Page 44 of What Happens In Vegas
Chapter 17
Sun streamed through the window and Bonni listened to see if the others were awake. All quiet.
She’d slept for a while but had finally turned on the TV and got sucked into one of her favorite movies:The Terminator. She thought one of the most romantic lines ever was when Kyle Reese tells Sarah Connor that he came across time for her.
It made Bonni realize shedidwant that too. Shewanted romance, love and devotion. She was antsy and leapt out of bed. After a hot shower and fresh clothes she decided she desperately needed coffee. Checking the time, her belly did a little flip as she thought about Quinn. This time yesterday she had been naked in his bed. Immediately, she replayed their lovemaking from last night. She shivered, unable to believe she’d been so bold next to thewindow. It had been amazingly erotic and she found herself growing warm inside at the memory. Quinn was right, after whispering in her ear during one of their private moments, that it was important to create memories. It was something she would take to heart. And the moretime she spent thinking of him, the more she believed that she wanted to create memorieswithhim.
She wondered what he’dthought when he woke up to find her gone. She hoped he’d found the note so he didn’t think she’d taken off on him.
Bonni quietly opened the bedroom door and listened again, before breathing a sigh of relief that she’d be able to get her morning started without being questioned by her friends. But she did make sure there was no one lurking in chairs, ready to scare the shit out of her again.
Quinn would probably already be in his first game. She grabbed her flat white coffee and a biscotti from Starbucks in the lobby. She munched and drank as she swiftly made her way out of the hotel to the Bellagio.
The streets were relatively quiet, with not many people on them this early, and Bonni realized it was the first time she’d actually been outside during the day since they’d arrived inVegas. She looked at all the buildings, the brand-new hotels, at the conference center. It certainly had changed in ten years.
The pedestrian bridges were saviors. Even if they did add extra steps to your walk, she could imagine the number of people that avoided getting hit by the crazy traffic as they tried to run across the street. Maybe she’d take the elevator instead of the escalator. Itwas closer. She picked up her pace, wanting to get to the hotel.
In the ballroom, she read the standings by the players’ registration and information area. Bonni couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She saw Quinn’s name, and he was in the top three. Her jaw fell open at the winnings listed beside the players’ names. Bonni’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. Quinn was cleaning up.
She wanderedaround, keeping to the back of room andskirting the tables and crowds, watching from a distance. The tables were broken up into areas behind hip-high divider curtains. She stopped close to one table and watched the game. She’d seen a sign earlier that it was a Texas Hold ’Em tournament.
She scanned the crowd for Quinn. He wouldn’t be easy to spot, that was for sure. A lot of the players seemedto have a certain way of dressing: hoodies with baseball caps and sunglasses. She’d chased more hoodie wearers than she cared to remember, but these people likely had more money than she could shake a stick at.
Bonni milled around a bit more, pondering the difference between drug dealers and embezzlers. White-collar criminals steal from pensions, siphon off savings, ruin people’s livelihood,while drug cartels peddle their products for millions of dollars and start people down paths that could destroy their lives. But at least drug addicts knew what they were getting into. White-collar victims were merely sacrificial lambs, at the mercy of the wealthy who wanted to get wealthier. Where did professional gamblers fall on the spectrum? An addiction to gambling could be as damaging as anaddiction to drugs, and these players willingly signed up to potentially lose money. All for the slim chance of being a big winner. She drew in a deep sigh and tried not to let herself be mind-boggled about the decisions people made. She found a seat in the shadow of a pillar. Perfect.
She sat and wished she had her own baseball cap to hide beneath. She watched the tables in front of her. Atthis one, to her untrained eye, it looked like there was a ton of money in chips floating around. She carefully inspected each player’s face, except the two of them who had their backs to her. Bonni decided she’d stay for a few more minutes and then move on to another table. She hadn’t thought to look and see if there was a seating chart. Then one of the players moved in a way thatmade her heartjump. The dude wore a purple LA Kings cap and had made a movement that reminded her of Quinn.
He tilted his head and stretched his shoulders. Something that Quinn did. Now all her focus was on him. She looked at the monitors – many were placed around the room, offering a better viewing angle of the players – waiting for a clear camera angle so she could see his face and double-check that shewas right. It took about five minutes before the camera got him, and it was because he had won the hand. He raked in about $275,000. Bonni nearly choked on her now cold flat white.
‘Excuse me, is that typical winnings?’ she asked the older gentleman sitting next to her. He seemed very intent on watching the players and she hoped he didn’t mind her interruption.
‘This was a rich pot. And they’reonly going to get higher from here. My money is on the guy in the purple hat to win.’
Bonni felt a surge of emotion for Quinn, and it shocked the shit out of her. The man was talking about Quinn. Her Quinn . . . well, not technically, but suddenly the thought of him beingher Quinnwas what she wanted. ‘That guy with our back to us? You think he’s going to win?’
‘Unless he royally screws up.He’s dominating that table, and so he’s a lock to advance to the next round.’
Bonni watched the table and then turned to the man. He was still watching the game. ‘I don’t know much about this tournament. Or poker, for that matter.’
He glanced at her and smiled. ‘Well, don’t be too hard on yourself. A lot of people here have no clue what it’s all about. They just like to watch. The money intriguesthem.’
‘I imagine it would. Have you been in a tournament before?’
‘No, no. I’m not good enough, plus, my wife would kill me. We just happened to be here at the same time as this tournament. I like to watch them on television.’
‘Thanksfor the info.’ Bonni crossed her legs and rested her arms on her knee. She was fascinated by this whole thing. Especially after her neighbor started explainingwhat was happening. She sensed he was quite focused on what was going on, and it made her wonder if you could bet on the outcome. Anything was possible in Vegas.
It was about an hour later and the final hand was played. Quinn won.
‘See? I told you he would if he didn’t screw something up.’ The man gathered up his things and stood. ‘He’s got a talent, that man.’ He checked his watch. ‘Perfecttiming too. My wife’s spa treatment will be just about finished and she won’t even know I was here. You keep your eye on him. He’ll go far.’ The man pointed at Quinn.
Bonni smiled at him. ‘Thanks again for explaining everything. You were very helpful. And Iwillkeep an eye on that player.’ If only he knew just how close an eye she’d be keeping on Quinn.
The people at the table stood to do around of hand-shaking and Bonni held her breath. She was on eggshells, waiting for Quinn to turn and see her in the crowd. She wanted to stay and wait for him, and knew her friends would be preoccupied with their own stuff. They had texted her when they finally woke up. Celia said she had some writing to do, while Fredi and Ava had decided to go to the hot tub and pool. Bonni knew she had some time.
He stretched his back and turned around. Bonni watched him, realizing Ava was right. She was breathless around Quinn. He certainly was magnificent looking. But under his perfection was a passionate and sensitive and,oh yes, a demanding man who had made love to her all night long, two nights in a row. A man that brought her to heights of pleasure she’d never before experienced. But he was alsoa man who was more than just alover and a poker player. He was a man that had sparked a curiosity in her that was becoming all-consuming.
And she wanted more of him. The thought of them going their separate ways at the end of their Vegas trip pained her. That in itself was a huge admission. She couldn’t refute their swift, tumultuous and indescribable connection.
