Ablaze

20

The city lights dazzlingly twinkled above me as I gaped out the passenger window of Harry's car. I could sense them shimmering in the reflection of my wide eyes as I remained enthralled, taking in the sights of the Strip.

Although I had lived in Vegas my whole life and would travel here frequently with my family, it was captivating now that I wasn't sedated.

My fingers absentmindedly drew love hearts in the fog as I breathed against the window.

In the middle of the largest one, I wrote :

H + L

This time we were in an SUV, the windows tinted so darkly no one could possibly see inside the car, keeping us concealed. The trident of the Maseratti logo was proudly displayed on the front of the car as we drove through the Strip, some people stopping briefly to watch the car past.

Harry maintained the speed limit tonight, not wanting to draw any attention to us, one hand on my thigh and the other on the wheel. Niall was in the backseat, the irritating dinging of the phone consistent as he played some sort of game at an obnoxious volume.

Louis and Liam were behind us in a similar SUV, the Maseratti logo glimmering when the city's lights reflected onto it. They were strategically driving two cars behind us, trying not to appear like we were a convoy.

The boys planned to drop me off a block away from the strip club in a gas station on the main street. They would follow me closely as I traveled to the club to ensure I got there safely and that nothing went awry before I could even arrive.

We agreed it wouldn't look right if I was dropped off at the club entrance with two luxury cars, acknowledging that it was automatically suspicious.

After I entered the club's parking lot, Liam and Louis would remain parked near the alley that led to the back of the club. Harry and Niall would be parked near the entrance, offering a swift getaway if anything went south.

Since the club was owned by Henry, I expected it to be nothing short of glamorous. He would only have the best, and the club would represent that.

Even if it was a front for trafficking and money laundering, it would look more suspicious if it was a dingy club. Henry likely funneled a lot of money into making it look legitimate.

I had never been inside anything like this, and secretly I was a little excited to see what it had in store. A small part of me was bitter, annoyed I had to experience these occurrences under such sour pretenses.

Trying not to let the sullen emotions devour me and unravel, I moved towards imagining sharing them with the friends I had made now.

Because my audition was at six, the club would likely be empty, and I prayed it was a good thing. Peak time in Vegas wasn't until after eleven, easily going into the early morning, so the club was hopefully bound to be barren.

It helped with no one recognizing me, but based on my current appearance, I was confident they would have to know me pretty well to realize who I was. The only person I could think of would be if Henry rocked up, but I highly doubted he would since it was still so early. And, given that I was dressed provocatively, it would conceivably keep their attention on my body, aiding in concealing my identity.

A long trench coat adorned my figure, keeping me concealed while I made it to the club. It was something to easily slip on and off. Although it was never cold in Vegas, even in the middle of November, only wearing lingerie during the night was sure to bring a chill.

Keeping track of the change in seasons was almost impossible Underground, the air always holding humidity. It was slowly becoming more bearable the longer I stayed down there, climatizing slowly. It also helped that they had such a robust ventilation system.