Chapter 4
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Eve was sitting at a table inside the deli on the main floor of the casino when Dawn came running in a few minutes late. It was tucked into the corner so they could have some privacy and chat. Eve had missed her sister and couldn’t wait to catch up.
“I thought you were going to ditch me,” Eve laughed. “I’ve got so much to tell you.”
“No way,” Dawn stated as she smiled at her exuberant sister. Eve was happy. Glowing. Her eyes shone brightly. “I can’t wait to hear all about life as a roadie.”
Eve brushed invisible lint off her pantsuit, looking elegant as usual. “I’ll confess; it wasn’t my favorite way to live. The tour bus is comfortable but crowded.”
“I can just imagine.” Dawn knew the band traveled together. There were five of them. Space was tight. Her sister’s wardrobe alone would have required its own room.
“The guys were great, though. Lucas was given the private room.”
“None of the other girlfriends came along?” Dawn asked politely, perusing the menu.
“Not on this leg of the journey. Well, at least not the whole time.” Of the five guys, Dawn knew two were single. But two others had longtime girlfriends who often traveled with them. “Misty was home getting everything ready for the holidays, and Joanna came for a week.”
“Oh, boy, I bet you had fun with just the guys.”
“It was crazy, but at the same time it was great seeing what it was like on the road. I admit it’s not easy or all glamorous. But I loved having all that time with Lucas, too. They practiced a lot. Had meetings about clothes, interviews, and set lists constantly. It was fascinating. But I’m glad to be home.”
“I’m glad to have you home.” And it was true. She had missed having her sister to talk with.
“I missed you, too, sweetie. But you have me for a week. Lucas is coming home for Christmas and New Year’s, and then he has another two months on tour. They extended the tour to include ten more cities. I’ll miss him, and maybe fly out to see him a few times, but the road is definitely not for me.”
“Is that going to be a problem?” Lucas loved his music and that was his life. It would mean a lot of time apart.
Appreciating her concern, Eve addressed her sister’s question. “No sweetie, we talked about it. He obviously needs to tour, wants to, but he said as long as I come to him once a month, he’ll come to see me once a month. They’ll tour no more than six months a year. And he’ll keep his apartment in New York because he gets tired of hotels, but he is going to relocate here. He actually wants to get married this spring, in April, and he’s given me the job of finding us a house somewhere close to his dad and the casino. Eeks!” her sister shrieked excitedly. “I’ve got a wedding to plan, a house to buy. Lots of shopping to do.”
“Oh, my goodness. That’s exciting.” Dawn was ecstatic for her sister. The shopping part was right up her alley. “I’d love to help in any way I can,” she offered.
“It is and, believe me, you will.” Her brown eyes snapped with excitement. “I can’t believe it. If you would have told me six months ago that I’d be planning a wedding and buying a house, I would have told you that you were crazy.”
Dawn laughed. But it was true. Her sister had loved being single. “Do you want me to pinch you?” It felt good to laugh with Eve again.
“No, thank you, but I’m so going to need your help, of course.”
“I’m here. And I’d love to help.” Dawn’s eyes misted over with happiness for her sister just as the waitress arrived to take their order.
When the waitress departed, Eve focused on Dawn. “Okay, so enough about me. Tell me about you. What’s been going on this past month with my little sister?”
“Not much. Just work,” she lied.
“Don’t lie to me. I actually ran into your friend, Melissa, this morning and she said she saw you at Light It Up with a handsome guy named Jack. She asked how that was going and if it was serious. Soooooo,” she dragged out the one syllable word, “who is Jack, and how is that going?” Her smile was infectious, but her question caught Dawn off guard.
Damn Melissa for so readily spilling that tidbit so quickly. What should she say? She was relieved when a waitress arrived with their drinks. It gave her a moment to compose herself before answering. But all too soon she was gone, and her sister repeated her question.
“So, who is Jack?” Again, the words were drawn out like she had a secret to share.
Dawn could not keep anything from her sister, and she had wanted to talk about it with someone, so she spilled. “Well, there was a Jack. But currently, Jack is not in the picture. I met him at the casino. I covered a shift and we hit it off. He’s a professional gambler. So that’s a no no. But we had drinks a couple of times, and well, that’s about it.” She left out the breakfast and the sex. “I haven’t heard from him in over a week.” Dawn watched her sister’s reaction. Her eyes were bright and happy until she said she hadn’t heard from the guy in some time. She left out the part about fleeing from his room, too.
Her sister made a face. Half grimace, half questioning. “Well, that’s disappointing.”
“Why do you say that?”
Eve shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of her sweet tea. “Melissa said he seemed really into you. I was hoping . . .” Eve searched for the right word. “Oh, I don’t know! That maybe you’d met someone. He sounded different from your usual type of guy, so I hoped you finally found someone worthy of you.”
Dawn smiled. Her sister never liked any of the other guys she chose. “It doesn’t concern you that he’s a gambler or older?”
“No. Does it concern you? And how much older?” Eve tossed at her.
“He’s thirty-four, just nine years older. That didn’t bother me.” And it hadn’t. “The gambling, a bit,” she confessed.
Again, Eve shrugged her shoulders. “Most gamblers have other jobs you know. It’s not easy to make a career out of just that.”
Eve’s statement bothered her. She hadn’t thought to ask him about his life beyond what he had offered freely. Why hadn’t she asked? They really hadn’t talked that much. He mostly asked her questions and she answered them. “He really didn’t say much about his life. I didn’t ask, I guess.” She knew her response was lame, and Eve would call her on it.
As guessed, her sister’s eyebrow arched in stark relief. “You had two dates. Why would he? Especially if you didn’t ask him about it.” Her sister’s tone revealed her shock that Dawn hadn’t even asked the guy about himself.
“I know. I should have asked.” Plus, she couldn’t really call what they had experienced together dates. No, she wouldn’t really call it that.
“So, no call in a week?”
Dawn shook her head and lifted two fingers and tried not to let her sister see her disappointment.
She heard her sister’s audible sigh. “Do you have his number?”
Dawn nodded her head in the affirmative and Eve made a disgusted noise.
“Give me your phone.” She held out her hand, and the expression on her face clearly said she would not take an argument.
“What are you going to do?”
“Just give me your phone.” Dawn knew it was crazy to hand her bolder sister the phone, but she really did want to see Jack again, regretted running out, so she complied.
Dawn watched as Eve scrolled through her contacts until she found Jack’s name. “Hmm, what should we…er, you, say?”
“Nothing too desperate, please,” Dawn begged. When Eve committed to something, she went after it. As a sister, she had been great in giving her the push she needed to go after what she wanted.
“Of course not.” Her sister smiled mischievously. She watched as she typed for a few seconds, then handed the phone back to Dawn.
She grabbed it and looked at the screen to see what her sister had typed.
Dawn: What do you do when you’re not gambling or calling me?
She groaned inside.
Her sister would kill two birds with one stone. She saw the telltale signs of Jack responding. “He’s answering.” Her stomach plummeted.
“Good, he better. Tell me what he says.”
Jack: I was out of town. My other job. I’ll tell you all about it tonight. Are you free?
Was she? She thought as she gripped the phone tightly wondering what to say. Eve swiped the phone out of her hand before she could think of anything. She typed a bit more, and again handed the phone back to her sister.
She read what it said.
Dawn: No. I’m busy. Sorry. Maybe some other time. Call me in two weeks.
Dawn raised her eyebrow in question.
“He hasn’t called in two weeks. He doesn’t deserve for you to make it easy.” The waitress placed their sandwiches in front of them, and Eve picked hers up and bit into it with relish, as Dawn glanced down at her phone. Still no response, but he was typing something. It appeared.
Jack: I’m sorry I haven’t called. It was a dumb. I should have.
She told her sister what he typed, and she smiled. “The apology is nice.”
“What should I say?”
“Nothing. Just wait.” Eve continued to eat, and Dawn looked at her own sandwich feeling anything but hungry in that moment.
Dawn put her phone down on the table and sighed. Just as she did so Shania came rushing up to their table. “Oh, Dawn, I’m so happy I found you. I was looking for you.”
“What’s up? Is everything okay?” she asked, concerned about the older woman who was another dealer in the casino. In fact, they had trained together.
“My daughter’s husband got deployed. She’s in her last trimester. I need to cover for him as her new Lamaze coach. The first class is tonight. Could you?” Shania’s face looked worried.
Dawn’s fear eased and her heart softened for the woman and her daughter’s predicament. Losing your husband for a time just months before having a child had to be gut wrenching. “Of course. What time do you need me to be there?” Dawn asked, getting up to give the older woman a quick hug.
“My shift is from 6 until 2 tonight.” The worry in her eyes began to fade.
“Of course.” Dawn reached for Shania’s hand and grasped it.
The relief on her face was evident. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. I’ll leave you to the rest of your lunch.” Both Eve and Dawn wished her luck at her Lamaze class.
After Shania was out of earshot, Eve spoke up. “Now, what about Jack?”
Dawn shrugged her shoulders. “I did say I was busy.”
“If he asks again, don’t say no. Just give him a different time and be sure to ask him the questions you have in that little head of yours. You deserve answers and have the right to know who you are getting involved with. Stop selling yourself short, sweetie.”
Dawn nodded, feeling a bit better. She took her first bite of her chicken salad sandwich. “Okay, will do.” At that moment, her phone alerted her she had a message. She picked up her phone and saw Jack had sent her another text. Her sister was right again.
Jack: I was gone out of town for work. My other job. I’d love a chance to explain.
She typed back this time, not making him wait.
Dawn: I am covering a shift tonight.
Jack: I’ll be at Mystic tonight. What about after?
She glanced up at her sister. Eve’s eyes had question marks in them. “He wants to meet me after my shift.”
Her sister shook her head vehemently. “Tomorrow. Do something during the day. Get your answers.”
Dawn: It’s a late shift. How about tomorrow afternoon?
She didn’t see evidence of his typing just then, and her heart sank. Then the ellipses appeared.
Jack: It’s a date. Meet me in the lobby at noon.
A date. Those two little words warmed her a bit. She really thought she should stay away all week because she was falling too hard, too fast, but the thought of seeing him again had her stomach in knots. Hopeful, happy, crazy knots. She tried to hide that excitement from her sister.
“Well, what did he say?” her sister asked, excitement and mischief in her voice.
Dawn gave Eve a tentative smile. “Tomorrow at noon. A date.”
Eve clapped her hands in delight for her baby sister. She could tell Dawn was trying to tone down her excitement. “Good. Have fun but get some answers.” She made her chastisement teasingly.
“I will,” Dawn promised. She did want answers, and most certainly was looking forward to seeing Jackson again.
*
It had been four hours, and there had been no sign of Jack. She tried not to let the disappointment of not seeing him bother her. He had said he’d be in the casino, and she’d hoped he’d at least pop in and say hello. He knew she was covering a shift. But perhaps with their lunch date tomorrow, he’d chosen to visit one of the other casinos in the area or went up to Atlantic City.
At midnight, Sampson arrived to relieve her for her last break. She needed to get a little peace and quiet. Normally, she could tune out the sights and sounds of the casino, but she had a lot on her mind and wanted the quiet to think. To think about tomorrow and the questions she wanted to ask Jack. Questions such as, who are you, what do you do besides gambling, where do you live, where are you from, what about family. Her mind ran a mile a minute wondering what his answers would be. He’d mentioned only a few bits and pieces. Loving math in high school. A stint in the military. Never married. Ran and swam every day. She loved to swim. She had been on the swim team with her sister in high school.
As she entered the lobby to get to the entrance of the employee locker room, she got a few appreciative nods even though she was in her uniform. She smiled back at the younger men to be polite, but her thoughts were solely about Jack. Ugh, it was a strange feeling to be so out of control with her emotions. Bobby, one of the security guards who was passing through the lobby on rounds, winked at her. He’d asked her out a few times, but she’d always politely declined. She gave him a little wave of her hand and headed to the bank of elevators. The employee locker room for the casino staff was on the third floor. Just as the elevator was about to close, a big hand reached out to hold one of the sliding doors, and after a brief pause the they reopened. Jackson Black stood before her, and he wasn’t alone.
She slid into the corner of the elevator behind a group most likely headed up to the nightclub on the roof. She was shocked to see him with two beautiful women. A redhead and a brunette were standing on either side of him. He ushered them in, and then another man came and stood with Jack. All four were smiling and conversing. The women were gorgeous. The other man was just as tall as Jack, though slightly leaner. He was a muscular looking fellow with a darker coloring. Tanned skin, eyes black, and hair jet black to Jack’s wavy brown hair and grey eyes.
“Come on, Jack! Don’t be a party pooper! Come with us!” whined the redhead.
“Jack, let’s go try our luck at Foxwoods. Maybe you’ll win some of the money you lost tonight,” the other gentleman teased.
“I’ll have one drink with you upstairs, but I’m calling it quits tonight, Leo. Losing ten grand in one night is where I like to call it quits.”
“Chump change,” Leo joked.
“At a casino, when you lose big to the house, it’s time to call it quits. A private game or a tournament is different. You know someone’s going home a winner.”
Dawn stayed quiet in the corner behind the group of partygoers that had stepped in right after her and listened to the conversation. She was relieved he was just having a drink with the trio and not continuing the night with them. The women were too beautiful. The man, she couldn’t put her finger on it, sent up red flags and warning bells. She hoped Jackson had not seen her take this elevator, but he wasn’t letting on that he was aware she was there.
“Well, we’ll see you next week then,” the brunette stated as she ran her hand down the length of his arm. Inside, Dawn seethed. She hated feeling jealous over a man sh
e hardly knew.
“Definitely. With my 50k stake, I’m hoping to go home a big winner.” His words were said softly for just Leo to hear, but she heard them, too. The partygoers were too enthralled by their own conversation to take notice.
50k? Only big tournaments had that kind of buy in. She knew he gambled, but that was serious money. Her heart sank, and she tried to make herself disappear even further back into the corner. It could only mean two things. An illegal game or a tournament. She hoped it was the latter and racked her brain to recall if the Mystic was having one soon.
Relief swept through her when she remembered there was a poker tournament next Friday. That’s what he must have been talking about. Also, hearing that he lost some tonight in the poker room reduced her worry that he was a card counter and responsible for the heavy losses the casino was experiencing lately.
When the doors opened, she stayed inside as the rowdy crowd departed, and emitted a sigh of relief when Jack had not turned around to see her standing alone in the large elevator. Instead of heading to the locker room, she went back to the casino. She could not wait for her shift to be over and for tomorrow to come; she had a lot of questions…questions she really needed answers to if she was going to continue to pursue this relationship.
Chapter 5
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At precisely noon, Dawn got out of the elevator to enter the brightly lit lobby of Mystic Nights Casino and Resort. Her stomach did cartwheels. She wore casual slacks and a blue shiny blouse underneath her winter pea coat. With Christmas just two days away, a definite chill was in the air.
She saw him right away. He was standing in the center of the lobby wearing casual jeans and a grey jersey knit long-sleeved sweater. The cowboy hat was gone, and he’d cut his hair. Over one arm, he had a light brown suede coat. She smiled as he approached her, glad she had chosen to wear a jacket and that he held his. She was hoping they would leave the casino for what he had called a date. Having Jack take her out of the casino made a possible relationship seem more real.
Black Jack Page 4
