Page 91 of All Bets Are Off

“Maybe,” I agreed. “Losing him will make me crazier, though. Isn’t it smarter to let things percolate longer and then tell him?”

“What if he feels the same way you do?” she challenged. “You guys could be building a foundation that’s meant to last right now. Isn’t it possible he’s thinking the same things you are?”

I swallowed hard. “Yes,” I said finally. It didn’t even feel like a leap to say it. “I do think it’s possible. He’s in a weird place right now, though. He wants to take over the casino from his father, but he also wants to be more than he thinks his father is capable of. That’s a lot to deal with. I’m not sure adding more is going to be good for either of us.”

“Because you think he’ll break under the pressure?”

I hesitated before answering. “Because I think sometimes people do have a breaking point,” I said finally. “I want him to have the time he needs to wrap his head around things. The whole reason he wanted to get married was to buy himself breathing room, right? How can I suck all the oxygen out of his lungs by telling him I want to give this a real try when he’s just finding his footing?”

“You bring up a good point.” Tallulah made a face and sipped her cocktail. “Here’s the thing, though,” she said as she lowered her glass. “He could be feeling pressure because you guys feel the same way but neither of you can admit it. You might be easing his burden to tell him.”

“Or I might not.”

Tallulah narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure you’re not just afraid to tell him? I mean … that does sound like something you would do. You’ve always built him up to be this otherworldly presence in your life. He’s just a man.”

Deep down, I knew that. He felt like more, though. “I just want to give him some time. In another month, I’ll ascertain where we’re at, and I’ll go from there.”

Tallulah’s sigh was veryGossip Girl. The first one, not the reboot. “Fine. At least you guys are stuck with each other for another ten months. Even you two can’t screw it up when you have such a long timetable to deal with.”

I glowered at her. “We’re not going to screw it up.”

She lifted her cocktail in a sarcastic toast. “Here’s hoping.”

Here’s hoping indeed,I silently agreed.

22

TWENTY-TWO

The fight turned out to be a dud. It was fun to go out with Rex—don’t get me wrong—but it was a second-round knockout. Basically, we got to our seats, had one beer, and it was over. Since Olivia was out with Tallulah—the idea of returning to the penthouse when I knew she wouldn’t be there for hours held little appeal—I suggested a beer at the sports bar.

Rex readily agreed, telling me he planned to hang out with me for an hour and then pick a woman to take home. He was transparent sometimes, which was of course why our friendship had survived as long as it had. Rex didn’t play games. What you saw with him was what you got.

“So, where are Olivia and Tallulah tonight?” Rex asked as we got comfortable in the booth that was always kept reserved for VIP patrons. It was so late in the night I wasn’t worried about anybody coming in and needing it.

“Cabinet of Curiosities,” I replied. “I got them passes for the speakeasy.”

“Really?” Rex’s voice was dripping with intrigue when I leveled my gaze on him. “That was nice of you.”

“What?” It was one word, but it came out way more defensive than I was expecting. I adjusted my tone immediately. “It’s not a big deal. I’ve been to the speakeasy a bunch of times. Your sister has not.”

“It’s just weird that you went out of your way for her.” Rex signaled the bartender for two beers and relaxed on his side of the booth. “I mean … she’s not your real wife.”

That simple statement—not even a lie—was enough to have me rubbing my chest, the spot over my heart. It felt as if he’d stabbed me when he said it. “That doesn’t mean I can’t do the occasional nice thing for her. It wasn’t even that difficult. I called down to Jackie and told her to get me a pass.”

“Oh, so you took the pass from one of the whales.” Rex looked amused. “That seems balanced.”

“It’s one night, and your sister wanted to have fun with Tallulah. It was the bare minimum I could do.”

“Okay.” Rex flashed me a surprised look. “I wasn’t giving you a hard time. It was a nice gesture.”

I tugged on my collar. I suddenly felt as if I was choking.

“What’s up with you?” Rex asked, his gaze searching as he looked me over. “You seem … tense.”

“I’m not tense. I’m just … tired.” That was a lie. I was definitely tense.

“No, you’re tense.” Rex shook his head. “What I want to know is why.” He stared for a beat longer, then sighed. “It’s Olivia, isn’t it?”

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