He glanced over at his friend, and, for a moment, he almost spilled his guts. But if there was one thing he knew, it was that Dare wasn’t the best one to talk to about women.
“Yeah, sorry,” he said. Trixie had already texted Zelda back, saying that he’d be by her shop in an hour.
“You got this? I can’t say I bargained for something like this when we became partners,” Dare said.
“Don’t sweat it,” Nicholas said. “We won’t let Jade fool us again.”
He texted his team and arranged for Trixie and Leo to reach out to their contacts and see if they could find out what Jade was doing at the Golden Palms. Then he left the Jokers Wild and drove slowly toward Touch of Magic.
He told himself his reluctance was because he didn’t want to appear overeager, but he knew that once he viewed the chest, he’d have no reason to see Zelda. Except that he wanted to.
…
The Houdini water chest was in the back of her shop, and Stetson had been playing around it since he’d gotten out of school. “I don’t understand the trick.”
“Don’t think of it as a trick,” she said. “You have to believe that what you are doing is real. That’s how you sell it to the audience.”
The eight-year-old turned his wise eyes on her. “How can I believe it when I don’t get it?”
“Do you remember when your mom and I were teaching you to ride your bike?”
“Yeah,” he said, sounding skeptical and walking around to the back of the chest, looking for a secret panel.
She hid a smile, knowing he wouldn’t find anything.
“Well, you could ride, but you wouldn’t trust yourself. Remember how one of us had to run alongside the bike or you’d fall off?”
He scrunched up his face. “That’s different. I didn’t want to get hurt.”
“It’s not different, kiddo,” she said. “Some of the illusions that are performed are very dangerous, and it’s only through trust that they work.”
“And rehearsal. Rehearsal helps, too,” Nicholas said from the doorway between the shop and the back area. “Ava told me to come on back.”
Ava was the teenager who helped her in the shop after school and on weekends. Most days, Zelda didn’t need the extra hands, but with a new shipment of items to catalogue, she had called in her assistant.
“Hey, Nicholas. Thank you for the new kit,” Stetson said.
“You’re welcome. I didn’t want you to think I’d blown off dinner,” Nicholas said.
“That’s okay. Adults have very busy lives,” Stetson said.
“Not all of them,” Zelda said, ruffling his hair. “Let’s see if you notice anything when the fabulous Nicholas Pine examines the chest. He has had one since he was a kid.”
“You have?” Stetson asked.
Zelda stepped back to allow Nicholas and Stetson to examine the chest, and the low rumble of Nicholas’s voice as he explained things to Stetson made her pulse beat a little faster, and the blood in her veins seemed heavier and hotter. She fought to keep her expression serene and her thoughts on magic and not the night before.
The last thing she wanted was to come off as a blushing teenager who’d never had kitchen sex before…even if it had been the first time for her on a countertop.
“Is that right, Z?” Stetson asked.
“What? Sorry, I was thinking about my next shipment,” she said.
“I told him that Houdini didn’t have all the knowledge we have today, and a lot of times, he was truly risking his life,” Nicholas said.
“That is true. In fact, he warned others not to try his tricks.”
“Which ones were the most dangerous?” Stetson asked. “Were they the most popular?”
“The ones that he performed chained in water,” Zelda said. She struggled to keep the thoughts of water closing around her out of her mind, but she felt it. The cold water surrounding her as she smiled and waved, then the blackness as the curtain dropped around the chest.
She glanced up to find Nicholas watching her. He arched one eyebrow at her, as if wondering if she was okay. She nodded. “Is this one yours?”
“It’s not,” he said. “I guess it was a long shot.”
“How can you tell?” Stetson asked.
“Well, my granddad and I bought it at an auction. When we repaired it, he carved our initials into the base,” Nicholas said, walking to the left side and then stooping down. Stetson put his hand on Nicholas’s shoulder and leaned in as well. “Right here.”
Nicholas tapped the wooden base.
“Is that how you got started in magic?”
“Yes. And I always use antiques and weave in the history of magic in my shows and illusions.”
“I know. That’s what I love about it,” Stetson said.
“I’m sorry it’s not yours,” Zelda said. And truly, she was. But she was also relieved that her source hadn’t been involved in the theft.
“Me, too.”
“I guess that’s it, then,” she said. “No more visits to my shop.”
Nicholas stood up and kept his hand on the chest, but his gaze was laser sharp on her. “I wanted to talk to you about something. I need someone to decorate the lobby leading to the arena where the show is held. I’d love for you to consider curating a magic objects collection that will entertain the audience while they wait to be seated at the show.”
Work for him? She’d get to see him every day…well, for a short while. She wanted to say yes and didn’t question it. “I’d love to. Tell me what you need, and I’ll start putting some ideas together.”
“You’re impulsive,” he observed.
“I thought you’d already have guessed that after last night.”
“What happened last night?” Stetson asked.
“None of your business, kid,” Molly said as she came in. Stetson ran over to hug his mom.
Nicholas just stayed where he was, watching her with that intensity that told her he wasn’t sure where they went next, either.
Chapter Seven
The Jokers Wild Hotel and Casino was really something, even for Las Vegas. Zelda had given her keys to the valet and was waiting in the lobby to meet Trixie Malloran to discuss the team’s vision for the lobby, as well as the budget. But when she got there, she couldn’t find Trixie, whom Nicholas had texted her a picture of the night before. So she stood by the fountain in the center of the lobby, waiting. Ten minutes later, a woman came over and introduced herself.
“Hi, I’m Talia Spencer. I do the social media for the casino. Trixie couldn’t make it this morning, and she asked me to step in and get you started,” Talia said, holding out her hand.
Zelda shook the other woman’s hand. Talia Spencer wasn’t very tall and had short brown hair with blond streaks in it. But she also had an easy smile, with an air of professionalism about her.
“Zelda Quincy,” she said. “Magic shop owner.”
“I love that. You’ll have to tell me all about your shop,” Talia said. “Phantasm is the name of the show that Nicholas and his team have developed for the Jokers Wild. It will be opening in less than six weeks, so you are on a tight deadline.”
Talia reached into her bag and handed Zelda a press folder that was splashed with the image of Nicholas stripped to the waist and wearing skintight leather pants. There were thick chains wrapped around his chest and manacles at his wrists, and he stared up at her with that arresting bright blue gaze of his. Her heart started beating faster as she looked down at him. They’d both ignored the lust that was still there between them last night, but Zelda knew she wasn’t over him. Not by a long shot. And she had the sinking suspicion that one more night in his bed wasn’t going to be enough to satisfy her, either.
“He’s so hot,” Talia said.
“Yes, he is,” Zelda replied, unable to help herself from glancing down
at Talia’s ring finger and the engagement ring there.
Talia laughed. “I’m engaged, not dead.”
Zelda joined her. “I’m trying to keep it professional, but those eyes and that chest… They make it hard.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Talia said, stopping as they left the noise of the main casino behind and entered a long corridor. “This is where we want the Phantasm experience to begin. So ideally, we’d like you to decorate these alcoves. Large framed prints of Nicholas’s past spectaculars have been ordered and will be placed on the walls as well.”
“If I remember correctly, he has used a number of legacy illusions in all of his shows. What if I try to get some original poster art from the different ones that inspired him? We could use that theme all the way down the hall. Each alcove could have props from the different shows alongside some antiques or replicas from the original.”
“I love that idea. I could ask the team to do some interactive videos to go along with each section, explaining how they took the illusion and modernized it.”
Zelda nodded and kept a smile on her face as she made notes in the book she’d brought with her for this project. This was way further into magic then she’d intended to go, given her past, but maybe…well, maybe this was the whole reason she’d met Nicholas. This project was going to force her to stop running from the past and face all the memories she’d buried.
Her family had done shows up and down the east coast that had been inspired by the heritage illusions Nicholas also drew from. But she’d tried so hard to put that time out of her mind, tried to forget that she and her sister had been one person in public, that they had never been allowed to be seen together so that no one would guess that some of their more fantastical illusions were really just two girls.
She sighed. She missed her sister, but Zoe had been more badly injured than she had been that hot July day. Zelda’d had no choice but to give her sister back her own identity and walk away.
They all had. Sure, there were many people who had wanted them to continue on with their groundbreaking illusion act, but she and Zoe had had enough.
Being with Nicholas brought everything back, which she both sort of wanted—so she could get over her past, once and for all—and dreaded—because she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to. She was content here with her little shop, but she’d known for a while that the stuff she’d shoved deep down wasn’t going to stay buried forever. She had to find a way to deal with it sooner or later.
“I can get with Trixie for the past stunts,” Zelda said.
“Leo would be better. He and Nicholas are the ones who design all of the illusions.”
“Leo?” she asked.
“Yes, Leo Stanson. He was big in the eighties here in Vegas. Apparently, he mentored Nicholas when he first started in the business,” Talia said. “His bio is in the folder I gave you.”
“Thanks,” she said. But she knew the name Leo Stanson. He hadn’t ever worked on any of her family’s shows, but he had been big in magic circles. He had been innovative in a way that had helped propel illusions forward. And that worried her. What if he remembered her family? She had appeared on numerous posters. Everyone liked the idea of seeing a tiny redheaded girl disappear and reappear at will. And she and her twin had been the centerpiece of many of her family’s shows. “I’ll make a note of that.”
Zelda had loved the spotlight, but that had all changed when Zoe had almost died. She’d locked away her family’s secrets, changed her name, and left that life far behind her.
“Because it needs to work in the hotel, we will have someone from the design staff contact you and give you some concept art. Nicholas has already been working with them, so you should be getting an email today. Will electronic images be okay to work from? If not, I can have them printed and sent to you,” Talia said. She glanced at her smartwatch and then back at Zelda.
“Electronic will be fine. And I think I have enough to get started on this project. Should I still use Trixie as my point of contact?” Zelda asked.
“Yes. But you can text me, too, if you can’t reach her. She’s producing Phantasm and also works as a makeup artist for the show, so she might not be available if you need something urgently. I, however, am always on my phone,” Talia said with a small laugh.
“Great. I think I’m good.”
“I’ll leave you to it.” Talia walked away, and Zelda noticed the long padded bench in one of the alcoves. She sat down and opened up the press kit she’d been given. Her heart was racing as she looked through the tricks, and she realized this might be more than she could handle. Making peace with her past was one thing. Totally submerging herself in the world she’d left behind was something else. And that didn’t even take into account the way she was starting to feel about Nicholas.
…
Dare and Rio were both in the rehearsal room, listening to the tips that Trixie gave him about setting up his stunt show and using some of her tech gadgets. From where he was suspended from the ceiling in chains, Nicholas could hear Dare flirting with Trixie.
It never failed to amaze him how his friend could be so casually friendly with women yet at the same time distrust them so much. As good as he was at illusion, he’d never been able to fake it like that. He’d never managed to keep his cool when he ran into Jade, no matter how much time had passed.
With her show at the Golden Palms, he knew running into her was a possibility. Vegas wasn’t that big. In fact, he expected her to send him an invitation to her show when it opened. Magicians always wanted to show off in front of each other. Heck, that was why he’d invited her and her showrunner to his preview a few months ago —the same night his Houdini water chest had been taken.
Once again, he wondered if Jade had been behind the theft. It was a large object, but she’d known how much it meant to him—that he considered it his lucky charm.
“You’re not concentrating,” Leo said. The older man sounded frustrated with him, and Nicholas didn’t blame him.
He twisted his hands to release his bonds and held himself suspended in the air over the piece of cardboard that Keely had placed under him to represent the tank. This rehearsal was all about refining his time so they would know exactly how fast he could get from one position—chained—to the second position—the lobby fish tank.
“Better?”
“It just shows me that you’re not focused,” Leo said. “What is it? The dame?”
“The dame? Is it the thirties?”
“You can’t call them chicks or girls anymore. I’m running out of options,” Leo said.
“You could try using our names,” Keely said, coming over and putting her hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Unless a dinosaur like you can’t remember them.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my mind or anything else,” Leo said, turning to face her. “But if you want to put that to the test, let me know.”
Keely blushed and dropped her hand. “So, if women were dames, what did they call guys?”
Leo cocked his head to the side as if thinking. “If a woman is knighted, she becomes a dame. So I guess it would be sir.”
“I’m not calling you sir,” Keely said smartly.
“Stop bickering,” Nicholas said. These two had been circling around each other since the day he’d hired Keely, but nothing had ever come of it. “What were you going to say?” he asked Leo.
“You are distracted, and your times are slow. Why don’t we take ten minutes? You can go do that meditation thing you always do. Then you’ll come back ready to work, I hope. We can’t get this show off the ground if you’re not one hundred percent.” Then Leo turned to Keely. “Dame’s not really that bad.”
“Leo, stop. Call a woman by her name. That’s it.”
He put his hands up. “Great. Now that I know the rules, I’ll follow them.”
“You’re a rule follower
?” she said.
“It’s not a bad thing,” Leo responded. “I’m going out back. Damn, I wish I still smoked.”
Leo left, and Keely went over to her laptop and started clicking away at the keyboard.
Nicholas knew he needed to get his head in the game. This show wasn’t just the next big thing; this was his and his granddad’s dream. He thought back to all those long afternoons sitting in the master bedroom while his grandmother’s oxygen machine whirred in the background. He and Granddad had planned his future as the Great Nicholas—a name that Nicholas had left behind on the streets of Vegas more than fifteen years ago.
He grabbed his shirt and put it on before walking out of the rehearsal area and into the main casino. The hallway leading to the arena was empty, but soon, with Zelda working to curate a pre-show of sorts, he hoped it would be filled with nostalgic items that would entertain even visitors who couldn’t get tickets to his show.
Someone was sitting in one of the alcoves, and as soon as he saw that familiar red braid, he moved closer.
Zelda.
Of course she was here. He’d arranged for her to come today. Had Leo been right? Was she distracting him?
He’d been thinking about Jade—and her betrayal—a lot lately. And he realized that it was Zelda who’d stirred up those memories. There was no outward reason to link the two of them, and yet, there was something about Zelda, with all her quirkiness and openness, that reminded him of Jade back when he’d first known her. Before she’d become a showman like himself. When they’d just been two green kids, trying to create something to thrill audiences.
One night of sex—incredible as it was—should have been enough to get Zelda out of his system. To put her firmly in the interesting-but-not-for-a-long-time category. But it hadn’t been.
Instead he was desperately drawn toward her, as if he hadn’t seen her in eight weeks instead of mere days. His heart beat a little faster, and he was getting hard just from seeing her.
He wanted her. But sex wasn’t his driving instinct. He’d always been focused on his goals. On magic. And now…that focus had moved to Zelda.
Wild Nights Page 7