CHAPTER 40 Ainsley Bradley
Two Baseball Players
I’m fuming as I sit at the table, unsure as to whether I’m supposed to bet or fold—especially because I’m not playing with my own money.
I’m still learning this game, and Dex just threw money at me before he ditched me. I have no clue where he went, and frankly, I’m not sure why he invited me along if his plan was to just leave me at a table.
I could ask the guy beside me what to do, but I’m playing against him, so that idea is out.
I end up folding only to discover that I would’ve won.
I leave the table and head toward the cashier’s cage to exchange the chips for money, and then I wander around looking for Dex. The place isn’t huge—not like one of the grand casinos on the Strip, anyway. It’s elegant and luxurious, clearly meant for people with much more money than I have.
What a waste. These people could be giving their money to charity. Hell, Dex’s dad could’ve done that with the money he spent on the marble floors or the white leather chairs.
Instead, he pumped it into this place, and now Dex is here all the time supporting the waste.
Getting these rich people to waste even more with the hopes that they’ll double it or triple it or walk home with more money than they ever could’ve dreamed only to waste it on something else equally as stupid tomorrow.
Maybe I just need a drink. I need to loosen up a little.
It’s just hard when I think about how I grew up. Two teachers’ salaries with barely enough to scrape by. Having to work for everything I ever had.
I’m not saying these people don’t work hard, and I’m also not saying that I’ve never wasted my money frivolously. But not like this. The amount of excess here is appalling, and it’s making me uncomfortable.
I don’t belong here. And if Dex does, maybe I don’t belong with Dex, either.
It’s a strange realization to have in the middle of his father’s VIP lounge, but there it is.
We come from two different worlds, and maybe it would just be easier if I went back to being just the nanny.
He might’ve swept me off my feet, rescued me from my hardships, and made over my entire life in that rags-to-riches kind of way, but that doesn’t mean my story has the same ending as Cinderella’s despite the sparkly blue dress I’m wearing.
Two hours pass before I find him again. He walks through a door that seems to lead to some sort of back room.
“What’s back there?” I ask.
“Staff break room.” He says it in a strange way as his eyes dart to the side.
I almost don’t believe him, but I don’t call him out. I can’t see any reason he’d have to lie to me.
“Can we go home?” I ask.
He nods. “Let me just say some goodbyes.” He doesn’t invite me to come with him, so I claim one of the white leather chairs as he walks away from me.
“You’re Bradley’s wife?” a male voice says beside me a moment later.
I glance up and find myself face-to-face with Danny Brewer, the first baseman for the Vegas Heat. He’s married to Alexis Bodega, and I’m a huge fan of her music.
“I am,” I say softly.
He sits in the chair next to me. “I play ball with his brother.”
“Archer?” I ask.
He nods.
“I haven’t seen him in years. I’m actually best friends with Ivy, Dex’s youngest sister.” I realize maybe I’m saying too much. I don’t know Danny Brewer from anybody else, and it would likely be in my best interest to keep my mouth shut.
Another man walks up beside Danny, and he slaps him on the back. It’s clear they’re good friends, maybe even teammates, but I don’t recognize him. The only reason I know Danny is because of Alexis Bodega.
“Do you know AJ Winters?” Danny asks me, and he slaps AJ on the back as he introduces us.
I shake my head. “Ainsley Ri—, uh…Bradley.”
AJ reaches out a hand to shake mine. “Nice to meet you.” His eyes flick down my dress, and he offers me a grin. He’s definitely handsome, and it feels almost like some sort of invitation, but I only have eyes for one man.
And speak of the devil…
“The fuck’s going on here?” a voice booms behind AJ.
I pull my hand from AJ’s, and both men turn around to see my husband as he’s about to rage on someone.
“We were just introducing ourselves to your wife,” Danny says smoothly.
“You’re goddamn right she’s my wife,” he says, and he moves between them to slip his arm around my shoulders.
He hasn’t paid me one ounce of attention tonight until some handsome men started chatting me up. Duly noted. Apparently any man getting too close to me is grounds for him to lose his mind.
I roll my eyes. “He’s a total caveman.”
“Well, you managed to get a ring on his finger, so you must have some pretty persuasive skills yourself,” AJ teases.
Dex glares at him, I laugh a little uncomfortably, and Danny steps in to save another awkward moment.
“We were just about to head over to some Hold’em. See you later.”
The two baseball players walk away, and Dex glances over at me. “What did they say to you?”
“Nothing. They were just introducing themselves. They were perfectly pleasant, and why do you care, anyway? You couldn’t be bothered with me even though you invited me here tonight.”
“Because you didn’t give me any other choice,” he hisses.
I fold my arms over my chest. “What are you talking about?”
He grabs my elbow and steers me toward the exit. “Let’s not talk about this here.”
We get into the car waiting out front for us, and we’re both quietly seething as we stare out our own windows while the car navigates back toward Dex’s building.
Tonight didn’t go well. At all.
I’m afraid of what that might mean for the two of us going forward.