The restaurant was a small cafe in a little building one block off the Strip. It had a small patio out front wrapped in a wrought-iron fence that had been spray-painted white. The paint was peeling and chipping, giving it a rustic appeal, and all the tables were mismatched pigments of pale blue, yellow, and purple.
We found a seat in the corner of the patio and opened the umbrella to cast shade over ourselves. The waitress brought us glasses of ice water and two cups of piping-hot, rich-smelling coffee. I inhaled a deep breath of it as Renee added milk and sugar to hers. I sipped mine and swallowed gratefully. There was no better thing than a fresh cup of coffee in the morning.
“So,” I said, eager to get the conversation going and sensing that Renee was still not awake enough to initiate it herself. “Where did Nikki go off to last night?”
Renee shrugged one shoulder as she stirred her coffee. She rested the spoon on her napkin and took her first mouthful. Then she put the coffee down and wrapped her hands around the mug. “Some club in one of the fancy hotels. She didn’t tell me which one. I was asleep when she came back to the room. I thought I was being robbed she was so loud.”
“Oh no,” I said, trying not to laugh. I could see Nikki now, stumbling in and knocking things over as she tried to walk on six-inch heels in a drunken stupor.
“Yeah,” Renee said. “I had to get up and make sure she drank some water and took some aspirin. It wasn’t pretty. There was a lot of throwing up before she managed to get into bed. I think I only slept for four hours.”
“I’m sorry. You should have told me we could do lunch instead. Then you could have slept a bit longer.”
“No, it’s okay. This gives us more time. Seeing as how I’ve barely spent any time with you since we got here.” Renee sipped her coffee again. I didn’t miss the annoyance in her tone. She shifted topics as I opened my mouth to address the fact that I had been AWOL over the last two days. “How’s your man friend?”
“Greyson? He’s good. He’s really good, actually.”
“Yeah? What did you guys do?” Renee watched me over the rim of her mug as she sipped her coffee again.
As I started answering, I was cut off by the waitress. We ordered our breakfasts, and then I launched into the story of all the time I had spent with Greyson. I told her about the motorcycle ride and the picnic he prepared. I told her about his lavish home and the view it had. Then, when I got to the part about the hot tub and how we spent our evenings, Renee leaned in close and waggled an eyebrow at me.
“So,” she said. “You aren’t Skylar the virgin anymore?”
I blushed fiercely and shook my head without looking at her.
Renee grinned and leaned back in her chair. “I hope he showed you a good time. It would be a shame to wait so long and lose your V-card to a man who didn’t know what he was doing with a woman’s body.”
“Oh,” I said. “He definitely knew what he was doing.”
Renee laughed as I blushed a brighter shade of red and covered my face. “Don’t be embarrassed,” Renee said.
“I can’t help it. I can’t believe it happened in the first place. There’s something about him, Renee. He’s different. He’s so kind and generous, but also oddly fierce and powerful. I can’t stop thinking about him.”
“Well, I’m glad he was worth it,” she said as our plates of food arrived.
“Worth it?” I asked, raising my fork to my mouth.
She nodded as she cut into her eggs benedict. Yolk spilled over the plate, and she stabbed the egg, ham, and English muffin with her fork. “Yeah. I hope he was worth sacrificing the time you could have spent with me.”
I swallowed my bite and blinked at her. “I don’t really know how to respond to that.”
Renee sighed and put her fork down. “Sky, I brought you all the way here to spend time with you, and this guy comes in out of nowhere and sweeps you off your feet. This isn’t like you. I thought this trip would go differently, that’s all. But I’ve spent almost all my time with Nikki and none with you. I’m just disappointed, I guess.”
I bit my lip and considered her words. At first, I saw the sense in it. Then after thinking on it, I began to feel somewhat angry. “You’re the one who’s always telling me I need to go out and do stuff. Meet people. Stop spending all my time at the hospital or alone in my apartment.”
“Yeah,” Renee said. “But when someone pays for your whole vacation, it’s really shitty to thank them by going and fucking some rich dude you barely know.”
“That’s not what it’s like with him, Renee. He’s not just some—”
“Honestly, Sky, I don’t care.” Renee held up her hands and shook her head at me. “You can justify it any way you want. I’m happy you found someone to finally have sex with, okay? I’m happy that he makes you feel good. But you prioritized him over me, and it really sucks, you know?”
There wasn’t a single thing I could think to say to her that might make her feel better. Try as I might, I couldn’t convince myself that she was wrong. Everything she was saying made perfect sense. I had chosen Greyson over her. I also knew that if the opportunity presented itself, I would probably do it again. I cared too much for him for only knowing him for a week.
“I’m sorry, Renee,” I said.
She plucked her napkin from her lap and tossed it across her plate, which was still full of food. “You know, I think I’m just going to head back to the room and take a nap. I’m not in the mood for this.” She tossed two twenty-dollar bills on the table as she stood. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Renee, don’t go. Please? We can talk this out. You’re right. I’ve been a shitty sister.”
“We can talk about it later,” she said, stepping over the peeling wrought-iron fence. Without another word, she walked away down the sidewalk and disappeared around the corner to make her way back to The Citrine.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and pushed a piece of egg around on my plate. I deserved this. I had taken advantage of Renee’s generosity. I hadn’t even thought to ask her how she felt about me spending so much time with Greyson on her dime.
Someone sat down across from me. Expecting and hoping it was Renee, I looked up with a smile that I hoped looked genuine and apologetic.
Instead of Renee, I saw a man dressed in a form-fitting black suit regarding me with pale eyes. He was handsome in a devilish sort of way. His blonde hair was slicked back and grazed the collar of his shirt. Gold cufflinks winked at the ends of his jacket sleeves, and they matched the gold tooth in his smile.
“Good morning, miss,” he said. “I couldn’t help but notice that your companion left you all alone to finish your breakfast. A beautiful girl like you doesn’t need to sit by herself. Let me keep you company a while.” He flashed me his gold tooth in a smile that made my stomach flutter with unease.
“I’m sorry, but I think I’d rather be alone right now. That was my sister, and I need to be alone with my thoughts.”
“Sister?” he asked, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. “The two of you look nothing alike. You’re a bombshell. She’s all right, I suppose, but a man would be a fool to overlook you.” His eyes wandered up and down the length of me.
I instantly wished I was wearing a loose sweater and sweatpants.
“You can go now,” I said as firmly as I could manage.
He arched an eyebrow at me. “I was just trying to be polite.”
“No, you weren’t,” I said. “You were trying to make me uncomfortable.”
His gold tooth appeared again as he smiled. Something inside me squirmed. “Very well, then. You have yourself a good day. I’ll be seeing you again soon, I suspect.”
He stood. He was astonishingly tall. He dipped his head to me before stepping over the fence, much like how Renee had. Then he put his hands in his pockets and walked slowly away, looking back over his shoulder at me more than once and flashing me that smile that made me want to scratch my eyeballs out of my head.
W
hen he was gone, I stared down at my plate. My appetite was gone. Guilt was swirling around in my belly as I thought about the way I had made Renee feel. That had never been my intention.
Even though I wanted to make it up to her, the only thing I wanted was to see Greyson. I could spend time with Renee when we were back in Houston. She was overreacting. I only had so much time in Las Vegas before I would have to leave, and I would be leaving behind the first man who had ever made me feel something.
Chapter 21
Greyson
I informed the bank that I might be making a withdrawal of one hundred thousand dollars, and then Meek and I returned to The Citrine. My head was on a swivel as we hurried through the front doors and made a beeline straight to the freight elevators. I needed to get to the security room to make sure Luccio Bravo hadn’t shown his face on my property again. I also wanted to discuss the events with my security team to make sure everyone was on guard for his reappearance, and keeping an eye out for the delivery of a check to my office tomorrow afternoon.
Meek was hot on my heels. We drew a couple of stares from the hotel check-in staff and some of the waiters and waitresses in the casino. I didn’t make eye contact with them.
Once we were on the elevators and the doors were closed, I let out an exasperated breath. Meek was still and quiet beside me.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” I said finally as the elevator hit the basement floor and the doors opened up.
“It’s fine. You have a lot on your plate. And you made a good point. You are responsible for everyone here. I am only responsible for you. There is a difference. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt, either.”
I rested a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Words were unnecessary.
We went to the security room where Cameron was still watching the monitors like a hawk. He greeted us with a grunt as he sipped water through a straw. I leaned over and rested my hands on the desk as I peered at all the monitors.
Seeking out a tall blonde man in a black suit was tricky business, especially in a casino with a business center and conference room. There were a lot of men in black suits.
I told Cameron about Luccio Bravo and asked him to keep an eye out and pass the news around to the rest of the security team as soon as possible. I wanted photos of Luccio posted in the security office and staff rooms so that if anyone spotted him, they could avoid him. Meek and I were to be immediately contacted. From there, I would handle the rest.
Cameron agreed with wide eyes, and Meek proceeded to give him further instructions as I resumed my inspection of the cameras.
On the monitor at the bottom right, I spotted Skylar.
All my worries and stress evaporated as I watched her cross the casino. She was walking with purpose to her room, probably going to get her sister. I knew she wanted to spend the day with her. I also knew I had been monopolizing her time.
I shook my head to get her out of my thoughts.
“Meek,” I said. “I want us to be on the floor today. We have the best chance of spotting him.”
“All right,” Meek agreed.
We left Cameron with his new assignment and returned to the casino floor where we took up our watch post near the entrance to the slot machines. Anyone who wanted to gamble or get anywhere else within the casino had to pass this point. It was the most strategic place to put ourselves.
I watched my guests with my arms crossed over my chest, searching for a head of shocking blonde hair above the sea of guests. I didn’t think Luccio was stupid enough to show his face again on the same day, but I wasn’t willing to take the risk. I didn’t want him anywhere near my hotel or my guests, and if I spotted him prowling around, I knew I was going to have a serious temper to deal with. I would take it very personally if he was bold enough to try something on my casino floor.
As I watched, eyes narrowed, jaw tight, I heard my name spoken behind me.
I turned to see an older gentleman. He was dressed in plain brown slacks and a button-up, short-sleeved shirt with palm trees on it. The lenses of his silver-framed glasses were so thick that his eyes were magnified to twice their size. He walked with a cane and shuffled across the floor toward me, extending a spotted hand between us.
“Mr. Kline,” he said. “I imagine you might not remember me.”
I shook his hand and racked my brain. He looked familiar, but not familiar enough for me to place his name. “I apologize, sir. I see a lot of faces every day. Though you do look very familiar to me. How do I know you?”
The man smiled as he shook my hand. His grip was stronger than I expected. “I’m Klaus Weber. My late wife and I spent our fiftieth wedding anniversary at your hotel two years ago. You sat with us over drinks in the bar over there.” He pointed a shaking finger to the bar overlooking the casino floor. “My dear Sophia enjoyed your company thoroughly and had a few too many martinis, if you recall.”
“Sophia.” I grinned. “Yes, I remember. She ordered the side of Maraschino cherries.”
Klaus beamed at me. “Yes, yes she did.”
“I am sorry to hear that she is no longer with us,” I said, feeling an ache in my heart as Klaus’s smile faltered. “Listen, I have a spare moment. What do you say you and I get a round of martinis in her memory?”
Klaus smiled again and nodded eagerly. “I would like that very much, Mr. Kline.”
“Very well,” I said, falling into step beside him. I glanced at Meek. “Keep your eyes open. My phone is on. Call me if you see anything, all right? Anything.”
Meek nodded.
Klaus and I found a seat at the bar in the corner where it was quieter. I ordered us a round of martinis and some appetizers. Klaus made himself comfortable, which took a while. He shifted in his seat for several minutes before he settled on a comfortable position. His cane was propped up against the wall behind him, and his eyes flicked back and forth between mine as he regarded me.
“You look the same as you did the last time we met,” Klaus said. “My dear Sophia would have been pleased to see you again. She spoke very highly of you. She wished we had a granddaughter to introduce you to.”
I laughed. “Don’t embarrass me, Klaus.”
Klaus smiled wistfully and shook his head. “I suspect you are a difficult man to embarrass. I am happy to see you again. I wasn’t sure if I would run into you. A man running a casino must be busy.”
“I can prioritize,” I said, taking a sip of my drink. “Time with guests is more fun than business meetings, anyway.”
“You said the same thing last time we met.”
“Because I mean it,” I said, lifting my glass in a toast. Klaus raised his as well, and we tapped the glasses together. “To Sophia, who I can remember vividly now. She wore earrings the size of my fist, if I recall.”
Klaus nodded. “Yes. That, she did.”
I leaned forward intently. “May I ask you something, Klaus?”
Klaus nodded and sipped his drink. His eyes watched my mouth as I spoke, and I began to wonder how poor his hearing was. He was wearing hearing aids, as he had been the first time I met him and his wife. They had been sitting at a table on the other side of the bar from where we sat now. A pianist was playing, and Klaus had gotten unsteadily to his feet, pulled Sophia up with him, and they proceeded to do the waltz in the middle of the bar.
The end of the dance had earned them a smattering of applause, and I hadn’t been able to stay away. I approached their table, ordered us all drinks, and spent the entire evening basking in their company. Their love had been the realest thing I had ever seen.
“Why did you come back to my casino?” I asked. I wanted to ask him why he came by himself. The thought of returning to a place that had memories of him and his wife confused me. I could only imagine the pain he was feeling at his loss.
“It is a happy place to be, Mr. Kline,” Klaus said. “I have some very fond memories of this place. Sophia and I never expected to enjoy Las Vegas the way we did. You were a very bright light
on that trip for us. You treated us so kindly. Sophia said that you would never change. I wanted to come to see if she was right. And, of course, she was. My Sophia was smarter than anyone I have ever known.”
I stared at my martini. For the first time in a long time, I was having a hard time keeping my emotions under control.
“Please do not feel sorry for me, Mr. Kline,” Klaus said.
I looked up at him.
“I had fifty two years with my wife. There isn’t anything more a man can ask for than that. More than half a century with the woman he loves. I devoted my life to making her happy. Even though I miss her every day, I know that what we had can’t be touched by death. I will spend my remaining years remembering her and missing her until I am reunited with her.”
I swallowed and cleared my throat. “I hope I can find something like that with someone one day.”
“It happens when you least expect it,” Klaus said. “Sophia was my best friend’s sister growing up. She was right under my nose my whole teenage life. We only ended up going on a date because the guy she was seeing stood her up, and I happened to be picking up takeout from the same restaurant. I saw her sitting by herself and sat down across from her. And then, the rest was history.”
A series of thoughts raced through my head as I watched Klaus take another sip of his martini. First, I knew I wanted to have a love like his. One that lasted a lifetime. One that two people fought for and committed to and made work.
Second, I knew I wanted to ensure he had a good time in my casino again. He was alone, and I didn’t want him to feel lonely.
Third, I knew I wanted to spend my life making someone else happy. I had spent the last two days doing just that, and I had never felt better. Skylar was special. I had known it the second I spoke to her. I was certain that she could be my Sophia.
“What room are you in, Klaus?” I asked.
Klaus chuckled. “You are asking a very old man to remember a number. It is not going to happen, Mr. Kline.”
“Please, call me Greyson. It will say on your room key.”
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