Page 29 of Don't Bet On It
Did that mean she’d gone to Kyla on her own to mess with me? That was something to think about. Maybe she hadn’t gone to Zach because she was afraid he wouldn’t take her side. He was too good of a guy.
I decided to put the rest of it out there. “They’re moving me to the high rollers area,” I volunteered. “They informed me today.”
Zach’s expression was impossible to read. “Do you not want to move to the high rollers area? I can have them move somebody else if you would prefer.”
“No,” I said hurriedly, shaking my head. “The money is better. It’s just… I’ll be working with Tallulah.”
“I doubt she’ll pay you any attention.” Zach was blasé. “She’s focused on socking as much money away as possible. I heard her and Olivia talking. She wants to build a nest egg while she can.”
While she can? What did that mean? “I’m certain it will be fine,” I said. “I’ll just avoid her.”
“It’s not like Tallulah to hold a grudge, is it?” Rex asked. “Why would she hold a grudge against Ronan anyway? If they didn’t date in high school—and it sounds as if they didn’t—what would be the point?”
“Who knows why Tallulah does anything?” Zach shrugged. “I like her—and not just because Olivia loves her—but she’s always come across as a little scattered to me.”
“She does have a vibe,” Rex agreed. He shrugged. “I’m sure it will be fun. Take the money and run.”
I nodded, mostly convinced that Zach had nothing to do with my transfer. No, this was a Tallulah thing. Now, I had to figure out why. “That’s the plan,” I confirmed. “I’m looking forward to it, actually. It’s always good to change things up.”
“Yeah,” Zach said. “If you run into any problems, let me know.”
Oh, any problems I had with Tallulah would be hashed out with her. I could guarantee it.
9
NINE
Ronan’s first day in the high rollers lounge was a catastrophe. I didn’t even know he was being moved until I arrived for my shift … and there he was.
I glared at him. He glared right back. What did he have to be mad about? Sure, I’d accidentally outed him. Nothing had come of that, though. In fact, if anything, he was better off. He’d been moved to the high rollers lounge, for crying out loud. His tips were going to double—if not triple—and his workload would likely go down in the process. He was coming out ahead.
So why did I feel so guilty?
I wrapped my apron around my waist, logged in to the system, and then headed out to take orders. It was early in the day—before noon—so the lounge wasn’t busy. It didn’t start filling up until close to three. Once I delivered the first round of drinks, despite my internal warning alarm going off, I sidled over to the Texas Hold’Em table. Ronan looked to be familiarizing himself with the setup.
“Do you need me to explain how to play that?” I was going for levity. He did not smile in return.
“I think I’ve got it,” he said dryly. That was all he said. Nothing else. I thought maybe he would volunteer what he was doing here. Per usual, he was playing his cards—pun intended—close to the vest.
“So … did you put in for this transfer?” I asked finally.
The look he shot me was scathing. “Do you think you’re funny?”
The challenge caught me off guard. “No, I was just making conversation.”
“Well, I don’t think we need to make conversation.”
It shouldn’t have bothered me—it wasn’t as if we were friends—but agitation crawled through my belly anyway. “If this is about me telling Zach who you are?—”
He cut me off with a feral glare. “I was not hiding who I am.”
“Okay, but they thought your last name was Jones.”
“That was an error on their part. I filled out all my paperwork correctly. I didn’t lie on it, no matter what you might think.”
“Okay.” I held up my hands in supplication. His attitude was grating. “I just… I didn’t know if you were angry about that. It just sort of slipped out.”
“Why would I be angry?” His tone was purposely haughty. “I’m not an angry person.”
