“But it’s good that she’s raising awareness.”
“Yeah.” Cobie rubbed her eyes. “But what happens to all those queer youth she cares so much about when she goes back to dating men exclusively and stops speaking to them? I don’t think her image-conscious boy-toys will want her to keep reminding the media they are playing second fiddle to me, or even worse, will she act like I was just some momentary lapse in judgment for her?”
“She won’t do any good for queer kids if she treats her sexuality as a choice she can turn on and off at will. But is that really what’s happening here?”
“What do you mean? Is she making a choice who to be attracted to?”
“No. I mean is she actually attracted to you, at least physically, if not emotionally?”
“Oh.” The question made Cobie’s chest tighten. “I don’t know.”
“Really?”
She sighed. She did know. “No. I don’t think she is. I mean there’s been a moment or two, but . . .”
“But?” Talia pushed gently.
“But she’s adamant she’s in this thing to generate press, and she just did that very well. I guess we long-suffering queers should just be thankful she deigned to share some of her limelight with us. I’m sure that’s what she would have said if she hadn’t hung up on me.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah, she said the rules don’t apply to her, she had to take care of her business, and honestly, I think she believes herself. She’s raising awareness for an important cause. Why does it matter if she actually cares or not?”
“I guess it doesn’t matter when we’re talking about a cause, but it matters quite a bit when we’re talking about my best friend.”
Cobie smiled sadly. “We’re not talking about me. Not really. As far as this one goes, I’m merely a prop on the great stage of Lila Wilder’s life.”
“So you don’t think there’s any chance she’s going through some sort of genuine awakening?”
Cobie started to say no, then she remembered their kiss at the ice rink. It had been so unexpected, so confusing. It was tender and playful but also hot. For a woman who’d gotten angry about Cobie going off script, she didn’t seem to have any trouble doing so herself. Had the kiss been a whim or an impulse? Did that make it genuine or was it merely a power play? The latter seemed most likely given everything she’d learned about Lila. “Every now and then I sense something beyond the façade, but honestly, it’s probably wishful thinking on my part. I want to see something deeper in her.”
“You want her to be gay or bi or what?”
“Maybe. Honestly? I’d settle for anything I could point to without a doubt and say, ‘That’s the real Lila.’ If there was some sort of genuine attraction or hint of personal connection to me, I’d be thrilled, but in order to feel some sort of connection to a community or person, she’d have to care about something other than herself for a little while, and I have a hard time believing she’s capable of that.”
“Wow, Cobie.”
“What?”
“That didn’t sound like you at all. I’ve seen you take hold of some pretty shallow characters and find something human in them, something worth drawing out. And Lila’s not even a flat character sketch. She’s a living person.”
Cobie closed her eyes and felt Lila’s lips on hers once more. She would not deny Lila was real flesh and bone, but physically real and emotionally real were two very different things. “It’s easy to be attracted to her physically. She’s stunning and she knows it. She carries this confidence that’s easy to believe in. She’s strong and talented and smart. On that level, she’s the total package, the dream woman, but I don’t think I could ever really trust her.”
“And that’s a deal-breaker.”
“It is,” Cobie admitted, feeling sadder than she had in a while. She hadn’t told Talia anything she didn’t already know deep down, but somehow saying the words out loud made the facts harder to ignore.
“Have I mentioned before how much I dislike you’re going through with the fauxmance?” Talia asked softly.
Guilt bubbled up through her sadness. She should have known Talia would think she bore responsibility for putting her in that position, no matter how much she tried to convince her otherwise. “Look, it’s not a big a deal. Maybe it would be if I were actually trying to romance this woman, but I’m not. She’s not terrible to be around. I’ve honestly had some fun on occasion, and I’m learning a lot about social media marketing, which will come in handy if I get the green light to make Vigilant.”
“If you don’t get the green light after all of this, we’re both running away to the mountains to forsake consumerism and live off the land.”
Cobie laughed. “You killed every plant in your garden last year.”
“Right, well, here’s a better plan B. You use all the energy you’re spending trying to keep up with the whims of Ms. Wilder and spend it learning to grow edible plants, then we escape society.”
“Or . . .” Cobie offered, “let me stick to plan A. It’s only been a month. Who knows? Lila and I might be on the verge of a breakthrough.”
“You really think that’s possible?”
She didn’t, but she wouldn’t say so to Talia. “For better or for worse, anything’s possible with Lila.”
“Especially since you’re about to spend a long weekend in Vegas with her.”
Cobie stifled a groan and forced a little lightness into her voice as she said, “Yeah, a weekend in Sin City with a beautiful woman. What could go wrong?”
Talia laughed. “I don’t know, but I look forward to hearing the answer as soon as you get home.”
• • •
“We’ve got access to the high rollers area of the casino,” Lila called from her uncomfortable spot atop an overly firm leather couch. “The staff there have instructions to allow the press a good view of us while keeping them out of our way. No one’s going to be in our faces tonight, but there won’t be a moment when the cameras aren’t watching.”
“You’re saying I shouldn’t pick my nose or anything. Is that it?” Cobie asked through the doorway between her bedroom and the living area of the sky loft.
“Obviously. Also, don’t look at other women or roll your eyes at me behind my back.”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Cobie said while adjusting her cufflinks. “Why would anyone do anything but gaze lovingly at you, dear?”
Lila rolled her eyes, thankful Cobie couldn’t see her do what she’d just warned against. Then again, there were no cameras in the loft. The only other people within earshot were Felipe and Malik, who had claimed the second-floor bedroom.
“I promise to be on my best behavior tonight,” Cobie said. “I’m feeling all swanky, like some member of the artistic avant-garde.”
“Not too preppy though,” she said as she flipped through an informational guide on the MGM Grand’s various properties.
“Says the woman who dressed me in a tux.” Her voice sounded much closer and slightly more intimate, which made Lila glance up. When her eyes landed on Cobie standing rakishly with one shoulder leaned against the doorjamb and the other hand stuffed lightly in the pocket of the tuxedo pants, her breath caught. She’d pulled her hair back away from her face, and her only make-up was a subdued hint of black eyeliner. The little touch drew attention to her eyes, making them seem bigger and darker than usual. Lila looked away from their intensity.
She inspected the jacket, trying to move her mind into designer mode. It fit perfectly across her shoulders and cut in ever so slightly to showcase her slender waist. Lila would have commended herself on choosing it, but even she hadn’t been prepared for how well Cobie wore it. God, this woman’s body was built for luxury, and she made a mental note to show that off more often. Or maybe not, because she needed to be seen as gritty. But she wouldn’t mind playing woman du jour to Cobie’s Jane Bond style in a few photographs along the way.
“Can you help me with these cufflinks?” Cobie asked, se
eming oblivious to the images floating through Lila’s mind.
She pushed off the couch as gracefully as she could in her skin-tight black dress that came to an abrupt stop just shy of mid-thigh. “You can’t do your own cufflinks?”
“Shockingly, they don’t teach young girls to use them much while growing up in central Illinois,” Cobie said with a half grin. “I’m sure I could do it on my own eventually, but I’m kind of nervous about taking longer to get ready than you did.”
“Don’t worry. Not everyone can look this good with so little effort,” Lila said, taking Cobie’s sleeve in her hands and threading the silver clasp through the buttonholes.
“Yeah, I’m sure you just rolled out of bed, right into those heels.”
Lila smiled and snapped a cufflink into place before reaching for the other one.
“Do they still count as high heels when they’re that tall? Or at some point do they become stilts?”
“It’s not the tool. It’s how you use it.”
“Oh, right, like ‘guns don’t kill people, people kill people,’ or people with legs like yours kill people.”
“Why, Miss Galloway, I’m surprised you even noticed my legs. I thought you were being studiously disinterested in me since Malik picked you up in New York. You barely said ten words to me on the plane.”
“You weren’t wearing that dress on the plane.”
She bit her lip, trying not to feel too pleased with the compliment, but she knew better than to be distracted by flattery. Something had been bothering Cobie all day or, rather, since the press conference. For some reason, instead of being pleased with Lila’s announcement, Cobie had been frustrated and maybe even a little hurt. That realization sparked a mix of emotions that put Lila on the defensive, and she’d resorted to falling back on the things she could predict and control. She’d expected Cobie to do the same, and when their interactions earlier in the day had remained distant, she’d spent more time than she should have trying to decide whether or not Cobie’s displeasure mattered to her and how much. But seeing a flash of something more amiable in her now, she realized she’d missed that easy connection. Of course, now she had to decide how she felt about that too. She didn’t want to give her too much power, and admitting Cobie’s moods affected her would do that, but she also didn’t like not knowing where she stood. It also hadn’t escaped her notice that for better or worse Cobie hadn’t mentioned her press conference again either.
“So,” Cobie said when Lila snapped the second cufflink into place, “I know we’re gambling, and then we’re dancing. Then we’re going to get handsy in the VIP room. We’re living the lifestyles of the rich and famous. I assume Robin Leach will narrate the footage as it airs on Entertainment TV?”
“I’ve already got him on retainer.”
“Then all I need now is my motivation. You’re the director of this play. Who am I playing?”
“You’re in the tux to look like a winner, but don’t get too preppy or stiff. You’re rolling the dice with one arm around my waist. You’re young Marlon Brando in Guys and Dolls, and you’re lucky because I’m your lady tonight.”
Cobie blew out a breath, rolled her shoulders, and crooked her arm for Lila to take. “All right, baby. Let’s roll.”
Lila let fly a little whistle, and Malik appeared at the top of the stairs, dressed in a black suit with a black t-shirt underneath. The only bright thing on his body was his massive smile when he saw them.
“Damn,” he said. “I’d say you don’t need me ’cause no one’s gonna mess with you with Cobie looking so fly, but then you go and look like sex on stilts, so maybe I’ll have to beat the boys off with a stick.”
“I made the stilt joke too,” Cobie said, sounding pleased.
He thundered down the stairs like a St. Bernard who thought himself a lap dog. “Whatever part you guys been playing at, you’re about to take it up a notch tonight.”
Lila checked her bright red lips in a mirror by the door on the way out. “That’s the plan.”
• • •
“Another seven for Ms. Galloway,” the dealer said as applause faded. The stickman corralled the dice, then pushed them back toward Cobie.
She cupped them in her right hand and gave them a little shake. She enjoyed the weight of them and the little clicks they made as they knocked against each other. With an arcing loft, she sent them tumbling through the air once more. They flipped, then plummeted, bouncing off the table and down to the far bank before spinning to a stop, six and five on top. The gathered crowd went wild again.
“Eleven. Yo, eleven,” the dealer called.
A few furrowed brows from the dealers and a nod from the box man made Cobie grin. She turned, putting her back to the table as the casino crew rotated for the second time in ten minutes. She looped an arm around Lila’s waist and pulled her close until their hips were flush. Cupping her face, she pulled her lower so she could whisper in her ear, “How did you manage to load the dice?”
Lila threw back her head and laughed heartily. Leaning close once more, she nipped at Cobie’s earlobe before whispering, “I didn’t.”
Reaching past her so their bodies pressed tightly together for a moment, Lila grabbed the dice the dealer had pushed across the table and handed them to her. “Roll again, rock star.”
Cobie hoped her smile came across as something cocky. She didn’t know what to make of her luck being genuine tonight, at least where the dice were concerned. Everything else had been carefully orchestrated by Lila. The crowd around their table was filled with beautiful people who had clearly been instructed not to intrude on them with more than applause or the occasional high five. The photographers were kept far enough away to blend in, and the staff had by and large acted like they would with any high-end client, or so she assumed. She’d never actually been a high-end casino client before. And she had to admit, she was enjoying the experience. Even as someone who fully understood the magic of the movies, Cobie could still get lost in a carefully created illusion for long stretches at a time.
She tossed the dice again, this time to a more subdued response as they came up one and four. More chips were thrown out, and Cobie set down a small stack of high-denomination chips for the dealer to place on the six and eight. She turned back to Lila and said, “I’m betting that I’ll roll a six or eight before I roll another five or bust.”
“I know,” Lila said evenly.
She raised an eyebrow.
“Surprised?”
“No. I suppose you wouldn’t have put us in a game you didn’t know how to win.”
Her brightly painted lips curled up.
“I just thought maybe you’d let me play the role of teacher tonight.”
“Don’t get greedy. I’m willing to let you get away with a lot tonight, but I don’t play dumb for anyone,” she said, a flash of fire in her eyes reminding Cobie of the way she looked during her press conference. Cobie had forgotten to be mad at her for the last few hours, but before her irritation could return, Lila’s tone lightened again. “Besides, I’m already letting you play the role of rock star.”
“How’s that working for you?”
“So far, so good, but I reserve the right to change my mind.”
“A woman’s prerogative,” Cobie said as she threw a six and collected her winnings. “But that works both ways. I’m a woman too, remember?”
She glanced over her shoulder in time to catch Lila’s eyes rake across her backside, but instead of looking embarrassed, she simply said, “How could I forget?”
The words, or maybe the coy way she delivered them with a hint of sensuality, sent a shiver up her spine. She tossed the dice once more and came up with an eight before pulling another stack of chips off the table and handing them to Lila. “Here, why don’t you hold onto these for later?”
Lila smiled in that practiced way she always did when up to no good. She slipped her hand inside Cobie’s tuxedo jacket and dropped a few chips into the inside pocket before sayin
g just loud enough for those nearest to hear, “I don’t pay for anything here, stud, but if you don’t take me dancing soon, you might need that.”
Cobie sighed dramatically, then turned to the table and said, “I think I’m going to have to call it soon, folks.”
“No,” everyone protested in unison.
“Sorry, we’ve got plans.”
One guy with particularly spiky hair leaned over the table and called, “What plans could be better than this?”
She smiled and quirked an eyebrow at Lila, who took hold of her lapels, pulled her close, and kissed her hotly on the mouth. God, she was good at that. Cobie’s hips rolled forward of their own accord, as if seeking contact that wouldn’t be at all appropriate on a casino floor. As quickly as it had begun, Lila cut off contact, leaving Cobie kiss-drunk and a little wobbly on her knees. She had to clutch the edge of the table with her free hand to steady herself, but she managed an I-told-you-so smile to all the astonished faces circled around.
Then she rolled a seven and busted every one of them.
No one seemed too upset with her as she settled up. Maybe they were grateful for the massive amounts of cash she’d made them over the last run, or maybe they just couldn’t blame her for leaving the party early since they no doubt expected her to be headed for a better one. Still, she handed the waitress enough chips to buy everyone a round and generously tipped the table crew before extending her arm to Lila. “You ready to heat up the dance floor?”
Lila fanned herself with her hand. “I don’t know. I think you might have burned the place down already.”
“Me?” Cobie asked as they strolled through the VIP area toward the flashing strobe lights and heavy bass beat that could only indicate a dance floor nearby. “What about you, playing tonsil hockey at the craps table.”
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