“He is good, isn’t he? Now I’m just going to message him and tell him I can’t meet him tonight.”
“Why not? He can come, can’t he?”
“No, he can’t come. This is a girly night, the end of an era, a time for me and you to be alone. He won’t want to listen to us reminiscing about high school and all the fun we used to have as teens.”
“Plus, all the fun we’ve had here. And all the fun we’re going to have. It might be the end of an era, but we’re still going to make lots of memories. Vegas is the perfect place for it.”
Millie typed rapidly on her phone and smiled at me. “Yep, exactly. That’s why I moved here. It’s the city that has it all. And now it has my best friend too, so it’s perfect.”
I breathe out deep, really feeling that. Vegas has transformed me or brought me back to who I always was anyway. Thomas tried to take something away from me in his selfish need to have me, but I’m still here, standing tall, being strong, tackling the world. One thing I know for sure is that I won’t ever let someone break me again.
* * *
I stare up at the casino building, smiling to myself, really feeling like I’ve made it. Luckily, I didn’t bring much stuff with me when I came to Vegas, so it didn’t take me long to move into the beautiful studio apartment that’s all mine. It might be tiny and very bare, but it’s all mine, and I love it.
“Right, Jodi,” I muttered to myself. “It’s time to nail this. Make Brock proud.”
I step inside the building and take the stairs two at a time. It’s only when I reach the top step I think my skirt might be a little short. My top covers up everything, including all my tattoos, but my legs are all on show. I didn’t think too much about it when I got dressed this morning, but now I realize it may be too much.
But I got this job by being strong and confident. I can keep it up for today.
“Hey there, Brock.” I smile widely as I step into his office, discreetly smoothing my skirt down. “It’s Monday morning, and I’m here, ready to work for you. I hope you haven’t forgotten me coming in.”
“No chance. How could I forget someone like you?” His eyes spoke volumes. “It’s good to see you again.”
He moves right into my personal space and rests his hand on my arm. I’m pretty sure this isn’t something that’s normal, but I like the way he feels. He’s strong and commanding, he takes what he wants, and right now it looks like he wants me. My emotions are so conflicted. I shouldn’t want this. I do need to keep this job, but at the same time I can’t turn off the fluttering sensation he shoots all the way through me like lightning.
“So.” I tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “What do you want me to do today?”
“I have a meeting in half an hour with a potential investor. I want you to take minutes.”
“I can do that.” Notes, that’s easy enough. “Who’s the meeting with?”
“Helen Bouvier, a very wealthy woman who runs a successful marriage chapel here.”
“Ooh, are you thinking of holding weddings in your casino? That could be fun, I could help with it—”
“Not a chance. I’m not like that. I don’t want to cheapen what I have here.”
“So what are you doing here? What’s the investment for if not for people tying the knot?”
“Just an expansion—more room, more machines, that sort of thing. But she’s very keen to be a part of it.”
“You don’t think she’ll push the wedding thing on you?”
“You’ll see.” He touched the bottom of my back, making me jump. “Come on, let’s wait.”
I sit through the next hour watching a woman literally throw herself at Brock, making it painfully obvious that she wants him. I don’t even know how to take notes because business rolls into pleasure so much. At least, on her behalf. He handles it very well, batting her off in an extremely professional way and getting exactly what he wants from the meeting. It amazes me, but it must be something he’s used to.
It certainly makes me want to back off. I don’t want to be another one in his long list of bimbos.
I can’t help it though—jealousy twists nastily in my gut. It’s an agonizing snake coiling all the way through me. I have to clutch onto myself at one point to stop it from spilling free. It’s silly because I don’t exactly have any claim over this man. I’m his freaking personal assistant and nothing more for crying out loud, but I still sense that he’s mine.
“Urgh, sorry about that.” He rolls his eyes once she’s gone. “She’s a nightmare.”
“Yeah, she seems that way. She’s very . . . full on. Is that normal?”
He smiles in a way that suggests I’m different. He certainly didn’t give her that look. It causes butterflies to flap violently in my stomach. I kinda still want him. I wish I could reach out and touch him. But I shouldn’t.