Page 16 of Mechanic

“Okay? That’s it?” Shawna takes a deep breath, letting me know that she is gearing up for a rant. “Antonia,” she starts. “You worked your ass off to get this job. Constantly practicing, studying, hell, your deck work is some of the best I have seen. I know that you miss your Gram. There is no timeframe for grief. This is probably going to piss you off, but… How would she feel seeing you upset like this?”

Shawna’s words hang heavy in the air. Knowing she is right, my first instinct is to start crying again. My lip quivers, and I pull them between my teeth to stop them.

Doing breathing exercises helps keep the tears at bay. Using my shirt sleeve to wipe my face dry, black smudges are left behind from my mascara, causing me to cringe momentarily before shrugging it off.

“Whew,” I say, blowing out a sigh. “My day was pretty good. Miranda is something. I don’t think I’ve met anyone as happy as she is.”

“That’s it?” Shawna asks, her voice rising in pitch at the end.

Picking at the trim on the throw pillow, I him-haw around, debating on whether to say anything about Tony or not. My silence has Shawna on edge, causing her tone to be one of alarm.

“What aren’t you telling me?” she questions, knowing me all too well.

“It’s… What do you know about Tony? The pit boss,” I ask her, my words rushed as if afraid to put them into the atmosphere.

When Shawna hesitates, it says more than any words could. Immediately, my spine stiffens.

“What happened?” she asks a question of her own instead of answering mine.

“That’s just the thing,” I start. “He hasn’t done anything, per se,” I hedge. “Yesterday in the bar wasn’t my first encounter with him.”

Shawna tries to interrupt me, but I press on, telling her about the day in the parking garage and elevator. She lets out a string of expletives when I get to the part about feeling eyes on me and my suspicions of being followed.

“Today,” I pause before continuing, “He watched me all day. It’s creepy as fuck. I understand that it is part of his job. Watching the dealers and being diligent in what is happening at the tables, but this is something different.”

The line goes quiet, forcing me to pull the phone away from my ear, checking to see if the call dropped.

“Shawna?”

“Yeah…” she starts. “What if… Never mind, forget about it.”

“Forget about what? What if, what?” My voice is urgent.

She heaves a sigh. It is easy to picture Shawna slumping into her chair, pinching the bridge of her nose. The image brings a smile to my face.

“How would you feel about transferring to the new casino in New York?”

“New York?”

“Yeah. They can use a good dealer,” she says, my scoff cutting her off.

“How do you know that I’m a good dealer?”

“Bitch, please,” she scoffs before continuing. “As I was saying… Transfer to New York. Take, what two weeks, a month at most? Pack your shit, enjoy a drive across the country. Get away from whoever might be dogging your steps. A change of pace and atmosphere might help you move on.” She pauses as if she is selecting her words carefully. “I loved your Gram, you know that…” she says as if trying to convince me of her feelings. “Getting out of Las Vegas where memories of her and your life are on every corner might be what you need.”

“Can I think about it?”

“Absolutely, Toni. Take as much time as you need,” she reassures me.

After saying goodbye and hanging up, I sit on the couch, spinning my phone over and over in my hand.

Chapter 11

Roderick

“Roderick, where do you want the linens for the hotel stored?”

Opening my mouth to speak, my phone rings. Swiping the screen to answer, one of the food service managers knocks on the open door.

---