Chapter 10
Ace
L: I don’t like that you’re not returning my calls. I also know you weren’t at home last night. Where were you, Lace?
Guilt swirls inside me as I close the messaging app without responding and sigh.
I should have known he’d have people watching me.
It isn’t enough for him to track my phone.
He’s figured out that I started leaving it at home.
Does he think I’m dumb? I know what men like him are capable of. They have no limits.
After lifting the ice pack from my hip, I wince. I’ve barely moved all day, other than to pee. It’s been torture when I’ve had to get up.
These past few weeks have been grueling.
Between the endless hours of working at a totally new job that I’ve never actually done before, acquainting myself with the dancers and routines, and also starting at the ballet studio across town, I was already worn out when I decided to go dancing last night.
But I knew it would make my soul feel better.
I just hadn’t also planned on having my soul leave my body while I was fucked in multiple positions all night long.
Now, I’ll be lucky if I’m recovered by the time I go back to work in a couple of days.
With the remote control in hand, I change the channel and let out a sigh. Ever since I got home, it feels like there’s a black cloud hovering over me. He said it plain and simple: one night, no names. So why do I feel like I did something wrong by leaving?
Last night was more than just sex. We talked and laughed, and it wasn’t even about anything important, really, but it felt meaningful.
The way he held me after we had sex didn’t feel like we were having a one-night stand.
It felt like he was holding me like I meant something to him.
Like he didn’t want to let go. And I didn’t want him to.
“Oh, hey, Lacey!”
Turning around, I smile widely at my new boss. Well, technically, she owns the entire casino. I don’t report directly to her, but she was the one who interviewed me for the position, and we hit it off instantly.
“Hey, Jordyn,” I greet, grabbing a bottle of water from one of the tables, while dancers stretch and warm up around the room to start rehearsing routines. “How are you?”
The moment I met Jordyn Savage, I thought she was fabulous. Bright red lipstick and custom-tailored suits and dresses that hug every one of her lush curves. I bet she could run a whole boardroom of men if she wanted to and command their attention by simply raising a brow.
“I’m great. How are you? I’ve been hearing amazing things about you from some of the dancers. If you need anything to get settled in, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”
She’s also incredibly kind and genuine, which is a bit unexpected.
I’m not used to that. In my family, the women are all bitches who talk behind everyone’s backs and look down upon anyone who isn’t as rich as they are.
Jordyn seems so down-to-earth. And the fact that she hired me, even though I used my mother’s last name on my application instead of my real one, tells me she doesn’t prioritize social status in her businesses.
She looks for the right fit. Because she cares about the organization.
“Thank you. I love your blazer,” I tell her.
Biting her lip, she smiles and then starts laughing. “That’s so funny. I was just about to tell you that I love your purple hair.”
Straightening my spine, I try not to blush.
All I ever wanted growing up was purple hair.
But ballerinas don’t have colorful hair.
At least, that was my mother’s opinion. So the first thing I did when I arrived in Vegas was find a hairdresser.
I’ve been obsessed with my hair ever since.
I know it’s a little wild, but it’s hair and people can fuck off if they don’t like it.
“Ace, we’re headed to the stage,” a dancer calls out to me.
I nod. “I’ll be right there.”
Jordyn’s eyes widen, and her gaze darts to mine. Then her mouth drops open. “Oh my God. You’re her.”
A mix of emotions swirls within my stomach. Did she figure me out somehow? I used a different last name. How would she have found out?
“You’re the girl my brother-in-law met the other night.
You have purple hair and wear a ton of glitter.
It makes total sense. How did I not put two and two together when he told me about you?
” Jordyn stares at me, looking me up and down like she can’t believe it.
Then she starts laughing, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.
Mind racing, I try to follow what she’s saying. Her who? Brother-in-law? Who is she married to? Shoot. I researched Jordyn Savage before my interview. I only found that she had one sibling, a brother who died somewhat recently. She was recently married to another billionaire casino owner.
I close my eyes for a second and then open them, still trying to piece it together. The conversations he and I had throughout the night. Did he share anything personal with me?
“Shit. Lacey, I’m so sorry. Fuck, I don’t think before I speak sometimes. My husband is rubbing off on me.” Jordyn reaches out and pats my arm. “My brother-in-law. I think you met him the other night. Kian. At one of my clubs the night of his birthday.”
Shaking my head, I blink several times. “Wait. I’m sorry. I did meet a guy the other night, but he never said it was his birthday.”
Jordyn stares at me for a long second before slowly asking, “Was his name Kian?”
Fuck.
How do I tell my boss, the owner of the entire casino and many more in Las Vegas, that I don’t actually know the guy’s name who I had sex with the other night.
When I don’t answer right away, a look of horror crosses Jordyn’s face before she quickly masks it and pulls out her phone. A second later, she shows me a photo of her, with four men and another woman. As I scan the faces, my heart stops when my eyes land on him.
Daddy.
“This is Kian,” she says, using her red-painted fingernail to tap on the photo.
Kian.
I knew it would be sexy.
He’s Jordyn’s brother-in-law.
Shit.
Jordyn probably thinks I’m a whore.
She’s totally going to fire me.
“Wait, it was his birthday?” I ask when her comment earlier hits me.
My stomach tightens. Why didn’t he tell me? It’s not like it mattered. But I wish I could have at least told him happy birthday.
“Yes. We forced him to go out. I didn’t stay very long. Otherwise, I probably would have seen you. My sister-in-law, Quinn.” Jordyn points to the other woman in the photo on her phone. “She saw you guys dancing and told me about you.”
Oh. Okay. That’s good. She only saw us dancing. That’s harmless. And people dance at the club all the time without exchanging names. Not that Kian was doing was any form of that. More like, he stood guard the entire time while I danced my heart out.
So the guy I thought was a tourist actually lives here and is related to my boss. Awesome. It’s a good thing I tend to keep to myself outside of work.
“Oh,” is all I manage to squeak out.
How close is Jordyn with her brother-in-law?
My heart races at the knowledge that he’s local.
But I left without leaving him my information.
I didn’t even say goodbye.
There’s no way in hell he will want to see me again.
“Ace, we’re ready,” the lead dancer calls from the side of the stage.
I nod, though all I can think about is whether I’ll still have a job tomorrow.
Jordyn reaches out and smiles kindly as she pats my shoulder again.
“You’re panicking. I see it in your eyes.
Please don’t. I’m not judging at all. I’m a girls’ girl.
We look out for each other and do not judge.
I know you have to get to work. Will you have a drink with me later tonight?
We can chat more. Totally just two women having drinks, nothing work-related. ”
Even though I’m hesitant, I nod. “Okay. Sure. Do you have an idea of a place?”
“Yeah. How about tonight at ten over at Velvet Sins? My sister-in-law works there. You’ll love her.”
When I nod again and force a smile, she leans in and gives me a quick hug. “Perfect. I’ll see you tonight.”
As she walks away, I consider calling after her to tell her never mind, but I don’t. And when the exit door closes behind her, I blow out a long breath.
Holy shit.
What did I just get myself into?
And more importantly, did Kian say anything to her about me?
Having a drink with her is probably not the best idea, but my curiosity about what she might have to say will win, and I know I’ll be walking into that bar later.
Wiping at my palms for the third time, I walk through the casino floor toward the bar where I’m meeting Jordyn Savage.
Unfortunately, work was grueling all day. Then I had to rush home because I wanted to take a shower, so I came to this meeting feeling a bit fresher and put together than when I’m in my leotards and yoga pants at work.
As soon as I walk in, a huge man, dressed head to toe in black, stops me. “Miss Santoro?”
The use of my mother’s maiden name makes me cringe. I need to legally change it to something else. Something I want.
I blink up at the man, almost instantly getting lost in his eyes as he stares at me with a firm authority that I recognize as a bodyguard.
“Yes, I am.”
He nods. “Mrs. Savage is over there. I’ll lead you over.”
Biting my bottom lip, I smile instead of telling him he doesn’t have to do such a thing. Bodyguards tend to follow their own rules, whether you want them to or not.
As he leads me across the crowded bar, I look for Jordyn and smile when I spot her waving at me from the far end, where it’s blocked off like a VIP section at the actual bar. I’ve never seen that before, but that’s pretty cool.
Another hulking man stands nearby, who is another obvious bodyguard.
Damn.
I guess I didn’t realize Jordyn needs constant protection, but it makes sense. It’s not hard to do an internet search and find out she’s worth billions of dollars.
“I’m so glad you came!” she practically screams as she jumps off her barstool and gives me a hug. “Oh my God, you’re so stunning. I might need to borrow that dress.”
Borrow? This woman could have any piece of clothing made for her with the snap of her fingers, and she wants to borrow my clothes?
Then again, I would love to take a peek in her closet, too.
I’ve never gotten to do that with a girl before.
My mom would have lost it if I had ever brought home borrowed clothes from a friend.
God forbid we have anything considered secondhand in our house.
“Only if I can borrow that dress, because I love it,” I tell her with a grin and hug her back.
She laughs. “Absolutely. Let’s do it.”
We get comfortable on our stools, and another woman approaches, smiling. Jordyn points to her. “Lacey, this is Quinn. Quinn, this is Lacey. She also goes by Ace.”
Quinn’s smile grows wider. “Hi! Nice to meet you. What can I get you to drink?”
After I give her my drink order, she gets to work making it right in front of us while Jordyn starts chatting.
“I hope it’s okay that I invited you out.
I realized afterward that you might feel pressured because I’m your boss, but I want to reassure you that you never have to meet with me outside of work unless you want to.
I remember from your interview that you were moving here from Seattle, so I figured you might want to make friends here in Vegas. ”
Shrugging, I mouth a thank you to Quinn as she hands me my drink. “Of course it’s okay. I was more worried you’d fire me because I, uh…”
“Fucked my brother-in-law?” Jordyn asks with a smirk, then laughs. “Like I told you earlier, I’m a girls’ girl. You do your thing. Besides, seeing Kian covered in glitter was so fun.”
Quinn laughs and nods while she mixes a drink for another customer. “It really was.”
Oh my God.
My shoulders shake as I try to control my own laughter. “I wear extra when I go dancing because it deters most men, and it keeps married or taken men far away.”
Jordyn’s mouth falls open, and her eyes light up. “That is fucking brilliant.”
“So smart,” Quinn says.
Heat rises to my cheeks, and I glance down at the lemon-drop martini I ordered. Guilt has been swirling inside me all weekend about leaving without so much as a goodbye.
“It was really his birthday?” I ask again, taking a sip from my glass.
Oh, damn, that’s good.
“Yes.” Jordyn sets her drink down and turns toward me. “He didn’t tell you, though. So you had no way of knowing, obviously.”
Did he get what he’d hoped for? I may not have known it was his birthday, but I did give him exactly what he said he wanted. No names, one night.
I unwrap a straw and slide it into the shallow martini glass and suck down the sour liquid.
Drinking has never been my thing. I never had time, and I was always on strict diet plans, so I didn’t gain any unnecessary weight.
Even the times I have had alcohol, I don’t think they’ve ever tasted this yummy.
When I’ve sucked down the very last drop, I smile at Quinn. “Can I have another? Make it a double.”
Jordyn and Quinn laugh, and Jordyn holds up her glass. “I need another, too, sis.”
Quinn giggles as she gets to work.
“Did he say anything?” I finally ask.
Quinn offers a kind smile and sets a fresh drink in front of me. “Just that he wasn’t going to see you again because he wasn’t able to get your information before you left.”
My shoulders drop. “You must think I’m terrible.”
I move my straw from one glass to the other and gulp down my second drink in seconds.
“Not at all. It’s none of our business. As long as you’re fine, we’re fine. Kian’s a big boy. He’ll get over it,” Jordyn says with a shrug.
He’ll get over it.
So he was upset.
Shit.
“Can I use one of your phones to text him? And can I have another?” I point toward my empty glass.
Both Jordyn and Quinn look at me with concern before they both start scrambling. Jordyn hands me her phone while Quinn mixes another lemon drop.
Jordyn navigates to the messages, then puts his name in at the top before handing it to me.
I stare at the screen, trying to figure out what to say. Then I start typing and deleting several times.
Finally, I hit send.