery.

I continued past the lake and turned east into a narrow alleyway. I passed a Mexican restaurant and a Korean spot.

I didn't really remember these places, but the first time I visited was in 2005, so it wasn't strange.

That's when I spotted the mesquite tree I was looking for. Its wide-spreading branches, peeling bark and feathery green leaves were unmistakable.

'The Italian restaurant should be right next to it.' I thought.

I glanced at the building, expecting to see the Italian restaurant I remembered, but instead, I saw a small Chinese restaurant with a banner reading "May Bloom."

"..."

'Please tell me there was a Chinese restaurant here before the Italian place opened...' I thought, 'Don't let this be some fucked-up parallel universe or alternate reality or whatever. I'm not sure if I'm ready for this.'

I pushed open the door and stepped in cautiously.

There were deep red lanterns hanging on the walls and traditional Chinese wooden screens separated a few tables.

I could smell spicy and savory aromas and hear some people working in the kitchen.

There was no one inside except me. I was pretty sure that most of the business was takeout.

I chose one of the small tables tucked along the wall.

A moment later, a beautiful fairy appeared—a cute Chinese waitress, to be exact.

She wore a white and revealing qipao ( chinese traditional dress ) and white wrist-length gloves. Her qipao only went down to her mid-thighs, showing off her long, slim, milky legs and her deep cleavage was showing through the cutout areas of the qipao. Sёarᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Only in Vegas...

A long wooden hairpin held her elegant bun of black hair in place.

The young Chinese waitress approached my table with a confident smile and leaned in ever so slightly—on purpose, I was certain—flaunting her bossom even more.

"Welcome to May Bloom," she said, "Have you decided what you'd like to order?"

I glanced up with a smile. "I'll start with the hot and sour soup. For the main course, I'd like the spicy kung pao chicken and a side of steamed jasmine rice."

Her smile widened as she took note of my order, her gaze lingering on mine. "Excellent choices," she purred. "I'll make sure to add a little extra spice to the kung pao chicken just for you..."

"That sounds perfect. Thanks."

"Anytime," she said, her tone flirtatious. "I'll get this started right away."

The service was impressively fast. The food arrived steaming hot; it was spicy and tasted amazing.

The waitress returned, her smile as bright and attentive as ever. Her red qipao swayed gently with each step. She stopped by my table, "How was everything? Did you enjoy the food?"

I looked up at her. "Honestly, this is the best Chinese food I've ever had."

Her eyes sparkled with pride. "We're glad you liked it!"

"By the way... When did this restaurant open?" I asked.

She placed her finger on her lower lip, as if deep in thought. "Hmm, we actually just started business in May."