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Rule shook his head. “No. We’re just leaving.” He stood and pulled back her chair for her. “Shall we try our luck in the casino?”
“I’m terrible at games of chance.”
“Never admit that. Lady Luck will hear you.”
Her bouquet and her short veil, which she’d removed a while ago, lay on the table. Rule signaled the busman over, tipped him hugely and asked him to have both items delivered to their suite.
The busman promised it would be done.
Sydney took the rose from Rule’s lapel, feeling wonderfully wifely and possessive of him as she did it. “This, too,” she told the busman. “And the cake. I want the rest of the cake.”
> The busman promised he’d have the cake boxed and sent to their suite with the veil, the bouquet and the boutonniere.
They took the wide glass breezeway across the Strip to Impresario, which was all in blacks and reds and golds, a Moulin Rouge theme. They played roulette for over two hours. Sydney surprised herself by winning steadily. When they left the roulette table she was up more than a thousand dollars.
She caught sight of Joseph a few feet away and leaned close to her new husband to whisper, “Joseph is following us.”
He brushed a kiss against her hair. “Joseph is always following us. That’s his job.”
“You’re kidding. You mean every time I’ve been out with you …?”
“That’s right. Joseph has been somewhere nearby.”
“I swear I never noticed before.”
“You’re not supposed to notice. He’s paid to be invisible until he’s needed.”
“Well, he’s very good at it.”
“He’ll be pleased to hear that. Joseph takes great pride in his work—and what would you like to play next?”
“I was kind of thinking it would be fun to try my luck at blackjack.”
“Blackjack it is, then.” They found a table and played for another hour. Sydney won some more.
When they left the blackjack table it was after ten.
He leaned close. “I think you’re lucky, after all.”
“I think it’s you,” she whispered back. “You bring me luck.”
He had his arm around her and pulled her closer, right there in the aisle, on their way toward the elevators that led up to the fifth floor and the breezeway back to High Sierra. Their lips met.
And a flash went off.
She laughed. “I think I’m seeing stars.”
But he wasn’t smiling. “The jackals are onto us.”
“Ahem. Excuse me….?”
“Paparazzi. We have to go.” He already had her hand and was moving fast toward the elevators. She hurried to keep up. More flashes went off.
A balding guy in tight pants and a black shirt with a big gold chain around his neck stepped in front of them. He stuck a microphone in Rule’s face and started firing questions at him, racing backward to keep up with them. “Enjoying your visit to America, Your Highness? Who is the woman in white? Is that a wedding ring I see on the lady’s finger?”
Rule only said, “Excuse me, no comment,” and kept walking fast.
That was when Joseph appeared. He must have grabbed the guy with the microphone, because the man stumbled and fell back, out of their path.
