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“Okay. Got it. So this is kind of a hostess gig? I can do that.”
I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince them or myself, but I pushed my shoulders back and stood a little taller. “You can count on me, Jasper.”
“I know.” His words came so easily, so sincerely that it took me off guard. “If you need anything, Mace is your man. See you later.” Jasper turned and walked away with nothing but a look that spoke about a thousand words to Mace before he did.
“Don’t worry about Jasper. His bark is way worse than his bite, but he only bites when necessary. He’s just kind of gruff.”
Mace’s words helped me relax, and later when twenty players showed up, I had my game face on.
Ready to entertain.
The night went off without a hitch, at least I thought it did. Provo arrived and gave me a quick nod, but nothing more to show we were friends outside the card room.
The players mostly ignored me after a quick introduction, other than to ask me for another drink. It was an uneventful first night and I was grateful. And nervous.
The amount of money at the tables was staggering. In addition to big ass piles of Ashby chips, plenty of the players had side bets going with stacks of cash on the table. All of that money made me nervous but the truth was, I didn’t know shit about nerves until the night was over.
And it was time to cash everyone out.
“That’s our cue, sweetheart.” We made our way back to the cash out station that eased my nerves a little. Despite the big money players, the Ashbys hadn’t skimped on security, with a two-inch thick bulletproof glass between us and them. That and the fact that the security guys wore long guns made me feel safe.
“Just take the chips and hand them to me, same with the cash. I’ll do the rest and hand it back to you. Got it?”
“Yep. How are you so calm?”
Mace shrugged. “It’s just money, darlin’. The machine does all the work and these guys know better than to start shit. Just be cool. Everyone loves hot chicks handing them cash.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Even the other hot chicks?”
“Damn straight. Women like beautiful things. And cash. You’re giving them both. What’s not to be happy about?”
I let out a laugh and shook my head. “You make a good point, Mace. Thanks for making my first night a lot less nerve-wracking.”
“My pleasure. Now let’s get to it. I have a date later.”
“Tonight?” I shook my head. It was well past midnight. Who went on a date this time of night? “Sounds like a booty call.”
His good-natured laugh assured me I hadn’t offended him as I took my seat behind the glass. “It’s Vegas, baby! Well, Vegas adjacent and plenty of people work odd hours, so we date when we can.”
“That makes sense. Have a good time.”
He blinked in surprise. “Thank you, Nessa.”
The cashing out part of the evening went off without a hitch, even though my heart raced like it had the first time Lance missed a check-in phone call on his first overseas mission. But just like then, my heart slowed eventually, and I got used to handling what I learned was hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time. “That makes me wish I smoked.”
“You’re officially off the clock, so there’s no harm in having Hulu pour you a stiff drink.”
That sounded wonderful. “I still have to drive home where I have a bottle of Gentleman Jack waiting for me, and I really don’t want a DUI.”
“One of us will be happy to drive you home, Nessa. We take care of our own.”
“That’s sweet, but I need to unwind, over analyze, and prepare to do it all again tomorrow night. At the end of the night tomorrow, I’d like to have a drink and learn about your name and those gorgeous tattoos.” I realized how that sounded and quickly added, “And your date.”
Mace wagged a thick finger at me and grinned innocently. “A gentleman never tells.”
“Oh, please. I spent most of my life with military men; they always tell.”
A booming laugh erupted out of Mace, startling me for a moment. “Okay, fine, a gentleman never tells a lady.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, then you can just tell me whether or not you like her and want to see her again. Or him,” I rushed to add.
“I like the ladies, and they love me,” he added with a laugh to show he wasn’t offended.
“Glad to hear it.” I grabbed my little clutch that held keys, lip balm, my ID and cash, and made my way toward the exit. “Have a good night guys. See you tomorrow.”
“Where do you think you’re going?” Evan’s deep voice bellowed across the game room, scaring the crap out of me, and I stopped in my tracks.
