Page 39 of Betting Blind
“Love it. I wish I had a better eye for this sort of stuff.” I hold out a pink gown that resembles something I’ve seen my dog vomit up once. Wrinkling my nose at the piece, I place it back on the rack, and we continue our search for outfits to help us fit in with the Vegas crowd. If we’re going to have a chance of making this work, we’re going to have to play the part.
“Your mom wasn’t too happy about our abrupt vacation, was she?”
No, she wasn’t. Just as she wasn’t thrilled about the little arrangement now permanently etched onto my forearm. She’d chastised me about the regrets I may have when I’m her age, and what it will look like when my skin begins to sag, but the fire fueling her anger was gone as easily as it’d come when I told her the meaning behind it. She ran her thumb over the image, stubbornly blinking her tears away, and patted the spot lovingly.
She’s the one who taught this wildflower how to bloom, after all.
I can’t help but feel an immense amount of guilt. First, I lie to her about where I’ve been working, then I come home with a tattoo, and now I’m rushing off to Vegas with no explanation of what’s going on. She’s suspicious and worried, and I get it, I honestly do. She’s never been one to tell me I can’t do something, but I’m stomping all over her trust, and I can hardly bear that I’m slowly losing it altogether.
“I think she’s scared. We’ve had a certain routine ever since we lost Dad, you know? I take care of the house, her, and Gordy. Now that I’ve been gone more, she doesn’t know what to think.” I turn to look at the outfit Jules is showing me and confirm its cuteness with a nod.
Stepping around the rack, she gently places her hand over mine. “Relax,chica. Give Glenda and yourself a break. No one could have seen these things happening, but life is giving you the adventure you crave, Cassidy.Disfruta el momento.”
She’s right. Jack waltzed his way into my life at what feels like the perfect moment—but I’m on edge, sick to my stomach over what could be happening to Ben, and worse, what will happen to us all if we aren’t able to secure his debt.
That kiss Jack planted on me was mind-blowing, but even after his confession about Royals, there’s a tiny niggling in the back of my brain that refuses to go away.
Can I trust him?
Juliana thrusts a dress out in front of me, interrupting my thoughts. “Damn, that’s gorgeous,” I whisper.
She whistles, drawing attention of the clerk and the women around us. “That’s the one,señorita!” I gather up the clothes I’ve picked out and quickly follow her into the fitting room.
I smile down at the dress in my arms. I’ve always loved red.
* * *
“Okay,” I whisper to Juliana thirty minutes before our shift is over. “You do your eye thing, and I’ll keep it cool.” I nod, confirming that I’m ready to go into Bruce’s office and beg him to let us take our spur-of-the-moment vacation. This isn’t the first time we’ve manipulated this poor, wonderful man into letting us have our way, but hey, he’s the one susceptible to our charm. Who could blame a girl for taking a teeny-tiny bit of advantage?
“Eye thing?” she asks.
“Yeah, you know… the face.” I flutter my eyes at her and pout my bottom lip out.
Her jaw drops offensively as she juts a hip out, and I stifle a giggle. “I donotmake that face,” she says.
“Do so.”
“I do not!” Suddenly, the door to Bruce’s office swings open, and I hurry to close my open mouth.
His deep voice bounces around the small hall. “Girls! To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Bruce’s plump belly slides back into his office as he makes room for both of us to enter. He gathers some papers before placing them in the filing cabinet beside his desk. I almost tell him that it’s going to take a lot more than that to clean this mess up, but I keep the comment to myself.
Juliana crosses her smooth, tan legs and leans back in her chair, rolling thick strands of her hair around her finger. She falls seamlessly into her sweet, flirty routine, and I physically stop my eyes from rolling in the back of my skull when her eyelashes indeed begin to flutter. “Bruce, Cassidy and I are exhausted.” He leans his elbows on his desk, face drawing in with concern as she works her magic on him.
“Our feet are aching, our backs are screaming like we’re twenty years older than we are, and to be quite honest”—she reaches forward to touch his hand thoughtfully—“we’re plain overworked.” Her words are paired with a shaking head, feigning disappointment, and Bruce becomes putty in her perfectly manicured hands while I bit my lip to keep from laughing.
“We thought since we’re yourbest girls, that a vacation is an absolute must,” I say sweetly as we stare at him together—the picture of pure innocence.
When he doesn’t respond right away, I fear this may be the one battle we lose against him. He flicks his gaze between us, and I mentally will Jules to crank it up a notch. I know the exact moment our powers begin to work against this precious old man when he slowly nods his head.
A tired laugh escapes his thin lips. “You two are somethin’ else, you know that?” We beam smiles at him like two daughters about to get their way. Pointedly, he says, “If you’re going to go, then all I ask is for it to be short. Only a couple of days, and make sure your shifts are covered.”
We nod, but I’m terrified that a couple of days won’t be long enough to earn the money we need.
With a thank you, Jules and I stand to leave, but a gentle pressure around my arm stops me by the doorframe. Bruce’s face is etched with worry. “Cassidy, can I speak candidly for a moment?”
“Yes, of course. Is everything okay?”
