Profit and Loss

by Kelly Wood

  My home base was now a hotel room at the newly remodeled Magari Hotel. I shared a room with my younger sister, ‘Passion,’ an aspiring showgirl, while Gray stayed at his parents’ house. I secretly relished that I didn’t have to stay in his parents’ home. I liked his dad, but his mom was an acquired taste. Like turpentine.

  I gladly would’ve shared a room with Gray, but he was insisting on keeping some separation until the wedding. My mother loved him even more for it. Since birth, she’d been drilling it into us, “Marriage first, no living in sin.” Peyton, my fraternal twin sister, had followed that rule, making our mom proud.

  Rules? They’d never been for me. I was destined for a life of never meeting my mother’s standards but her loving me anyway.

  The waitress came our way, and I wanted to order a yard of margarita, a staple in Vegas for tourists walking around, the frozen beverages bringing relief from the heat of the desert. I held back and got a Caesar salad. Gray went with a burger. He almost always ate red meat because he said it was manly.

  “I got a job today,” I offered up.

  “That’s great. What are you doing?”

  “A small article on the remodel and reopening of the Magari Hotel. I just found out this morning. I figured I had a leg up in landing the job since I’m staying there, but I’ll take it.”

  “Staying where? I thought your sister was at the Bellagio?” Gray asked.

  “Nope. Magari. Didn’t I tell you? It’s pretty nice now, but I guess it used to be a dump. Her room is pretty amazing. Anyway, the Magari was like the ugly sister constantly standing next to her bigger, better, prettier sister, the Bellagio. I’m going to head to the library later to do some local research on it for some... um, hello?” I stopped talking when I realized he wasn’t listening. Gray sat facing me, but his expression was a million miles away. I waved my hand in front of him to snap him back to this world.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea to stay there. Why don’t you stay in the guest room at my parents’ house? There’s a desk in there, and you could start the novel you’ve talked about.”

  “We could stay in your parent’s hotel?” I prodded.

  “Nope. Nice try. I told you we don’t go there. It’s run by a management company. We are strictly hands-off owners.” Gray waved his hands in front of him.

  “What’s wrong with the hotel I’m in? We’ve stayed in much worse places. It’s fine. Anyway, I’m heading to the library after this,” I said. I instantly pushed the thought aside about staying with him. I just didn’t think I could handle his family morning, noon and night. I was a social butterfly at heart, but only when I wanted to be. Forced interaction with people I barely knew sounded terrible.

  The waitress interrupted us by delivering our lunches. I stared longingly at my salad wishing it would turn into steak. No such luck. I gave in and picked up my fork. I had put on some weight since I’d sprained my foot back in Chicago. I hadn’t been able to run since and could feel myself pushing maximum density. Having a curvy figure just meant I was five pounds away from chubby at any given moment.

  The Bellagio water show started up, and I turned to watch it. The other diners were torn between the water show and the emergency crews. In my opinion, this was the best part of Vegas. The show was beautiful and elegant in a city where gaudy prevailed.

  I thought back to the first time Gray brought me here. I had never been to Vegas before and had been excited. We’d arrived after dark and had driven down to the Strip immediately from the airport. I was on the edge of my seat trying to take it all in. I took so much in that I had a panic attack. All of the lights and sounds and people had overwhelmed my little brain until it forgot to breathe. I had to ask Gray to pull off the Strip before we had even made it halfway down. He brought me back the next day with the sun blaring, and the neon lights turned off so I could see everything. During the day, I didn’t find it as overwhelming as in its full glory after dark. In the full sun, the Strip looked sad to me... Like an aging, truck-stop stripper.

  “Regan, I don’t think you should be doing this job,” Gray said, picking up the conversation again. He put his fork on the plate and sat back in his chair. Even eating a cheeseburger and fries, Gray made it look classy. I never would’ve been caught dead with a fork. I would’ve been shoveling the fries in my mouth by twos.

  “I’ve done a hundred of these hotel write-ups, what’s the big deal?” I reached over to sneak a fry. Gray pushed his plate toward me, offering up all of them. It was his style. Always giving.

  Gray sat back and stared at me. I resisted the urge to look away while I nibbled my one fry. I wanted to make it last. His constant scrutiny was making me itchy.

  “Ok, I’m ready. Tell me whatever it is,” I said. Gray looked around him before leaning toward me to whisper.

  “The mob still runs Vegas.”

  I laughed.

  I relaxed my shoulders and took a deep breath, holding it in my lungs until it started to burn and the need for air pushed another laugh out.

  “Oh, come on, Gray, this is ridiculous. Like an Al Capone wannabe is here hiding out from the IRS?” Another giggle escaped me as I sat up straighter.

  “You can mock me, but it’s true. I can prove it.”

  “How?” Gray ignored the question.

  “Use your imagination, Regan. Maybe that guy was pushed off a balcony?”

  “Even if it’s true, what does it have to do with me?”

  “Hopefully, nothing. Tell you what, let me give you a special tour, and then I’ll take you to the library later.”

  “I like special. Done.”

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  To the Readers

  Thank you for reading Profit and Loss. I hope you enjoyed Regan and Gray’s adventures. If you’d like an update on when the next book is out, you can sign up for my non-annoying newsletter at KellyWood.net. It only comes out when I have a new book release. It’s the best way to stay up to date! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

  If you enjoyed Profit and Loss, I’d appreciate it if you left a review online. Even a short comment would help potential readers find the series. Thank you.

  I tried to stay true to Chicago, but took liberties if it made the story clearer. Peter’s condo blends the best aspects of apartments in Chicago that I have seen. It is an amalgamation of all of the coolest features. The Dark Horse is a real bar located on Sheffield. It is a personal favorite. If you wander out to the back patio sometime, ask for Rochelle. She is a real-life person and I try to stop and see her every time I’m in the city. The setting for O’Kelly’s Pub is a restaurant in Chicago. It is hands down the best patio and view of the river in the city. I took liberties with the mayor’s office and layout of City Hall.

  Stay tuned for Regan’s next adventure, Here and Gone. Preorder Now!!, Regan and Gray fly to Las Vegas! Regan’s plan is to write a small article on a casino in Vegas while squeezing in a quick wedding ceremony to Gray. True to form, the plan doesn’t go her way. Follow Regan as she navigates the history of the mob and the power they still wield.

  Thank you!!

  About the Author

  Kelly Wood loves to write the kind of books she likes to read, light-hearted cozy mysteries. She likes to curl up with a good book or seek adventure. She has hiked active volcanos only to sled down them, jumped out of airplanes, hiked behind waterfalls, and run up the 700+ stairs at the Vatican.

  Kelly loves to travel. Her passport has 23 stamps and counting. She has backpacked through Europe and Central America, along with many other countries in between. She now lives in Northwest Indiana with her husband and can be found writing most days.

  Read more at Kelly Wood’s site.

 

 

 
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