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“I think your staff want you to be happy, even if you don’t.”
A hint of bitterness creeps into my tone, and I’m angry with myself about that as he stills and shakes his head. “It has to be this way, I told you my reasons.”
Ignoring him, I head over to the table that Tom has laden with food and lift off one of the silver domes. “This looks good enough to eat.”
Lucas laughs softly, “It had better be, I pay my chef too much to feed me well.”
As I help myself, it strikes me how privileged Lucas is. Just imagining my usual ready meal that I flip into the microwave when I return from work, makes me a little envious of his lifestyle. How lovely to have gourmet food on tap when you return weary from work. As I take my seat and feel the cool breeze of a Vegas evening wrap itself around my senses, I sigh. “I wish your chef lived with me; my diet is sorely lacking any nutritional value these days.”
Lucas joins me and looks interested. “Tell me about your day.”
“Well, I live in an apartment in the university district. It’s a rental that stretches me a little, but it’s worth it for the security it provides. I work in Copycat most of the day and when I return, I manage a microwave meal for one and then watch Netflix and surf the internet.”
“Sounds like luxury living to me.”
Lucas smiles, and I know he probably means that. “It must be nice to only have yourself to worry about.”
He sounds a little pensive and I nod. “It’s fine most of time. I have some friends I call on if I fancy a night out.”
“What does that involve?”
I can tell he is hanging onto every word I speak, and I grin. “It usually starts in a bar, ends in a club, and then an argument over whether to continue the evening in a casino. Normally that’s when I bail and grab an Uber and head home.”
“You don’t gamble then.”
“I told you, I can’t afford the consequences of that. You see, Lucas, I work hard for my money—really hard. Why would I want to piss it down the drain to make you richer? We both know that’s what would happen in the end. No, I’m too savvy for that because I am saving for a little house in a nice town somewhere by the sea. I want the dream and Copycat is going to make that happen.”
“It sounds as if you’re on the right track, I mean, $200,0000 dollars is a lot of money, easily enough for a down payment on a house.”
“I told you, I spent it already.”
“On what?”
He seems surprised and I shake my head. “Mom’s nursing care is expensive, and I wanted a place as amazing as she is. It doesn’t come cheap, and then there were Hannah’s medical bills.”
“Tell me about her.”
Lucas appears hungry for information and as I tell him about my family, my life and every boring detail, he listens as if I am the most interesting person alive.
It’s only when I reach the part about them wanting to set me up with one of Evan’s friends, that his eyes darken and he seems seriously pissed off.
“What’s the matter, Lucas, you’ve gone quiet on me.”
“Have I? I thought listening was a life skill.”
“I can think of other more exciting life skills that I kind of think you’ve mastered.”
I try to lighten the atmosphere and he grins, his eyes flashing wickedly.
“Maybe you would like me to teach you some more.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Lucas grins and just like that he’s back—the wicked player who was born to corrupt my soul.
As he reaches for my hand, I feel a shiver of desire inside.
Tonight should be interesting.
