One dark and stormy night....oops.... wrong story....
The sky was bright with sunshine as Carmen looked out the window from the airplane. What a sight to behold! A pyramid in the middle of the desert, a multi-coloured castle and what looked to be New York city tucked in the corner.
"What a magical land!", Carmen thought to herself as the plane descended to the runway. Eager with anticipation, she looked forward to landing and meeting some of her Fruit friends for a few days of adventure in the glitzy city of Las Vegas.
Debarking from the airplane, Carmen followed the other passengers to the baggage claim area, always keeping an eye out for some familiar fruit faces. Alas, no one looked remotely familiar. With one eye on the look out for her bags and the other constantly scoping out the room, Carmen started to worry. Where were they?
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye she spotted, "AAACCCCKKKKKK - Carmen, thank God we found you!!!" CN was hyperventilating, (which made Kizmet very nervous and Pommes started looking out for some oxygen) as she grabbed Carment. "We were in the wrong terminal," she screamed. "We forgot that Canada wasn't another state!!" The fruits eyed each other with fondness and some suspicion. One of them had the audacity to ask Carmen to say something so that they would know if they understood a foreign language...*sigh*...and the speaker wasn't even blonde.... The Fruit was redeemed, however, when she firmly stated that "I don't have an accent!".....
There must have been something wrong with the air conditioning in the airport because as soon as Camen's bags arrived on the baggage carousel, WR's attention was suddenly focused on this tall, dark and handsome someone, striding with cat-like grace to the waiting limo. Kiz's mouth dropped open while she gazed quite fondly (mind you) on those tight blue jeans and Pommes exclaimed, "My ride! My ride!" and took off running towards the waiting limo and the sensuous body climbing into it. The other fruits followed suit, dragging ALL of Carmen's luggage behind.
The fruits caught up with the gorgeous man and he turned to them with a questioning look. "Uhmm," said CN, (out of breath from the run and lugging the Canadian's luggage - which had a miniature RCM in it, but that's another story) "We couldn't find a cab and we need a ride to, uhmmm..."
"The Hard Rock!" piped up Kizmet.
"Well, ladies, I have room in my limo and I just happen to be headed to the same hotel."
"Wait a minute ..." Carmen said as she tugged on WR's sleeve. "Aren't kiwi & 'mater supposed to meet us at another hotel?"
WR smiled so wickedly that the fruits knew it was actually EWR, "Fagettaboutit!" she said, "They can fend for themselves! WE found him and WE are keeping him! That's what they get for deciding to drive into Vegas instead of fly! That'll teach 'em." And EWR cackled madly as a voice came over the airport PA system ...
"Calling a Mr. G. ChestNuts, a Mr. G. Chestnuts." "Your van is unattended in a no parking zone."
"Oh **ll," CN growled, "where can hubs be?" Pommes stared at her feet for a moment and said, "Maybe he's looking for us in the other terminal? You go look and the rest of us will stay here." Evil Wild Rose smiled and said,"One down, three to go."
As the "light bulb" went off over her head, CN said (very nicely *eg*) "Hold the Phone!....the cell phone, that is bwhahahahahaha!....I'll just use my cell to call and tell hubs to meet us at the Luxor, right? " *wink, wink*....
A tentative voice asked, "Ummm, CN? Didn't you give hubs the cellphone? So, you see, I was just wondering HOW you'll call him without leaving us??? You know WR can (and will) move fast when there is incentive.....like less people around a hunk!"
Er...."I seem to have Dad's cell phone with me, so there's no problem!"...One cell phone to another, no big deal....
So the Fruits gathered Carmen (and her luggage...groan!) and made a bee-line out to the waiting limo. The tall, dark and handsome stranger, who was already seated, just smiled when everyone took their seat....(we won't speak about the elbowing to sit next to him here, will we? *eg*)....The limo driver turned around and asked.....
"Does anyone know who this person is in the white Honda Civic ... you know, the one in front of us blocking us in? Uh, oh, she's getting out of the car!"
"Um, er ..." CN didn't know what to say. She rolled down the window as kiwi marched up to the limo.
"Oh, my!" exclaimed Carmen. "Are we gonna get it! It's our very own JD in waiting."
"KIWI!" bellowed kizmet. "We're being kidnapped! I swear!" EWR just grinned her wide evil grin & cuddled closer to TAO.
kiwi leaned in the limo window and asked ..."Got room for one more?"
"Why, I am sure that we can find room for you, Kiwi," said Pommes. So saying, she UNsnuggled WR from the side of the handsome stranger and allowed Kiwi to squeeze in.
As soon as Kiwi was settled....the limo full of fruits and TAO took off. WR, who was a bit miffed at being ejected from her place at the gorgeous one's side, said "Are we all going to drop some money at the casino at the Hard Rock?"
"What's your game?" asked the man.
All the fruits shouted, "Poker!" and Kizmet finished with, "Video, not strip."
("HEY!! Who's the ventriloquist in this group???" asked kizmet. "I would rather play real poker than video poker. Give me a deck of cards and something wild- and I am happy! I have no objection to strip poker... as long as I get to do the clothing removal of the other person...(*g*)" )
"Well," grumbled CN, "we do make exceptions for that at times."
"And what times would that be?" he asked.
The fruits got very quiet, and finally 'mater said, "On days that end in y!" The fruits burst out laughing and the man.....chuckled and said, "Well it's my lucky day!! Today happens to be a day that ends in Y. Let's get a private gaming room when we arrive and play some poker!"
The fruits suddenly became quiet and they huddled together. "OK, CN" said Pommes, "You're going to have to teach us fast! We all know the basics, but we need more expertise if we're going to outlast him."
CN just smiled and said "What's it worth to you all?"
"Well," smiled WR, ...
