To camouflage the vest, I’d worn a thin, swinging black blazer over this ensemble, and rolled up the sleeves of the blazer.

As we walked up the sidewalk ringing the driveway of the casino/resort, Olivia winked at me and said, “You slay with that look, Aerin.”

Bai laughed lightly as I tugged at the edge of the vest. “Yeah, and if things don’t work out with Harley, after that quick change in the car there, I gotta say I wouldn’t mind it at all if you gave me a call …”

“Or me,” Olivia added.

SSA Black said into the earpieces we all wore, “Just testing the reception of our communications here … but aren’t you both dating guys right now?”

“Just telling our girl here that she’s hot,” Bai said breezily and then winked at me.

I kept quiet but smiled at all of them and continued walking.

Twenty minutes later, we settled into our seats and I felt surprisingly relaxed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

The diva who’d come to Vegas to make a rare appearance onstage was in fine form tonight. She’d effortlessly gone through her extensive catalogue of memorable songs that spanned several decades and she had the audience enthralled from the first note of the late 70s love song that she opened the concert with. It had been one of Nana’s favorites, I remembered, as I hummed along.

Five songs later, I was standing up, together with most of the crowd, clapping and swaying to one of her 80s-era songs that had a danceable rhythm to it. It had been one of my parent’s favorites, and a song I remember being played in the kitchen on easy Sunday mornings while Mom and Dad noisily prepared breakfast.

As I swayed and clapped, Jack teased, “I didn’t know you were a real fan of hers,” and then chuckled into the earpiece I wore.

“Sorry … was I distracting everyone?” I asked worriedly and stopped clapping. Not here to enjoy a concert, Aerin! Look around and pay attention to your surroundings!

Bending closer to whisper directly into my ear, Bai, who’d stood up also when I stood, jumped in, “thank goodness this isn’t an ED concert or something like that, or we’d be in trouble keeping you under control, huh?”