Pitbull is telling me to twirl my partner round and round. Could it be u? Look around.
How on earth did he know what song played on the Bellagio casino floor when he lived in Florida? There had to be a video camera trained on her. Lake looked around the table.
“Thank God, I have you alone.” Hard arms slipped around her waist from behind and warm breath tickled her right ear.
“RSquared! I can’t believe you’re here in person!” Lake spun around and pulled him in to a huge bear hug, one half of the only pair that could distract her from the game.
“Chuck let it slip about this romantic rendezvous and I felt compelled to crash the party. You’re lucky I gave you and Trash one night alone and didn’t bring my drunk ass up to your room at two in the morning while I knocked and yelled to make it a threesome. Of course, I was more pleasantly occupied. Where is that dumb ass anyway, and why did he leave you alone?” He looked at her huge pile of chips and smirked. “Impressive. Obviously, you don’t need him to keep you entertained, but then, I’ve been saying that all along. Although, you do have some color in your cheeks today. Has he learned how to raise his game in his old age?” He laid that question down with a salacious wink.
“He’s in a seminar about how to make the camera love him.”
“You’re fucking kidding me? The camera has to be replaced every time he looks into it. He’s so ugly Chuck had to feed him with a sling shot. Seriously, Lake, you’re with him just because you saw him first. Why, oh why, didn’t you choose me? You couldn’t have waited five more minutes before raising your paddle with the winning bid?”
“RSquared, I could never handle you. Besides, the heart wants what the heart wants. Maybe someday you will experience that and start singing a different tune. We might have to yell ‘Timber’ as we watch you fall like a log at some woman’s feet.” As much as she loved hanging out with him, Lake had to wonder why Ryan didn’t want to settle down at his age. Maybe he hadn’t yet met his match. She still wanted to introduce him to Summer. “Josh, Kevin and I have dinner reservations for seven at the Prime. Should we see if they can make it for one more?”
“Absolutely! Jenna, my sweet, color this lovely young lady up so we can get going. I’m going to take matters into my own hands and declare this session completed. When the fork’s in the pork, it’s time to set the table.” After goodbye hugs and good luck wishes to Mark and Asa, as well as a huge tip for Jenna, Ryan and Lake took the elevator up to their respective rooms. Located on the seventeenth floor, Ryan also had a fountain room but not a suite. He admitted he’d booked it for seduction purposes. She had to just let that one go. Lake didn’t want to encourage his devious ways. She wanted him to settle down. He deserved love too.
After making arrangements to meet at Prime Steakhouse a few minutes before seven, Ryan stepped off the elevator. He wanted to shower and change and left Lake behind to her quiet musings about which underwear ensemble she should wear with her black bandage dress and silver platform heels. It had to be the red one, taking a tip from her sister. She planned on meeting Josh and Kevin at the restaurant as well. They had a cocktail hour from five to seven with the other seminar attendees as a networking event.
She took extra time with her hair and make-up. Bolder evening eye shadow colors complemented her hair which she’d placed half up and half down. The style showcased her face but still left long cascading curls flow towards the middle of her back. She’d never met Josh’s partner and friend, Kevin Winters, so she wanted to make a good impression. Josh adored Kevin and considered him a very important person in his life. She hooked a diamond pendant around her neck to contrast the black of her dress. After giving herself one final inspection, she grabbed her silver evening clutch and slipped through the door making sure it clicked shut behind her.
Three handsome men waited for her outside the doors of the steakhouse, but Lake only had eyes for one. She caught his gaze, held it and never broke eye contact as she turned her mouth up in a smile and sauntered towards him. He looked hot tonight in his suit and tie from the conference. The man was always so put together. She wanted him to know how grateful she was to be with him and how happy he made her.
****
His heart became stuck somewhere in the vicinity of his dry throat as he felt the rumblings of life in his underwear. Josh watched in complete stillness as Lake approached him like a runway model out of a Victoria’s Secret fashion show. The black dress clung as though it were a second skin and her hair tempted him to run his fingers straight through it. If he could just get his hands on her, he’d let his hands follow the sexy curls straight to their tips. Only a few more inches more and they’d land firmly on her backside. Damn this public place. If not for Roberts and his mere existence destroying the moment, he’d beg off from Kevin and drag Lake back up to the suite to pick up where they had left off that morning. He counted himself one lucky bastard. He could get through one dinner. If he had to.
“I can’t believe you get to tap that, old man. As my wonderful mama used to say daily back at the Florida homestead, life is just not fair.”
“Trash, she’s gorgeous. I can see why you’re so crazy about her.” Josh noticed Kevin’s appreciative gaze as Lake neared the spot where they waited. Kevin had been married for over twenty five years and often mentioned his dismay over Roberts and his constant lip. Thank God his wife, Amy, hadn’t accompanied him on this trip. Not her favorite person, Roberts was simply too much for a housewife in her fifties. Amy avoided him. Like the plague.
As soon as she got within reaching distance, Josh grabbed her into the crook of his arm and kissed her on the cheek. Roberts was not allowed to get his grubby little hands on his woman tonight even for a platonic hug so he clutched Lake close to his body. Let him go seduce some whores, get loaded and sleep it off. Elsewhere.
Josh loved how Lake could roll with any situation, even this one where she was the only woman present. He was proud to have her on his arm. She and Kevin were hitting it off and that fact wasn’t surprising. Kevin possessed class and calmness, the reason Josh and he had become such good friends over the years. Kevin’s personality mirrored his dad’s and he kept Josh down to earth and honest, in spite of the trappings of fame. Even Roberts rolled out his best behavior like a red carpet. He kept it mostly clean as he tried to make Lake laugh at his antics. Now, as he sipped his after dinner drink, Josh’s mind became obsessed. He wanted to peel Lake’s black dress off of her body, inch by inch. Especially, after her first suggestive text this afternoon which he hoped would be the first of many. He’d saved it since it was so unexpected.
“Trash, your woman sat on a major heater this afternoon when I rudely interrupted her with my irresistible presence.”
“Really,” Josh hadn’t known that Lake played blackjack even though his dad had said she liked to visit Vegas a few times a year. “How much did you win?”
Lake smiled. “Five thousand, or so. Enough to let me make another donation to HFH. It’s been a long time since I’ve sat that long at one table. I’d been there five hours when Ryan appeared. He gave me a great reason to get up. Otherwise, I’d have probably rode it out until the bitter end.”
Kevin looked intrigued. A prolific gambler, Josh knew he loved hitting the casinos back home in Illinois every few months. “I’m a Craps man myself. Have you ever played?”
“No, I haven’t, but the people at the tables seem to always be having so much fun, judging by the noise level. I’ve heard great things about it.”
“Trash, you have to let me borrow her for an hour or so before you go back up to the suite. There is nothing luckier than a virgin shooter.”
Josh thought Roberts would snort his cognac up his nose, he inhaled so deeply at the innocent comment. “Well, we couldn’t possibly let the opportunity of observing a virgin shooter pass us by, now can we?”
If you didn't do what you wish you had done, Lake, or if you did do what you wish you hadn't, may I suggest that back then you were simply acting
on instinct, and that it served you well?
Particularly knowing as I know, how else things could have gone and how well you've done for yourself.
Oh yeah, Lake, you done good!
Tallyho~
The Universe
Chapter Twenty Four
After he picked up the tab, Kevin led the group onto the casino floor and found a table that had positive energy but still had space to play. The gamblers at the table welcomed their group with open arms since the current shooter had just rolled a seven before getting a point and everyone at the table had lost their money. They were happy and relieved to have a new shooter. Since Lake represented the ‘virgin shooter’ and was predicted to have beginners luck, the guys bet the pass line along with everyone else at the table. Craps tables usually bet together as ‘right bettors’ and not against the shooter as most players tended to be superstitious. This table was no exception.
Lake held the dice in her hands and rubbed them together. Josh, Ryan and Kevin stood on her left hand side. Towards the opposite end of the table, a group of four young guys congregated that looked to be in their late twenties. They kept yelling at the top of their lungs so the entire casino found out they were there for a bachelor party whether they cared or not. The prospective groom wobbled left and right so the best man had his arm draped around him. Stationed between the two groups, stood a middle aged couple from New Mexico.
“Okay, what am I looking for here?” Lake felt out of her element. She hadn’t played the game before or ever learned anything about it other than it involved rolling two dice.
Kevin, the resident expert leaned in, towards her left side. “You want a seven or eleven on the first roll. If you roll a seven or eleven, everyone wins. If you roll a two, three, or twelve, that is Craps and everyone will lose. Lake, we really need a seven or eleven!”
Lake took that opportunity to lock gazes with Josh and place the dice up towards her lips. She wore her most innocent look with her eyes peeking out from underneath her eyelashes. “Should I blow on them?”
The best man overheard her and jumped high into the air. He gave a loud party whoop and flung his arms wide which caused the groom to sway sharply against the table. If they stayed upright through the next roll, it would be a miracle. They needed to be cut off. “Sweetheart, you can blow anything you want!”
Lake noticed Josh seemed shaky on his feet and Ryan could never bypass an opportunity to tease him. Ryan veered into his rib cage, unable to remain silent. “I think it’s my influence.”
Lake brought the dice up to her mouth again and gave a gentle blow for luck. When she’d finished, she kept both dice in her right hand and lightly tossed them down the table. Awesome, they read a six and a five for a total of eleven! The whole table went wild and everyone won that had bet the pass line.
“See, what did I tell you about the virgin shooter?” Kevin seemed very proud of himself. The dealer moved the point to four. “Now, you need to roll a four before you roll a seven. This is very important. Eleven doesn’t matter anymore. We need a four and not a seven. Now, the most natural thing to do is to roll a seven because it’s the most common dice combination. Even though it’s tempting, the best way to receive a negative outcome is to fling the dice down the table like in a bad Vegas movie. You should be gentle, position your dice before you shoot and focus on one part of the table. Come on Lake, you can do it!”
As she tossed the dice out once more, Lake rolled two deuces. She couldn’t believe it. There must really be something to this virgin shooter nonsense. It went on like that for fifteen minutes, as if Lake couldn’t lose. The more she shot, the more she won and a huge crowd gathered around their table trying to get in on the action. It must have been two or three people deep. The cocktail waitress made it through with Lake’s martini and Josh’s scotch. Kevin had ordered a beer and Ryan a straight tequila. Josh shot the double scotch straight down his throat and told the waitress to bring another, fast. Lake wasn’t sure why he was so agitated. Everyone at the table was having fun. She wanted to see him smiling too. Maybe Ryan annoyed him, always orating near his ear.
****
Josh fanned himself and wished he had a place to throw his jacket. “Is it warm in here? I want her out of here and upstairs so bad. I hate to admit it, especially to you. If this continues, Lake’s going to think she’s in a relationship with a masturbating monkey at the zoo.”
“Refrain, unless you want to piss off your friend, Kevin. You, old man, are stuck here for at least an hour. Do your nuts hurt yet? Maybe we should tell Lake about the ‘come’ line, she might want to make a side bet.”
“Shut up, asshole.”
“Late night last night, old man? You look like you’ve fucked Father Time.”
Roberts would still ride on the smack talk train even if it threatened to derail, poised to fall off a cliff. The longer Josh stood at this god damn table, the hotter and more impatient he became. Who the hell had invited his annoying ass? No one, of course, he just always showed up like the proverbial bad penny. Josh planned to force his dad to answer to this one. His paternal duty did not include keeping Roberts eternally in the loop while he bolstered his frequent flyer miles. He wore wrinkled khaki pants, flip flops and a red plaid long sleeved shirt over a grey t-shirt in the middle of a desert summer. The hostess shouldn’t even have let him in the Prime dressed like a granola loving tree hugger.
Josh’s tie constricted his blood flow as if it could choke the life right out of him. While he brought his fingers up to loosen it, he caught sight of the cocktail server with their second round of drinks on her tray. Roberts continued to flirt with the woman in his brazen way right into her ear. Obviously, he wanted to find out when her shift ended. Josh couldn’t understand why beautiful women remained attracted to him when he resembled the lead singer in a Pearl Jam cover band. He grabbed his scotch, handed her a ten and turned towards Roberts. “You’re over reaching Tree Rat. I’m pretty sure she’s never danced on a pole.”
“Temper, temper.” Ryan leaned in to the gorgeous blonde in the skimpy outfit, named Brittney. “He’s just crabby because he wants to get laid. It’s been a few hours since the last round and obviously, that’s too long for him. At his age, I’m surprised he can still get it up. Ah, the bloom of the new woman. Frankly, my heart pumps piss for him.” He twisted back towards Josh, and asked with feigned innocence, “Am I irritating you?”
“Perpetually. Like a leg loving puppy.”
Josh rolled his eyes and turned back towards Lake. Her fingers clutched the dice, ready to roll them again. He wanted her to roll Craps more than he wanted her to miss her blue line shot at the Coyote’s arena. Now, he wanted what he’d been missing since that day. Again, and again and again. Her happy smile kept him from dragging her away from the table and to their suite, he wouldn’t be the one to spoil her fun. Kevin’s glee couldn’t be denied either. He had a huge pile of money in front of him due to Lake’s lucky streak.
A miniature devil also named Josh sat on his shoulder, dressed in blood red. He couldn’t stop that little bastard from chanting.
Seven, Seven, Seven.
Was that wrong? He hoped the real Beelzebub didn’t have a place waiting for him in hell. As he watched the dice leave her long fingers, he willed them to a seven. He clamped his eyes shut and then opened them a sliver. He stared with fascination as the dice flew through the air and hit the green felt. The gambling gods must have been with him because those two dice fell perfectly in a five and a two.
“Praise the lord,” he mumbled under his breath. Of course, Roberts read his lips. To get out of this one unscathed would be more mercy than he could ever hope to receive from him. A swarm of hornets circling his head wouldn’t be more annoying at this moment.
“Horny, party of one. Don’t trip all over yourself getting her out of here. I want to say goodbye and give her my most sage advice for later. She should draw things out for as long as possible. I know how much you love waiting.”
; “You are not saying goodbye. You are going to stay here with Kevin and take one for the team. How many times have I covered your sorry ass and been your wingman?”
“Alright, alright. I’ll stay here and play more Craps with Kevin where I can ogle the pretty ladies and dally with the delectable Brittney. One more thing before you go. What’s on the menu for tonight, Trash? I just want to know what I’m missing since Lake won’t consent to make it a threesome.”
“You’re a sick bastard.”
“Trash, how many times did you get the job done last night?”
The sound of his voice grated on Josh’s last nerve. “Multiple.”
His wisest move of the evening was to walk away from Roberts. If he stayed there and listened, Josh would be hard pressed not to resort to violence that he’d later regret, like smacking him straight in the face. Roberts’ friendship mattered to him but Josh’s sex life and relationship was no longer any of his fucking business. As Lake hugged Kevin farewell, she paused so Josh had already moved towards her when he heard Roberts call out his name one last time.
It was simple force of habit to acknowledge him. In spite of himself, he still glanced back over his left shoulder. There stood Roberts with that shit eating grin and one parting syllable that said it all.
“Ole’.”
To be all I could be, Lake, I had to be you.
You had to be amazing.
And amazing had to be redefined.
Happily, it's working~
The Universe
Chapter Twenty Five
Closing The Gap (Dangerous Pasts, #1) Page 16
