"Sure. I know some girls are heading over to the new club at the Tropicana," Talia said.
"The Tropicana?" I asked, remembering that was where I had dropped Kya off that morning.
"Yeah, it’s retro cool, good music. The bathrooms are great." Talia batted her eyelashes at me and slipped her hand higher up my leg.
I was glad when the food and wine arrived because Talia had something else to do with her hands. The sight of Kevin Casey eating a rare steak was enough to turn anyone off. Fortunately, the wine was good and my manager had a slew of entertaining stories.
"And that is why you never challenge Chris Rock to a game of baseball," Kev finished his story and poured out the last of the second bottle of wine.
Talia giggled and swayed as she got out of the booth. "Chris Rock performed in Vegas a few years ago. My friend and I sneaked backstage, but we never made it further than his bodyguards."
Knowing her preference for tough guys first hand, I did not bother to ask what happened with the bodyguards. She wrapped both arms around my bicep and whispered it in my ear anyway. It may have been the strong wine, but her dirty memory got my blood pumping.
It seemed ridiculous to take a town car to a casino we could see from outside the MGM Grand, but the enormous buildings were deceptively far apart. Plus, the town car gave Talia the chance to sit in my lap. I ran my hands all over her curves, but somehow, Kya kept coming between me and Talia's thin dress. It was wrong to compare the two women, but it was all I could do.
I only wanted Kya. The only answer to that was to drink more. We messed around at the blackjack tables inside the Tropicana long enough to get served strong cocktails. Kev hit a hot streak and Talia had fun flirting with the dealer. I played conservatively and tried not to tally every loss against the free chips I was given for my minor celebrity.
Counting my savings in my head made me again think of Kya. I could understand how she did not want to let loose until she had a safety net. It made sense, and I operated the same way. That was why I needed to get Kya Allen out of my system. She was the only one in years that made me want to skip my personal parameters and start a relationship early.
Relationship – I shook my head. I have got to get her out of my head, I thought.
Too bad when I turned back to our blackjack game, I spotted Kya Allen across the casino floor. She paced in front of a video poker game on the end of a long row. As her phone conversation stretched on, she played a few hands. It was easy to see from the flashing lights of her machine that she was casually winning. Only Kya would win offhand while talking on the phone.
Talia caught me watching Kya. She gave up her seat and stood next to me. Her bouncing breasts were even with my cheek as she leaned into my stool. "Let's go dance, Fenton. Or better yet, let's go swimming. I bet we could convince the front desk to let us into the pool."
"You go ahead and join your friends," I told her. "I'm going to stick around here."
Talia bent lower, sucking on my ear lobe. "The best way to get over someone is to sleep with someone else," she said.
"You're right," I agreed. The cocktails had confused my hearing. "I gotta sleep with her to get over her."
Chapter Seven
Kya
I was holding my phone away from my ear. My boss was off on one of his supreme lectures, making me wonder for the thousandth time if my apparent listening was part of the reason he hired me.
"You hear me?" James Cort asked.
I did not have to utter a full word, just a hum and he launched into part three of what I suspected was going to be at least a five-part series. I punched a few cards on the video poker screen and paced away while imaginary money racked up.
"Are you really this lucky?" Fenton asked from behind me. He sauntered up and leaned against the end machine, watching my winnings calculate.
"I'm not sure you'd call this lucky," I held out the phone so he could hear my boss' chatter.
"Well, a lot of women would think you're lucky right about now," Fenton said. He nodded to one particularly catty looking woman with long black hair.
"Just because you're talking to me?" I asked. "James, Fenton is here. Yes, I call him by his first name. Right. No. Don't be gross." I hung up my phone and punched a few more cards on the video poker screen.
"Because you seem to be the only woman I'm interested in talking to," Fenton said. "Was that your boss you just hung up on?"
"Yes." I watched his smirk wobble a bit and I wondered if he had been drinking. "He told me to make you happy and get you signed."
He pushed off the video poker screen and leaned towards me. "I'd be happy to see that little black dress again," he said.
I glanced down at my silk blouse and jeans. "I've seen people gambling in worse. You're lucky I'm not wearing sweatpants and a fleece vest."
"Or that tight little tank top you wore on our hike. You sore from the Overlook Trail?" he asked.