Hell on Heels (Hotel Rodeo #1)(21)

“No, Frankie, that won’t be necessary. I don’t know how long I’ll be. I’ll text you when I need a ride back to the Skylofts.”

Monica waited for the limo to drive off and then stepped back to take a long, appraising look at the Hotel Rodeo. Like Circus Circus, not far down The Strip, it was past its heyday and probably should have been torn down a full decade ago. Although not as hideous as the huge clown face, the hokey neon cowboy was still an eyesore that almost made her shudder.

Was it just foolish sentimentality on Tom’s part that had kept this place open? Although she didn’t agree with his ideas about renovating, at least Ty had the sense to recognize that the old place had to come down.

For the past two weeks she’d done nothing but breeze in and out. She spent her few hours apart from Tom reviewing the accounts in the CEO’s office on the dubiously named penthouse floor. At only ten stories up, it didn’t offer a view of much of anything besides the parking lot. She wondered what the rest of the place was like.

From what little she’d seen so far, the Old West–themed Last Chance Saloon appeared to be the hub of the hotel. She guessed that would be the best place to start learning about the operation—and maybe a bit more about the man behind it.

“What can I get you, Ms. Brandt?” asked the bartender, dashing any hope of an incognito observation.

“I guess word spreads fast around here,” Monica remarked dryly.

The bartender grinned. She was an attractive Latina in a western hat, halter top, and fringed cowboy chaps, all black, a costume that accentuated every voluptuous curve.

“We’re pretty tight here. I’m Gabriela.” She offered her hand. “But I usually go by Gabby. What’s your poison, Ms. Brandt?”

“Do you have Calvados?”

“Sorry.” Gabby shook her head apologetically. “Most of our patrons go for the lower shelf, but I can order some in if you like.”

“Yes, please. Since it looks like I’ll be here for a while, go ahead and order a case. You can put it on my personal tab. In the meantime, I’ll take a Grey Goose martini, up with a twist.”

Monica’s gaze scanned the bar as Gabby mixed the drink. The interior was dark, with an uninspiring hokey Western décor. Lining the walls were slot and video-poker machines. There were only a few patrons, mostly older men in cowboy hats drinking beer and smoking. Her nostrils flared in disgust. She hated smoking. Thankfully she rarely had to deal with it anymore in Manhattan, with the exception of an occasional cigar bar that enamored Evan.

“How long have you been here, Gabby?”

“Ten years.”

“Ten?” Monica remarked with surprise. “That’s a long time in this business.”

“It’s a good job,” Gabby said. “Ty treats us well.”

Ty? Monica’s brows hiked up at the familiarity. Ty had shown no qualms about making advances on her. Did he make a practice of sleeping with his female employees? Her next questions was posed in a purposely casual tone. “Is he on a first-name basis with everyone?”

The bartender shrugged, giving little away. “For the most part.” She slid the martini in front of Monica. “As I said, we’re tight here. Like family. Everyone loves Ty, especially after his predecessor.”

“So you were here before Ty?”

“Yeah. He came out here about seven years ago, right after Jake.”

“Jake was his predecessor?” Monica asked. “What happened with him?”

“Jake? The feds took him out in cuffs for skimming from the casino. He supposedly stole over a million. I think he’s still doing time for it.”

“Casino?” Monica asked perplexed. “What casino?”

“It used to be next door to the hotel. It was a real seedy place. Closing it was no great loss except for the revenue. Although Mr. Brandt was acquitted of all charges, they still took his gaming license away, so he had it bulldozed.”

“He bulldozed it? Why didn’t he just sell it?” Monica asked.

“I suppose he could have,” Gabby said, “but the real estate was too valuable so he wanted to hold onto it. Although the hotel went into a decline after we lost the casino, Ty’s been steadily working to bring the place back. It’s been an uphill battle for him, though. It took him almost five years just to get our slots and video poker back.” She nodded to the machines lining the walls. “He’d really like to rebuild the casino too. It’s part of the reason he started playing poker.”

“I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Brandt, you’ll have to excuse me. It looks like I’ve got some new customers to take care of.”

“Of course.” Monica replied. She was disappointed when Gabby moved down to the opposite end of the bar to attend to a rowdy group of cowboys who had just walked in.

It seemed the hotel had quite a colorful history. She’d really like to learn more about it and about Ty. She felt a pang of guilt for being so quick to judge him. So far she’d done nothing but criticize his running of the operation without giving him credit for any of his efforts or accomplishments. She wondered how she could make amends for that.

A moment later her phone buzzed with a text. She recognized Ty’s number. Tom wants Rosa. Leaving for OK.