The Desired Effect

Merry Christmas

Christmas Day - Las Vegas, Nevada

It was midday, Christmas Day in Las Vegas but it's not like you could tell. It was scorching hot, not a cloud in the sky. Poppy had sent a message over to her parents wishing them a merry Christmas that morning. Nothing special. They were clearly not interested nor did they remotely care about her and so Poppy did what was best for her and kept things minimal. Despite the strong defensive barrier she built around herself it hurt her. They had hurt her. She instead focused on creating a new life for herself.

Just after midday, Brandon appeared outside her apartment in his truck. He already had the others and as soon as she squeezed in the back, they set off for the strip. Jake and Chris excitedly reeled off the plan on the journey as Brandon focused on the road.
"Rollercoasters and go carting to start with at Circus Circus," they proudly announced, "then some casinos, perhaps an escape room" they continued to list the endless possibilities.
"we have to see the fountains at the Bellagio" Brandon perked up at one point. Everyone agreed. After a brief discussion of order and preference the gang pulled up at a hidden parking lot around the corner from the centre of the strip, a secret spot Brandon had found.

They had decided to dress up a little seeing as it was Christmas Day and so the guys opted for smarter trousers paired with short sleeved shirts, Brandon opted for a plain tee with a shirt layered over the top. Poppy on the other hand had opted for black skinny jeans, a silver strapped top and matching silver converse high tops. They all looked fresh and stunning, a stark contrast to the usual half-arsed jeans and t shirt look they all opted for when recording.

"Let's go have some fun!" Jake announced as the 4 of them strode out confidently onto the strip. Poppy's worries soon floated away and she felt at home amongst those boys. They wandered down the strip, side by side en route to stop number one.
"Oh shit Pops, you're not 21 are you?" Jordan gasped suddenly realizing a potential flaw in the plan.
"Oh shit?" Jake also panicked having completely forgotten.
"Yeah and?" Brandon piped up, "she'll not get ID'ed, I mean all the bouncers know me" Brandon shrugged, clearly not worried about the issue. There was a pause as they tried to devise a plan.
"Well, us three won't get ID'ed, we all look at least 30" Chris laughed awkwardly while Poppy began to grow more anxious.
"We can just pretend your one of our girlfriends or something" Jordan suggested, "Yeah, we'll take it in turns" his face lit up.
"Yeah! That'll work and then if they still ask for ID we'll just make sure you go last or something and they'll probably forget or miss you" Chris added confidently.
"Yeah, they probably won't even ask, but just incase that's our plan then" Brandon confirmed, reassuring Poppy who was now laughing at the plan. With renewed ease, the quartet continued to stroll down towards Circus Circus for their first taste of Las Vegas festivities.

The special day got off to a screaming start, literally. They queued for 20 minutes to board El Loco. Everyone was excited bar Jordan who was nervously asking lots of questions and shifting from one foot to the the other.  The others did the best they could to put him at ease but it went in one ear and out the other. When they eventually boarded they managed to all fill one carriage, Brandon and Jake at the front, Chris, Poppy and Jordan behind them. When the ride eventually took off, it became clear who were the screamers and who were the silent but internally combusting type. Brandon and Chris proved to be the latter while the other 3 screamed their guts out shamelessly. The gang then piled off of the ride rather wind swept and adrenaline running high. Jake staggered off to the side and immediately threw up in the hedge, triggering the others to erupt into laughter.
"Oh shit, Jake, you alright?" Poppy questioned, sharing a look of disgust with the others.
"Yeah,  just one sec" his voice strained, then suddenly emptying his stomach into the hedge. "That's better"  he announced spinning around to us with a relieved expression.

As they then sauntered around the casino, Chris mockingly took hold of Poppy's hand and held it with deep devotion. It was hard for them to maintain their charade and Brandon struggled to maintain his composure. He couldn't pull his envious eyes away. He bit his lip and the gang continued onto the next thing. Before they left Circus Circus they were to do some go karting. Jordan and Poppy's choice. After a group photo they each climbed into their little karts and prepared for race time. It was just the 5 of them on the track so they were in their element. After 3 of the 5 races, tensions began to rise.
"You're cheating, you can't do that!" Jordan declared, frowning at Chris after the 3rd race.
"Why not?" Shrugged Chris, who had now eased his helmet back.
"You just can't" Jordan protested. The other 3 just stood back and watched the half time entertainment.
"Stop being a sore loser!" Chris laughed, before pulling his helmet back down.
"Boys, boys, boys" Poppy soothed the tension, "there's 2 more races to settle it yet" she reminded them before game faces returned they each hopped back into their tiny vehicles. Almost as if she'd planned it, she continued to win the next race, successfully shutting them all up. A proud, smug smile played on her lips.
"Did you drive at home?" Jake asked Poppy as they sauntered into a bar downstairs after their races.
"Yeah, I passed my test first time, brought my own car too at 17" she explained to him and Brandon as they found an empty table to one side of the bar. Chris and Jordan were getting the drinks in. Coke for Poppy and Brandon, lager and vodka cokes for the others.
"That's pretty cool"  Jake nodded, watching as they approached the table, clutching glasses of ice cold beverages.
"Cheers guys!" Brandon announced, holding out his glass to toast with the others.
"Merry fuckin Christmas" Jordan continued, prompting everyone to repeat and laugh in unison as their glasses clinked. Then simultaneously they all took a deep gulp of their drinks followed by a satisfied 'ahh' sound.

After a steady drink or two the contingent pressed onto the next stop, this time they wandered into a casino and gambled away a small fortune. This time Poppy's arm slipped into Jordan's. He was much taller, he towered above her so she had to reach up a little to latch onto his arm. Seeing them gel made Brandon's blood boil. He had to keep reminding himself not only were they pretending to be a couple but she also wasn't his to hold anyway. He kicked himself. To distract his mind he focused on his game. Luckily he managed to conjure up a small win, satisfying him slightly. In the meantime, Jordan taught Poppy how to play blackjack. It surprised him that casinos and gambling weren't as popular in the UK as over in the states. After a couple of practices, just as Brandon and Chris wandered by, catching an eyeful, Poppy hit it lucky. $300 in the bank. Their faces each lit up like little festive lights.
"No way!" Poppy declared enthusiastically as the croupier handed across her winnings.
"Perhaps you should ditch your job and just gamble" Chris teaser as Poppy cautiously put away her cash.
"Maybe you are the lucky gem after all" Brandon smirked watching her almost out of pride.
"Nah it was definitely a fluke" Poppy waves her hand nonchalantly as she returned her eyes to the guys.
"Shall we find Jake and go over to Caesar's" Jordan pondered, flicking his thumb in the direction of the door. Everyone nodded.
"Yeah Caesar's is much more fun" Brandon agreed before they sauntered around in hope to find Jake. They found him moments later also earning himself a small fortune of $50.

Half an hour later, after a fresh air and cigarette break, the group headed into Caesar's palace.
"Just saying but I think I should do the honors here" Brandon stepped towards Poppy, holding out his arm for her, "this place is very special to me you see" He continued, smirking as he spoke. The boys stood back and allowed him, Poppy just raised her brow and tried to stifle her giggles.
"If you say so kind sir" Poppy chuckled eventually looping her arm through his. Feeling her hand grasp his upper arm finally satisfied him, it felt good. He wondered if it felt just as good to her.
"We'll have a little wander around, do our thing and then eat shall we?" Brandon suggested, cocking his head back to the boys behind him. They nodded and replied a disjointed chorus of yeses.
"So why's this place so special Bran?" Poppy quizzed as they entered the they entered the rather grand building.
"My first ever job was here and my last 'normal' job, I've done all sorts here" he giggled, calming his jitters by running a hand over Poppy's.
"I remember you saying something about working in Vegas and that but I didn't realize how much it meant" Poppy responded, her eyes fixed on him. He suddenly seemed at home and young wandering around the glitzy, crowded halls.
"Oh for sure, I'm a real Vegas boy through and through me" he flashed his grin at Poppy like a guilty school boy.
"I can see" she beamed back admiringly.
"Hey love birds, we're going over there" their attention was grabbed by Jake who was pointing ahead to the next right, a quirky casino with good music. Brandon waved a thumbs up and then entered the room, Poppy still latched onto his arm and the boys shortly following behind.