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His stomach rolled. The deeper she got into this mess, the closer he was to following the Don’s orders. He had gone down every alleyway in his mind and could find no way out.
He raised his eyebrows once again. How could she get any more impressive?
“Already? That was fast.”
“I work well under pressure,” she said, smiling at him slyly. “I was serving in the VIP room last night.” She walked along his desk to the side, standing closer to him. “After getting hit on a few times, I decided to get another bottle to avoid rejecting another customer.”
“That’s to be expected. You’re an attractive woman,” Ben commented.
“Save the flattery,” she said, putting her hand on her hip. “Anyway, when I went back to the bar, I heard two of the Moretti boys talking about increasing the upsell on the champagne.”
Ben thought of the spreadsheet earlier, then he looked over the costs of liquor, wine, and champagne. Nothing had stood out to him in that section. “We don’t currently have an upsell,” he commented, stroking his chin.
“Exactly,” she said with conviction. “I think it’s code for skimming, specifically off the poker game takes.”
“What makes you think it’s from the poker games?” he asked curiously.
“Think about it. You don’t track those charges until after whoever is manning the poker room brings the extra cash to you. The poker game take is monitored by whoever is in the room that night. They take on various shifts. It’s easy for them to each take a little bit every night and add it to their stash.”
Ben nodded and looked her up and down. He could feel the excitement beaming from her being. He smirked. She was starting to like the danger, the adrenaline. Exactly what kept him coming back to this way of life.
“That’s a good lead. I’m impressed,” he praised sincerely, looking into her eyes.
“I think it’s something we should focus on,” she replied.
“Let’s not jump the gun,” he said, leaning forward. “It’s a good lead, but it may not be the only one we can find.”
“Good point,” she agreed, walking to her bag. She rummaged through it and pulled out her uniform and the heels he gave her last night.
“You’re not on the floor tonight,” he said, standing.
“I’m not?” she asked with a disappointed look on her face.
Ben shook his head. “You’ve had enough excitement for a few days,”
“Oh,” she said, stuffing the dress and heels back into her bag.
He watched her closely. While guilt shot through his chest, another feeling rose. A pulling desire to protect her, keep her safe. If he was able to find a way out of the order from the Don, he was going to have to earn her trust. If he told her of the plan now, she would run, and someone else would be sent to punch her ticket.
Ben cleared his throat and stood straight. “Have you eaten?” he asked in a calm voice. She looked up at him, confused.
“No.” She paused. “I was going to go home and make some chicken.”
“Chicken with what?” he asked, smiling.
“Uhh ...” She stood and looked at the ceiling. “I was thinking of some gourmet broccoli and carrots.”
He laughed. “Chicken with broccoli and carrots?” He looked at her in disbelief. She deserved so much more than to go home and cook bland chicken alone in that small apartment.
“It’s the best I can do,” she said defensively.
He paused and met her gaze, intensely staring at her in silence.
“Come to dinner with me,” he said, more of a command than an offer.
She scoffed. “I’m exhausted. I just got off from the gym, and I was really looking forward to going home, you know, with no one breaking into my apartment to disturb me.”
He chuckled again. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
