Tinley nodded with her entire head, taking another bite that had left her speechless.
I didn’t bother reminding Rayna I was not her assistant and besides, she didn’thavea weekly grocery list.
I waited for Kylie to acknowledge she knew who we were, but she continued chatting with the girls like they were new friends, extolling the greatness of other food combinations like peanut butter and honey and Tinley’s favorite, eggs and maple syrup.
The sliders the chef made often for the girls arrived, along with Kylie’s chicken sandwich.
“Where are you from?” Tinley asked. An innocent enough question, but I was curious if she would lie. She had introduced herself with her real name, but they were entering territory that would reveal a lot.
“I’m from California, but I live in New Jersey now,” said Kylie. She watched Rayna dip her burger in the ranch dressing and take a small bite. How the chef got the buns so small was the true marvel of Rayna’s favorite meal. Kylie followed the demonstration and joined them in enjoying the food and continuing the conversation. “Where are you all from?”
“Upstairs,” Tinley answered without hesitation.
“Upstairs?” The smattering of freckles across Kylie’s nose bunched up, making her look so cute and innocent.
Tinley, realizing what she had said, turned to me. It drew Kylie’s attention, as she glared in my direction before straightening her face. Rayna jumped in. “We live in an apartment upstairs.”
Tinley nodded in agreement.
“Oh, wow. It must be interesting living in a casino.” Kylie’s line of questioning was intentional. She was probing the girls for information. “Do you live alone or together?”
“Down the hall from each other,” Rayna answered without looking at Kylie. “It’s fun.”
“Yeah, what do you do?” Kylie continued. “Do you work in the casino? Or do you have a rich, handsome sugar daddy who?—”
“Rayna, Tinley.” I stepped between the girls. That was enough with the interrogation. “We need to get going if you want to make the movie on time.” I glanced at my watch.
“Oh, yeah.” Tinley wiped her mouth with the napkin. Rayna did the same, but her eyes cut over to Kylie. She was more observant. It was those ninja skills at work. “We’re going to seeZootopia 2.”
“Oh, cool. I loved the first one.” Kylie took a bite of her sandwich, followed by a sip of her drink. “My favorite is all the bunny rabbits.”
“I love the sloths.” Rayna reached out for her cup but in slow motion, like the movie character. “He isssss sooooooo cccccccuuuuuuttttteeee.” She burst into giggles. Rayna and Kylie joined her.
When they gained some control, Tinley sat straight up in her chair. “Oh, would you like to go with us?”
Rayna and I straightened as well. We looked at each other. Tinley picked up on the mood change. Thankfully, Kylie did too.
“Oh, thank you so much. That would be fun, but I’m meeting some friends soon.” She picked up her phone.
Rayna nodded and hopped off the bar stool. She grabbed her and Tinley’s cups, newly refilled by Elizabeth.
“It was nice meeting you, Kylie,” Rayna’s voice clipped as she helped Tinley off the bar stool.
“Bye, Kylie,” Tinley waved. “Enjoy your time in Vegas.”
“I will.” Kylie’s eyes narrowed, and she pinched her nose. She watched as the girls filed out of the restaurant. The sadness took over her whole body. I see lonely people in Vegas every day, trying to experience something meaningful in their lives amongst the bright lights, beeps and buzzes. Being next to excitement made their lives more exciting. Either she was sad about missing an opportunity, or she was missing some littlefun; either way, Kylie wanted something. I had a feeling I might need to protect her from herself.
I escorted the girls to the movie theater and got them situated in a special reserved section. Members of my crew filed in around them, but gave them their space. It was Kyler’s compromise for letting the girls have anormalafternoon at the movies likenormalpeople.
After they settled in with enough snacks to feed the whole theater, I doubled back and found Kylie still sitting at the bar. She had ordered another drink and turned herself slightly away from me while watching the door. Watching for the girls, maybe, or watching for a way out. I took the stool to her right.
She turned. The color drained from her face.
“Kylie Stands. We need to talk.”
CHAPTER 3
KYLIE
