Page 13 of Reckless Chance
“Emily, it’s nice to see you again. Thanks for helping me today.”
“It’s my pleasure. We’re excited that Prince Evan and Ms. Edwards will be back in a couple of days. Isn’t it romantic that he wants to throw a party for her?” She sighs.
“Definitely. Cassie will love the party if we can pull it together in time.”
I barely notice, but a longing and sadness pass across Emily’s face that’s quickly replaced with her perfunctory smile. Did she lose a love, or does she merely wish for one? Either way, that’s another reason I’m not interested in relationships. One way or another, they result in pain and heartache. No thanks.
Emily says, “We’ll work fast. Our team is fantastic and will make it happen. Let’s start with a quick tour of the Maze, and then I’ll take you to the Olympic Torch Bar to introduce you to the event planner for the party. Will that work?”
“That’s perfect. I’ve heard about the Maze from Cassie. I’d love to see it.”
“Follow me, and I’ll show you. It’s an extensive network of tunnels, rooms, and storage facilities underneath the hotel and casino. It saves time moving between various parts of the property by avoiding the crowds. It’ll be particularly helpful when Mr. Cartwright is with you because people often try to stop him when he attempts to move through the casino,” Emily says.
“Cassie said the Maze reminded her of a small-scale subway system that never sleeps.”
“That’s an excellent analogy. They have the lighting set to mimic around-the-clock daylight. And rather than trains, golfcarts zip along the tunnels, moving people from place to place. If you walk through the Maze, watch out for speeders.” She laughs.
When we stop in front of a bigger-than-life-size bronze sculpture of a Greek goddess with widespread wings, Emily asks for my phone to load the MazeApp. While she works on that, I admire the statue. The goddess stares at the wreath that her left hand extends skyward. She’s majestic.
Who is she? Roaming my eyes over the nearby wall and the sculpture, I finally spot a discreet engraving on the base, declaring she’sNike, Goddess of Victory. Wow. If I’d paid more attention when we studied mythology, I would’ve remembered that Nike was a woman. Gotta love powerful, kickass women.
Handing my phone back, Emily says, “Here you go. Now place your palm against the inside of Nike’s right hand.”
Following her instructions, I hear a familiar click, and a door snaps open. This time I know to expect an elevator like in Sean’s apartment. I’m surprised again. A stairwell is hidden behind the sculpture.
As we descend into a brightly lit tunnel, Emily says, “The Maze is fairly easy to navigate using the color-coded, neon emblems and arrows painted on the walls.” Then she has me pull up the app and gives me a quick tutorial on how to find my current location, program a destination, and follow a navigation route. She even shows me how to summon a golf cart. “You can go between any two places in under 10 minutes in a cart. The palm scanners only allow approved personnel into the Maze. It’s the most secure path to take around the property,” she explains.
After the tour, I meet with Amy, the event planner, and bury myself in preparations for Cassie’s party. As we’re working, the cold diamond in the wedding ring tickles my cleavage. I’m reminded of my bizarre situation.
Sean said he’ll fix it, but counting on a man is the ultimate challenge for me. I prefer to be the one in control. Unfortunately,Vegas is his turf, not mine. That means he’s the one with connections to quietly undo our accidental trip to the altar.
9
LOWRI
As Amy and I are finishing the party plans, my phone dings.
Sean: Would my wife join me at Athena’s new acrobatic show tonight?
Me: Didn’t you rid me of the “wife” title today?
Sean: Working on it. What about the show?
Me: Would love to see the show. What time?
Sean: It starts at 9:30. Meet me in my suite at 8 for drinks first. We can grab a late dinner after the show.
Me: Perfect. See you then.
With the party plans set, it’s time to return to my suite and take care of the legal work for our firm’s client. I’ve only been here a day, and I’m already behind. My boss, Noah, is impatiently waiting for my analysis on whether our client’s former employee is faking his work-related injury. If so, Noahwants to know how we can prove it. Thank goodness I’m not meeting Sean until 8:00 p.m. It’ll take every minute to catch up.
Thanksto the alarm on my phone, at 8:00 p.m. on the dot, I’m ready. Pressing my palm on the black panel at the back of my closet, I summon the elevator for my secret ride to Sean’s place. On the way up, I smooth my silky, red cocktail dress and reapply my lipstick. There’s something about having my makeup in place that bolsters my outward confidence.
When the doors open, Walter is waiting for me.
“Good evening, Mrs. Cartwright. Mr. Cartwright is waiting for you on the balcony.”
I stare daggers through him as I grit out, “I’mnotMrs. Cartwright.”
