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“That’s very nice of you.”
He smiles. “It’s our pleasure. We’re delighted to have Nicky Z here. We’ve been sold out for three straight weeks.”
No doubt. From all accounts, Nicky Z puts on a fantastic show. I’ve never seen her perform live, and I can’t wait for Thursday night.
I head to my small but comfortable room. After a quick shower, I make my way to Nicky’s suite to introduce myself and make sure she has everything she needs. Anna isn’t there; she’s taken the day off, and I won’t meet her until tomorrow. Once we’re done with small talk, I get to work. I take some candid pictures for Nicky’s Instagram, write a couple of witty tweets on her behalf, and hover within earshot during rehearsal. As celebrities go, she’s pretty low maintenance. She doesn’t try to rope me into an orgy, doesn’t ask me to supply her with drugs, and I don’t even have to ensure that there are only yellow M&Ms in her suite.
By seven in the evening, I’m done. My expenses are on the company tab, and so I indulge myself by ordering room service. I eat an excellent burger, gorge on the fries, and resolve to wake up early so that I can hit the hotel gym and work off the calories.
Then, at nine, I drift downstairs to the casino. Like a moth to the flame.
The Grand River has comped me two hundred dollars in chips. I gather them and find a Texas Hold ’Em table. If you lose the two hundred bucks, you’re out, I tell myself sternly. No more hubris, Gabby. You cannot get carried away. You’re here to work, not to gamble.
Then I start winning. I hit a red-hot streak. In an hour, my two hundred dollars has become three thousand.
It’s a start. Don’t get me wrong, three grand is nothing to sneeze at. But Sammy’s timer is ticking, and I have to speed this up. I’ll need to win and win steadily for more than one night to make up the gap. I don’t have a lot of time and I still have ninety-five thousand, five hundred dollars to win.
I need the high-stakes tables.
The Grand River has them, but only in its invite-only back room. I look around the casino floor and spot a hostess watching the poker tables. Perfect. When it’s time for a break, I approach her. “Hi,” I greet her with a friendly smile. “I have a question. How does one get into the back room?”
She gives me a speculative look. “It’s by invitation only.”
Already knew that. “And how does one get an invitation?” I press.
“I’ll have to check with the Head of Security. We’ll need to run a credit check, Ms. Alves.”
She knows my name. The staff at the Grand River is good.
My credit’s not vile, but it’s not great either. It’s not high-roller territory, that’s for certain. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I nod my consent, and she disappears into a back room.
She returns almost immediately. This time, there’s no smile on her face. “Ms. Alves, would you come with me, please?”
That was fast. Anxiety stabs me. “Is there a problem?”
“The Head of Security would like to meet you.”
The Head of Security. That sounds like a problem to me. “Why?” I demand.
“He didn’t share that information, Ms. Alves. Please follow me.”
I contemplate telling her to fuck off. Except I can’t. First, it isn’t the hostess—Linda, according to her nametag—I’m annoyed with; it’s the casino management. Linda’s just doing her job. Second, Nicky Z is here for another five weeks, and I’m her PR rep. I can hardly do my job if I get myself banned from the Grand River. I imagine the expression of fury on my boss’ face and choose the lesser of the two evils.
It’s probably nothing. Probably. But telling myself that I’m panicking for no reason doesn’t do anything to calm my nerves.
Should have left the damn voucher alone.
Linda leads me to an elevator. We take it up to the forty-fourth floor. The doors open onto a large, open space, with floor to ceiling windows that look out on the water below.
The view is almost enough to make me forget how irritated I am. Almost. I move forward, an indignant tirade ready to burst from my mouth.
Then I stop in my tracks.
Because the men that face me?
It’s them.
The two guys from my unforgettable one-night stand seven months ago.
Dominic and Carter.
