I was a Vegas Showgirl – Part 6

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NOTE - JULIA HAS ALSO WRITTEN A ALTERNATIVE ENDING.

It seemed that Sammy and I couldn't get enough of each other.  I moved my things up into his penthouse, and we began to live together.   Sammy was such a joy to be around.  He was always so considerate to me and treated me like a real lady.  He never raised his voice at me and always spoke quietly and lovingly to me. I had totally fallen for this man as well.  Sammy was my rock; he was there for me whenever I needed him, and I loved him for it.

My singing career both at the Casino and as a recording artist had exploded. Tickets for my shows were the hottest item in Vegas, and I was performing more shows a week than ever.  I released my second album, and this was a live recording that we did in the casino lounge.  It was so intimate, just a great album, and it went Platinum as well.

That year I was nominated in five Grammy categories, the record of the year, the album of the year, song of the year, best new artist, and best jazz vocal album.  Now, as a jazz artist, I didn't expect to win any of the general awards, but Sammy and I flew to LA to attend the Grammys, and I won Album of the Year and Best Jazz Vocal Album for my first album. I was happy I won a general category and gladly accepted the award with Sammy and Stuart.

Sure, the awards were outstanding, but what was really great was while we were on stage, Sammy went up to the microphone, and instead of thanking everyone, he turned to me and simply asked me, Tammi, will you marry me?  I was floored and immediately ran to the mic and said YES!  The audience went crazy, and I think that moment was broadcast worldwide.  Sammy then brought out this huge diamond engagement ring and placed it on my finger, and we embraced.

We went to several of the after Grammy parties and had a great time while we were in LA. Everyone wanted to congratulate us on our engagement; the awards were now secondary.  Once again, Sammy had put me on cloud 9, and I was so happy that the rest of that night was a blur for me.  Sammy and I eventually made it back to our hotel, and we had our own celebration that lasted most of the night.

The next day we got up late and ordered room service for brunch and once again celebrated my Grammy wins and our engagement.  We both took a shower together and got ready to head back to Vegas.  Sammy had booked us a private jet, and we made it back to Vegas without any issue.  We made it back to the Casino, and the press was waiting for us.  We did a number of interviews, and no, we hadn't set a wedding date, and yes, we were happy we won the Grammy awards.  After we made it through the TV news and press gauntlet, we returned to our penthouse.

There was a message from Stuart, who informed us that the record company had given me a number of jazz concert dates for the major jazz festivals that I would be attending during the fall. The recording company had set me up with a group of musicians who would travel and accompany me while on tour.  It was going to be a lot of fun, and I knew I was going to enjoy it.

The festivals I was attending would take place in September, October, and November.  One of my favorite festivals was in Monterey. I had attended it many times but never thought that I would ever headline it. Most of them were in the US, but there were going to be 3 festivals in Canada, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.

I asked Sammy how he was going to manage without me around.  He grinned and told me, I can get a jet and come out to watch you sing if I get lonely.  And I knew he was serious.  I love that man. We still hadn't set a wedding date, so I sat down with Sammy and asked him.  We looked at the calendar and thought a weekend during mid-January in Vegas would be a nice month; it's in the low season, and we can get away for a honeymoon, maybe in Hawaii or Mexico.

The Grammy awards really gave a boost to my record sales.  Both my new album and my first album were selling well, and tickets to see me in Vegas were always sold out months in advance.  I was now doing shows Wednesday through Sunday, with days off on Monday and Tuesday.

I really enjoyed my Vegas shows, both at the nightclub and in the Review show. The review show was at 9, and the nightclub show was at 11.  Since the revenue had increased from both my shows, Sammy had set up a live band for both.  It was a bit bigger for the Review show and a four-piece jazz band in the nightclub. Lyle was still my piano man, and we still sang the odd duet together, but we now also had drums, sax, and a bass to accompany me in the club.

I received the itinerary for the festival shows I would be performing around the country.  Sammy also came up with another great idea. Since I wouldn't be around the Casino while on tour. He was able to set me up to fly back between festival dates and perform special concert shows in our main theatre.  We set updates for those as well. It would mean a bit of back-and-forth travel for me, but it would have the benefit that I would see Sammy more often as well.  We tried to make it two nights a week that I would return to the Casino to perform a couple of back-to-back shows and then would fly on a private jet to the next festival where I would perform either on a weeknight or a weekend date, depending on the festival. The longest haul flights would occur when I was performing in festivals on the east coast. Still, we figured it would be worth it for the Casino and for our relationship.

Sammy's idea worked great since the Vegas Concert shows sold out in a couple of days when the tickets went up for sale.

We started out for our first festival date and flew out.  The flight was uneventful, and we made it there easily in time.  I performed my set at the Montreal Jazz festival and had a great time.  The Canadian people really liked me, and I had a warm reception and felt very appreciated.

After we were finished, I got back on our jet again and flew back to Vegas.  I had a couple of days off and then performed two nights in the casino theatre.  I was dressed up as a showgirl but didn't dance and just sang my set and let the showgirls dance behind me and around me.  We were backed up by a jazz orchestra. It was really spectacular, and the crowd loved it. The new show was well received by the critics and the public. We repeated it the next night with the same results.

The next festival up was the Monterey Jazz festival, and Sammy accompanied me up to Monterey, and I performed my set there.  Once again, everyone loved my singing.  We were also doing brisk CD sales as well, and I spent time autographing the CDs for the fans.  Sammy and I flew back to Vegas, and we spent time together the next few days until my next Vegas Show.

The rest of the fall was similar.  I think I performed at a dozen Jazz shows all over the US, as well as 3 Canadian stops.  I was warmly received everywhere, and the reviews were just wonderful.  I also recorded another live album one night at the casino show, and it would soon be on CD too.  Stuart called me and was wondering if I could get into the studio to record a Christmas Jazz CD, and I also fit that into my itinerary.  It was a busy time for me, but we had scheduled it very well, and I had my off days with Sammy.

When I went to LA to record the Christmas CD, Sammy came with me.  I spent two days in the studio recording, and it would be out by Thanksgiving.  I sang all the old Christmas standards giving them my take with a jazz arrangement, and the tracks sounded great.   Sammy and I spent some time shopping on Rodeo Drive in LA, where I purchased many new designer dresses and accessories.  We had a constant stream of paparazzi following us constantly, and I would always smile for those guys; they were only doing their jobs. I know a lot of stars complain about them, but I would always stop here and there for shots, and they respected us. I even got Sammy to buy a few new designer suits and a new tuxedo.  We had a great time, and then we returned to Vegas to set up for another of my shows there.

Things were going great with us, and Sammy and I were never happier.  Life was fast and busy and fun.  I really enjoyed performing the new Vegas show, and all the girls in the show thought it was great. We were all having so much fun performing them.   I never felt that singing, touring, and performing was a job. I was doing something I found that I loved to do and really enjoyed, so how could I even consider it to work?

After the festival season was over, I went back to my regular performances with the Review, but I kept my spot as the Singing Showgirl, and we did variations of the special shows I performed during the jazz festivals.  It was easier on me since I didn't have to go through the daily dance practices, but I would still come out once a week to keep myself up on the dance moves and also to learn my marks in the show, as I didn't want to be singing in the wrong place while they were dancing around me.

I also performed the lounge shows.  They were very popular as well, and I was always autographing my CDs. We sold them in the lounge and in some of the casino shops as well.  Sammy would always show up during my break and have a drink with me between sets.

Thanksgiving came around, and we shared a quiet Thanksgiving dinner with our friends in the penthouse. It was catered by the casino kitchen staff, and they did a great job, and everyone had a great time.  After dinner, Sammy and the other guys went to watch the football game, and the girls were chatting and drinking wine in the kitchen while picking over the turkey carcass. We chatted about our wedding in January, and many of my girlfriends were excited for me. It was still in the planning stages, but we were going to be married in the casino wedding chapel and have the reception in one of our banquet rooms.   We were not looking at a big wedding, but we're inviting as many people as could fit in the chapel.  We were inviting a lot of friends to the reception afterward.  Sammy was wondering about a church wedding, but as soon as the priest heard I was transgender, that was off the table.

I continued to perform the shows every night of the week.  December came around, and my Christmas CD was released.  I could hear it being played on the casino music system along with other Christmas music. It took a little getting used to hearing myself singing, but it was something Sammy put into place when I was on tour.  I would be walking in the Casino and start humming, and I would realize I was listening to one of my songs.  My singing career has really given a boost to the Casino's bottom line, and Sammy never let me forget that. He was always complimenting me on my success as a singer.

We celebrated New Year in the Casino, and we had a large party there, and I was one of the featured singers.  It was a lot of fun, and we watched the New Year roll in on a huge wall projection.   After New Year, my bridesmaids and I were fitted for our bride's and bridesmaid's gowns.  Sammy and his boys were fitted with new tuxedos. There were so many people who wanted to see our wedding we had decided to hold it in the theatre.  We were having the band do the wedding music.  So many people working at the Casino wanted to see our wedding, that we decided to close the Casino while we were being married, so everyone working there could come if they wanted.

Finally, it was our wedding day.  The Casino closed down an hour before the wedding, and the theatre filled up.  Everyone was waiting for me in the theatre.  I walked up in my wedding gown.  The ushers opened the doors for me as I walked through the threshold.  I heard the music start, and that was my cue to walk down the main aisle to the stage.   I slowly walked towards the stage as the flashes were going off all around me.  I could see Sammy waiting there for me along with the bridal party and a Justice of the peace.   I made it to the stage and slowly raised my dress so I could walk up to the stage.  Sammy was beaming from ear to ear. I had never seen him so happy.  We stood in front of the Justice, and we said our wedding vows, and he pronounced us husband and wife.  Sammy placed the wedding band on my finger, and I did the honor for him as well.  When he was told, 'You may kiss the bride,' he wasted no time in raising my veil and gave me a kiss as everyone in the theater was cheering for us. We embraced each other and turned towards the audience. I threw my bouquet out to the people who had gathered around the stage and heard a resounding cheer from everyone there. Then we both walked down off the stage and up the aisle together.  It was such a happy day for me, and I was so glad I had worn the waterproof mascara.

We then waited outside the theatre as the people came out and congratulated us. We all walked together down to the banquet hall, where we were having our reception with the other wedding guests.   Pretty soon, we were all chatting with each other in the hall and enjoying the champagne being passed around by the waiting staff.  At 6pm, they announced for us to sit at our tables, and dinner would be served.  Sammy and I were sitting in the middle of the wedding table. We were flanked on either side by the bridesmaids and the groomsmen.  Dinner was served, and we had a lovely roast chicken dinner with white wine. Sammy's best man made a toast congratulating us.   My bridesmaid was Trixie, and she made a toast as well to us.  Neither Sammy nor I had parents, but we did have many friends come up and give us their best wishes.   Sammy got up and made a speech about meeting me and how he fell in love with me the first time he saw me, and he knew at that point I would be his wife. I thought back to the time I had first met Sammy and how frightened I was of him.  But something happened along the way, and I also fell in love with him. I am not exactly sure when I knew for sure, but once I realized it, there was no going back.

Once dinner was over, we had the first dance as husband and wife, and everyone cheered as we danced to the music of our casino band.  I was on my feet all night as everyone wanted to have a dance with me, and Sammy, of course, cut in several times.   It was after midnight when Sammy and I said our goodbyes to the party, and we left to more cheers and clapping.

We went up to the penthouse for our wedding night.  Sammy took his time undressing me; he helped me out of my wedding dress.  I, in turn, helped him out of his tuxedo until we were both in our underwear.  Sammy then picked me up and carried me to the bedroom.  We then enjoyed each other and made love to each other for hours. I didn't know where all Sammy's stamina came from, but I suspected he took a little blue pill earlier in the evening.  The evening was unforgettable, and we so enjoyed ourselves.  Sammy thanked me again for coming into his life and told me since I was with him, things had never been better for him.  I told him I felt exactly the same way. It was like we were destined to be together, and nothing could have stopped it.

The next morning, we got up late and ordered room service brunch with champagne.

We were already packed for our honeymoon to Hawaii.  After breakfast, we showered together, with a little extra fun, and then got dressed up, ready to fly out on the jet.   We walked down to the Casino, and everyone we met congratulated us on our wedding; and we jumped in our waiting limo and made the short trip over to the private jet area at McCarran airport.   We boarded our jet; the luggage was loaded, and then we were off to Hawaii.

It didn't take long before we were landing on Maui at Kahului airport and taking a limo to our resort.  Sammy had booked a private villa by the beach, and in no time at all, we were there, where he picked me up and carried me over the threshold.  The resort brought champagne and tapas to our villa, and we enjoyed snacking while looking over at the beach.   I unpacked and found my bikini and put it on for Sammy.  He whistled at me, and we found ourselves on the bed again, and he helped me out of it and ravished me again.   We laid down beside each other and kissed passionately. I got up and put on my bikini for a second time, and Sammy put on his swimming trunks, and we walked along the beach as the sun was setting over the water. It was so beautiful that evening as we walked along the surf's edge softly talking to each other.  We walked back to the villa and called room service, and we were brought a delicious red snapper dinner that we enjoyed with each other.  We went out on the beach again, and the sky was clear, and the moon was out, and the sea looked so peaceful. It was so romantic that we kissed several times. We were both getting aroused again, so we returned to our villa, and we made love together again all evening.  Sammy always had so much stamina; that man was like a bull when he made love to me. And I couldn't get enough of him either.  I lost count, like I always do with Sammy, of the number of times he made me orgasm. It was another night that I would never forget. I think we did every position in the Kama Sutra and a few more.  I was glad all the dancing had made me so flexible, and Sammy enjoyed it as well.  Sammy had always kept himself in shape; he never wanted to be that overweight middle-aged guy and always made use of his penthouse fitness room.  During sex with him, he always went down on me with great passion and intensity. He was always loving, but he sure had great stamina. We could go on each other for hours. I really loved riding Sammy as a cowgirl, and he loved it too.

The next day, we got up late and ordered room service.  Sammy had arranged for a helicopter tour of Maui and the neighboring islands. We took a limo over to the helicopter tour company, and in no time, we were in the air having a blast looking at the scenery.  We were all wearing headsets, and the pilot was doing double duty as our tour guide.  The helicopter tour covered the most scenic sites of both West and East Maui. We flew over Haleakala Crater at 10,023 feet elevation. Then we were on to the Hana rain forest, which featured breathtaking waterfalls and valleys.  We then headed into the West Maui Mountains and the Pu'u Kukui watershed, where we saw jaw-dropping waterfalls and razor-sharp valleys.  It was awesome, and I took as many pictures as I could.  The pilot landed on a remote hilltop where he brought out a picnic lunch for us, which we enjoyed immensely. We were back in the air and finished out the tour, returning to the heliport and taking the limo back to the resort for some afternoon delight.  We had another catered dinner in the room and then retired for lovemaking all evening.  We just couldn't get enough of each other, and we were constantly exploring each other's bodies and finding new ways to please each other.  We went back out on the beach to watch the sun go down again, another beautiful evening in Hawaii.

At the end of our Honeymoon week, we were packing up in our room and checked out of the resort.  We got on our jet back to Vegas and arrived late afternoon in Vegas.  The paparazzi were waiting for us at the casino front entrance, so we decided to go around to the rear entrance.  We got out of the limo and were helping the driver unload our luggage when it happened.  A dark sedan pulled up behind us, and two men with masks got out. They both pulled handguns and started shooting at us.  Sammy immediately saw what was happening and pushed me behind him.  They opened up on Sammy, and he crumpled and fell to the ground, as well as the limo driver. They jumped back into their car and sped away. I knelt down at Sammy's side; he looked at me and smiled, I love you, kid, tell my lawyer to implement Plan B. He closed his eyes and sighed.  I hurriedly got my phone out of my purse and dialed 9 1 1, and told the operator that my husband has been shot and is dying in front of me; please call an ambulance; we are at the rear entrance of the High Roller Casino.  I didn't know what else to do.  There was a pool of blood forming around Sammy, and he was dying in front of me.

"Hang in there, Sammy, don't let the bastard take you."

I kissed him and held his hand.  It felt like hours, but an ambulance arrived on the scene.  By now, people from the Casino and other bystanders were gathered around us as the ambulance pulled up.  The medics rushed over to Sammy and told me to stand back. They performed first aid to stop the bleeding, got him on a stretcher, and I accompanied them to the hospital in the back of the ambulance. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, but Sammy still had a pulse, though it was very weak.

On the way to the hospital, they were fighting to keep Sammy alive.  His heart stopped once, and they were able to defibrillate him to bring him back. We arrived at Emergency, and they immediately wheeled Sammy into surgery to try and save his life.  I was left alone in the waiting room, and soon other Casino managers started showing up. Trixie and June were there as well as most of the dancers and Sammy's casino management staff.  We all waited and prayed together for Sammy to make it.  I was getting a cup of coffee, not knowing what else I could do, and I remembered Sammy's last words to me before he closed his eyes.  I asked Trixie if she knew the number for Sammy's lawyer, and she sent it to my phone.  I called him up, and he answered as it was a private direct number.  I told him who I was, and Sammy had been shot.  He replied that he had just seen it on the news.  I gave him Sammy's message.

"I don't know what this means, but Sammy told me to tell you to implement Plan B.  Do you know what this is? "

He told me it was a plan Sammy had drawn up in the event something like this happened to him, and he would start Sammy's plan immediately.  I wish you and Sammy the best of luck, and I hope he can pull through this.  But I have a lot of work to do, and I will have to say goodbye.  With that, he hung up the phone, leaving me to wonder what Sammy's plan was.

I took my coffee back to the waiting room, and about an hour later, a doctor came out, and he had a very sad look on his face.  I rushed over to him and asked him how Sammy is doing.

"It's not good, he told us.  Sammy had 5 serious bullet wounds, he is still fighting for his life, and his heart stopped several times on the operating table. He has lost a lot of blood, and we have blood transfusions going on into him as we speak to try and bring him back. That's all I can say; for now, we still have much work to do so we can stop all the internal bleeding.  Right now, he may recover, and we will do our best, but he doesn't have very good odds at the moment."

I told him that Sammy would always bet on a long shot, and he will do everything he can do to pull out of this.  Sammy is a fighter and won't go down easily.

Sammy was in surgery for 10 hours.  A team of doctors operated on him.  A different doctor came out to see us the next morning.  He looked a little more optimistic than the first doctor last night.  He told us the surgery was successful, and Sammy was now in recovery, but he is unconscious, and they don't know if he will fall into a coma or if he will come around. He doesn't have any swelling on his brain since all his wounds were to his body.  It looked like he wasn't paralyzed in the shooting but came within inches of being paralyzed.  All we could do at this point was wait and see.

The next day I was able to go into Sammy's room, where he was still unconscious. I slowly walked beside his bed and kissed him, then pulled up a chair and sat down beside him. I held on to his hand and softly started speaking to him; I asked him to please don't leave me alone. I love you, and I need you, and you have to come back to me. I stroked his hand, closed my eyes, and cried.

I then heard him softly say to me, "I'm not going anywhere, kid; I'm right here. "

"Sammy!" I cried.

I got up and kissed him again, telling him how much I loved him, and I was so afraid I lost him.

He just smiled at me, "Don't worry, kid, I will soon be up and chasing you around the bed."

I smiled and told him that was for later; for now, just rest and recover. I grabbed my phone and called Trixie.

"Trixie, Sammy made it through; I am talking to him now; spread the word."

Sammy smiled as I turned off my phone.

"Did you do what I told you to do when they shot me?"

I said, "Yes, I didn't know what it was about, but your lawyer did; he told me he would set the plan in motion.  What is it all about?"

"Well, kid, you know I have enemies, but I have been smart about it for years.  I have slowly gathered a shitload of evidence against these guys that would put them all away for life if it got out.  Plan B was to inform them of the evidence on them, and if they try to kill me, all that stuff would go out automatically in the event of my death.   I don't think any of those guys want to see me dead now, and the lawyer would have sent it all out if I had died, so those guys are lucky I lived.  I tried for years to get out of my father's other family business and go legit, and those guys have forced me to do so completely.  They may still be my enemies, but they know not to touch me."

I kissed him again.  Our future looked very bright indeed.

THE END.