The Fremont Street Experience

[holiday_pirner]

The bustle of crowds propelled Holly forward. If they hadn't, she would have gawked all night. It was disorienting; if one didn't know better, you couldn't tell if you were indoors or out. Brightly dressed people tried to hand her bits of things, flyers, coupons, invitations. The brunette had taken one out of politeness before catching on it was for an escort service.

The street was alive with possibility, and that's what Holly enjoyed about it. It was like Picadilly Circus on uppers. Neon steroids.

Holly paused at a kiosk selling souvenir jewelry. A pair of earrings caught her eye; they were fashioned into black dice with little crystal studs. The man behind the counter sprang up. "Good deal on those. Buy one, get one half off. Can't go wrong."

She poked the cardboard backing, watching the die shake back and forth. They were the sort of thing she'd wear and tell people it was for a laugh, even though she really liked them. Guilty pleasure, her father had called it. "Yeah, they're cool, I guess." Holly gave a noncommittal shrug. "I'll take them."

The man grinned triumphantly and began ringing her up. Holly reached into her jacket pocket for her billfold and felt nothing. She paled. "Oh, balls."


[Thread open to Daniel.]