As I looked up in the sky I felt Las Vegas’ hot desert wind blowing directly into my back and saw the sun falling further and further away. Fading away in the background was Tom Petty’s new hit song Free Falling. It was a good time to leave this world for awhile.
It all started back in the summer of ’74. I was a young man only 21 years of age. I had the typical mental attitude of anyone my age. A little unsure of ourselves but yet at the same time full of confidence. What the heck, I was only 21.
I drove in with a couple of friends of mine who were excited to see Las Vegas for the first time, as for me it was just curiosity. I wanted to see what the hype was all about. Joe, who was driving, was a heavy set dude typical of the seventies. He had a big red-haired afro with sideburns reaching all the way down his cheeks. You want to talk about somebody who could drink, he was the man. At the age of only twenty-three I suspect his liver was already screaming.
Sam, on the other hand, had the typical nerd look, slightly greasy hair with a big part from the right to the left, plus incredulously his sideburns were also greasy. He was wearing a horizontally striped shirt with all three buttons closed in the front. His teeth were yellow and his mouth always had that hint of slime.
I was more typical when it came to the hair. Just a little bit overgrown with standard sideburns and slightly brown but closer to black. I wore t-shirts and jeans 90% of the time which got me in trouble the following night (we’ll get more into that later).
Just then Joe turned to Sam, who was riding shotgun, “You better brush your teeth and use mouthwash before we go out tonight, and they look fucking disgusting.”
“My teeth aren’t that bad,” he rebutted, “besides I brushed them this morning, can’t you tell?” He opened his mouth and gave Joe a great big smile.
Joe, wincing while turning away said “Dude that is the most disgusting mouth I have ever seen.”
Sam, now feeling hurt yelled, “Well, what the fuck, do you want to French kiss me or something? Just go fuck yourself and leave me alone.”
Joe was now shaking his head in disbelief. “If you want to continue being disgusting go right the fuck ahead.” Just then he turned around and looked at me. “What do you think Joe? Should he brush his teeth? Isn’t his mouth disgusting?”
Me, trying to remain neutral but sound cool at the same all I could come up with was “Sam’s mouth never interested me and never will.” Joe turned back around and muttered “Well fuck you too.”
We had just turned off the freeway and on to Las Vegas Blvd also known as The Strip. We started on the southern most part and were now heading north. The sun just started to set behind the mountains and in the dusk you could see the city coming alive. A chill and a sense of awe came over me which was a
