Chapter 1: The Restaurant

beepBeepBeeeeep Van sprang from his bed. At first he thought it was his alarm clock. It wasn’t. He looked out his partial open window to see his friends Sam and Marsha sitting in the Jeep parked in the driveway. Sam was in the passenger seat and Marsha the driver’s. It was the first day of the last summer vacation he’d get to enjoy. Of course he wanted to sleep in, however his two best friends had other ideas. He waved to them and motioned towards the front door for two reasons, one so they would stop that annoying honking and two so he could punch Sam for waking him up.

Sam must have known what was coming because Marsha was at the door when Van opened it. She looked up at him with the sad puppy dog eyes. Van grumbled and sighed knowing he was outsmarted. He blamed it on his still foggy brain. Marsha, still with the eyes, said, “Sowwy for waking you, most kindest friend in the world, but we have big plans for the weekend and want to get a head start.” Van knew what she was talking about. He didn’t think they would be leaving before noon. He looked over Marsha to Sam who sat smiling. Van gave him the double bird and told Marsha he was going to grab his stuff.

It took Van 15 minutes to get through his morning routine and toss some clothes in his pack. Jumping into the back of the Jeep, Van accidentally swung his pack into Sam’s face. “I guess I had that coming” Sam admitted. Soon Sam, Van and Marsha were cruising down the two lane highway towards their destination. Vegas! What other way to start a summer of fun than a trip to sin city itself. The three wanted to enjoy everything Vegas had to offer. Marsha was the brains of the operation and found a killer deal on rooms for the trio. As they drove along they talked about what they each came up with to do. They would be there four days and they all looked into some of the attractions.

As they checked into the hotel, the concierge handed them each a room key. The rooms Marsha booked were three adjoining rooms. What they didn’t expect was the lavish set up. Each room had a California King bed, full bar and amazing views. There were floor to ceiling windows with remote controlled blinds and lights. With the adjoining doors opened, it was like a mini mansion. Unless one of them was getting some action, they figured they’d leave the doors open. Both Van and Sam nudged Marsha drooling over the amenities. “We can get shitfaced and not leave the room!” Marsha said.

Van tossed his bag on the bed and unzipped one of the pockets. He pulled out a giant bag of weed, turning to his friends saying, “I hope ya’ll are ready for this.” Marsha and Sam nodded with excitement. Next thing you know, the three were sitting on the wrap around balcony passing the bong and bottles back and forth. The sun was setting and the view was perfect. When they reached the right state of mind, they decided it was time to hit the strip.

They walked down the strip looking at all the flashing lights and people. Some were casual and some looked like they were coming off the stage at a strip club. Everyone looked like they were having a good time. Marsha held out her arms to stop the guys. It probably was a funny sight since both Van and Sam were at least a foot taller than Marsha’s 5’4 frame. “This is it,” she said. “What’s this?” they asked. Marsha beamed, “its balled Under the Table.” “Its supposed to be Top Chef type of food for sneaky good prices. The receptionist at my Brazilian place told me about it while we were talking about this trip.” Van looked at Marsha, “So we are taking dining advice from the lady that waxes your pussy? What could go wrong.” Marsha punched Van in the ribs drawing a fake yelp. “Anything goes this trip so why not try something new?” she added before turning towards the door.

Inside was a dimly lit restaurant with a long table lining both walls. The tables went from wall to wall with a few breaks to allow patrons entry and exit. The wait staff bustled through bringing plates of delicious looking and smelling foods to the waiting diners. The host greeted them and ushered them to their seats. Sam slid in first, followed by Marsha and then Van. Long white table cloths adorned the table with every place setting in order. Alex, Maurice, and Sarah, their servers, handed each of them a single cardboard menu, embossed with today’s meal options. Van looked his over wondering what to get. He was hungry, but wasn’t sure. He asked Alex what she recommended. Alex smiled and without hesitation said, “The Under the Table Special” and added, “We haven’t had a single patron give anything less than 5 stars.” Marsha and Sam heard the ringing endorsement too. Sam spoke up, “Then that’s what we’ll all have!” Marsha and Van shrugged in agreement. “Coming right up” the staff said in a way that can only be practiced.