by Odell, Roxie
“Hey,” she said, wondering if he even remembered her.
“Stretch!” he said with a light and friendly grin, looking like he was still enjoying that lucky streak.
She smiled, allowing him to get away with the nickname. “How’s the gambling going?” she asked.
“Good, real good,” he said, beaming. “I’m up for once! Might not have to take out a second mortgage after all!”
“Still?” she asked. “Since Friday night?”
“Yup,” he said.
She studied him, noticing that he was wearing the same clothes and was in desperate need of a proper shave. “Well, I’m glad to hear it,” she genuinely offered, though she couldn’t help shaking her head at his disheveled appearance and the fact that her own luck had run out.
“Hey, speaking of that, would you care to be my good luck charm again?” Bill asked, much to her surprise.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’d better not,” she said. “I think my days of good fortune have passed. Besides, my stomach’s been growling for the last half hour. I just need to stop by the front desk before I grab a bite to settle it down.”
“Break my heart, why don’t ya?” he said, dramatically clutching his chest.
“Sorry, Bill,” she said. “Though I’m truly flattered.”
“It’s just that I know I won’t find any Lady Luck so beautiful,” Bill continued. “I know you made the difference.”
Corrine was a sucker for a compliment, especially after being dumped by her last guy so unceremoniously. Even when it came to Derrick, despite giving her the best sex she’d ever had, his flattery was what charmed her the most.
She didn’t find Bill attractive—he couldn’t compete with a man like Derrick—but he might be good for some company. If she spent the rest of the day by herself, she’d just get depressed thinking about how things had ended with the sexy lawyer.
“Okay, Bill, you win again, but I’ve gotta eat first,” she said.
“Funny thing,” he said. “So do I.”
He followed her to the front desk, and she had to sign for her guest vouchers. That seemed normal enough, but what she did find strange was that she also had to sign a legal form, drawn up by Derrick: a nondisclosure agreement promising that she would not sue the hotel for the elevator event, nor would she publicize it.
When did he have a chance to write this up? And why the hell didn’t he tell me about it?
Soured by the form and his secret phone conversation, she felt a light bulb go off in her head. Corrine took a step back and suddenly saw their intensely romantic weekend as something else. My God! He was just paying me off! The weekend on the house, free meal tickets, and all that damn seduction? It was all just a bribe, sexing me into silence! Corrine slammed the pen down on the counter, drawing a startled stare from the desk clerk. He’s a slimy lawyer after all, for Gil Frosh of all people. Was all this just part of his job? Could he be that sleazy?
“What if I refuse to sign?” she asked, looking the clerk in the eye.
“Is there a problem, miss?” the female clerk asked, slightly alarmed.
“Well, this is serious stuff,” she said. “You want me to sign a binding document after your luxury elevator nearly dropped me to my death like a faulty rocket ship? I feel I should at least have time to read all the fine print first. Maybe even run it by my lawyer before I give you my John Hancock.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know who John Hancock is, miss. Is he staying here?” The bimbo of a clerk couldn’t have been more than nineteen, and the lime-green nail polish made it clear that she’d never exactly focused on anything as dull as history class.
Corrine sighed. “Never mind. I just think I need to consult an attorney before I sign this.”
“Perhaps I should get my manager,” said the panicked young woman.
“Should I forget about the meal vouchers then?” asked Corrine.
“No, go ahead,” said the clerk. “We’ll find you if we need you. Enjoy.”
“Lawyers and death rockets?” Bill asked as they sauntered into the casual restaurant. “Sounds juicy. I wanna hear all about it.”
Corrine heard him, but she wasn’t really paying attention. Her mind was swirling with too many thoughts, too many doubts. It was just a one-night stand after all, she had to admit to herself. I came on to him and played right into his hands. It was my idea. She paused and sighed. Why do I feel so foolish? Did he really play me that easily?
“Hey, for real,” Bill said, as if he were an old friend. “Is something wrong?”
Suddenly, those hard feelings about her former relationship, the ones she’d hoped to heal in the bright lights of Vegas, were back in full force. “I need eggs,” she said. “And English muffins. I don’t get why, but it seems all the restaurants in Vegas love to serve those damn nooks and crannies.”
Bill laughed. “Yeah, with an excessive amount of jelly packs.”
She had to laugh at that and at the notion that Bill was beginning to grow on her. He was every bit as tall and handsome as Derrick, even if he wasn’t as clean and dapper. She wasn’t about to jump from one guy to the next, but he wasn’t terrible to look at.
“This is free, right?” he asked the waitress as Corrine held the voucher out to her.
Corrine laughed. “With the amount of time you spend here, I wouldn’t think you’d even have to ask,” she said. “Seems like you ought to be up to your eyeballs in vouchers.”
“You might be right about that,” he said. “But I still worry. I’m kind of a habitual cheapskate.”
“I see,” Corrine said with a nod. “So, Bill, what do you really do for a living? Or are you a professional gambler?”
“I guess you could say I am,” he said with a reluctant grin.
They emptied their coffee cups quickly, and the server was quick to come by with refills. Corrine had never been a fan of restaurant coffee, but she was happy to settle for any caffeine at that point. She was also quick to slurp down her ice water, since all the Champagne and physical activity over the weekend had left her parched.
Suddenly, a commotion occurred in the lobby, complete with loud cursing and yelling.
“Jesus,” said Corrine. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to a casino. I forgot how disgruntled people can get when it comes to losing money.”
“Yeah, they’re like stubborn, selfish toddlers in need of naps,” Bill said. “It gets worse when they forget to go to bed.”
The racket from the lobby grew louder, an all-out riot, and a security guard and a pit boss darted toward the scene.
“Ooh,” said Corrine. “Something’s up out there.”
“Yeah, well, don’t expect your breakfast anytime soon,” Bill said cynically.
The pit boss and the security guard soon returned, carting a woman by the arms, practically dragging her to the hotel office. It just so happened that Derrick was right on their heels, and Corrine’s heart flared at the sight of him. He didn’t seem to like his job very much in that moment because he was wearing a badgered look on his face.
He caught sight of Corrine and Bill in the restaurant. For a second, his tired expression changed to an angry one. Corrine’s eyes widened. Could he be jealous?
Before she could even think about it, Derrick turned away and disappeared from sight. He conjured so many feelings in her that she couldn’t be certain he had merely used her or manipulated her. That wasn’t the look a of a man who didn’t care about her.
“That’s their general counsel,” remarked Corrine randomly.
“Huh?” asked Bill over the rim of his coffee cup.
“The guy following the bouncers. He’s the hotel attorney, their corporate lawyer. Sort of the overseer of all things legal. He seems to be in on every squabble and malfunction here.”
He looked at her like she was from outer space. “That’s pretty intense,” said Bill. “That woman doesn’t look like a rowdy gambler, just a pissed-off partner. Love or money, take your pick. Either way,
she’s screaming because she got screwed.”
Corrine suddenly had a sinking feeling that had her wanting to slide off her chair and ooze to the carpet below. The haunted expression on Derrick’s face when he saw her sipping coffee with Bill lingered with her, but her intuition told her that the woman throwing the tantrum was the same one he’d been arguing with earlier that morning.
God, what have I gotten myself into?
Despite the commotion, their meal arrived a few minutes later. It made no difference, though, because Corrine’s appetite was now spoiled. While her imagination ran wild, she mindlessly shoveled eggs into her mouth, one bite after the next, not even bothering to taste it. In the end, it was as if she’d inhaled her breakfast faster than they had prepared it.
“Wow, you were a hungry girl,” Bill teased.
“Yeah,” she said, then took another gulp of the coffee that tasted like bitter sewage. She had had her fill of Vegas, and she was ready to go home right after breakfast. In fact, she’d had enough of Vegas to last a lifetime.
“Do you pretty much live here?” she asked Bill, trying to take her mind off her dismal thoughts.
“Nah, it’s just that it’s a new hotel,” he said. “So I thought I’d try it out for a while. It ain’t my usual digs.” He didn’t sound entirely impressed.
“I see,” she said with a nod.
“To answer your earlier question, I’d say I’m a pro gambler,” he offered. “It’s risky as hell, but it’s all I do, and all I’ve ever wanted to do. It’s feast or famine, but it sure makes life exciting.”
“Easy, cowboy,” she said. “I’m not interrogating you, just asking. No need to defend your chosen career.”
He grinned, tipping an invisible hat. “Well, I appreciate that,” he said. “And I appreciate the company.”
“Me too, actually,” she said, and she meant it. Bill’s company did bring her some comfort, even in the hellishly uncomfortable situation she now found herself in.
Corrine dumped a pile of salt over the rest of her eggs and finished them off in a hurry, only to look up and see Derrick approaching their table. She really didn’t want to see him, especially because he still appeared to be all worked up over the other woman.
“Brittney told me you didn’t sign the waiver,” he said, his voice quiet but labored.
Brittney? Of course that’s her name. Corrine almost rolled her eyes, but she worried Derrick might think it was directed at him. He still looked so beaten down, like a scolded and adorable puppy. She didn’t have the heart to make his morning any worse.
“I simply want to give it more thought, Derrick,” she said politely. “But seriously, I have no interest in suing the Tresor.”
“I didn’t think so,” he said. “It’s more of a formality than anything else.”
“Well, in that case, it shouldn’t matter if I don’t sign it,” she countered.
“Corrine,” he said with a tilt of his head. “Why the reluctance?”
“Why the pressure?” she volleyed back, quickly forgetting her plan to go easy on him. She was losing her temper, and she took a deep breath to keep from screaming at him. The thrill was gone. “If you don’t mind, Mr. Quinn, I’m a guest in the middle of breakfast. I don’t appreciate being disturbed by the hotel staff.”
“With all due respect,” he said tensely, gazing at her empty plate, “that breakfast was on the house, and it looks like you’re finished.”
“My morning dining habits are none of your concern,” she spat.
He sighed and paused to gather his thoughts. “I think we have a misunderstanding here,” he said. “Perhaps we can discuss this some more in private, when you’re available.” He cast a cursory glance over at Bill, who only smirked at him.
“Hey, buddy, I remember you,” Bill interjected. “Thanks for those extra chips the other day, but as you can see, the lady’s kinda busy right now.”
Derrick placed his hand on the table in front of Corrine, looking down at her and ignoring Bill’s remark.
Corrine couldn’t help but stare at his hand, and when she did, she saw something that forced an audible gasp out of her throat, almost bringing up a chunk of salty eggs along with it. A fucking wedding ring? She hadn’t seen it before. Is he married?
Her heart broke all over again, but she was a big girl and had to learn to deal with it. She’d made her bed—or, rather, unmade it with him—and now she had to lie in it. She’d willingly slept with a man she barely knew, and she was so stupidly caught up in the passion of it, false as it was, that it never even occurred to her that he was screwing around on his wife.
Now, it was all painfully clear. Derrick had seduced her so she wouldn’t sue the hotel. He had never been interested in her. He was a married man on a mission to save his ass and his job. The scene with the irate woman made cruel sense.
“You know what?” she asked hotly. “I have no desire to meet with you privately, so just get me the damn paper. I’ll sign it right now.”
“Don’t, Stretch,” Bill piped in. “At least not until you tell me what’s going on.”
Corrine stopped and looked intently at her new friend. “Why not? He said it doesn’t matter. It’s just a formality.”
“Bullshit,” Bill said. “If that was true, they wouldn’t be so hellbent on getting your X on the line. If they’re so adamant about you signing it, odds are there’s something in it for you if you don’t.”
“Really?” she asked.
“I’m a professional gambler, remember?” he said. “I’m good with figuring out the odds.”
“Stay out of it,” said Derrick. He sounded tense, and Corrinne didn’t miss it.
“No, Bill, feel free to stay in it,” she said.
“I wouldn’t dream of doing anything else,” Bill said smugly, casting Derrick a victorious look.
“Stay put, Bill. I’ll be right back.” Corrinne straightened quickly and smiled at Bill.
“You got it,” he said as she moved around the table.
“Come with me,” she said, taking Derrick firmly by the hand and walking him to a slightly more private area.
“What the hell is happening here, Corrine?” he asked as if he’d been blindsided.
“We’ve been asking that question the entire weekend, haven’t we?” she asked.
He shook his head. “What does that even mean?”
“I want answers, Derrick. Honest ones and not your bullshit legal jargon.”
“What answers? I don’t even know what you’re asking.”
“You do,” she said. “And the sad part is that you’re denying it even now.”
“Denying what?”
“Derrick, did you play me?” she asked, emotion wrenching her words.
“Play you?” he asked, his brow wrinkling as if he was genuinely confused.
“Did you wine and dine and bed me on behalf of the Tresor?”
He recoiled like he was gravely wounded, but she couldn’t be sure. Derrick might just be a great actor.
“What?” he finally sputtered, his face contorting in disbelief. He rolled his eyes as if he, too, had had more than his share of Vegas and all its drama.
“Did you hang out with me just so I wouldn’t sue this place?” she demanded.
He stared at her like she had a dick growing out of her forehead. He looked like she’d hauled off and punched him in the face.
She couldn’t tell if he was faking, but she grew impatient with his refusal to confirm or deny anything. “Please answer me,” she said, as if she were scolding a child. “Did you do all that just so I’d sign your nondisclosure?”
The tone in Derrick’s voice was unbelievably flat and cold when he finally answered. “Fine, Corrine. You’ve got me. You figured it all out, Einstein. That was exactly what I was up to. Damn, I’m sorry I wasted my time. But anyway, if you don’t want to sign the damn form, then by all means don’t. Are we done here?”
“No,” she said, anger boiling through her. “You’re marrie
d, right?”
“Right.”
“And that woman earlier? She’s your wife?”
“Yes,” he said, looking sicker with each inquiry she made.
“In that case, we are done,” she said, extending her hand for a businesslike shake.
Her straightforward response seemed to knock him off his game. His face twisted up as his mind worked, like he was looking for an acceptable excuse. Instead, he ultimately chose to answer truthfully.
“I got caught up,” he said, a bold admission loud enough for anyone to hear. “We only live once, right? I got totally lost in you, Corrine. I’m sorry you feel the way you do, and I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I don’t regret the time we spent together. I guess it didn’t bother me till now, but I’ll get over it.”
She looked down at his hand that was resting on her, the hand still wearing that godforsaken ring that tore her in two. Despite that, his lingering touch had an irresistible effect, sparking up their intense physical chemistry once again.
Corrine was glad she’d asked him the questions, but she regretted how she went about it, with such anger and accusation in her voice. Her insides sank, and she wished more than anything that she could take it back. She pressed her eyelids tight, trying to stave off the tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks. Through her lashes, she saw him turning away.
In a sudden move, he turned back around and drew her into his arms. Then he kissed her quickly and passionately, with no concern about any onlookers.
“I’m sorry if I hurt you,” he said simply when they finally broke apart. “Goodbye.”
Chapter 7
After her run-in with Derrick, Corrine bid Bill farewell and then threw all her things into her bags. She didn’t bother to fold anything. Her little black dress was a wad of fabric at the bottom, like a bad memory she was happy to bury. Then, without so much as a goodbye for the ditzy desk clerk, she rushed out of the Tresor and left Vegas, feeling worse than when she arrived.
“What happened in Vegas better damn well stay in Vegas,” she muttered as she drove home. It bugged her that she’d signed the nondisclosure agreement, but maybe it was for the best? Maybe.
