Page 15 of Mechanic

Without warning, Miranda claps her hands together. I jump, startled by the sudden and unexpected noise.

“Right,” she says, her voice back to a regular pitch. “You are going to shadow me today. We will be moving between the different table games so you can get a feel for each table. Tomorrow, you will be assigned your own table.”

After making sure my locker is secure, we start walking toward the casino floor. Miranda’s chatter doesn’t stop. Surprisingly, it helps ease my nerves a bit, serving as a nice distraction.

Once on the floor she points things out that, as a waitress, I never noticed before.

“Today, I am at the Blackjack tables,” Miranda says over the noisy slot machines. “An assignment list is in the locker room. It is always changing, so make sure you check it before you head for the floor.”

Nodding my head in acknowledgment, it doesn’t escape my notice that as soon as Miranda nears someone, they smile. She really does radiate happiness, like the sun.

My body stiffens as Miranda’s smile turns forced as we step into the Blackjack section. Looking around, I see why her mood clouded. Schooling my features as we approach the center area of the section, a large, beefy-framed man stands there, reigning over the floor like royalty.

“Tony, this is our new dealer, Antonia,” Miranda’s clipped words are forced out through her clenched jaw. It’s a complete turnaround from just a few moments ago. From her stance, I can tell that she isn’t comfortable around him, only justifying my own feelings about the man even more.

Tony stands with his hands tucked into the pockets of his pants. His gaze roams over my body, from head to toe, causing me to suppress a shiver. It takes everything in me to stand perfectly still as the sudden need for a shower washes over me, meeting his gaze and refusing to back down.

His gaze moves to Miranda briefly before he barks out her table assignment.

Miranda’s feet start to move and I quickly move to catch up to her, shaking off the encounter with Tony.

The afternoon starts off slowly. We have one, maybe two players at a time. Giving up when they don’t get the win they are hoping for, they move to different tables.

Tony’s heavy gaze has been on me most of the day. The urge to squirm is almost overwhelming.

As evening approaches, the casino starts to fill, and so does our table.

People are drawn to Miranda’s table. There isn’t an empty chair, and people gather two and three deep, waiting for a player to give up. As soon as a player leaves, another body quickly drops into their seat.

Making mental notes on how she interacts with the guests, I can only try to be as popular as she is.

Arriving home, my body falls to the couch. Reaching for my phone, my smile slips when I spot the urn sitting on the end table.

Tears well in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. My phone slips through my fingertips, no longer needed.

The sudden rush of emotions is almost overwhelming. Reminding myself that the one person that I want to share my day with is no longer a phone call away.

Losing the battle, a tear escapes, tracking down my cheek. It is quickly followed by another then another and another.

Giving up, the dam breaks, turning into sobs as I grip the nearest throw pillow. Tucking it into my chest, my arms wrap tightly around it. Burying my face into the soft surface helps muffle the sound of my sobs.

The shrill ringing of my phone grabs my attention. Attempting to calm down enough to answer, my voice is deep and raspy as I swipe the surface of my phone.

“Hello,” sniffling as I speak.

“Oh, Sweetie,” Shawna’s sympathetic tone has my chest cracking open as the sobbing starts all over.

Shawna waits patiently, listening to me cry in her ear.

“You are breaking my heart, Antonia,” she whispers as my tears start to wane. “Do you want me to come over? Aymond can live without me for a while.”

“N-no,” I hiccup. “Besides, w-we b-both kn-know that’s a lie. H-he wo-would be l-lost without you.”

Shawna laughs softly, knowing that I’m right. When she was on that reality dating show, the place almost fell apart.

“Change of subject, huh?” she asks. When I don’t respond, she takes the silence as acceptance and continues speaking. “How was your first day as a dealer?”

“It was okay.”

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