It was at last D-Day. David Field was at Vegas airport awaiting his club members’ arrivals. Tanya was the first to arrive from Venezuela. David decided that it was best for them to grab a coffee outside the airport whiles waiting for the other members to arrive. It was clear the others were traveling from rather far countries and would not arrive till evening or even the next day.
David finally suggested that they went back to his penthouse to play pool. He advised Tanya to be on her best behavior as he had hired security men and home staff to cook and clean up for them.
It was quite fun at the penthouse – it wasn’t far from the beach. Tanya spent most of the time talking to one of the female house cleaners at the penthouse. It was at last nightfall and David and Tanya quickly made their way back to the airport. To their greatest surprise Rencis had already arrived from Sydney way before they had reached the airport. David grinned enthusiastically at Rencis whom eagerly shook hands with them all. Rencis was a real sport – he seemed rather down to earth and very chatty with Tanya.
After a few minutes Liselotte, Danny and Anna arrived from London and Amsterdam. There was just one more person left that had not arrived. This made Danny’s heart race a bit, because Rochelle was one of the members he had not seen during the video chat that had taken place way before.
Anna moved towards David and patted him on the back gently.
“Relax David. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed. Fingers crossed everyone,” Anna insisted in her vibrant German accent. Each member at the airport crossed their fingers including David – the owner of the club.
Just at that moment, Rochelle arrived from Beirut. David felt his heart suddenly melting at the sight of Rochelle with her long dark brown hair and big eyes. She did not look as messed up as he had thought she might look. Liselotte decided to cut into David’s transfixed gaze on Rochelle.
“Okay calm down y’all. My father arranged for a chauffer to pick us all up from the airport to take us to the Plaza hotel. You will all be sleeping in shared rooms because we could only book four available rooms with two separate beds included in each room – relax. Start pairing up right now. I think I’m taking a liking to Tanya already, sorry boys. Tanya would you mind sharing a room with me?” Liselotte asked Tanya hopefully. Tanya nodded her head casually in response and in agreement.
Rencis quickly moved towards Danny to ask him to be his room mate. This left Anna and Rochelle with no other choice but to pair up.
They were all on their way to enter the limousine that Liselotte’s father had booked to pick them all up in, when Danny suddenly vomited all over the pavement outside. He quickly cleared his throat before attempting to apologize to his fellow club members.
“Sorry guys. I just hate flying. It always gives me this feeling of knots in my stomach. I’m on a lot of medication as well – not only to stop me from self harming but to help me out with my vertigo,” Danny said apologetically. David shook his head sadly.
“What are you on Danny?” David inquired quietly. Danny smiled faintly at David with a tear suddenly rolling down his left eye.
“I’m on a lot, men. I have to take zopiclone for my insomnia, sulpiride to stop me from self harming and antihistamines for my vertigo. My therapist believes I might have agoraphobia which might be causing the vertigo,” Danny replied sadly. Anna reached out to pat Danny.
“You are going through too much for a teenager. You are only sixteen, you shouldn’t be on all that medication. Listen we are all here to have fun and go back to our own lives knowing that there will soon be a better tomorrow,” Anna said kindly and in an assuring tone. Each member of the club shook their heads solemnly in agreement. David also moved towards Danny and patted him on the back.
“We are all here to have fun like Anna said but the reason for this club is not just to get to know each other but to help each other as well,” David spoke out heartily in a trusting manner.
It was almost midnight when they all arrived at the Plaza hotel. Tanya reminded David that all her luggage were still back at his penthouse. David therefore decided they all went back to his penthouse to chill out for a while and later return to the hotel to get some sleep.
When the club members reached David’s penthouse they were all quite taken aback besides Tanya. Liselotte kept touching the walls within the grand penthouse.
“You must be loaded David. How on earth can you afford a place like this? I don’t even think I could afford to rent a place like this for a week, whew!” Liselotte cried out almost in disbelief. David pretended as if he had not heard what Liselotte had said and quickly ushered them all to a dining room.
It wasn’t long when they were all sitting in a dining area having a well cooked meal by a chef that David had hired.
“So Rencis, on your profile page you mentioned a daily routine of smoking hashish with your friends? How do you feel being on vacation with nothing to smoke?” David questioned at the dining table.
Laughter suddenly filled the room and most of the members suddenly had flushed faces and turned to look at Rencis quietly. Rencis thought silently for a few seconds, before attempting to speak.
“I feel fine. Is that why you changed the club name to narcotics club?” Rencis asked in reply. David picked up his glass of fruit juice and gulped down all its contents.
“No Rencis. I realized that most of the profile pages had some pretty addictive behaviors. This made me decide to change the name of the club. I am just wondering if anyone else in this room has a secret they did not want to mention on their profile page?” David suddenly asked out of curiosity. He helped himself to some of the guacamole he had placed on the table himself with garlic bread and watched his members anxiously as they finished eating the meal that his house servants had placed on the table.
Anna turned her gaze towards Danny with a vague expression on her face.
“I used to snort cocaine with my boyfriend but I stopped since he was imprisoned for manslaughter,” Anna confessed shyly. Rochelle let out a massive gasp.
“Cocaine? You are worse than me. I used to suck on ecstasy with my friends. We all suck on one pill when we go clubbing. I just suck a bit of the pill and pass it on to another friend by mouth,” Rochelle suddenly let out. David looked at Rochelle in disgust. Then he poured some more fruit juice into his empty glass before considering responding to Rochelle’s comment on her atrocious lifestyle.
“That is so grotesque and unhygienic. I hope none of your friends have any ailments. You shouldn’t be sharing a pill with anyone, Rochelle. I sometimes smoke grass with my friends at my own private night club. No hullabaloo there,” David grunted out. He was still slightly disgusted as to Rochelle’s confession. Danny’s head suddenly started trembling.
“I used to smoke grass as well and I think Liselotte must have mentioned on her profile as to how she’s quite addicted to sniffing glue with her boyfriend,” Danny said trying to sound as stable as possible.
Everyone besides David at the table nodded their heads sadly. Tanya eyed the way David kept pouring fruit juice into his glass.
“I don’t want to sound like such a narcotic but why have you placed fruit juice on the table for us all to drink. I’m eighteen years old and I’d rather drink a glass of wine at this time of the night than a glass of fruit juice. I’m practically a matured adult not a child!” Tanya specified, making a childish face after speaking. David sighed and laughed at the face that Tanya made. It was clear she was mocking his so-called childish behavior.
“Calm down Tanya. I personally have this notion that fizz in drinks causes an increase to hyperactive behavior and same with alcohol. Therefore, for tonight I suggest we all sip on some fruit juice and get a good night’s sleep. I don’t see why there should be any complaints. We are all clearly young adults. Liselotte is the youngest but she will soon be sixteen,” David spoke out wisely in reply.
This caused Tanya to respond to David with another childish facial expression. All the other members at the table laughed and David decided to call it a night. He felt rather reluctant having to stay at a hotel with a group of people he still did not know much about but for the sake of politeness he followed the six members of his club back to the Plaza hotel.
It was slightly past midnight when the club members arrived at the Plaza. Tanya had managed to pick up her luggage from David’s penthouse and was ready to unpack.
David felt dreadfully exhausted and even though quite reluctant to spend a night at the hotel, he decided to be a bit daring and do something he had never done before in his life. It did not seem that spectacular but then Liselotte’s father must have booked the cheapest rooms at the Plaza hotel, David thought.
As David lay down to sleep, a little guilt overcame him. How could the son of a multibillionaire be sleeping in a room at someone else’s expense. He swore to himself that one day he would find a way to repay Liselotte for her kindness and the other members, for traveling all the way from their own countries at their own expense just to meet up for his club idea.
David was about to drift off into a deep sleep when he heard what sounded like a young woman yelling for help, right outside his hotel door. David quickly rushed out of his hotel room. It was clear the other club members sleeping in nearby rooms had also heard the scream because they all came rushing out of their rooms to the hotel corridor.
The screaming had stopped by now and a mellow sob could be heard faintly coming from a room not so far from where the club members were. David motioned to the club members to move closer to him.
“I think we’d better find out what is going on in that room. The lady we heard screaming might need our help,” David suggested. Anna shook her head fearfully.
“I think we should all mind our own business and go back to sleep,” Anna insisted whispering out as loudly as she could. David was reluctant to head back to his hotel room. He wanted to find out who had let out the shrill scream and was keen to save whomever it was. He quickly made his way towards the room in which he thought the scream had come from. He rapped confidently on the door of the supposed victim and the culprit that had let out the loud scream.
To David’s surprise, the man that opened the hotel room door was no stranger to him at all. It was Marvin, a friend of one of David’s schoolmates. David shook his head in disbelief.
“I thought I heard a scream. Is everything okay?” David asked in the most polite manner that he knew. Marvin shook his head, appearing not to have remembered ever meeting David. Before he could even attempt slamming the door on David, a girl had rushed to the door sobbing and struggling to get out of the hotel room. Marvin was clearly reluctant to step away from the door to allow the girl to escape from the hotel room. David recognized the girl instantly – it was his schoolmate Lia.
“Oh heck no! You bastard! What have you done to her?” David cried out. Lia had bruises all over her face and deep scars all over her arms. Marvin took a deep breath in.
“It’s none of your business. We are conducting a satanic ritual,” Marvin replied saintly in a joking manner with a big smirk on his face.
David took a deep breath in and punched Marvin on the face. This didn’t help because Marvin was still standing in the doorway making it impossible for Lia to get out. Lia’s whole body appeared to be trembling.
“Help me David, he is a liar! David please help me!” Lia cried out in despair.
Marvin suddenly slammed the door on David’s face and yelled out from behind the door that it was none of his business. Danny was suddenly angered as to what he had seen and rushed towards the door and started slamming his body against it in attempt to break it down. Anna shook her head in disappointment.
“This is pointless. Danny stop it! Stop slamming yourself against the door – you don’t even know them. You need to take your medication! Tanya, please go and call the cops on them. I’m tired. Come on Danny,” Anna insisted. She appeared to be quite disturbed as to what she had seen. All the other members stood back in shock. They had never seen anyone look so messed up and wasted like Lia had appeared to be.
Tanya quickly went back towards her room to report the incident. The other club members made their way back to their rooms, clearly quite exhausted.
When the police officers arrived, Tanya and David came out of their hotel rooms to report the incident that had occurred. Marvin came out of his hotel room with a clean looking Lia and started chatting in Spanish with one of the officers. David stood back in dismay and before they knew it the police were gone.
Lia had claimed a glass had broken and she had accidentally slipped down on the floor and slit her wrist. She made it clear that there were no charges to be pressed against her fiancé.
David was quite surprised as to Lia’s sudden overprotective behavior over Marvin and apologized to Tanya for the unexpected result.
The next morning David and his club members all planned as to how they would like to spend their vacation week. Rencis insisted they all went surfing and then horse riding on Tuesday. Liselotte then mentioned something about spending the day at an Arcade on Wednesday and discussing the essence of the club and perhaps coming up with rules. Then Tanya mentioned visiting a few public museums and going for rides at an amusement park on Thursday. Last but not least was Rochelle who insisted they all went clubbing on Friday night but first and foremost spend the day at a funfair because she had to fly back home on Saturday night. The others nodded their heads in agreement that they also had flights to catch on Saturday afternoon and evening.
David decided since it was Monday, he could perhaps take them all out to town and show them how to really eat at Vegas. However before going out to town, he thought it best they all left for his penthouse to discuss the notion and the rules of the club.
All the club members sighed besides David, they didn’t seem that keen to return to David’s penthouse. Anna was the first to protest.
“I’ve never been to Vegas in my life. I didn’t come all the way from Hamburg to spend time indoors. I’m sure other members might not have been to Vegas either. Give us a break! At least let us explore the Plaza hotel and see what it has to offer before we go to your penthouse! Today is just Monday, you said we should spend the day eating out. I hope it’s not at our own expense because it wasn’t anyone else’s idea,” Anna complained. David gleamed at Anna impishly.
“Fair enough, the eating out is on me but all the other vacation ideas after today is on the people that suggested it. I assumed we’d all be paying for ourselves in regards to each idea. That would save a lot of money, wouldn’t it?” David implied sternly but questioningly. A few members of the club grunted. Anna looked dubiously into David’s eyes.
“Okay you win. Perhaps it would be best if we moved in pairs when it comes to expenditure. That way there will be enough to do other things that might be fun. Perhaps we could go to a rock concert later on this evening,” Anna quickly suggested.
The other members nodded their heads and insisted they all rushed for a big breakfast at the Plaza hotel. After breakfast they all roamed around the Plaza trying to find something worth doing. It was a rather dull place to be – the only thing that seemed appealing was the massive swimming pool and the children’s games room.
Anna jumped into the swimming pool along with David. They were the only people that seemed keen on swimming. Liselotte and Danny opted for the children’s games room whiles Tanya, Rencis and Rochelle decided to go out to town to get a few essentials.
It wasn’t till midday when they all met back at the Plaza hotel lounge. They were all already dressed for the evening rock concert in town. David looked at his club members with appreciation.
“Okay, let’s all head back to my penthouse to discuss the club rules. After that we can all go out to town and eat more than we can handle before the evening concert,” David insisted. Each club member nodded their heads and got ready to go to David’s penthouse.
Finally at David’s penthouse, David handed each member an identity card and club specifications, rules and regulations. Anna shook her head in disbelief whiles reading the rules that David had put down.
“No member is allowed to date another member, without the owner’s permission? This is ridiculous. My boyfriend is in prison, I was hoping I would get a replacement through this club?” Anna practically yelled out. Danny patted Anna on her back.
“Relax. Most of us are already in committed relationships anyway,” Danny said with a slight chuckle. Rochelle shook her head sadly in agreement to what Danny said.
“There is something else that seems a bit out of order. We all have to try each other’s chosen narcotic of interest? Liselotte is only fifteen, she is too young to take part in this and personally I don’t think I’m that keen on sniffing cocaine. That is what Anna used to do with her boyfriend and I don’t think my body can handle such a substance,” Rochelle complained angrily. David took a deep breath in and cleared his throat before attempting to speak.
“Relax. We will just be trying a tiny bit of what each member likes but remember we will only be doing this during summer vacations,” David implied. All the club members nodded their heads quietly. Tanya smiled keenly at David but seemed a bit hesitant as to his idea.
“I like the dress code that you put down – navy blue. How cool is that, I hope you are getting us these outfits at your own expense. You are the group owner after all,” Tanya said quietly. Rencis suddenly shook his head in disagreement.
“We are the members, Tanya. It’s only fair we contribute to the stated dress code. I also like the last two rules. One of them states that we all meet at any possible available time during vacations or available holidays at David’s penthouse in Vegas. Then for the last rule which clearly states that at whatever distance we are all at – we will all try to help each other out in whichever crisis or situation we might ever have to face in the near future,” Rencis read out loudly and cheerfully.
A tear suddenly rolled down Anna’s cheek and Liselotte suddenly clutched hold of Anna’s right hand for support. Anna gasped for breath in David’s penthouse lounge.
“I don’t know where to start but I do need a new job to sort out my bills and my schooling,” Anna cried out in despair. Liselotte looked at Anna quietly.
“I don’t live that far from Germany – maybe you can move to the Netherlands. My father can get you a job at a hotel and help you to finish your schooling in the Netherlands. What happened to your inheritance?” Liselotte suddenly asked. She was quite astounded as to hearing the daughter of a German politician crying out for help. Anna pulled Liselotte’s clutch away from her right hand and took another breath in.
“My father died about a year ago. All his inheritance went to his step brother, after police found cocaine in the apartment that my boyfriend and I were staying at. My mother is part Serbian, part German, so she went back to Serbia because the disgrace was too much to bear. I chose to stay in Hamburg to fight for my boyfriend’s release,” Anna explained bravely to them all. David shook his head sadly.
“You had every right to your father’s inheritance and you were not allowed a cent of it. I can help you. I have a lawyer that can help you get some of that inheritance back. Anyone else have any problems to let out before we go out?” David asked his few club members.
About three members raised their hands to speak. It was Danny, Rencis and Tanya. It was clear Rochelle had no problems. David pointed his index finger towards Tanya. Tanya smiled anxiously.
“I’m not a low down person but before I run away from home, I knew my father was a garbage collector in Caracas. Now I’m a lot older and I want to find my father and tell him I’m okay. I’m married now to my partner that has taken care of me since I run away. My partner is such a nice guy and I want to introduce him to my father,” Tanya said hopefully. David smiled back at Tanya and then pointed his index finger towards Rencis to speak. Rencis smiled coyly before attempting to speak.
“Hey everyone. I don’t really have a sad story to tell besides the fact that my family are already loaded and I am having a hard time pursuing my lifelong dream in becoming an actor,” Rencis admitted anxiously but hopeful that David would find a way for him. Before David could reply to the problems that he had heard, Danny suddenly spoke out.
“Sorry, I forgot to raise my hand up again. Rencis don’t worry, my father is a film producer in London. He is always looking for new talent. I can introduce you to a few of my father’s colleagues but you’d have to consider moving to London for a while. Perhaps you could apply for a university in London and study acting at the same time. I also have problems. Its agoraphobia and a low self esteem,” Danny let out sadly. David shook his head sadly in response to what Danny had stated.
“Everyone has stated their problems besides Rochelle. I know Liselotte is just a kid with no worries but Rochelle why didn’t you raise your hand up?” David asked Rochelle out of curiosity.
Rochelle had an amused look on her face and seemed quite taken aback as to the stories that the other members had quietly confessed.
“The only reason why I joined the narcotics club was to gain more knowledge on boys and men. I’ve never really had a boyfriend and there is this guy that lives in my area in Beirut that I really like. He is part Irish, part Lebanese and he always looks out for me. I don’t know how to approach him to tell him that I really like him and I want us to go steady,” Rochelle said enthusiastically and hopeful that she would get a positive reply from the club owner.
David thought carefully and after a few seconds decided to advise them all as to how their problems could be resolved.
“I’m quite saddened by some of the brief life stories I’ve heard so far. I hope we can all become very good friends one day. Danny we need to look at other herbal remedies that can help you out with your situation. Tanya, I’ll be sure to speak to my lawyer and make sure they find an agent that can help you out in finding your actual father. As for Rochelle, I don’t know what to say. I’m a guy and if a girl liked me, I’d like her to confront me about it because it might be possible that I might also like that girl. So please don’t feel shy about confronting the guy you like. You never know, he might have the same feelings for you too. As for Rencis, the key to his life long dream is sitting right here – same with Anna. Liselotte and I are in the same boat for now. We haven’t confessed anything yet. Perhaps our situation is not that serious. As for the rest of you, you all reached out for help and you shall all acquire the help that you need!” David said in an assuring manner as he jotted down the situations that had to be resolved in a little notebook he held in his left hand.
There was a bowl of chocolate and pistachio coated doughnuts that had been placed on a table in the lounge that no one had bothered to touch. David quickly moved towards the bowl of doughnuts and helped himself to a few.
After the club meeting, they all headed out to town to buy a few items. David insisted they split in pairs and when it was way past midday they all met up at a café and planned the perfect all- you-can-eat restaurant they could march to.
Danny and Tanya seemed more keen on going to an ice- cream parlor. Whiles Rencis, Tanya, Rochelle and Liselotte were set on going to a pizza hut. David was game for an all-you-can- eat Burger joint that he knew of downtown.
Eventually they all agreed to visit each place of interest. First and foremost was the pizza hut. They played a game of who could eat the most pizzas that they ordered and then they made their way to the ice-cream parlor. Various ice-creams and sundaes were ordered at that parlor which was great fun because they all got to try what they had each ordered.
After that was the Burger joint – there was some light entertainment going on at the Burger joint and most of David’s club members complained that they could not eat anymore. Tanya was up for grabs and seemed to still have a little appetite – she gulped down the Chicago-style burger she ordered and downed a glass of Manhattan cocktail. Then they ordered some vermouths but Liselotte was the only one that was denied a glass of the flavored wine.
Liselotte was way too young to drink, was what the waitress at the Burger joint implied after checking all their identity cards. Instead the waitress suggested that a glass of shandy would be more suitable for the fifteen year old.
“Don’t drink too much kids. Alcohol can also kill,” the waitress told them chirpily and then made her way to serve other customers seated at the Burger joint.
It was soon evening and David and his club members had a rock concert to attend to. All the club members were cheerful and appeared to be quite pleased with the simple day they had spent.
The rock concert had to be the highlight of the day and Danny and Anna jumped up and down to the sound of the music being played at the concert. Rochelle stood back, doing a head- banging-in-the-air dance with Rencis. Whiles David and his other club members chose to wave their hands in the air to the music being played at the dynamic rock concert.