Page 52 of Ace of Hearts

Rose

July

Las Vegas, USA

Tito left in the night without warning. I guess he wants to get home as quickly as possible to hide the traces of his crimes. I’ve warned my mother about everything, of course, even though we haven’t spoken much recently.

I was avoiding her because I was running away from my problems, but now I’m determined to face up to them.

I’m sorry about the last time we spoke ... I was scared.

I know. It’s OK. But we need to talk about it, Rose.

I promise her I’ll listen to her this time. When I ask what she’s planning to do about Dad, she tells me not to worry. They’re already divorcing, anyway, so his troubles won’t have too much impact on us.

And this young man?

He’s going back to Russia

It is serious?

Maybe.

Then I need to meet him.

I smile and type that she should slow down. Levi and I have known each other for only two months. There’s no need to get ahead of ourselves.

Still, the idea isn’t so bad. I imagine Levi sitting at the table in our garden, wearing those shades of his, and my heart melts.

I tell my mother I have to go, then get up and join the others by the door, where Lucky’s standing next to a huge black suitcase. He said he didn’t want us to come with him to the airport, because he doesn’t like dramatic, tearful goodbyes, “except in films.”

The guys reach out to shake hands, but Lucky forces them into a hug, which makes me smile. Am I dreaming, or is he ... crying?

“Lucky, you do this to us every year.” Li Mei sighs. “We’ll see each other soon.”

“And we’ve even got a WhatsApp group chat,” I remind him. “You can talk to us every day if you want to.”

Thomas gives me a warning look and murmurs, “Don’t give him ideas.”

Lucky seems reassured, though. He thanks Levi, who promises to transfer the money as soon as he can, then kisses Li Mei on the mouth.

“See you all ... in a year, then, no longer! We could go on holiday together? Santorini looks like it’s gorgeous in the summer. We can do a special Mamma Mia 2 pilgrimage!”

Li Mei interrupts his plan making, telling him he has to go or he’ll miss his plane. A moment later, we’re closing the door behind him. Silence falls in the suite. Li Mei disappears into her room, saying she has things to do, but I think she just needs to be alone.

Levi spends the day teaching me to cook some traditional Russian dishes. He also teaches me a few Russian words besides lyubimaya . He’s especially insistent on one phrase in particular: Ya tebya lyublyu. I love you.

I try whispering it to him that night as he’s moving between my thighs, and it makes him come immediately.

“Ti amo anch’io,” he murmurs back. I love you too. “Sono pazzo di te . ” I’m crazy about you.

I laugh in surprise. “Am I dreaming, or has someone been teaching you Italian?”

“I may have downloaded a few apps ... It’s important to speak lots of languages. Now I’ll be quadrilingual.”

Puzzled, I ask him which languages he speaks.

“Russian, obviously. English. And Italian, soon.”

“So what’s the fourth, Professor?” I tease.

There’s an indecent glint in his eye as he lifts the sheets to expose my naked body.

“Stay right where you are, and I’ll show you.”

Li Mei jumps ship two days later.

She has to go back to the second Rasputin in Macau, which she left over a month ago. She confides to me that she wants to patch things up with her parents too. When I ask if she thinks it’ll work, she shrugs.

“I don’t know. It won’t be easy. They’re very proud and very stubborn. But if they love me, in time they’ll forgive me.”

“Are you going to give them money?”

“Of course. They deserve it a lot more than I do,” she says with a sad smile. “Will you come and visit me?”

I swear on the soul of Jimmy Choo that I will, and she’s much happier after that. This time, we all go to the airport. Levi embraces her longer than the rest of us do, whispering things into her ear that I can’t understand.

I think he’s worried about her. In a way, Levi is a kind of father to all these broken people, like Peter Pan and his Lost Boys. Before this, they’ve had the pretext of the tournament to get together every year. But from now on ... it’s every man for himself.

Still, I’m perfectly confident that their friendship will survive the distance.

That evening, I suggest to Levi that we organize an annual reunion.

That way, we’ll have to see each other at least once a year.

He loves the idea, and we put it to a vote on the WhatsApp group: measure approved unanimously.

We speak so often that in some ways it’s as though they’re still here. I sometimes feel I’ve known them forever, and that feeling energizes me, but scares me too.

“Tito’s been arrested,” Thomas announces one morning, phone in hand.

I freeze in amazement. That was faster than I’d ever imagined. The evidence against him must have been overwhelming. The Italian police acted fast, that’s for sure. My mother hasn’t said anything ... but I guess she’s trying not to worry me.

“How many years will he get?” I ask in a low voice.

“If we add up all the charges against him ... about eight years, I’d say. But he’ll obviously get off with less. They always do.”

Oh. Fuck . Eight years in prison. That’s a long time. But then again, Levi’s mother survived ten years in a Russian prison.

“Financial crimes are some of the least justifiable offenses, so there’s often a heavy punishment.”

I don’t really know what I’m feeling. I’ve tried to avoid thinking about it, but now it’s real. My father is going to appear in court and will probably lose his business. Who will take it over from him? My mother? Definitely not me!

“Your father’s got good lawyers,” Levi reassures me. “And plenty of influence. His sentence won’t be as long as that.”

At this point, I don’t know if that’s good news or bad news.

It’s been a week now since the tournament finished. This morning, I wake up in Levi’s arms, as usual, and I just know. I feel it. Today’s the day. All good things come to an end.

I’m having breakfast by the pool when Levi joins me, wearing only his swimming trunks. Everything’s normal, but as silence falls between us, I know I was right. He just doesn’t know how to tell me.

So I play the game. I make the most of the day. I talk him into going shopping, and he takes me for lunch at a classy seafood restaurant. On the way back, we walk past the Little Vegas Chapel, where lots of stars got married: Johnny Depp, Frank Sinatra ... Marilyn Monroe.

“Shall we go have a look?” Levi asks, laughing.

“Isn’t a fake engagement commitment enough for you, amore mio ?” I joke, but I follow him inside.

We go through the heart-shaped entrance, curious to see more. Inside, a crazy-looking couple are having their photo taken by a petite blonde woman with a huge smile, presumably the maid of honor.

I laugh when I see the bride, a girl with faded pink hair. One of her hands clutches a bottle of champagne and the other is around her fiancé’s neck.

“Zoe Camara, do you take this man, Jason Delaunay, to be your lawfully wedded husband?” asks the Elvis impersonator who’s officiating.

“I doooo!” she cries, then continues in broken English, clearly tipsy. “I take you, your nerdy cats, and your stupid butt tattoo ...”

Levi sniggers and murmurs into my ear, “D’you think they’ll regret this once they’re sober?”

I look at them, feeling unexpectedly moved.

The Jason in question also says, “I do,” though not before objecting to the insult to his cats, then gives his new wife a prolonged kiss.

The maid of honor starts to cry her eyes out but is soon comforted by a guy who must be her boyfriend.

Though they’re not speaking English, I get the sense she’s blaming her tears on her hormones.

One glance at her stomach tells me she’s pregnant.

“No,” I say quietly. “I think they know exactly what they’re doing.” And deep down, I envy them.

I swallow my jealousy and take Levi’s hand in mine as we walk back outside. I don’t say anything the rest of the way home, and as soon as we get into the suite, I head straight for the shower before he’s even put his bag down.

I stay in there for a good half hour, just buying myself time and letting the room fill with steam. I’m not too surprised when I feel Levi’s arms wrap themselves around me, just under my breasts. He kisses my neck tenderly, and I can tell he’s already apologizing for what he’s about to say.

I revel in the embrace, keeping my eyes on the wall.

“I know what you’ve been doing all day ...,” he murmurs. “But we need to talk about it ...”

I don’t say anything, just let him kiss my neck, then my back. When he turns me around to look him in the eye, all my resolution dissolves. His eyes are gentle and beseeching, and his voice is full of regret as he whispers, “Rose ... I have to go home, really soon.”

I was expecting it to hurt, but not this much. Not this intensely. I nod and bite my lip. His hands stroke my wet hair reassuringly under the falling water.

“And so do you,” he continues. “Your mother’s expecting you.”

“I know.”

I also know he doesn’t want to leave any more than I do, but I’m annoyed that he can hide it so much better than I can. He takes my face in his hands, as gently as if picking up a small chick, and kisses me.

I return his kiss, my hands resting on his naked back. His whole body is pressed to mine, hard and wet.

“This isn’t the end of us, Rose Alfieri.” He smiles against my mouth. “It’s just the start. I promise you that.”

Thomas has decided to stay on a little longer. My mother reserves a plane ticket for me, and Levi buys his at almost the same moment. It reminds me of the end of summer camp, with everyone going back to their normal lives. The worst feeling in the world.

I’m going home with two overstuffed suitcases and a head full of memories. It turns out to be very hard to leave the suite where I’ve lived through so many precious moments—and less precious ones too. I don’t say a word while Thomas drives us to the airport. Levi keeps a tight hold of my hand.

When we arrive at the airport, Thomas is the first to speak.

“No hugs please. I’ve had enough of them this week. One more and I’ll puke all over you.”

“Don’t worry; I wouldn’t’ dream of it!” I reply with pretend disgust.

Levi shakes his head and rolls his eyes.

I start to walk away. “See you, Chris Hemsworth!” I shout over my shoulder, just to annoy him.

A few seconds later, I hear footsteps and turn around to see Thomas walking up behind me, looking fiercely determined. At first I think he’s going to start yelling at me, but at the last moment ... he pulls me into a bear hug.

I stand completely still, in shock. Am I dreaming?

No, Thomas really is giving me a hug. And, contrary to what he just said, he seems happy to be doing so.

I put my hands on his back, grateful for the gesture.

Despite our rocky start, Thomas and I like each other more than either of us would ever admit.

He’s a guy you can rely on.

“You’re a pain in the ass,” he says, drawing away.

With those beautiful words, he sets off again in the opposite direction.

My laugh gradually dies on my lips as I realize what this means.

It’s just Levi and me now. We check in and go through customs in silence.

When it’s time for us to go to our separate gates, Levi pulls gently on my hands so I’ll stop walking.

We stand facing one another, both of us uneasy.

“Call me when you get there,” he says.

“You too.”

Silence.

“Don’t forget your promise,” he reminds me. “No casinos. No online gambling. Don’t drink too much, either, and go easy on the cigarettes. They’re not good for you.”

I roll my eyes and groan.

“Yes, Mom. Anything else?”

He pulls me toward him so hard, I bounce back off his chest. His nose brushes mine as he seizes the back of my neck with one hand and kisses me roughly. I wrap my arms around his neck as our tongues intertwine.

Our kiss has the taste of regret, of the anxiety and melancholy of something unfinished, and also barely begun. He hasn’t left yet, but I already miss him.

“Keep that safe,” he says, tapping the engagement ring I’ve been wearing all this time.

“And you, take good care of your mother. Make the most of this time with her, OK?”

He nods, then buries his face in my neck, his face hidden by my short hair. Our embrace reminds me of the one we shared for our Glamour shoot. I don’t know how I’ll let him go. I feel as though I’m ... home. Safe. I don’t want to ever leave.

After a few minutes, I prepare myself to pull away, but he holds me even tighter, whispering against my skin, “Not yet. Just a little longer.”

I stroke his hair as if I were stroking the hair of a child. As my flight time gets closer, I finally make him release me. His face is impassive once more, as though he’s put the mask back in place.

I can tell he doesn’t want me to see his true feelings.

“I have to go,” I say.

I kiss him once more, then wave to him as I back away. He waves in return, his lips tight. His expression breaks my heart, so I turn around, hoping he won’t see the tears in my eyes.

I feel alone in the world once again.