Page 3 of Gamble with Me
"Dorian," he replied, stretching his hand in my direction, and I took it after a millisecond of hesitation. "Pleasure to meet you."
A weird tingle appeared in my chest, and I quickly retracted my palm, answering with a diplomatic, "Me, too."
He studied my face briefly before looking away, a small, mischievous smile dancing on his full lips.
"Do you like working here?" he asked, frowning at the black and golden dragons hanging from the ceilings. The casino owner was obsessed with cliches, yet the place was packed to the brim every day of the week. Customers loved this pompous, kitschy imitation of luxury.
"Yes, I like my job," I answered, staring into his hazel eyes longer than was polite. He was like a magnet to me. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm just curious why an elegant, classy woman like you works in a desperate hole like this.” He wrinkled his nose in disgust, shrugging. "There are much better places which would pay more money to someone with your experience."
"It's not that bad." I smiled, thinking he was overreacting. Yes, some casinos were more successful or glamorous, but the salary was good, and we had zero problems with our customers.
"Then you haven’t experienced how a great working environment feels," he remarked, tilting his head to the side. "Don't settle for less than you're worth, Valeria." He flashed me another smile and stood up, ignoring my flabbergasted expression. "I need a beer."
I stared at his broad back as he leaned over the bar and said something to the waitress, my mind jumping from one thought to another while watching the waitress flirting with him.
"Valeria, please, we need you." Alice jogged to me as quickly as her high heels allowed her to. "There is a big game on the blackjack table."
"What?" I shook my head, removing the images of the Adonis who crashed my evening with his overwhelming presence and abruptly rising to my feet.
"Please, go there. Natalia is confused, and I need to correct my makeup and drink water. I'm dying there." She groaned in discomfort and disappeared behind the staff room door, not waiting for my response.
Armored with patience, I walked behind the corner where the live game tables were located, stopping right in front of the same man who stood at the bar just a second ago. I frowned, eyeing him up and down. He wore a black button-up shirt without a tie and black jeans. The watch on his wrist was the same, but the playful glint in his eyes from before was missing. I opened my mouth to ask how the fuck he was able to change so quickly when someone grabbed my arm.
"Valeria, come with me." It was Travis, and before I could react, he dragged me to the side, his nervousness evident.
"That man," he pointed to the God who had seemingly stepped down from his pedestal to live amongst the common people, "is Malin Zhumagulov. He's here with his brother."
"Brother?" I echoed, looking at the direction he was pointing in. The different name suddenly made perfect sense. The one in the red shirt was still talking to the waitress.
"Yes, I'm sure you can see they're basically the same," Travis groaned, annoyed, bouncing on his feet. He was anxious about something. "The third one isn't here, but if he shows up, we’re screwed."
"There is a third one?" I asked in evident shock, drifting my gaze between the two most handsome men I had ever seen. And I wasn't the only one. All the women in the casino were casting secret glances. The boys stuck out like a red Ferrari between white vans.
"Valeria, do you have any idea who the Zhumagulov brothers are?" Travis inquired, his forehead wrinkled when I shook my head no. "Oh, fuck," he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Let's hope you won't find out tonight." He took my arm and turned me to the right, exhaling heavily. "Malin is playing thousand-dollar bets, and he's losing. Please be professional and use your charm to soothe him a little."
"Great," I mumbled as I moved to the table where Dorian joined his brother. They looked utterly alike and totally harmless, but I noticed nervous glances from Travis. My curiosity was eating me alive.
Who the hell were the Zhumagulov brothers?
-2-
Valeria
Malin Zhumagulov was the quietest man I'd ever met. While I dealt for him and his brother for thirty minutes, he only said three words: "Good evening" when I showed up and changed for Natalia and "Sorry" when I took the bet, and our fingers accidentally touched for a millisecond.
His brother, on the other hand, was a completely different story. He always had to point out something or make a remark about the game. He looked like he couldn't help himself and had to comment on everything. His cheerful nature was contagious, and I wondered if Travis hadn’t exaggerated things a little.
Malin was slightly weird, but being quiet didn't necessarily mean he was dangerous. And Dorian was more of a puppy than a rabid animal. The fear in my boss's face, which I saw every time our eyes met, didn't make any sense.
"Are you going back to manage the tournament?" Dorian asked when the loud honk announced the last two minutes of the break.
"I'm not sure. Maybe I'll stay here to keep you brother company," I replied, flashing a broad smile at Malin, who leaned into his seat, watching me with curiosity in his brown eyes. They were darker than his brother's yet still exquisitely beautiful.
I couldn't wait to grab my phone and Google something about them. Their uniquely handsome features caught my attention initially, yet I was antsy to find out what wasso special about them. People treated them with immense respect, and those who sat at the table and played looked at them with admiration mixed with fear.
Even our regular customers weren't as at ease as usual. Everyone watched their mouths like they were afraid they might say something stupid or offending, and they were highly respectful toward the staff. Being surrounded by such well-behaved men and women didn't happen a lot. Zhumagulovs should visit us more often. They certainly improved our work environment.
