"Jackson? He's not my date. I'm not interested in him. I told you, I was just pursuing him for the vitamin supplement people. That way I don't have to bother you anymore," I said.
"You don't bother me," he said. He shrugged off Sienna and moved closer to me.
His whole body changed, became less rigid. I watched as the act slipped away and it was just Fenton that stood before me. He took my hand and pulled me off the dance floor. My heart pounded harder than the music as he handed me a glass of champagne. People patted him on the back and congratulated him. He smiled and nodded, but focused on me.
"Is your eye bothering you?" I asked. I wanted to reach up and soothe the swollen area, but stopped myself.
He shook his head. He took another swig of tequila and watched the surging party.
"It was an amazing fight," I said. "I watched from the casino. It was terrifying to see you on the big screen."
His lips quirked up in a smile, but he said nothing.
"We need to talk, don't we?" I asked. "Can we talk?"
"I wanted to thank you for the black cat," Fenton said. "My mother had a black cat that she loved. It was the whole reason I don't believe in luck. You make your own luck, right?"
"You're welcome," I said. "I don't think tonight had anything to do with luck. You might not show it, but you work hard."
"Maybe it’s time I start working smarter, too," he said. "I talked to Kev and Aldous and they deserve a raise. I'm willing to sign your deal. Tell your clients they've got my endorsement. Build in a percentage for my manager and coach and send over the new contract. I'm ready to sign."
"That's great, it's a great deal. You won't regret it," I said. "But that wasn't really what I wanted to talk about."
"Let's just get the business out of the way," Fenton said. He pushed away from me and was swallowed back up by the happy crowd.
I stumbled back against the wall and leaned there. All he was interested in was the business deal. It hurt. Now, I knew how it felt and now I knew why I had kept it between us this whole time. Everyone I cared about disappeared. The only constant was my work. A steady paycheck took care of me and new clients filled my days. That was all I had needed. Until I met Fenton Morris.
I watched him rejoin the leggy blonde. Together, they flirted for the cameras and danced late into the night. Finally, the camera crew put down their equipment and joined the party. The dancing got wild, then sloppy, then slow. People broke off from the crowd in pairs and small groups. The party broke up somewhere close to dawn.
The wild hope that Fenton would be different when everyone left died when Sienna stayed behind. I thought maybe once everyone was gone that Fenton would change back into the man I had seen glimpses of before. I hoped I would be the one to see him drop his act and be himself. Instead, he was wrapped up tight with Sienna on the white sofa and I felt sick from drinking too much champagne.
I tipped the cater
ing staff as they started to clean up and then slipped out onto the balcony. If I kept my eyes on the horizon, I could see the desert and forget about all the fool's gold and glitter. I leaned against the railing and was glad for the cool breeze. I had nothing to complain about. Fenton would sign the deal, I would get my bonus, and with it, I would be able to convince my boss to let me set up my office in Las Vegas.
I tried to concentrate on work and not the crumbling feeling in my heart.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Fenton
I tried not to look at Kya anymore, but I could feel the look in her eyes. I had had that look before. She still smiled, she still danced, but her eyes were far away. She was on the other side of the wall I put up. Now, there was nothing but business between us.
The party kept going and I kept up with it. Sienna did not notice that I switched out lots of the tequila shots for water. She was too busy with her cameras and they were too busy with her. The reality show was exhausting and her plastered on smiles were wearing me down. I was glad when the party finally started to break up.
My swollen eye did bother me. Kya had been the only one to ask about it. My shoulders were stiff, my arms sore, the effort of the fight was finally weighing down on me. The crowd inside the suite thinned out and once the music stopped, I switched back to real tequila. There was no wall of people hiding Kya from my sight. It was time to get drunk.
I did not know why I had to keep her at a distance. Winning the fight, signing the endorsement, admitting that she could be an integral part of my life – it was all too much. I needed to take a step back, but now it felt like a step off a jagged cliff.
"You did good, kid," Aldous said. He held up his phone. "My wife wants to say hello."
"Hello, Tia. Yes, thank you. Yeah, you're right it is about time for me to move my stuff out of your basement. Yes, I'll tell him. Okay, goodnight," I said.
Aldous laughed. "She figures now that you're up the next rung you can afford to get your own place. Gotta say I wouldn't mind it being somewhere around here. Tia either. She wouldn't mind kissing those cold winters goodbye."
"You like it here, too?" I asked.
"Aha! See, I told you he was thinking about making Vegas his base," Kev said. He swayed against Aldous and threw an arm around his neck. "I love this town. I knew you'd love this town. Let's do it, let's move here."