RISK(5)

The woman behind the counter laughs. It's not lighthearted and filled with the promise of an entertaining story about Ellie. It's sinister, bordering on that edge of evil most of us have skated on at some point. I'm there now; teetering on the brink of something I instinctively know isn't good for me. "There are strict guidelines in place regarding the privacy of our employees, Mr. Black. You don't expect me to break any rules for you, do you?"

I know she'll cave. The way she's twisting the plain gold band on her ring finger tells me she sees something in me her husband doesn't own. Maybe it's virility or charm. For all I know it's a full head of hair. Whatever it is, this woman wants me to pay to get her to play my game. I want details about the woman who fell into my lap, so I'll up the stakes.

"You remind me of my first girlfriend," I lie. The woman I'm negotiating with is at least fifteen years older than me. My first girlfriend was born three days before I was, which means she's due to celebrate her twenty-ninth birthday a mere six months from now. "Have you ever lived in Manhattan?"

"Manhattan?" Her face lights up like Times Square on New Year's Eve. "I've lived in Nevada all my life. I've always thought about taking a trip to New York."

"Stop thinking and do it," I cajole. "You haven't lived until you've seen the city. A woman like you will fit right in there."

I have no idea where this bullshit I'm saying is coming from. All I know is that her beaming smile just got brighter. I'm gaining ground and I'm not about to lose traction now.

"Would you show me around, Mr. Black?" She licks her red lipstick stained lips. She's wearing that cheap all day lip tint that never wears off. She would have gotten better results with a red permanent marker and a magnifying mirror. Coloring within the lines isn't her strong suit. Apparently, being coy isn't either.

"Show you around?" I volley back. "As in, take you to see the tourist hot spots?"

"That's not what I meant." She pauses to bite the corner of her lip, imprinting an uneven red line on her two front teeth. "As in, show me around your place."

"You don't beat around the bush, do you?" I ask with an entirely straight face. Encouraging this woman to visit me in New York will only complicate this exchange. All I'm searching for is something trivial that will lead me to Ellie Madden. I want to know when her next shift is. I'll settle for the name of her boss.

I view this awkward conversation as a shortcut to my end goal. I need details about the woman I've never forgotten, even if she acted like she doesn't remember me.

"We're both adults." She adjusts the name tag pinned to the lapel of her resort-issued black blazer. "There's no need to waste time. I'm not big on foreplay. I'd rather get to the meat of the matter."

There's no f*cking way I'm acknowledging any of that.

I scan her name tag, realizing her name doesn't suit her at all. "Lacy? I can call you that, right?"

"Oh yes." She squirms on the stool she's perched on. "Your voice is so deep. I've never heard my name said that way before."

I resist the overwhelming urge to roll my eyes. "I was supposed to meet a friend at Shade ten minutes ago. If you tell me where in the resort Ms. Madden works, I'll be on my way."

"I can do one better than that, Mr. Black." She stands and quickly rounds the counter. "My shift just ended. You can buy me a drink at Shade and I'll tell you everything you want to know about Ellie."

***

Her offer was too enticing to resist. I waited while she reapplied her lipstick, again missing the natural contours of her mouth. In addition, she went for a layer of eyeshadow. The color isn't on any palette I've ever seen. This woman is a living, heavily breathing example of the before picture in a cosmetics ad.

"Well, damn." Lacy stops in place when we near the entrance to Shade. "Look at that line to get in. We may have to go to my place for a drink."

I never say never to a threesome unless the second is this woman and the third her husband. I'd bring up the fact that she's still sporting a wedding ring, but I'm not crossing any lines with her. Visiting Lacy's place is penciled in my never-going-to-f*cking-happen calendar.

"I'm on the VIP list," I say in a low voice. "I'll buy you one drink. I'm not promising more than that."

"You say that now, but wait until we slow dance."

"I don't dance," I quip. "I have two left feet."

She looks down at my shoes. "Those cost a mint. You're loaded, aren't you?"

"I can spare enough to buy you one drink," I say gruffly. "One drink, Lacy. That was our agreement."

"You're kind of bossy." Her legs twitch. "It does things to me."

There's no way in hell uncovering the truth about Ellie Madden is worth this much bullshit. I need to cut this woman loose now before my buddy Crew sees me with her. I'll never live this down. This will trump the time I asked Marilyn Finnegan to prom in high school. Crew still brings that up and it's been ten years.

Dinner without me may not be what Lacy's after, but it's the only consolation prize I'm offering. I want this woman far away from me. Now.

"What's the name of your favorite restaurant in Vegas?" I shove both my hands in the front pockets of my pants. "If you could eat anything tonight, what would it be?"