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As long as that love boat stayed docked, along with its captain. The one I had only heard from once today, via text, saying that he would be getting back to the Coast later than he expected.
There were two knocks on the door before a voice called out, “Lady Luck, five-minute warning. Are you decent?”
“Come in!” I replied, inviting the most striking, intimidating woman I’d ever known inside.
“Hello,” Najette greeted, her voice as polished as her appearance. “Do you need anything?”
“No, thank you. I’m good.”
She stood in the doorway, patiently waiting to guide me outside.
“How’s the crowd?” I asked, getting up from my chair.
“Substantial but not rowdy.”
“Yet,” I muttered under my breath, thinking back to last week’s show.
“What was that?”
I glanced at her, embarrassed to have been caught mumbling like a child in front of her of all people. “Nothing. Any changes to the night’s plan? Is Big Daddy around?”
It was usually Big Daddy or the dealer who escorted me out, but it wasn’t completely unheard of for Najette to fill that role.
She nodded. “He’s around, but I think he’s tied up with the tournament tonight.”
Another slot tournament. I usually knew these things, but I found myself unplugging from Fortuna more with each passing day.
I just didn’t know what would happen once I completely cut the cord or if I were even capable of doing so. This casino, Grandmother included, was basically my longest-standing relationship.
I tied up my gladiator sandals, foregoing the beige ankle brace after it was clear that it was too conspicuous. I was wearing my high-waisted red skirt that stopped just above midthigh with my low-cut, white silk blouse tucked inside. My full-blown goddess-style dress would’ve hidden the brace, but there wasn’t hiding anything in this ensemble.
I made my way to the door, blanking my mind and rubbing my thumb and forefinger together, preparing for a long night of roulette.
Nijette strode past me, the clomp of her heels muted by the carpet. “Don’t forget this,” she said, grabbing the deep-red silk blindfold that matched my skirt.
I offered a tight-lipped smile and took it from her, securing it over my eyes and stepping out of the door at the exact moment the casino floor’s PA began its pre-recorded announcement of Lady Luck’s arrival.
But it wasn’t Lady Luck who stepped up to the roulette table.
It wasn’t even the original Lady Luck’s daughter.
It was just me in costume.
Each throw of the roulette ball marked the passing of time as I sank into the familiar rhythm of the routine. An hour in, my leg was more tired than usual from shifting weight off my sore ankle, and I was beyond ready to call it a night. A break in the games finally came in the form of Najette pulling me aside and announcing that the croupier would be taking over. I tried my best to hide my limp as I removed my blindfold and walked toward the nearest emergency exit, desperate for some air.
The PA’s announcement that Lady Luck would be having a surprise spin of the Big Wheel sounded above as I retreated. “A limited number of raffle tickets will be sold for the next thirty minutes, after which time the winners will be drawn live at the Big Wheel located at the center of the casino floor on our lucky number seven floor. May fortune smile upon you!”
The message repeated five minutes later, just as I gave up my pursuit of the exit, not yet near enough to the door because of my slower gait and roundabout route I chose to avoid socializing. Instead, I rerouted to the antique elevator, thinking I could take it to the top floor and hide up there for a solid ten minutes.
I made it to the casino floor’s single lift, a smaller operation compared to the bay of cabins in the lobby, and clicked the call button. The doors opened with a ding that blended into the din of the machines behind me, revealing nothing but my own reflection in the mirrored walls of the cabin. I stepped all the way up to the ornate gold railing inside, clutched the cold metal with both hands, and leaned my weight against it, my blindfold still grasped in one hand.
The floor of the cabin dipped as a waft of eucalyptus-and-lemongrass-scented air blew my hair forward, tickling my cheek. My skin pebbled as I inhaled the scent, my shoulders relaxing instinctively even as my hands gripped the rail tighter.
I dragged my gaze from my white knuckles and up the mirrored wall, freezing at the sight that surrounded me in perfect replication.
Vinh.
My eyes raked over his multiple reflections.
