LANA
“Rita, I’m just going to be stepping out for a moment. I need to go pick up my daughter,” I call out to the sweet housekeeper, throwing my purse over my shoulder.
Rita’s wiping her hands clean with a paper towel as she peeks around the corner from the kitchen. “I’ll call the car for you, honey.”
The car? “That won’t be necessary, I’ll just catch the bus.”
She gives me a knowing look, taking another step forward. “I understand, but Michael insists. He’s already hired a second driver just for your use.”
My shoulders sag and the purse slips down to my forearm, yanking at me with its weight. “I, um, I really don’t need all of that. I’ll be fine taking the bus, I’m sure he won’t mind.”
But Rita laughs, folding her arms. “Believe me, I get it, Lana, but the boys treat the people who work for them very well, so it’s best if you just go ahead and accept it now. Michael, especially can very persistent if he doesn’t get his way.”
It’s a strange statement, to be sure. Especially given the fact that I’m pretty sure both Michael and Joseph are somewhat attracted to me. I’m good at reading people, so maybe a little more than pretty sure. The thought brought to the forefront of my mind feels sharp and dangerous, since I’m definitely attracted to them. I mean, who wouldn’t be?
But I know how to handle myself like the professional that I am, after all, so I can push my attraction to them to the very back of my mind. “Okay, I guess I’ll take the car then,” I finally give in.
When I get down to the lobby of the immaculately decorated casino, my temporary home of all places, I can already see the black SUV waiting out in front for me, a driver in an honest-to-god uniform and hat standing outside it.
I can’t help but feel self-conscious as I make my way to the SUV, people all around looking, watching, and when I make a beeline to the passenger rear door, I nearly collide into the driver as he rushes to open it for me, seeing me coming. God, I already feel like an idiot.
“Where to, ma’am?” the driver asks once he’s settled into the driver’s seat.
Pushing the frizzy mess of hair back from my face, I lean forward. “5809 Bleaker Street. But, actually, you don’t have to drive me all the way there. In fact, you can just let me off at the corner of Howard Road and Jacobs Street.”
The driver, who looks like he could easily be my grandfather, waves me off, meeting my gaze in the rearview, “It’s no trouble.”
Maybe not for him.
When we do finally pull up after an awkwardly silent ride that I might have well have spent on the city bus, I grab my purse, hesitating. “Um. I’m sorry, I’m kind of new to all this. Am I supposed to tip you now, or…?”
“That’s not necessary, ma’am.” Putting the car into park, he quickly gets out and comes around to open my door.
“I guess you can come back in about an hour. I won’t be any longer than that,” I tell him.
Staring ahead, he nods. “I’m on the clock, ma’am so I’ll just wait here. It’s no trouble.”
No trouble, no trouble. I wish life were that easy. “Are you sure? I can just—”
“Really,” he cuts me off. “Take your time.”
Unsure of what to say next, I turn and just accept the weirdness, heading up the sidewalk to Nomie’s house, in hopes that she won’t ask questions about the big black SUV in her driveway.
Of course, it doesn’t work out that way, and as soon as Nomie answers the door, her eyes go all wide as she glances at the vehicle. “Holy shit, Lana. Who’s your new patient, the freaking president?”
Laughing, I push past her. “No. Besides… you know I can’t talk about my clients like that.”
“Still though, whoever it is must be loaded. I mean, a personal escort? Where do I sign up for this job?”
“Ha. Ha. It is weird, I’ll give you that. According to him, he’s just going to hang out there and wait, I guess,” I say, jutting my thumb out toward the window as I take a seat on her couch. “Where are the girls?”
Nomie grabs her cup of coffee from the table and sits down, too. “Upstairs playing Barbies.” She crosses her legs and wiggles her eyebrows at me suggestively. “So. How was the first day, Miss Daisy?”
I ignore the jab. “It was…something.”
Probably the wrong thing to say given Nomie’s nosy nature. And sure enough…
“Oh, I’m already intrigued. What happened? I mean, you don’t have to tell me who it is but like, is it someone famous? You can tell me that part, at least, right?”
I smile at her and her still raised eyebrows. Nomie never could resist digging for the dirt. “No. I don’t think so, anyway.”
Tapping her long nail against her chin, she studies me none too seriously. “Hmm. Not famous. Okay, are they like…hot?”
In the tiniest moment of me hesitating, Nomie learns all she needs to know. “Oh my, rich and hot? But, married, right?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think so, no.”
“But definitely gay, right?”
I can’t help but blush. “Gay? Ha… apparently not.” Oh shit. I said that out loud, didn’t I?
Nomie is like a dog on a bone. “And what exactly does that mean? They didn’t hit on you, did they? Look at your face—they totally did! Lana, you bad girl,” she laughs, her mouth open wide.
Flustered, I try to think of how to word it without giving too much away, but the sound of the girls coming down the stairs saves me from having to utter a single thing.
Nomie, however, isn’t too pleased as she frowns at me, knowing me too well.
“Hey sweetheart, we gotta get going, okay?” I say to Olivia, pulling her in for a tight squeeze. I can see the way she looks between the two of us that she knows something’s up, but she smiles sweetly up at me anyway. “Bye, Katie. See you tomorrow,” she calls out from the front door, looking back over her shoulder.
For a moment, I wonder just how I got so lucky to have been blessed with such an amazing child, but then we open the door and Olivia, never dramatic, softly gasps.
“Is that for us?” She points at the car, her eyes wide as saucers.
“Uh, yes. It sure is. Just for me to make sure you get to the casino, um, our apartment I mean,” I hesitate.
But she’s already running toward the driver, her hand extended to give him a firm shake, smiling up at him with both her bottom front teeth missing. “Hi! I’m Olivia, it’s nice to meet you!”
The driver grins back at her. “Hello Miss Olivia, I’m Gus. It’s nice to meet you, too.”
It hits me square in my chest with a flood of embarrassment that while my seven-year-old properly introduced herself to Gus, I had not. I clear my throat and reach out my hand to shake his as well. “And I’m Olivia’s mother, Lana. I apologize for not introducing myself before…”
But Gus waves me off graciously. “No worries, ma’am. You were just in a rush. I completely understand.”
Hopping in after Olivia, I see that she’s already fiddling with the various controls to the small TV screens that are now dropping down from the ceiling. Huh. I hadn’t even realized they were there.
Watching Olivia’s face light up as we enter the front of the casino, I have to admit, it’s nice to see her being so open to such a change. The ride up the elevator, I launch into my whole prepared conversation points with her.
“Michael and Joseph are very wealthy, so there are a lot of valuable, expensive things in their penthouse. You’ll have to be careful to not break anything. We’ll have our own part of the penthouse which is actually bigger than our last apartment funny enough, but we still need to be respectful of their place.”
As always, Olivia regards me patiently, listening and nodding along as if she didn’t already know how to behave herself. “Mom, I understand. I’m almost eight now, so I’m not a little kid anymore. I’ll be careful…and I’ll make extra sure not to draw on the walls with my crayons,” she adds slyly. I tickle her sides as the elevator door opens. “Seriously though. It’s going to be okay. You should probably chill out and relax a little bit. We’ll be fine.”
I’d laugh at how grown up she sounds but I hate that she can see the tension in my shoulders as we go into the penthouse.
Right away I catch sight of Michael and Rita in the kitchen, Michael looking over a newspaper while Rita wipes down the counters. It takes me a moment to realize I’m staring at the way his shirt pulls taut across his back muscles, and I immediately look away, flustered and more than a little irritated with myself. It’s one thing to notice your employer (and your patient, for that matter) is incredibly handsome. It’s quite another to let yourself enjoy it. It’s been such a long time since I found any man attractive in this way. It’s been too long since my heart skipped a beat and my face went warm in response to seeing someone. I’ve missed those feelings but pushed all of that aside while I focus on Olivia. I’ve kept myself cool and professional. I’ve held myself apart from anything outside of motherhood and work but those things only fulfill a part of me. No matter how busy my life is, there is always a little bit of me that feels hollow. Now here I am in a position where I’m all these forgotten sensations are bubbling but I can’t allow myself to feel these feelings or think these thoughts. I want to enjoy feeling like a woman again but I can’t. I sigh softly because this is such a difficult position to be in.
“Welcome back.” Michael greets us with a polite smile, getting up from the barstool. “You must be—”
“Olivia Escobar,” she says, sticking her hand out to shake Michael’s. If he’s surprised, he doesn’t let on.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Olivia. I’m glad to finally put a face to the name. I’m Michael Wright, one of the owners of the casino,” he replies casually, Olivia looking rather mollified and appreciative of his tone with her. Not that she says it, but she hates being talked down to like a child even though she is one.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Michael,” she says without any problem. “I think now would be a good time to tell you that I’m nearly eight, and I promise not to draw on the walls.”
Blushing, I give her a stern look, but Michael is clearly amused.
Leaning in away from me and more toward her, he bends down. “You’re welcome to draw on the walls as you see fit, Olivia. I did it all the time when I was your age. In fact, the best one is in the main dining room. It’s rather boring. A blank canvas just begging for a little art,” he says, glancing up at me.
Damn him and his cute smile. He obviously has a way with kids, judging by the way Olivia beams up at him. Seeing them interacting warms my heart and again I sigh because this is only a temporary arrangement and I can tell I’m not the only one who likes Michael. He straightens but continues to look down at Olivia, smiling.
Olivia looks over at me. “Maybe I could draw some pictures on paper and you could stick them up,” she says. Diplomatic Olivia. She can navigate the world so well.
“Deal,” Michael says, reaching his hand out for Olivia to shake. It’s such a cute little exchange. He looks over at me. “I’m taking it Gus took you where you needed to go.”
I nod. “I’m okay with getting the bus,” I tell him but the expression on his face tells me he’s not going to hear my protestations.
“Gus will take you wherever you need to go. It’s no trouble at all.” He looks over at Rita who is at the stove. I watch him move, mesmerized as much by his presences as his physique. “Are you hungry? Dinner is ready now but you don’t have to eat it right away. It’s chicken and salmon sausage and I guarantee you it’s better than it sounds.”
Clearing my throat, I nod a little too quickly in response. “Yes, thank you very much. That would be um, delightful.”
“You’re welcome to join us whenever you’d like. Rita will keep your food warm.”
Is there anything Rita doesn’t do? I smile at him awkwardly, excusing myself and Olivia so that we can get her settled in.
Girl, get a hold of yourself! He’s your boss, not to mention your temporary landlord! The last thing I need is to let my attraction to him and Joseph cause issues for Olivia and me. She needs stability in her life now more than ever and I need this job to keep a roof over our heads.
“This really is bigger than our old apartment, Mom,” Olivia says in wonder, checking out the paintings hanging up in our temporary residence.
I take a seat on the edge of her bed, pulling out my phone while she explores the rest of the apartment, stunned to see that it’s been on silent the whole time and there’s a new voicemail flashing on the screen. I don’t recognize the number, but my stomach already twists as I begin to listen in.
“Lana. It’s me. I’m coming to Vegas and I want to see my daughter. Don’t think I don’t realize that you’ve been ignoring my texts again. How about this time, you save the number and answer the phone next time?” The voicemail message ends with a loud click, and my heart jumps damn near into my throat.
Javier.
He always has such a way with his words.
I look back over at Olivia who’s inspecting the fireplace, probably trying to figure out how it works. At least we’re here in this high-security penthouse with the Wrights. Even if it is only a temporary situation.