AllFreeNovel
Share Us
With a frustrated sigh, I force thoughts of her from my mind. Time to focus on business.
I slip from the warmth of the sheets and go into the walk-in closet. Rows of designer outfits and stilettos greet me, but I select a sleek tailored suit and low heels instead. The pencil skirt I hesitated over for a moment might limit movement if trouble arises, and it’s easier to conceal a holster in pants and a jacket.
After years of navigating these treacherous waters, I’ve learned to expect it at any time, and right now I candefinitelyfeel it brewing.
Ready for the day, I make my way downstairs while scrolling through emails on my phone. Most are mundane; updates from contractors renovating the east wing, meeting confirmations, bank statements. But one is worrisome—from Fonelli.
Damn it. This is the trouble I felt brewing. He wants to see the ledgers again next week. I suppose my cover storywasn’tall that convincing, but still…
I head to the Ruby, passing through several empty rooms before entering the hidden basement stairs. Time to assess the damage. Here, beneath the polished floors of the high-class lounge, lies the beating heart of my enterprise: the cards and roulette, the dice and drinks, the spies and smugglers. All dangerous, but hazards I’ve mastered.
The lingering scent of cigars and antique wood greets me as I reach the casino floor. It’s eerily still at this hour, tables draped, tokens locked away. Almost peaceful. I find the numbers from last night, and head back up to my office.
But when I crack open the ledger in my office and begin my comparisons, those numbers I collected downstairs just about assault me. Profits much higher than they should be, far beyond what I report to the Don. And Fonelli’s no fool. He’ll notice the discrepancies unless I do a better job of covering them up.
I sip an espresso as I work, shaving numbers down, re-coding expenses, stitching the webs of lies. I transfer the excess cash into the usual offshore accounts, keeping some aside in an account intended for my philanthropic and charity events, which the Don himself wouldn’t be able to quibble over, since the IRS is all over that particular account.
I drum my fingers against the desk as I contemplate how to further refine my system in the future, ensuring that the Mancini Boss remains none the wiser. It’s dangerous work, certainly. But as the numbers blur together, I can’t help but feel a little thrill at the thought of outwitting the Mancini auditor.
They shouldn’t try to play a player, after all.
It takes over an hour, but the doctored, alternate ledger now appears immaculate, ready for Fonelli’s ruthless eye. Let him scrutinize it all he likes; he’ll find no cracks in this facade. The casino, the lounge, the Ruby itself—all just lovely fronts concealing my true purpose.
Satisfied with my alterations, I return to the floor to help with opening preparations. It’s Sunday, so the lounge will operate at half-mast today, but diligence is key. No rest for the wicked, and all that. At some point in the future I’d like to be open 24/7, but that day is a little way off.
I’m inspecting the spirits inventory when my phone buzzes. A text from Caitlin, inviting me to dinner at their place tonight. I smile, quick to accept. Even Juno’s prickly personality can’t deter me. I don’t mind her barbs and barks—it’s how she shows affection, and Lord knows I give as good as I get.
The lounge’s subdued energy soothes me as I work, planning tonight’s meal in my mind. Caitlin prefers simple, hearty fare after long days as a mechanic—stews, roasts, the like. But dessert is my domain. I’ll find the perfect ingredients at the market to craft something decadent. She has a weakness for chocolate.
Plotting the menu keeps darker thoughts at bay: ledger lines, the auditor’s menace, Natalie’s sudden insistence that she had to leave…
Damn it all, I willnotthink of her! This infatuation is meaningless, a trifle. I’m just annoyed that she hasn’t immediately fallen for me, like everyone else does. But the hollow feeling lingers a little as I instruct Devon on tonight’s offerings and remind the staff about proper dress code, which has been a little lax lately.
There was a connection between us last night, I could have sworn, just after I introduced her to the CEO of a tech startup.
You’re making friends for me, she’d said, sounding so surprised and uncertain that I worried I’d overstepped somehow.
But what I said was true, perfectly true: I know what it’s like to be lonely. My job, my role here at the Ruby, requires me to keep a little distance. And I’m happy to maintain that distance, so long as the Ruby is successful, and I get a little physical companionship now and then.
Or at least, I’ve been happy enough with that compromise up until now. Whatever passed between Natalie and me last night, it was enough to cause a few wrinkles in the smooth silk of my life. For a moment I saw in her…what?
A woman in need?
Ridiculous. Natalie Moreau is a billionaire heiress with a Park Avenue apartment that is—I’ll admit it—even nicer than my own. She is most certainlynota woman in need.
As for me, Idohave needs, and I’d like to satisfy them soon. So I’ll seduce Natalie as swiftly as I can, satisfy my craving, and be finished with it. And in turn, she’ll benefit from her connection with me and the other powerful women in this town.
A nice, transactional relationship. The kind I prefer. The kind I’m used to.
The only kind I can allow myself.
My life is much too complicated for anything more.
* * *
Later that evening I have my town car drive me to Juno’s brownstone. She answers on the first knock, greeting me with her customary scowl. “You’re late.”
I step over the threshold, pausing to kiss her cheeks in exaggerated fashion. “And you’re looking as lovely as always, cousin dearest. I come bearing gifts to honor your esteemed hospitality.”
