All That Glitters: Glitz, Glam, and Billionaires

by Michele Hauf

  She smiled at Roy, returning to the question she’d asked and his answer. “Just a little. What made you leave Australia? You must miss your homeland.”

  “I fell in love.” He chuckled. “I’ve never regretted the move. I’m from a place called Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The landscape and temperature aren’t so different from home, but my sand’s red. I get to go back now and then, but my missus is American, so Las Vegas is home now. Mary’s a geologist. She was doing land surveys in the Simpson Desert for LJS Enterprises. She shouldn’t have gone out there alone, but my Mary’s as stubborn as they come.”

  Cleo heard the love in his voice. Listening to Roy was calming her, and she was grateful for the driver’s diverting conversation. She urged him to continue.

  “The Australian deserts are just as dangerous as yours. It was almost dark, and she hadn’t returned, so the boss asked me to go and look for her. I found her, not ten clicks away. She’d bingled and hit a full-grown red outside of town, near the old telegraph station. She was upset because the animal was suffering. The Jeep was damaged, and I was gobsmacked. I’d never met a woman like her—me a truckie and her a scientist no less, but she treated me as an equal, and I fell for her like a ton of bricks as you say. I put the kangaroo out of its misery and took them both into town. The rest is history. We tied the knot, and when her project was over, the company brought us both back to the States. Sam got me a job and helped me with my green card. We’re expecting our first in the fall, around the same time his sister Jane’s little one is due.”

  Cleo hadn’t understood every word he’d said—some of the more colorful idioms were beyond her, but she’d gotten the gist of it.

  “Congratulations. Not everyone gets to have a happily ever after like yours.”

  Roy bent down and picked up the bags Sam had dropped on the tarmac and put them in the trunk. He opened the door for her.

  “I’ve poured you a glass of champagne. There are snacks in the basket if you’re hungry. We should be back at the hotel in fifteen or twenty minutes depending on the traffic. Is there anything else I can get you, Ms. Jones?”

  “Call me Cleo. This is fine, thank you. Do you know the sex of the baby?”

  Roy glowed with pride. “It’s a little girl. We’ll name her Alice Beth, after home and my mum.”

  Visions of a beautiful baby girl with Sam’s dark brown eyes and her curly hair—brown like his not the red she’d hated as soon as she’d been old enough to be hurt by the teasing—flitted through her mind, and she immediately dismissed them.

  “That’s a beautiful name.”

  He nodded. “Are you ready?”

  She allowed him to help her into the car. She reached for the champagne, hoping the alcohol would give her the backbone she needed to control herself. She sipped her champagne aware of its wonderful flavor, but its alcohol didn’t seem to faze her now.

  Was she drunk already and just didn’t know it?

  She was emotional—all weepy and sad. Roy’s explanation for coming to America added to her melancholy. A truck driver and a scientist—if they could make it work, why couldn’t a teacher and an architect?

  Because she was omitting his hobby, and it was the kicker. Dad would have a hard time accepting him, and she wanted her father to like and appreciate the man in her life. Even if Dad tolerated him for her sake, would the narrow-minded members of the school board? Gordon’s Grove was very conservative, and she would bet that despite the town’s penchant for aliens, Alamo’s school board’s moral compass was pointed in the same direction. If she got suspended, it would be impossible to find a teaching position anywhere. The kids might have driven her nuts this year, but she loved her job. Sam was part of a dream weekend, and he had to stay that way.

  She sighed, and took another sip of wine. There was no way she could ever return to Vegas, see the Hoover Dam, or visit the Skywalk again. The danger of running into Sam would be too great, and her heart wouldn’t be able to endure the pain of seeing him with another woman. No. This was a stolen moment in time.

  Sam had to be okay, and so did the others. The thought of anything happening to him out there stabbed her. He had to come back. There was no way she could let the weekend end without being in his arms, in his bed, at least once. She would need the memory to sustain her through the long, lonely years to come. She cared for him far more than she should, but the only man in her life would be a dog named Sam—as soon as she could find one.

  Roy got in behind the wheel and pulled away from the airfield, heading toward Las Vegas.

  Cleo allowed the soothing motion of the limo to relax her. The next few hours would be long ones, and until Sam was safely back with her, she’d worry. She contemplated going to her own room and packing her things to leave Monday morning. She didn’t intend to leave his side a single minute of the time they had left. She also knew she’d need to make a hasty exit. She’d never survive saying goodbye, and if he asked her to stay, she might not be strong enough to deny him; after all, it would only be until Friday when he left for Wales.

  Sam had asked her to wait in his suite, and she would. Going back to her own room right now might mean facing Mitch’s inquisition, and she worried her far-too-perceptive friend would discover the truth, a truth Cleo wasn’t ready to face: she might be falling in love.

  When the limo pulled up at the main entrance, a concierge opened the vehicle door.

  “I’ll take it from here,” he said to Roy. “The boss says you’re free for at least the next six hours. He may need you later. Liz will need you to run her to the airport around half-past ten tomorrow morning.” The man turned to her.

  “Good afternoon, Ms. Jones. Ms. Mason is waiting for you in the I-Bar. If you’ll follow me.”

  Surprised the concierge knew her name, Cleo thanked Roy, who was removing the bags from the trunk. He handed them to a bellboy.

  “Just remember what I said.” He smiled confidently. “Sam will be fine.”

  Cleo nodded and followed the concierge into the casino. She was curious to meet Sam’s sister. She tried not to notice the men staring at her as she entered the I-Bar situated at the heart of the resort. Mitch had told her about the modern one-of-a-kind technological wonder, but they hadn’t had a chance to visit it. The lounge was filled with people watching videos and playing games on their tabletops. The concierge indicated a woman seated a few tables away.

  As Cleo had expected, the woman was the brunette who’d joined Sam on Thursday night. She was completing an electronic crossword puzzle and shut it off when she saw Cleo coming toward her.

  The brunette was a couple of inches taller than she was, with a figure a supermodel would envy. The woman’s auburn hair, several shades darker than hers, was shoulder length and pushed behind her ears. Her short, black and white dress left her shoulders bare. Her jewelry consisted of several strands of metal beads with matching earrings. When she glanced at Cleo it was through shadowed eyes almost identical to Sam’s. Cleo envied the ease with which she moved. Every man in the room was staring at her, and yet, it didn’t seem to bother her one damn bit. She needed to grow that extra skin and be more like that. Stunned by how much Liz resembled Sam, she was amazed she hadn’t noticed it Thursday night.

  Because I saw what I expected to see, thanks to Dave.

  “Hi!” The brunette held out her hand, the smile on her face friendly if not more than a little appraising. “I know we haven’t met, but Sam called and asked me to look after you until he gets back. I think my big brother is afraid you’ll disappear. I’m Liz.”

  Cleo immediately liked the young woman’s honest, open manner, although she doubted Sam was worried about her vanishing. Where could she go? He had her room number.

  “Hello.” She extended her hand to shake the one Liz offered. “It’s nice to meet you. You look fantastic. What a gorgeous dress. This must be an incredible place to work.”

  “Thanks. The job has its moments, but I’m almost ready to move on with my life. S
eeing Jane happily married and expecting again has put the bug in my ear, too. Maybe I’ll get Sam to help me find a normal job at LJS. I’m sorry about the trouble you had last night. We thought we had everything under control. I’ve doubled security tonight. Are you guys going back down to the convention after Sam gets back?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Sam said something about dinner and Las Vegas nightlife.”

  “I’m sorry your day was cut short. That storm came up very quickly. Are you sure you’re okay? You look a little down in the mouth.”

  Sam’s sister was as perceptive as he was.

  “I’m fine. I’m concerned about Sam and the men trapped out there. It must be so hard on their families. I can always take another sightseeing helicopter ride, but if they can’t get to them in time …”

  “Sam will make sure that doesn’t happen,” Liz cut in quickly. “I’m sure he’ll want to finish your tour of the desert the first chance he can. He works crazy hours, but for you, I think he’ll find the time. It’s nice. I haven’t seen him take a break in ages. Come on. I’ll take you upstairs, and we can get to know one another while I rest my feet. These Jimmy Choo’s may look great, but after six hours, my toes are killing me. I’ll have to get back down to the convention floor in an hour or so, but for the moment, I’m free.”

  Cleo looked down at the strappy black and white, five-inch heels on Liz’s feet. The shoes probably cost at least a week’s salary. Casino hostesses seemed to be paid as well as male entertainers. Cleo doubted a secretary’s salary at LJS would even come close. It would be hard to give up that kind of money. Was that why Sam kept entertaining? He clearly had a taste for the finer things in life.

  Cleo followed Liz to the elevator and up to the thirty-eighth floor. Liz used her keycard to enter the suite, and Cleo’s jaw almost hit the floor when she entered the foyer.

  This wasn’t a hotel room; it was a small luxury apartment. The living room, with two full-sized, cream-colored sofas facing one another in front of a gas fireplace above which hung a forty-inch flat screen television, had a built-in bar. A glass-topped table surrounded by six chairs occupied the other side of the room. There was a vase of green and white roses on the table. She reached for the card with her name on it and slipped it in the pocket of her pants. She’d open it later.

  “How did he manage to get these here?” Cleo indicated the roses.

  “People like Sam. Even when he’s being bossy and dictatorial, they’ll do anything for him. He has that effect on people. You wouldn’t want to see the way some women throw themselves at him. It’s just sad. Some of them have no pride.”

  Liz’s words brought back the fact that Sam lived in a different world from Cleo’s. She could just imagine the women salivating over him as he performed. Jealousy stabbed her.

  “Come on. I’ll give you the fifty-cent tour.” Liz opened a set of imposing folding doors to reveal an impressive master bedroom with a walk-in closet where Sam’s clothing hung. There were a few suits, a tuxedo, several shirts, and a variety of more casual clothes. Was this where he lived?

  The bed was a massive king covered by a pristine white quilt and topped with enough rainbow-colored pillows to open a pillow store. There was a whirlpool tub and a large double multi-jet shower in the bathroom.

  Liz led the way back to the living room, and grabbed a bottle of water from the bar fridge. She handed a bottle to Cleo.

  “Wow. I thought our room was something. This place must cost a fortune.”

  Liz laughed. “Nothing’s too good for my big brother.”

  She removed her shoes and let her feet sink into the plush carpet. “Ahh! That feels better. It’s a corner suite, so the view’s really something.”

  From the bedroom windows, Cleo had seen the black storm clouds in the distance, but in this room she could see all of the Vegas Strip lit up below her. She wondered how much he was really paying for this, or if it was just another perk because of his hobby and his sister’s position. She wanted to ask Liz more about the Chippendales, but before she could, Liz’s cell phone buzzed.

  “Damn! I’ve got to get back to work—another crisis to solve. Make yourself at home. Try not to worry too much about Sam. He’s an old hand at this. He’ll be fine. I’m off to a polo match in L.A. tomorrow, so I probably won’t see you again before you leave Monday, but I’m sure we’ll all get together when Sam gets back. He’ll only be gone six weeks.”

  Liz kissed her on both cheeks as if she were a good friend, or perhaps European royalty, stepped back into her impossibly expensive shoes, and left. Cleo shook her head as she watched the suite door close.

  Whether Sam was leaving for six weeks, six months, or six years didn’t really matter. Once Monday came, she’d be gone for good. Risking his life to save others made it too easy to fall in love with him. Even if she did renege on her promise to herself and agreed to see him again, nothing but pain would come of this. How would he feel when he realized she’d lied to him about who she was and where she lived? Even if his job wasn’t an issue, good relationships couldn’t be built on a foundation of lies.

  Cleo was staring out the window and jumped at a knock at the door.

  “Who is it?”

  “Room service, Ms. Jones.”

  She opened the door and allowed the server to push the cart into the apartment. He set up the table near the sofa and uncovered the dishes. Along with a glass of what she recognized was the Voodoo Lounge’s fruity Witch Doctor cocktail, there was a platter of hors d’oeuvres including lobster and shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon with capers, and a few other foods she didn’t recognize. There was another green and white rose.

  “Who ordered all this?”

  “Mr. Mason.”

  Cleo tipped the server and closed the door behind him. She opened the small envelope on the table. She recognized the writing from this morning’s note, but she knew it wasn’t his.

  Cleo,

  I don’t want you to go hungry waiting for me. If it isn’t what you want, order anything you like. I did specify no oysters. We expect to arrive in Ely by five. I’ll be back as soon as everyone’s out of danger. See you then.

  Love you,

  Sam

  She stared at the card. There was the “L” word again. She reached for one of the giant prawns and dipped it in the cocktail sauce.

  “Look at me! Sitting in a magnificent suite, a feast at my side, waiting for the hottest man I’ve ever met, and wanting to cry.”

  She reached for the remote and turned on the television. The screen filled with the image of thousands of gallons of water rushing across the highway. Ely, Nevada. She took a mouthful of her drink as she listened to the newsman describe what was believed to be the worst flash flood of the decade. Sam and the men had to be safe. He had to be all right because she was pretty sure, entertainer or not, she’d done exactly what she’d sworn not to do.

  “Catherine Cleopatra James. You’ve really gone and put your foot in it this time.”

  Sam pulled into the hotel parking lot. It was only nine thirty, but he felt as if he’d been up for days. He was exhausted, but the thought he’d soon hold Cleo in his arms was re-energizing him. They’d rescued the men safely, although Tom’s broken leg was a bad one and would take a long time to heal. And Sam didn’t want to remember how close he himself had come to dying. Would anyone other than his sisters have grieved? Seeing the joy on the faces of the men’s wives and children when their loved ones had climbed out of the helicopter had made him think of Cleo. They’d only known one another twenty-four hours, but would she have looked at him that way if she’d been there?

  He was filthy, but all he wanted to do was hold her in his arms. The rescue could so easily have gone the other way. By the time they’d gotten there, the rushing water had been only a foot below the trapped men. It had served to remind him how short life was.

  The news choppers had hovered nearby, and he wondered if Cleo had been watching. He hoped not. It had been touch and go at one p
oint, and he’d actually been afraid he wouldn’t make it. The last thing he wanted was for his sisters or Cleo to see him die on live television. His fear and desperation would have shown on his face.

  He was sure the reporters had used telephoto lenses and captured that moment quite nicely. What if they’d identified him? What if they said Sam Mason, CEO of LJS Enterprises? If they had, she would be livid, and he couldn’t blame her. He’d had more than one chance to tell her the truth and he hadn’t taken them. Well, if she didn’t already know, he would tell her tonight.

  If Cleo were the least little bit like any of the other women he’d known, she would be furious at being duped this way. The deception might have started as a joke, but it had morphed into a serious problem. Based on the few things she’d said about her ex, he thought Cleo distrusted men with money, and a man with money who’d lied to her wouldn’t make her more accepting of the situation.

  As grubby as he was, the last thing he wanted was to attract attention, especially from the reporters hanging around the casino looking for a story, so he walked toward the service elevator, glad to see the garage was deserted. No doubt after his antics in the desert tonight, the more reputable press was watching for him upstairs. He’d asked Matt to use the company limo to drive back to the hotel as a decoy to give Sam the privacy he’d need to get to his suite without attracting unwanted attention. The elevator ride seemed to take forever. When it reached his floor, he was out the doors and down the hall as quickly as he could move. He slipped his key card in the door and opened it. The suite was dark, lit only by the glow of the moon outside the living room window.

  Sam’s ego and hopes deflated. He’d been so sure she’d be here waiting for him. That was his overblown sense of self at work. Maybe she’d gone down to the convention for a while with Charlie and Mitch. He’d been gone more than five hours. Perhaps Liz had taken Cleo with her. His sister was working tonight and couldn’t very well keep his girlfriend company up here.