VIVA LAS VEGAS - 1 ENGLISH EDITION

VIVA LAS VEGAS-1/41

When I met Jenny downtown the day after, I was happy to see her again.

„Do you want to grab a burger and French Fries?", she asked happily.

„Of course!", I answered.

Shortly after we entered Pete's Diner, a little restaurant that was designed like a 50's diner. It was rather new in town and I heard that they had the best burgers.

Inside the restaurant it felt indeed like we had gone back to the 50's. The floor looked like a chessboard and there were red colored seating booths. The jukebox in the corner played the old rock'n roll hits. This little diner was beautiful and cozy and I was looking forward to spending time with my best friend Jenny. But I was still thinking about what she had told me about her dream:

„You wrote something about a dream, right? We were in Las Vegas?", I asked curiously.

Jenny nodded: „I don't know that much anymore. This dream was so funny. We worked together in one of these gigantic hotels, you know these really big ones."

I felt my heart beating faster: „We were working together? That sounds funny indeed. What job did we have?"

Jenny chuckled: „I cannot remember exactly. But one thing I recall is that we were wearing weired outfits, costumes. That's all I remember."

„Costumes?", I was getting more and more excited. Could it be possible that Jenny had the exact same dream? „What kind of costumes?", I asked while I felt my heart beating faster and faster.

„Hey, is that an interrogation?", she sounded a little upset while she was waving at the waiter for the third time but he didn't react at all.

When she tried again but the waiter still didn't come to our table, she pounded. „Let me think about it. I remember that there was a lot of glitter and we were wearing funny feathers on our heads."

„These costumes, were they like Las Vegas Show Girls used to wear?"

„Yes!", Jenny clicked her fingers, „They were very opulent, the style of the 50s and 60s. But how did you know that?"

„Just a thought that came into my mind. In your dream, did you meet Elvis Presley?", I noticed that I was quite nervous.

Jenny laughed and shook her head: „Noooo! I would remember this one.", she waved at the waiter again, „Finally!", she sighed when the young man came to our table.

„What can I get you, ladies?"

I already was studying the menu. It was weired. I had so much wanted to eat a big, fat burger but now I realized that my stomach felt unwell again. I decided to take a soup instead.

„I'd like to have a vegetable s....", when I looked at the waiter, I startled. That could not be possible!, "Charly?"

„Do I know you?", the waiter looked surprised, „This must be a misunderstanding. My name is Tom."

I starred at him with disbelief. I could had sworn that I just had been looking into Charly's face, Elvis' bodyguard from my dream.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment. When I opened them again, I still would had sworn that this man was Charly. I remembered the night when he had knocked at my door after Elvis had fired him. It was the night I almost lost Elvis. Suddenly a cold shiver ran down my spine. It all felt so near, so real. Why did this dream still haunt me?

„My apologies, I thought you were somebody else."

„Such things happen.", Tom the waiter smiled shyly.

When we had completed our order, Jenny took my hand: "What was this all about? You look quite distressed and pale. What's wrong with you? Are you sick?"

„I don't know. I don't feel well."

„Who the hell is Charly?", Jenny kept on asking questions.

„Oh, he is an old friend, a former classmate. The waiter just looks like him.", I tried to explain. Somehow I still didn't manage to tell Jenny about the dream.

„I've got news!", suddenly she interrupted my thoughts. She seemed to be quite impatient while she obviously couldn't sit still.

"Really? What is it?", Jenny made me curious. Her face went red and there was a big smile all over her face.

„I met somebody.", her eyes shined like two head lamps in the dark.

„You are kidding! Who is it? What does he look like? Where did you meet him?", I was happy for Jenny. She had been a single for a long time and I knew that she desperately wanted a new partner at her side.

Then suddenly everything from my dream came back into my mind: Jenny's injured face when she cried at my shoulder and told me about Jerry's attack. All of a sudden I feared that her new boyfriend might hurt her, too. I wanted to meet the guy to be sure that Jenny wasn't in danger. I still wasn't able to make myself clear that all this had been a bad dream, nothing more. However I asked Jenny to introduce me to him. She agreed and she seemed to be so happy. I really wanted to show her how happy I was for her but every minute I felt worse.

„You definitely aren't okay!", Jenny stated, „You should see a doctor. You look awful."

„Oh, thank you for the compliment!", she made me laugh, „But you are right. I will go and see the doctor first thing tomorrow."

Jenny nodded and we continued eating. The hot soup made me feel much better. „Probably I just needed something to eat.", I thought and continued enjoying the time with Jenny at the diner.

The jukebox in the corner played the next song. I choked on the soup when I suddenly heard Elvis' voice. The jukebox played "Blue Suede Shoes!". A weired feeling took control over my body and suddenly it felt like Elvis was standing right behind me. I could even smell his irresistible scent. I turned around but there wasn't anybody. However I could had sworn that something just had been touching my shoulder. When the song was over and the door at the diner opened, the feeling suddenly was gone. I tried to concentrate on what Jenny was saying but I wasn't able to get rid of that strange feeling. It was unreal but somehow it felt that I had taken a part of Elvis from my dream with me into my real life. At this moment I still had no clue what a surprise was already waiting for me.

-to be continued-