"Gabrielo," Cole exclaims, handing me a drink. "To celebrate your return, come on!"

"Did we have to stop in Vegas?"

"Of course we did! I waited until I graduated to come here."

"And you blew your money at the first casino you saw," I laughed as I watched him sulk.

"I ? We came here to enjoy life one last time before coming back to reality. Don't act like I dragged you here when most of your savings have been spent this week."

Touché.

Except that if he hadn't offered me a drink, I'd be fast asleep in my bed. We have to go back to New York tomorrow so I better get ready first thing in the morning.

The door to our private room opens abruptly to a grinning young woman. She looks like she's had a little too much drink. She approaches us and I can finally make out her face in the light.

It's her. I'm sure it's her. The same brown eyes, her long black curls stretching down her back and her mole under her left eye.

She walks towards me and climbs onto my lap. What is she doing? The smell of alcohol fills my nostrils. She's drunk, that's for sure. Cole and our other two friends start smiling at me, raising their eyebrows.

"How about we go for a drink together?"

She puts her hands on my cheeks and I notice her wet eyes. Something must have happened.

"Are you all right?"

"No, but I want a drink. Is your girlfriend here? She can come too."

"I don't have a girlfriend. You need to sober up. You've clearly had too much to drink."

I help her up and hold her arm to keep her from falling over with those stilts she uses as shoes.

What an idea to wear those things for walking. It's real torture.

"Marry me."

"I'll call you a taxi before the space cake I ate starts to take effect," I say, ignoring her.

We both leave the room. She turns to the cabinet and spots her bag and a piece of cake sitting on a tray. She passes it to me and I take it before eating it. We had a drink together before I started to fall asleep.

A few minutes later we were walking down the street in the fresh air. I don't even remember waking up. Maybe I had too much to drink and was dreaming about the bar. I've been looking for Stellina for so long that I must be dreaming about her. She looks so real with her eyes that light up at every smile, her melodic laugh and her confident walk.

It's like old times.

We walk down the street until we come to a huge white stone building. Stellina turns to me with a smile on her face.

"What are we doing here?"

"We came to get married? Please."

What is she talking about getting married? Even if it's a dream, I can't marry her. I decline her proposal before offering to go inside. Surely there is a way to find someone to marry her inside. Or she'll end up turning back.

We went inside. Alma holds my hand and starts talking to me about something. She hands me a pen and takes out a wad of cash from the man on my right. What is she doing now? The man in the blue shirt offers me to sign a paper. I refuse first, turning away.

Stellina's eyes start to water. I sigh and sign the paper before obeying the stranger beside us. We are in a dream, we can afford to dream. She takes my hand and interlaces our fingers.

If only I could see her again for real.