Page 16 of Gamble
From her vantage point, she could see Jeff motioning something to the guy in the front seat. At first, she was scared they’d try to escalate things, but the attractive older man in the car ignored them. Jeff floored the gas pedal and took off into the rush-hour traffic at a much too fast pace to suit Reagan.
By the time they got to the circular drive of the Bellagio’s grand entrance, the wisp of a headache had grown into a throbbing ache. She couldn’t wait to get to the privacy of her own room to decompress and reflect on just how she got to this point in her life.
CHAPTER SIX
ELIJAH
“Welcome to the Bellagio,” the valet attendant offered as Elijah pulled up in front of the hotel. “Checking in today, sir?”
“Yes,” he confirmed, taking the paper ticket, the valet handed him. “Do I have in/out privileges with valet parking?” he asked.
“Of course. Just call or text our desk with your ticket number and we’ll bring your car around to the front entrance any time you’d like.”
“Great, thanks,” he said as he handed the guy a five-dollar tip before grabbing his bag from the back seat of his convertible.
Elijah knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he didn’t care. He’d been so disappointed that he couldn’t ride a Harley over with Kent and the rest of the guys coming for the weekend. He’d done something impulsive, instead. The guys were going to razz him for going through a mid-life crisis, and they’d be right, but that didn’t stop him from admiring the 1972 cherry-red Ford Mustang as the valet drove it away.
He was turning fifty in two days, so it was fitting that he’d impulsively spent $50,000 on a fifty-year-old classic car.
The whoosh of cool air felt good on his sun-kissed skin as he spun out of the revolving door and into the madhouse of a hotellobby. Lifting his Ray-bans to the top of his head, he glanced around. Long lines of guests waiting to check in zig-zagged back and forth in front of the marble front desk where at least a half dozen employees were trying to help those waiting.
Elijah considered going to the lobby bar for a drink to let the line die down, but he understood Vegas well enough to know there was no guarantee that the wait wouldn’t just get longer later. He sighed before stepping into the line behind a family with three small children.
As the line inched forward, he found it fascinating that people would bring young kids with them to Vegas—the city known for its debauchery. Sure, there were pools and other venues that were kid-friendly, but there were better destinations for a family.
He spent little time around kids, which was fine with him, especially as he watched the tired-looking parents doing their best to entertain the bored youngsters.
There had been a time in his life that he’d worried he was missing out by not having the whole wife, kids, and white picket fence thing, but he’d found the perfect antidote when he worried he’d made a mistake. All it took was a quick call to his ex-wife. A ten-minute call listening to her harping voice being drowned out by her own fighting kids in the background was the best cure for any regrets for being single and childless.
Thanks to the twenty-minute wait time in line, he overheard the family was in town to attend a destination wedding none of them wanted to go to.
The only thing more entertaining than the family was the small group of twenty-somethings just in front of them. He recognized the guy as the asshole who’d cut him off out on the Boulevard. Lucky for the jerk, Elijah was too mature to get riled up by insecure boys trying to prove their manhood by flipping off strangers. He got his fill of those assholes at Black Lightand knew how to spot them from a mile away. They were just old enough to have a bit of money, but still too young to really understand what it meant to be a real man, or with Black Light, a real Dom. How this jerk scored not one, but two gorgeous women was a mystery.
Elijah was nearing the front of the line when his phone vibrated. He glanced down to a message from Kent letting him know the guys were leaving L.A. later than they’d hoped, but they’d be getting in before midnight.
Great. He’d end up with a night in Vegas alone. Technically, he could have worked that night and driven over after the club closed, but then he wouldn’t have enjoyed the sunny drive in his new car, and he’d be exhausted all day tomorrow without sleep.
A front desk agent with an opening caught his eye, waving him over. He was ready with his ID and credit card out. While the tall guy behind the desk checked him in, he couldn’t help but overhear the raised voices coming from nearby.
“My reservation has to be in there. If not under my name, try Tristan Goodrich.”
He glanced over as nonchalantly as he could—surprised to see one of the two women who’d been with the jerk driver. Her long dark auburn hair had looked redder out in the sun, but it had been her long tan legs he’d been admiring while standing behind her in the line that he recognized now.
“As I’ve said, I find Mr. Goodrich’s reservation, but he did not add your name to the registry. What time will he be arriving? You can check in then with him.”
“He is delayed!” Her voice quavered. “He won’t be here until tomorrow now, but I still need our room.”
Elijah wasn’t sure, but it sounded like the beauty was about to cry.
The hotel employee didn’t seem phased. “Is there some way you can contact Mr. Goodrich and have him add your name to the reservation?”
“I’ve tried reaching him several times, but he is traveling on business,” she pointed out.
“Well, like I explained already. I cannot check you into his room without his permission. If you have him add your name, you could come back.”
“What? And wait in line again?” she complained, frustrated. “Fine, then just make a whole new reservation for me and put it on my card. When I reach him, I’ll just have him cancel his reservation.”
“I’d love to help you, but we’re sold out for the next three nights. We have a huge technology convention in town. Also, Mr. Goodrich will be charged for tonight since he is past our cancellation deadline.
