by Odell, Roxie
“I don’t have the faintest idea,” she said, blinking in confusion. The chance meeting with Derrick had knocked the stuffing and sense right out of her, and Bill trying to be a modern-day Confucius wasn’t helping to clear her head.
“I’m gonna let you down easy, Stretch. I like you, but I know you like him better. And here’s a newsflash for you, silly girl. That suit-and-tie asshole likes you back! Now go get him.”
“I think it’d be better if I just go back to the Nugget and sleep it off,” Corrine argued, still not nearly as bold as Bill.
“Bullshit!” Bill said. “If you never take risks, you never win, Corrine. I thought I taught you that earlier, during that Keno game.”
“Yeah, but—”
“No buts about it now. I’m gonna walk you to the Tresor, and we’re gonna do a little gambling, pay that Larry at the Blackjack table another visit. I promise you, your lawyer will come to you. He’ll sniff you out like a dog in heat.”
“That’s your idea of gambling?” she asked.
“No, Stretch, not really. It’s more of a sure thing. I won’t sit next to you this time. He’ll see you by yourself, and it’s a sure bet that he’ll make a move. When he does, you damn well better let it happen.”
“How do you know all this?” she asked.
Growing uncharacteristically quiet, Bill moved very close and looked down at her, so close that for a moment Corrine thought maybe he was going to kiss her. “Because he’s a smart man,” he answered. “A lot smarter than I am.”
She lifted herself up on the balls of her feet and gave him a friendly peck on his fuzzy cheek that still needed an appointment with a razor. “Thanks, Bill,” she said.
“For what?”
“For making me believe I’m lucky and gorgeous,” she said with a smile. “And for teaching me how to take risks, like Keno and bloody steak.”
“The pleasure was all mine,” he said.
She hugged him. “Thank you.”
“Come on now, or we’ll never catch up to the guy.”
The walk to the Tresor was a pleasant one, even in heels, and thoughts of Derrick danced through Corrine’s head the entire way. The closer they got, the less nerve she had. The grand hotel loomed on the horizon, all new, large, and fierce. Her knees locked, and her legs suddenly felt like lead. “Hey,” she said. “I really don’t think I can do this. I’m gonna go back to the Nugget tonight, and maybe tomorrow I’ll—”
“Nonsense!” Bill admonished. “You need to go catch up with this guy. Make amends or whatever.”
“He’s not exactly expecting me,” she said.
“So what?”
“What do you mean by that? He could be, um, with a lady.”
Bill shrugged. “Then you’ll know where he stands. It might hurt, but at least you won’t be asking yourself a bunch of ‘what-ifs’ for the rest of your life.” He laughed. “But I saw the look on his face. There’s only one lady he’s interested in. Don’t worry. Odds are it’ll all work out. I’d bet on it, and I know a thing or two about odds.”
As soon as her foot fell on Tresor property, Corrine felt like she was breaking and entering. Being there seemed wrong, and it was more than just a standard case of the jitters. Her intuition told her she was making a mistake, a bad move, despite Bill’s insistence that it was a good thing.
The hotel was sexy and alluring, though, and she felt braver with Bill by her side. The casino was enormous and busy, and she could duck out of Derrick’s sight if she had to. The trouble was that Bill would never let that happen, and she knew that when he first led them to the bar before scouting out a table.
“Why here?” she asked nervously, darting her eyes around.
“Well for one, you’re shaking like a leaf,” he said. “You can obviously use a drink or six. For two, I’m a man, and I occasionally think like one.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“If I was in his overpriced shoes and a lady like you gave me the finger, this is precisely where I’d be.”
Corrine’s nerves were on edge, and she couldn’t help but turn on Bill, as kind as he’d been to her. This time, she had a question for him, and it had nothing to do with Derrick. “You keep hinting at something, Bill. At first, it was kind of flattering, but now, it’s getting just plain confusing.”
“What’s that?” he asked with a touch of cynicism.
“You keep suggesting that you think I’m some kind of catch, but—”
“Stretch—” he began.
“Stop calling me that!” she hissed. She was nervous, anxious, and it wasn’t Bill’s fault.
“We’ve been through this,” he said. “I’m basically a modern-day monk, but I’m also man enough to admit that you… stir me up.”
“Good, that’s all I wanted to know,” she said, her voice suddenly much calmer.
“Really?” he asked, raising his eyebrows. “Knowing sure didn’t bring that pretty smile back to your face.”
She shrugged, the only answer she had for him.
“I think whiskey is in order,” he said.
“Sounds like just the medicine I need,” she said with a nod. Then she followed him as he maneuvered between barstools and waited for the bartender’s attention.
“Your guy’s at three o’clock,” said Bill coolly. “See? I’m your wing-man!”
Corrine seized up, realizing she had no plan at all for the inevitable reunion. “Fuck, what do I do?”
“Start with not getting upset,” said Bill. “He’s talking to some girl.”
She didn’t want to look, but Bill’s words made her whip her head around.
Derrick seemed to feel her gaze, and he lifted his eyes and saw them looking his way.
Bill smiled and gave him a salute.
The woman Derrick was chatting with seemed oblivious to the exchange and just kept babbling and giggling, nearly spilling her drink all over herself.
Corrine turned back around to face Bill and slammed the shot of whiskey back as soon as the bartender laid it down in front of her.
“Next round’s on you,” he teased.
“Fine,” she said, then motioned at the bartender for another.
“Hey, I wasn’t talking like right away,” Bill kidded.
“I know you want to go gamble,” she said “You go ahead. I’m going back to the Nugget.”
Bill stooped down to her height, placing his handsome face close to hers. “You’re in Vegas, Stretch. Quit playing it safe all the fuckin’ time. Take a damn chance, would ya?”
Corrine knocked back the second shot of whiskey and scrunched her eyes tight as the liquid scorched her insides. “Fine,” she agreed, urged on by the liquid courage. “I’ll do it.” She took a deep breath and turned around, only to discover that Derrick and the woman were gone. Crestfallen, she looked up at Bill in horror. “A lot of damn good that did. I gambled and lost.”
“You most certainly did not,” he said.
“I need to get some air,” she said.
“You just had two shots of whiskey,” he said. “I ain’t sure it’s safe for you to be gallivantin’ down the sidewalk in your condition.”
“It won’t hit me that fast. Plus, I ate a lot at dinner; a nearly live cow, if you recall. I’ll be fine. Go do what you do, Bill. I’m sure Larry misses you.” She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek for the second time. “Maybe I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.”
“All right. Look, I’m sorry if I—”
She put her fingers to his lips to shush him. “We’ve been through this. It’s who you are. Me, too. It’s who I am, too.”
Chapter 9
Corrine practically stumbled down the sidewalk, wondering if Bill was right about her wobbling back to the Golden Nugget on whiskey-shaky legs. The slight intoxication did nothing to numb the bad feelings of seeing Derrick with a strange woman, and she felt stupid in the most painful way. Her head was doing a number on her, and she was in so much emotional turmoil that it was all she could
do to reach the lobby of her hotel.
The Vegas streets were always full of people, clusters of drinkers and gamblers milling about, but some parts of town were sketchier than others. Corrine snapped out of her head drama just in time to realize she’d been hearing the same heavy footfalls behind her for at least a block and a half, a continuous rhythm of sole-crunching on the cement. She was pretty sure she was being followed, stalked like prey, possibly by one of those serial killers all those TV crime dramas made episodes about. Fearing for her life, she ducked into the first well-lit place she came upon: an ice cream parlor.
Before she even stepped on the second checkered tile on the floor, she felt a firm grip on her arm.
She whipped her head around, expecting to see a psycho in a hockey mask, but instead, she found Derrick looking back at her, his blue eyes boring down on her, immediately re-forging their intense connection.
They stood there as frozen as the treats behind the counter, snapping out of it only to move out of the entryway when a couple needed to walk inside.
“Let’s sit, shall we?” he asked gruffly.
The very sight of him soothed Corrine’s emotional ache. She was so glad he was there in front of her, the real Derrick and not just the one in her fantasies. He was like the answer to an addiction.
“I saw you at the Tresor,” he said helplessly.
“Yeah, I saw you as well, but you looked kind of busy,” she scolded lightly.
“I was just having a drink. I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind, my head, my soul.” He spoke almost as if he was talking to himself.
“Derrick—” she began, only to be abruptly cut off.
“Can we knock this off?” he said bluntly.
“What?” she replied, a bit embarrassed that his loud volume had people staring at them over the top dips of their sugar cones and sundaes. To make matters worse, the server behind the counter was looking at Derrick suspiciously, and she feared someone might call the police. He had been drinking, and as a lawyer, she knew he didn’t want to be arrested for public intoxication or disturbing the peace.
“Are we gonna stand here and pretend we don’t even like each other?” he demanded loudly, not at all concerned about the patrons or the workers.
“Derrick, not here,” she whispered, looking around.
He stopped speaking for a moment and darted his gaze around the place, settling on a particularly upset-looking, freckle-faced boy who seemed to be scared to death, so frightened that he was letting his cherry cordial ice cream melt and run down his hands. “You’re right,” he said, more quietly this time. “I really don’t want to have this conversation here.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t have it at all,” she said and whirled around way too fast, the liquor in her system making her a little lightheaded.
“Why did you visit the Tresor tonight?” Derrick asked, catching her by the arm to keep her from falling into the jukebox.
She heard the urgency and hurt in his voice, but she refused to give him an honest answer. “Bill likes to gamble there,” she said, a half-truth at best.
“Bill?” Derrick asked. “Were you with that guy the weekend we, uh…”
“What’s it to you?” she snapped, now drawing a few stares herself. “You’re married, Derrick.”
“I was. It’s complicated.” He sighed. “Yes, and I’ve been beating myself up ever since. I should’ve told you, but I’m not married now, and I wasn’t really with her then.” He rubbed the slight stubble on his chin. “I’ve got to know, though, are you single? I mean, I saw you with that Bill guy at the Blackjack table, and you were sitting awfully damn close.”
“Why? Does it matter?” Why not just tell him you’re single?
“Because I have to know if I was the only one who cheated,” he said.
She stared into his eyes. They were like windows to his emotions. “No one cheated,” she said finally. “Or at least, it didn’t feel like cheating. Don’t do that to yourself.”
“So you were with him?” he asked.
“No!”
“And now?” he asked, wincing as if he feared the answer might hurt.
“What do you want from me, Derrick?” she asked in total frustration.
“To see you,” he said. “Why did you come to the Tresor if you don’t want the same thing?”
“You admitted that you played me to keep me from suing,” she said, recalling the pain of his words.
“Did you really believe that?” he asked. “I mean, come on, Corrine. What kind of guy do you think I am?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?”
“Yes.”
“I think you used me. I think you’re that kind of guy.”
“Do you even know why I really needed you to sign?”
“To save your damn job.”
“No, Corrine. See, we have to write stuff off when we comp it to guests, and we need to account for it. The waiver was nothing more than a formality for our files. I swear.”
She suddenly felt stupid, as if she had caused a wide barrier to form between them for no good reason. Still, she wasn’t keen on quickly admitting it. “Why didn’t you just say that then?”
“I tried, but you wouldn’t listen,” he said, looking incredibly stressed.
One moment, she felt silly and bad, but in the next, she couldn’t believe he was turning things back on her. They were both upset and slightly buzzed, and she couldn’t stand the thought of seeing him with another woman, but having a showdown in an ice cream parlor was not her style.
“I have to go,” she whispered, hoping it would calm him down. “I had a wonderful time with you, Mr. Quinn, but it’s over.”
“Fine,” he said. “At least I said what I wanted to say. I was already made a doormat by one woman, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let you do the same. Take care.” He stormed out and down the sidewalk, back in the direction of the Tresor.
The walk from there to the Nugget felt like the longest walk Corrine had ever taken in her life. Her heart was as heavy as her legs, and she knew she’d missed out on yet another incredible opportunity. Every time she was in Vegas, it seemed her heart was smashed to pieces, and this time, it was partially her own fault.
Derrick had seen her with Bill and assumed there was more than friendship between them. That irked her, but she almost wanted to kick herself for that because she was doing the same thing. She was far too insecure when it came to Derrick, and she couldn’t help being jealous whenever she thought of him even speaking to another female.
Derrick had said the words she’d been dying to hear, dying to believe, but she just didn’t trust him. She thought maybe if she listened long enough and played her cards right, she could land in bed with him at least once more, allow her hungry body to once more know the pleasure of that fire, to be lit with that wondrous flame she had and would never experience with anyone else. She was sure Derrick Quinn was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and she doubted she would ever know such rich, incredible passion again.
The last time she looked him in the eye, he regarded her with such a haunted look. There really was nothing standing in their way except pride. For two people who knew each other so briefly, they already had a lot of history, and they had experienced the entire range of human emotions. Now, none of it seemed to mean anything, and his last callous, “Take care,” echoed in her head, breaking her heart over and over.
Back at the Nugget, she thought about gathering up her things, checking out, and driving home, but she was still slightly inebriated and very exhausted, and it was just too late. Even though she’d lived in that area for most of her life, she was still skittish about driving in the desert after a certain hour. Since her hotel room was already paid for, she decided it was best to just crash for the night and take off in the morning after several cups of coffee to wake her up.
Unfortunately, there was no way that plan was going to work out. After tossing and turning in a bed she was not tired enough to sleep in, s
he took a hot bath. Her last great one of those was at the penthouse suite in the Tresor, so everything she touched and saw seemed to connect her to those raw feelings.
She couldn’t seem to stand being with Derrick or without him. In the ice cream shop, he’d basically confessed his feelings for her, and she decided as she sat in the steamy water that she couldn’t simply walk away from that. She sent him one simple text: “I’m sorry. I’m at the Nugget, Room 256. I’ll leave the light on for you.”
Confident that he would get the message and come knocking, she looked through her few choices of clothing for the occasion. In the end, though, she opted for the hotel robe. It wasn’t nearly as plush as the ones at the Tresor, but it covered her as much, if not more, than any of her dresses would.
She opened the sliding-glass door, sat down on the balcony, parked her cell phone on the small table beside her, and waited. A long while passed, and she feared he wasn’t going to show up after all. “Fine,” she muttered. “If you won’t come to me, I’ll come to you, stubborn bastard.”
In a sudden burst of impatience, she put on a pair of high heels and dashed down to the lobby, ready to hop in a cab. She only got as far as the bar, just outside the elevator doors, when she heard someone call out.
“Hey!”
Suddenly nervous, she turned around slowly. She’d know that voice anywhere.
“What the heck are you wearing?” Derrick asked, a slight smile on his face.
Corrine looked down and realized she still had the robe on—with high heels. She reflexively pulled her robe tighter around her, as if that was going to improve the ensemble.
“Don’t fuss,” he said. “You look adorable. Do you have your key with you?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
Without offering any explanation, he took her hand in his and led her around as if he knew the place as well as he knew the Tresor. The mystery thrilled her, and a smile crossed her face as they walked. She had no idea what he was up to, but with Derrick, it would be good. She knew it was going to be fun, and she was certain it would be naughty as well.
