Page 6

Chapter 6

Wyatt

“W hat’s your favorite game to deal?” I ask.

Warmth travels up my arm from where Moxie’s hand rests near my elbow as I escort her around the room to scope out our options.

“I like the carnival games,” she says.

I frown. I don’t remember seeing darts and balloons, balls and cups, or rigged basketball hoops at a casino before.

She chuckles. “That’s what we call table games other than blackjack. I like them because they’re less math. The stakes are higher per hand. High risk, high reward.”

“I can relate to all of that,” I say, remembering Noah’s confusing spreadsheets and the risk of our business venture altogether. “Sometimes risks are worth taking.” I find her hand and give it a squeeze.

She flicks her eyes to the other side of the room, at what I'm not sure, and her mouth presses into a thin line. But then she settles her attention back on me, and her scarlet lips curve into a slow, seductive smile. “I think you might be right.” She nuzzles next to me.

“What do you want to do next?” I truly mean at the party but my eyes keep returning to her mouth in anticipation of leaving the casino.

“Let's grab another drink, and those kabobs look yummy. Then I’ll introduce you to some of my coworkers from the pit.”

I trail on her heels as she sashays through the balloons and bright fluorescent lights. All this and the pounding beat thrumming through the speakers dazzle my senses. She introduces me to a bunch of other dealers whose names I immediately forget. We chat with what seems like a very friendly group of people. Moxie’s conversation is a little stilted, and she seems tense, but when I rest a hand at the small of her back, she visibly relaxes.

“I see my bosses, Deshawn and Sally. Come on, I’m counting on you to help me impress the higher-ups.” We walk over to them at a seating area to the left of the bar.

“Hi Moxie, are you enjoying the party?” Deshawn gets up and shakes our hands.

“Deshawn, Sally, this is my friend Wyatt.”

I straighten with the reality check of being called a friend when I was imagining kissing every inch of her in a more than friendly way. “It’s nice to meet you. This is an impressive event.”

“Glad you’re having fun. Moxie here is a very valuable member of our staff.” Deshawn turns his attention toward my beautiful date.

A wave of pride rolls through me as I beam at Moxie. She’s obviously well-liked by her bosses.

“Thanks. You both make it easy to come to work. We’ve got a great team.” Moxie graciously spreads the compliment to include her coworkers.

“You’re a big part of the reason it runs so smoothly. You’re always calm in stressful situations. It’s one of the many skills that make you a natural leader among the dealers. Don’t think we haven’t noticed.” Sally gives Moxie’s wrist a gentle squeeze.

“Thank you.”

“You were offered a promotion in the past. Most people don’t turn down a raise. Was there a reason why you didn’t accept it?” Deshawn presses, a little too serious for a company party.

“Well, I really like my job, and it seemed like a promotion might not be right for me,” she says.

“We see a lot of good things happening for you here.” Sally winks.

“It was nice to meet you, Wyatt. Moxie, keep up the good work. You never know when good things are just around the corner,” Deshawn says as another employee walks up to them.

We turn to walk away, and Moxie’s steps are stiff as she breathes out a long, slow sigh. Her soft hand finds mine, and I give it a squeeze. Warmth springs from my chest and floods my senses. When I’d offered to be her anchor, I hadn’t expected her to take me up on it. We float over to the game area in a bubble of silence as the cacophony of sights and smells swirls around us. Moxie seems absorbed in her thoughts, but a smile fights its way across her face.

“That went pretty well, huh?” she says.

I stop her progress and turn her toward me, glad she seems to have gotten past her nerves over the interaction and is able to take in the glowing compliments they had for her. “Can I give you a hug?”

Her eyes widen, but she nods. I pull her into my arms. She reaches around me and snuggles into my chest. When she pulls back, I take a moment to look into her glistening eyes and at her extra-pink cheeks. She doesn’t say a word, but I swear she looks like she’s trying not to cry.

“It must have been nice to hear those compliments,” I say, gentlry prodding.

“Sorry, I’m a little flustered. I knew they were happy with my work, but I didn’t expect them to actually say anything. Deshawn has only been here a few months. Come on, let's get something to eat.” She shakes it off and grabs my hand as she heads to the food stands.

“Good, because the smell of those kebabs is calling to me.”

We walk over to the stand, each thanking the server as we take our plates.

“Do you like the people you work with?” I grab a skewer with steak, onions, and peppers. The savory scent alone is so good my mouth waters. The sweet pepper and tangy onion, combined with the flavor of the tender juicy meat, is like a concert in my mouth. Out of respect, I should at least be sitting at a table to enjoy what I thought was going to be a snack on a stick.

“Oh, yeah. I mean, sometimes the pit bosses annoy me, and a few of the customers can be assholes when they lose too much, but it’s a job, so whatever.” Her eyes glaze over, and she stares across the room at an empty corner. She blinks a few times in rapid succession, pulling herself back to the moment.

“Is it something you always wanted to do?”

“No, not at all. I wanted to have an adventure. I needed to get out. My parents are fine, but I was frustrated. Right after I turned twenty-one, I moved to Colorado, because if you’re looking for adventure, it seems like the place to go.” A sad smile crosses her face.

“I get that. I love Colorado.” I want so much to get that sparkle back in her eyes.

“When I heard about a job at the casino, I thought it sounded so cool. It was at first, but now it’s turned into the same old, same old. Your job seems like you have fun every day. Half the time, I feel like I’m on autopilot.”

Moxie’s cheeks flush. The dejected way her eyes sink to the floor, pulling her shoulders down with them, guts me.

“Lately, things haven’t been the best with my job either. The tours are a blast, but Noah has been trying to get me to spend more time going over his spreadsheets with mind-numbing detail. I’m not into analyzing every dollar as it comes in. He’s good at finance, so for a numbers guy it’s like a work of art. For me, it goes a little over my head. I know it’s important, but I can’t get myself to focus on it. The trips are great, though. The one with you was particularly enjoyable.”

“Even though you dropped your favorite customer in the river?” She leans into my chest and sends an electric charge down my body as she shoves me.

“I think you mean even though I heroically rescued my favorite customer.” I run my finger along her jawline and down her neck to the silky strap of her dress before I remember we’re in her place of work.

“At least you agree I’m your favorite,” she whispers.

“There was never any question of that.”

“Come on, I need tacos.” Moxie pulls me over to the cantina and we grab a couple spicy tacos to bring back to what has become our table.

“I think I’m ready for a full-sized Mango Margarita,” I say. “Do you want one? I’m buying.”

“How gallant of you to buy me a free margarita. Yes, I’d love one.” We’re almost to the back of the line when her eyebrows shoot up, and she tugs me in the other direction. “From the other bar. It looks like the line is shorter.”

It technically is, but neither line is long, and by the time we walk all the way over there, they’d probably be about the same. “I think it would be just as fast to wait in this one.”

“Maybe, but I want to say hi to that bartender.” This seems even less plausible, given her general lack of desire to talk to any of her colleagues. I glance back the other direction, wondering if she’s running from an ex or something, and I do a doubletake.

Standing around the game station are my former neighbor and short fling Hannah and her parents. There was a time where my first instinct would have been to say hi, but even though things with Hannah and me ended on good terms, the situation between our parents did not. The neighborhood still hasn’t recovered. I prefer a positive vibe, so now my instinct is to avoid confrontation. I hurriedly follow Moxie. I was so hyped about her that I'd forgotten Hannah works here, too.

No sooner than I’ve sat down do they start heading my way. Hannah’s parents talk animatedly to each other and don’t look like they’ve noticed, but Hannah’s eyes lock onto me, and she tries and fails to redirect them. They’re heading straight for me, and there’s no time to avoid being spotted. This could get ugly. I wanted to be Moxie’s support system and help her look good in front of her colleagues. Instead, I’m going to be involved in some public family drama and Moxie will be embarrassed. I can’t let this happen.

Fortunately, Moxie coughs and stands up so she’s between the Nelsons and me. She takes her time straightening her dress. When she speaks, her voice is low and husky. A whole new Moxie has come out to play.

“I told you I can only deal with this dress for so long. I wanted to put in an appearance, and we’ve already talked to the bosses. We could hit a club, loosen that tie of yours, do a little dancing.” She dips her head and runs her fingertip along the edge of her glass. As her eyes meet mine, there’s no doubt that the moves she wants to see don’t belong on the dance floor.

My tie suddenly feels tight at my throat, and I’m seconds from hoisting her over my shoulder and racing out of there. But even I know that isn’t the way to get to a relationship. I’m trying to slow things down, and as great as racing to bed with her would be, it might hurt me in the long run. I need to prove to her I’m more than one-night-stand material, and being able to hold my own and support her among her colleagues seems like an important piece. If only I didn’t have to steer clear of the Nelsons too. There’s no time to waffle on the decision. We’ve got to get away from this area.

“It’ll look weird to your bosses if you leave already. We just got here. Come on, let’s play Name That Tune . I’ll kick butt at it. We can refill our drinks and gather some of your coworkers.”

I can’t help but feel like I’ve just blown my shot like I always do. I think I made the right decision, but the rest of my body isn’t in agreement with my brain. She sighs but walks with me toward the games. “Give me a minute. I’ll see who I can wrangle into playing. Do you need a glass of water or something?”

I shake my head, and she runs her hands along the sides of her dress as she confidently walks away. Once she’s out of earshot, I mutter, “I need a whole ice bucket.”