Vegas Chronicles: Bianca's Story

By Shelly B.

Life in Las Vegas can be fast and hectic, and that's how young waitress Bianca typically prefers it. But when it comes to love, she's ready for stability and commitment. When her boyfriend gets into trouble, she meets someone who might be able to give her the kind of romance she's always dreamed of. But she quickly learns that something new could be just as complicated as the chaos she's always known.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9781667885896

Book preview

1

I hate this nigga! He always does this.

Bianca grumbled under her breath as she waited outside the closed IHOP in the dark. It was already approaching 10 PM, and her shift ended at 8 PM. She decided to check her phone to see if Zeke had texted her. But there weren’t any messages from him. She was getting real sick of letting him borrow her car.

She thought to herself, he’s late picking me up from work all the time. Why? All niggas do to get ready is throw on some clean clothes. They don’t have to do as much as women do. It doesn’t make sense for him to be this late all the damn time. Fuck him.

While she was in deep thought and cursing his name, she saw her dark blue Honda Accord pull up. Zeke had his durag on and was holding a Black & Mild out the window. Bianca rolled her eyes and walked down the restaurant’s staircase. She got into the back seat and slammed the door hard enough to make the car shake. 

Ay, why you slammin doors and shit? Zeke said.

Ay, why you late all the god damn time, Zeke? she mimicked back.

She let out a sigh and set her black Louis Vuitton bag down in the seat beside her. After about 20 seconds went by, she heard a gentle I’m sorry in Zeke’s country accent. 

She didn’t respond. She wanted him to think she was still mad so that he would make it up to her some way. But inside, she desired him. Even though he upset and disappointed her quite often, Bianca couldn’t shake the love she had for Zeke. She just wanted him to do better, and she didn’t know if that would ever come to pass. But regardless, she had no plans of letting him go.

The car took a different route than Bianca expected and turned into a plaza with a grocery store. Zeke parked, and cracked a window in the back. I’ll be back, he said before leaving her by herself.

Damn, he didn’t even ask me if I wanted anything, she thought. She pulled out her phone and checked her texts. She had 5 unread messages from her best friend, Sunny. 

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She giggled and then quickly began typing a reply. She had been her best friend since middle school, when Sunny moved to Las Vegas from California. She was rough around the edges, but Bianca, being somewhat popular in school, showed her around. Their friendship blossomed from there, and they were nearly inseparable ever since. Sunny was dramatic, loud and boisterous. But she was also the insightful one out of the two. Bianca admired her for her street smarts and being able to put messy situations into perspective.

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About 15 minutes later, Zeke came back to the car with a single plastic bag of groceries. After he got in, he reached behind him and put the bag on the floor beside Bianca’s feet. 

What is this? she said, sounding agitated.

Well, look at it.

Still holding on to her anger, she rolled her eyes again and dug into the bag. Inside was a box of Russell Stover chocolates and a small, plush teddy bear. 

He was really good at disappointing her and then making her feel bad for getting mad at him, she thought.

She still didn’t say anything. She stayed quiet for the next 10 minutes, until they pulled up to her house. She got out and left her bags in the back seat. She opened the passenger’s side door and got in. Bianca grabbed Zeke’s face by his rugged beard and kissed him deeply. He placed his hand on her back, enjoying the passionate moment. She then unbuttoned and unzipped his pants and gave him head. It was the only way she knew to say she forgave him.

After Bianca was done with Zeke, the two didn’t exchange any words. He waved goodbye, and she waved back. She grabbed her bags from the back seat and headed inside the house. Once inside, Bianca instantly smelled cornbread. She walked into the kitchen and saw Auntie Ruthie rinsing out dishes. The old woman wore a brown, long-sleeved shirt and a long jean skirt that covered her plump body. Her face sagged in an endearing way that glorified all the years behind her. Her permed hair was salt and pepper colored and slicked back.

Hey Auntie Ruthie, what’s for dinner? she said as she put an arm around the older woman and kissed her on the cheek.

Hey baby. I made some cornbread and greens. Your plate is in the oven, I tried to keep it warm. How was work? 

Eh, it was the same as always. Co-workers getting on my nerves, bosses getting on my nerves, and the customers getting on my nerves. I hate it there sometimes.

Aw, suga. I’m sorry. What about getting a job working for the state? It’ll be more stable. Since you don’t wanna finish college.

Yeah, maybe I’ll think about it. She really had no intention of thinking about it. Bianca was an artist, that was her passion. She wanted to make money with her drawings one day, she just wasn’t sure how she would get there. Her aunt didn’t like that idea— she wanted Bianca to have a job with stability. She was tired of Auntie Ruthie suggesting careers that had nothing to do with her passion, so she didn’t talk to her much about her artistry aspirations anymore. 

Bianca took her plate out of the oven, grabbed a can of Coke from the fridge, and headed to her room. As she walked out of the kitchen and through the family room, everything was spotless, as usual. Auntie Ruthie had been living in that house for decades, and it was handed down from her mother and father, which were Bianca’s great-grandparents. She kept the same old pictures and outdated figurines in the house but made sure it was always clean and void of any dust.

Bianca was grateful that her great aunt allowed her to live there. She was easy to live with, even though she was old-school. Auntie mostly just cooked, cleaned, watched old tv shows, and went to church and on missionary trips with her senior friends. She didn’t really like many of the younger members of the family. But since Bianca’s mother was her favorite niece, she always helped Bianca more than the rest.

You girls goin out again tonight, baby? Auntie Ruthie asked loud enough for her voice to carry. 

"Yes, Auntie. I’ll be back a