Page 78 of All Bets Are Off

“Who won?”

“Cliff King.”

“Ah.” Briefly, I pressed my lips together. “I’ll handle it.”

Relief washed over Mom like a wave. “Thank you, Zach. You’re the only one who can console him right now.”

I wouldn’t be consoling him. She didn’t need to know that, though. When she was gone, I focused on Olivia. “Get changed, and I’ll meet you in that room at the end of the hall.” I pointed so she wouldn’t be confused.

She followed my gaze and picked up the items I’d brought in from the car for her. “Do you want to tell me what this is about?” she asked. “Like … is your father really in the locker room pouting because he lost a golf match?”

“He lost it to Cliff King,” I explained. “He would’ve been a poor sport regardless. Cliff winning will ruin his whole month, though.”

She frowned. “I don’t know who that is.”

“He owns four of the best clubs on the strip, and he’s trying to leverage himself into an ownership position in two other casinos.”

“I still don’t know why that’s important.”

“Just suffice it to say that my father hates Cliff King. Apparently, they fought over a girl in high school or something.”

“And they’re still upset about it?” Olivia rolled her eyes. “That’s just so…” She held her fingers out and made the “tiny penis” universal symbol.

“It is,” I agreed. “If I don’t go in there and talk him off a ledge, though, he’s going to ruin my mom’s entire party. Then she’ll make my life hell for a different reason.”

“Ah.” Olivia nodded in understanding. “I get it.”

“I won’t be long,” I promised. “I just have to tell him how great he is.”

“Do you not see how petty and weird that is?”

I nodded. “I do, but I have plans for you later tonight. Watching you get under Edgar’s skin turned me on.” I gave her butt a playful slap. “I want to take advantage of that feeling later. If I have to babysit my father all night, that’s not going to happen.”

“Ah.” Realization dawned on her face. “Well, then you should definitely get in there. Your father is a big baby, though. I hope you know that.”

My father was many things. A big baby was only one of them. “He’s a pain,” I agreed. “Sometimes it’s easier to give in than fight, though.”

“And sometimes the fight is worth it,” Olivia replied. “We’ll work on that for you later, though. Do what you have to do. Just know, I’m eating my weight in prime rib. If Edgar is still passed out, I’m eating his portion too.”

For a moment—just a split second really—I swear I felt something deeper for her than I ever knew was possible. It was gone fast, almost as if it had never been there. That feeling was going to haunt me, though. I knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

“Thirty minutes,” I said when I was reasonably certain I could talk without sounding like an idiot. “I’ll feed you in thirty minutes.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

19

NINETEEN

When I was a kid, I always thought I wanted to be part of the “elite” Las Vegas crowd. I was convinced that the glittery night life, the high-end food, and the endless cocktails were for me. Somewhere along the way, I’d lost sight of that dream. I hadn’t dropped it as much as it had disappeared. Being part of that world had made those memories rush forward.

I was not the same teenager who wanted that, though. I was an adult, and now I understood how empty this world was.

“Enjoying the appetizers?” Cora asked as she appeared at my elbow. Zach had been back with his father a full thirty minutes at this point, and I was starting to get worried. It didn’t help that I didn’t know these people. What made matters worse was that I didn’t want to know these people. Not even a little.

I swallowed the stuffed mushroom cap I’d been nibbling on and smiled. “They’re very good,” I assured her. Honestly, I wasn’t much of a cook, but I had a mean stuffed mushroom recipe. They were one of my favorites so I’d learned how to make them when I was in college. I got pretty good at it. “I can’t wait for the rest of the food.”

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