REBECCA
I duck into the ladies' room and take a long look at myself in the mirror. My cheeks are still pink. My hair is... mostly behaving. Good enough. I can't stop grinning. The woman staring back at me looks lighter somehow. Happier.
I wet some paper towels and duck into one of the stalls, where I pee and wipe myself carefully. I smooth my dress and return to the sink to wash my hands.
The bathroom door to one of the stalls swings open. A redhead steps out, catching my smile immediately. "Somebody's having a good night."
I laugh. "You could say that."
She smiles knowingly. "I like seeing people happy."
"I was having a rough couple of days. This is just what I needed."
She joins me at the sinks. "I'm Jenna."
"Beccs."
We shake hands after drying them.
"Nice to meet you."
"You too."
As we step out onto the casino floor, a ridiculously handsome dark-haired man is waiting outside the restroom. His expression immediately lands on me before softening the instant Jenna reaches him. Without a word he slips an arm around her waist. Possessive. Protective. Completely gone over her.
Jenna rolls her eyes affectionately. "You'll have to excuse him. He's a little..." she searches for the right word, "overprotective."
"Oh." I laugh. "I've got one of those myself."
I point toward the high-limit slots. Alessio is exactly where I left him. Watching. Of course he is. The machine beside him suddenly erupts into flashing lights. Music blares through the room.
JACKPOT!
My jaw drops. "Oh no..." I point accusingly. "He didn't!"
Without another word, I take off running. Behind me Jenna laughs. The man beside her mumbles, "I've got to see this."
I skid to a stop beside Alessio. "You won my jackpot!"
I fold my arms and pout.
He blinks at the machine. "I did?"
A security supervisor arrives, trying—and failing—to suppress a grin. "Sorry, Boss. There seems to have been a... malfunction."
I narrow my eyes. "What kind of malfunction?"
The supervisor smiles. "The kind where we can't let the owner win his own jackpot."
"The hell you can't," Alessio mutters.
The supervisor chuckles. "It's been transferred."
He looks at me. "To Ms. Morgan's account."
"My... what?" My phone vibrates. I pull it out. My banking app opens. The balance updates. I stare. Once. Twice. Then a third time. "Ten..." I look up at Alessio, "million?"
The room tilts slightly. "I think I'm going to faint."
A laugh behind me draws my attention. The handsome stranger gives Alessio a friendly slap on the shoulder. "Cheating in your own casino, Alessio?"
Alessio grins. "I prefer to think of it as creative accounting."
The man chuckles before looking at me. "So..."
Alessio's arm immediately settles around my waist. "Beccs." He nods toward the couple. "My boss, Massimo Manetti. And his wife, Jenna."
Massimo offers me his hand. "Nice to finally meet the woman who's managed to distract my capo."
I shake it. "It's nice to meet you too."
Jenna smiles warmly. "I have a feeling we're going to get along just fine."
Massimo gestures toward one of the private blackjack tables. "You've done the slots." He grins. "Now let's see if Lady Luck likes cards."
"Oh!" I practically bounce after him. "I've always wanted to learn blackjack."
"That sounds like fun. We'll join you." Jenna squeals.
"I'll teach you," Alessio offers.
The dealer immediately straightens as we approach. "Boss."
Alessio nods once before pulling out a chair for me. "Sit."
I do, trying very hard not to look as excited as I feel. I fail miserably. He places a neat stack of black chips in front of me.
I stare. "How much are these worth?"
"One hundred."
I look at the stack. Then him. "There's... a lot of hundreds."
"You'll be alright," Alessio assures me.
Massimo chuckles. "He's easing you into it."
I narrow my eyes. "What are the expensive ones?"
Alessio casually points toward the purple chips. "Five hundred."
"The orange?"
"One thousand."
I slowly look back down at my modest little stack. "I'm suddenly feeling much better about my hundreds."
Jenna laughs. "They're cute, aren't they?"
"Cute?"
She nods solemnly. "Wait until he starts giving you the big ones."
"I don't think my blood pressure could survive that."
The dealer begins shuffling. Alessio leans close enough that only I can hear him. "Alright. The goal's simple. Get closer to twenty-one than the dealer. But don't go over."
I nod. "I can do that."
"If you've got sixteen..." He shrugs. "Life becomes choices."
I wrinkle my nose. "I hate choices."
"I know."
The first cards slide across the felt. Eight. Nine. Seventeen. I beam. "I'm practically a professional."
Across the table, Jenna peeks at hers. Ace. King.
The dealer smiles. "Blackjack."
Jenna throws both fists into the air. "Yes!"
She leans toward me conspiratorially. "I always win."
She points her thumb toward Massimo. "This guy."
Massimo rolls his eyes affectionately as she leans over to kiss him. "I was the real jackpot."
"You were." She smiles. "Still are."
The dealer clears his throat. "Miss Morgan?"
"Oh!" I look back down. "I almost forgot I was gambling."
The dealer smiles politely. "You have seventeen."
Confidently, I say. "I'll stay."
Massimo glances at his own cards. Sixteen. The dealer looks at him. "Hit?"
Before he can answer, Jenna elbows him. "Oh, don't be such a coward."
He raises an eyebrow.
"I'm a coward?"
"Bawk." She flaps her elbows. "Bawk, bawk."
I burst into laughter.
Massimo stares at his wife. "Did you just call me a chicken?"
She grins shamelessly. "I did."
Alessio folds his arms. "I'd hit."
Massimo looks at him. "Well, if you need my money to keep your casino afloat…"
Jenna nudges Massimo again. "Come on. Bawk, bawk."
The dealer is visibly trying not to smile.
Massimo sighs dramatically. "Fine. Hit me."
A five. Twenty-one.
Jenna squeals so loudly people at the neighboring table turn to look. "I told you!"
Massimo chuckles. "I hate when you're right."
"I know."
She kisses his cheek. "It's one of my favorite hobbies."
A cocktail waitress appears with another round of drinks. My Tequila Sunrise. Extra cherries.
Jenna gets soda water. "I'm pregnant." She winks.
Massimo's bourbon. Alessio's whiskey.
I fish out one of the cherries and pop it into my mouth. "Mmm."
Alessio watches me with an expression that makes me laugh.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"No, seriously."
He shakes his head. "I'm just wondering how cherries became your entire personality."
"They're delicious."
"So I've noticed."
The next hand comes around. The dealer slides me a ten. Then another. Twenty. I clap my hands. "Ooh!"
Alessio chuckles. "I've never seen anyone this excited over twenty."
"I've never had twenty before."
The dealer reveals a six.
Then draws. Ten. Sixteen. He reaches for another card.
Jenna leans halfway out of her chair. "Bust."
The dealer turns over a queen. Twenty-six. "Bust."
I throw both arms into the air. "I won!"
The dealer pushes the chips toward me. I grin like I've just conquered Vegas. Across the table, Massimo watches me for a second before looking at Alessio. Quietly, he says, "I get it now."
I look up from happily stacking my chips into crooked little towers to find Alessio looking steadily at me.
"Yeah." A small smile tugs at his mouth. "I know."
And for another hour, the four of us laugh, tease each other, celebrate impossible wins, mourn spectacular losses, and forget—if only for a little while—that outside the bright lights of the casino, the world is waiting to drag us back into the darkness.