The Little Black Dress (Love in Las Vegas)

36. Way Over My Head

Jared

“Jared Hart.”

“Jared! How are you? How’s everything in Sin City? Are you bored to tears without me?”

“Scotty,” I say, my lips curving up. “This is a surprise.”

I sent Sophie out on an errand across town and forwarded all of the calls straight to my phone so I can answer them while she’s out. I’d been regretting that decision––I had no clue just how many calls she fielded for me every day––until now. Hearing Scotty’s voice really shaves the edge off of my irritation.

“Well, I had to call and make sure you’re doing okay without me. Why didn’t Sophie answer? Oh, my God, you didn’t fire her already, did you?”

“No,” I say with a chuckle. “She ran out to the print shop, so there’s no gatekeeper at the phones.”

“She didn’t transfer the calls to Helen’s department?” he asks, sounding slightly appalled.

“No, I told her not to.”

I shift in my seat, feeling a little uneasy. Sophie and I arrived at the same time this morning, and I couldn’t help but kiss her the moment she climbed from her car. Unfortunately, Helen was walking across the garage and stopped to openly gawk at us. So, I told Sophie I’d take the calls while she was gone so she wouldn’t have to call Helen and have an uncomfortable conversation.

I’d be having that conversation, myself, with Helen later today. I’m guessing she’s going to want to send out a memo, advise the staff of our relationship, and probably have Sophie sign a statement that our dealings our consensual and I’m not using my position to pressure her into anything.

What a fucking nightmare. But Sophie is worth it. She’s worth…everything.

“She’s doing a great job, by the way,” I say quickly. “Very efficient. And dependable.”

“Okay,” Scotty says, drawing out the word for an inordinately long time.

“Whatever it is, just say it,” I sigh.

“You’re sleeping with her.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, my God. I’m right, aren’t I? Fuck, Jared. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid when I hired her.”

“I never said––”

“You didn’t have to,” he cuts in. “I’m one of your best friends, and I know you. I can hear it in your voice. Have you even thought this through? Jesus, she could sue you for sexual harassment and coercion if things go bad. You do realize that, don’t you?”

“She wouldn’t,” I say softly.

“Yeah, I’m sure John Emerson thought the same thing.”

He lets that statement hang in the air for a moment, and I grind my molars together. John Emerson owns The Glass Diamond Casino, a small dive off the strip that caters to a seedier crowd. He started sleeping with one of his blackjack dealers last year, and when it ended, she went to the press claiming he’d forced her into the relationship by threatening to fire her and blackball her from finding another job. She ended up suing him, winning five million dollars in damages, and John’s reputation was ruined.

She came to my casino afterward to celebrate, drank way too much, and was crowing to anyone who’d listen, Sam included, about how she’d duped everyone and got a big payday. I may or may not have sent the security footage of that confession over to John, who used it to countersue. He got his money back, and she’s in jail for perjury, but the damage had been done to his reputation.

“It’s not the same, Scotty,” I say.

“How do you know that?” he asks. “How much do you even know about this woman?”

“You’re the one that hired her,” I say, my tone turning defensive.

“As your assistant,” he says, then softens his tone. “Listen, I like Sophie. I don’t want to think she’d do anything shady like that, either. But you need to be very careful. Have her sign a document in front of witnesses that declares she’s in this of her own volition and not being coerced by threat of termination. And you sign it, too, stating if the relationship ends, there won’t be any consequences that affect her employment.”

“I’ve already thought of that,” I say quietly.