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But before she could answer, an older man in his fifties stepped up behind her, towering over me with an air of superiority. My heart sank as I realized that my night at the casino had taken a dark turn. The blackjack table might have been kind to me, but the rest of my evening was starting to look like a complete failure.
I cursed myself for not noticing the wedding band on her left ring finger earlier. It must have been her beauty that blinded me.
She wrapped an arm around the older man’s waist, looking at me apologetically. “As tempting as your offer is, I think my husband and I will have to pass. Maybe another time.”
My pride wounded, I could only nod my head in shame before turning on my heels and heading toward the cashier’s cage, desperate to escape from this humiliating situation. After cashing in my chips, I wasn’t ready to go home just yet. Instead, I made my way to the casino lounge and ordered a double shot of Grand Marnier on the rocks. It wasn’t my usual drink of choice, but with the way the evening had turned out, I needed something stronger.
As I took a seat at the bar and waited for my drink, I couldn’t help but feel a pit of disappointment and frustration in my stomach. The only person waiting for me at home was Gretta—reliable and predictable, but not exactly what I was looking for tonight. My desires craved the company of a much younger woman, someone who could satisfy my every need.
The bartender gave me a sympathetic look as he poured the amber liquid into a tumbler, and I couldn’t help but feel like a complete failure. As I sipped on my drink, I couldn’t help but feel that perhaps I wouldn’t find what I needed this evening.
After finishing three doubles of Marnier, with no sign of getting lucky, it was time to leave. As I stepped out of the casino bar, I was met with a confused stare from Davian. “If I had known you were going to stop by, I would have joined you.”
“It was a last-minute decision to come, but now it is time to go home,” I gruffly replied.
“Maybe you should get a room. I don’t think you are in the best condition to drive.”
Davian was right. The last thing I needed was to get pulled over for drunk driving. “No need, I’ll get a cab.”
“Nonsense. Let me have one of my guys take you home.”
Winning an argument with Davian was a battle not worth fighting. “All right,” I nodded in defeat. “I’ll pick up my car tomorrow.”
“If you give me your keys, I can have Patton drive your car to your house.”
Why was Davian being so generous? My drunkenness wasn’t his problem, yet it would be more convenient if I had my vehicle in the morning. It would save me a trip. “If it’s no trouble, that would be great.”
~
The morning tore through my head like a relentless hurricane, courtesy of the Grand Marnier I had drowned myself in the night before. The sickly-sweet stench lingered on my breath, a bitter reminder of last night’s poor choices. My head throbbed with each step I took, the hangover clawing at my skull, threatening to break it open.
Despite taking a long shower and downing three cups of coffee, my head continued to pound. But it wasn’t just from the alcohol—there was also the weight of my mission looming over me. I needed information about my mother, and Niles was the only one who could give it to me. Seeing him meant dredging up painful memories and facing his cold, calculating demeanor once again.
Reluctantly, I grabbed my keys off the counter and headed out the door. My Rover was parked out front where Patton had left it the night before. The hour-long drive ahead gave me plenty of time to consider what questions I would ask Niles. Would he even agree to see me? And if he did, would he be willing to help? The uncertainty made my stomach churn.
My fingers trembled as I gripped the steering wheel of my Rover, dreading what awaited me at the prison. As I drove the hour toward the prison, my mind raced with questions and fears. Would Niles have any valuable information to share? The uncertainty only added to my growing anxiety and desperation. But I had come too far to turn back now—I needed answers, no matter how useless they might be.
~3~
Harper
“Just five more minutes,” I scolded my alarm clock as I hit the snooze button for the third time.
Becoming a senior partner at the prestigious law firm I worked for was all I had ever wanted, but after years of grueling work and cutthroat competition, I began to question if it was worth sacrificing my sanity. Every year, only one junior associate would be chosen as senior partner and I was the clear front-runner. However, Drake Pierson, my rival and the biggest thorn in my side, made it his personal mission to sabotage my chances at every turn. He even resorted to spreading lies about me being a lesbian to one of my top clients. Like that was even remotely true. I remained determined and focused on my work. That was, until my personal life caught up with me in the most unexpected way. My relationship with Preston, the son of one of my biggest clients, caused a conflict of interest and ultimately led to our breakup. What was ironic was that he actually preferred men, but pretended to be with me to hide his true identity from his parents. And now, as I navigated through both personal and professional challenges, I wondered if becoming a senior partner was truly what I wanted or if there were other things in life that I’d been missing out on.
Struggling to push myself out of bed, I slipped on my cold, uninviting fuzzy slippers and trudged to the kitchen for my morning ritual of coffee. As I poured the steaming liquid and added a dash of my favorite creamer, I couldn’t help but think about how monotonous my daily routine had become. Shuffling across the creaky wood floor, I reached for the front door to grab my newspaper—a small glimmer of excitement in an otherwise dull morning.
But the bizarre ads in the entertainment section quickly overshadowed even that small moment of joy. Mrs. Hankin’s 80th birthday celebration at Club Eight? Did she know it was a male strip club? The absurdity almost made me laugh, but then I saw the ad for a blind dating game with a $10,000 buy-in for men. I wondered what kind of desperation would drive someone to pay that much for a date? But as I jotted down the number on a sticky note, part of me couldn’t help but be curious about the potential payout for women. It was tempting, but I knew I didn’t have time to explore it further.
Finishing my lukewarm coffee and rushing through the paper, I reminded myself of my strict schedule and need for dedication in order to succeed. Taking care of myself by running every morning before work was just one small part of that. As much as I hated the monotony, I also knew it was necessary if I wanted to keep chasing after success in this cutthroat world.
~
Monday mornings were always the worst when it came to what I had waiting for me when I got to my office. After giving my coworkers a quick ‘good morning,’ I headed to my office with a full cup of coffee and a positive attitude to begin my day.
“Harper, do you have a minute to talk?” Sidney asked as he took a seat in front of my desk.
Sidney Black was the best boss ever and managing partner of Black, Worth, and Shell. Hopefully, one day, I would see my name up there. Black, Worth, Shell, and Scott had a nice ring to it.
