The truth is stranger than fiction.

This is the recap of the weird experience Kristi and I had in Las Vegas...

Barry Manilow's show in Las Vegas was held at Mandalay Bay in a 12,000 seat auditorium. Kristi and I fully expected it to take ages to get a taxicab, so we wisely gambled rather than go wait in line with the rest of the crowd. After a couple of hours, with the line still hundreds of people long, we took a tram to Luxor and got in a much shorter line for a cab back to our room.

I noticed the couple in front of us while waiting in line. They were younger, mid-twenties, and very friendly (read "chatty with strangers"). After carrying on a conversation with the group in front of them, this couple started talking to us. 'Rich' and 'Nicole' (not their real names) were actually co-workers, in town from opposite ends of the country on business.

After we had been talking for two or three minutes Nicole paused, touched Kristi on the arm, and told her what pretty eyes she had. Nicole said she noticed Kristi's eye make-up immediately when we walked up. It's always nice to be complimented, but this seemed a bit askew.

We continued to chat for a couple more minutes while we moved forward in the taxicab line. As we neared the front of the line, and other people were telling the doorman their destination, Nicole announces to us, "I am a strip-club virgin. Rich is taking me to Crazy Horse because I've never been. No, I've never been so we're going; I'm a strip-club virgin." Next thing you know, the cab--a minivan--has the door slid open, Nicole grabs Kristi's hand, looks at both of us, and says, "Come with us. Come on. Let's go together. Let's all go."

I quickly said we were tired (it was getting on 1AM or so at this point) and let them go on their way. We got in our own cab and headed over to Belagio.

I have to wonder though, just how close was this to one of those letters you can find in a dirty magazine? And if we were different people, could the story have ended the same? But just because we aren't interested in acting out that story, I ponder if this was a window of opportunity into a different life.