The Big Blind (Nadia Wolf) (20 page)

“I wanted to check in.”

“Did Greyson tell you I’m supposed to play Dagor tonight?”

“No, I didn’t give him the chance. Have you decided how you’re going to play him?”

“What do you mean?”

“We need to get information. I’ve seen you play poker and you’re a brick wall. There won’t be much talking if that’s the case. Also, I don’t want you to win money from him.”

“So, I should be more talkative and less aggressive at the table.”

“You got it.”

“This is going to be hard. I’ve never been able to sit down at the table and want to lose money.”

“You’ll also want to dress up. Ask Mya to help you dress for tonight.”

“Oh-no, I’m not asking Mya. She’ll dress me up in something pink and glittery.”

He smirked. “That’s the point. Dagor will be more willing to talk if he sees you dolled up and glittery. He’ll see you as someone he can talk to, and he can boast about himself. You wouldn’t be a threat.”

“My questions won’t match the personality I’m trying to portrait.”

“Then try a different tactic.”

“How?”

“Play the victim.”

I called Greyson to give Mya the night off to help me. He sent her to meet me at the chapel with Remy and the limo. I popped out the front door as the limo drove up. Remy stepped out.

“Hey Jet, how’s your emotional state today?” He asked.

“Pink and glittery. At least that’s what I’m trying for.”

He arched his eyebrow and ushered me into the back.

“Nadia!” Mya squealed. “This is going to be so much fun. Greyson gave us an open credit line.”

“Does he know what he’s getting himself into?”

“Nope,” she laughed.

Remy dropped us off near a string of boutiques.

“We should be able to find something here,” Mya said.

I followed Mya into the first boutique. I’ve never stepped foot into these stores. The sticker shock alone could put me in a coma. Since this wasn’t my dime, I followed Mya as she bounced around the store exclaiming passionate sentiments over shiny material.

“How about this?” She asked.

I eyed the garment. “What is it?”

“It’s a dress, silly.”

“I don’t see how it’s a dress. There are three straps and nothing else.”

“Two boobs and your butt.”

My eyes widened. “Absolutely not!”

“Okay. Let’s look at the next store.”

I followed Mya to the next store but stopped abruptly. Catarina strolled out of the shop. Her eyes targeted me.

“I see Greyson let you off the leash today.”

Mya piped up. “Greyson doesn’t have any leashes.”

“Come on, Mya,” I said. “Let’s go inside.”

“I wouldn’t bother,” Catarina said. “You don’t make enough in one year to buy any thing in this store.” She held up her shopping bag. “But I do.”

“That’s why Greyson gave her an open credit line,” Mya said.

Catarina’s mouth twisted. “Caleb did that for me, too, for special services granted.”

I already knew that wasn’t true. Gossip travels around the tables at warp speed. I would have definitely heard about that.

“I didn’t need to provide special services. What you and Caleb do together is none of my business and something I’d rather not know.”

“It must be hard for you to always be the woman who follows behind the main act.”

Where’s my punching bag?

“Catarina, you’re sorely mistaken if you think I would follow in your steps.”

Catarina narrowed her eyes. “You already are because Greyson will be mine before he’s ever yours. I’m having dinner with him later tonight. And believe me, it will be a
late
night. Especially with this little number I just bought for his eyes only.” Catarina turned with a sly grin and sauntered off.

He’s having dinner with Catarina while I’m trying to save his damn casino? Something wasn’t right. Why would he agree to dinner with her?

Mya tugged at my arm. “Come on, let’s go inside. Don’t worry. The last rumor I heard was she’s tapped out of money. She’s borrowing money from people to pay off her poker loss. She’ll do any thing for her next buy-in.”

I shrugged off Catarina and followed Mya into the store. She zoomed amongst the racks of clothes as I milled quietly around pondering the rumor Mya told me. If Catarina was tapped out, how could she afford to shop in a store like this? How was she able to buy-in at a hundred grand for the high stakes table?

A prickle on the back of my neck made me turn my attention to the sales associate. I never classified myself as the criminal type but she was keeping a watchful eye on me. Maybe I looked too poor to be in a store with these sky high prices. Who was I kidding? I probably looked homeless compared to the ladies who shopped here.

Mya brought me three dresses to choose from. “I insist you pick one of these. They’re all perfect for you.”

I inspected the dresses. “Mya, I don’t know. I don’t know how to dress girly.”

“Then I’ll pick.” She concentrated on the dresses. Her mouth pouted as she tried to decide. “I think the red one. It’s not something I would pick for myself because I don’t look good in red, but you have dark hair. We can add extensions to your hair with bright red highlights. And then maybe a French manicure; we don’t want to go too crazy with the red.”

“You’re in charge, Mya.”

An enormous smiled plastered itself on her face. “Then try on this dress.”

I took the dress and flagged the sales associate for an open dressing room. She gave me a onceover inspection with her beady eyes and tisked. She led me to the dressing room and left me to change. I quickly changed into the ultra short, form fitted, red dress. A slit on both sides made me deduce that improper body parts would show if I tried to sit down. This wasn’t going to work.

“Mya,” I called.

She peeked into the dressing room and squealed, “It’s perfect!”

“I have to sit at a poker table. The slits on this dress are going to rise to my hips.”

“You have to do a little tug-and-wiggle right before you sit. Then don’t move once you’re seated otherwise it will hitch up. We’ll have to apply makeup on your bruised leg. It looks nasty.”

“Okay boss, let’s buy it before the sales associate tries to arrest me. Should I check the price tag?”

“No! If you look at the tag you won’t buy it. Now hurry and change. We have to find shoes, and we have to head to the salon. We need to be there in an hour or we’ll miss the appointment.”

Mya dragged me from store to store. She gushed over all the shoes but finally settled on a pair of four-inch heels even though I protested. She was unstoppable. I was on the verge of passing out from exhaustion.

“Are we almost done?”

“We need to head to the salon. Remy will meet us to pick up our shopping bags.”

Finally, I can sit.
Even though it would be in a salon chair, it would be sitting. I followed Mya and five minutes later we arrived at the salon. I fell into the waiting room chair as Mya made her way to the receptionist.

Remy entered the salon minutes later. His large brooding features severely stood out of place.

“Hey Remy, coming to get your nails done?” I asked him.

He peered down at me. “Trying to be a smart ass?”

“I don’t think I need to try.”

“That’s true. You’re already a smart ass, and a pain in the ass, and if I could think of another ass, you’d probably be that too.”

I smiled. “Oh Remy, you do like me.”

“Oh yeah, I just thought of one more; jack ass.” He smirked. “Give me your stuff and let me get out of here.”

I chuckled and handed him the bags. He fled as my name was called out. I heaved myself out of my chair and followed Mya and the receptionist to a private room.

“What happens in here?” I asked.

“She makes you beautiful,” Mya said.

“What’s the difference between out there and in here?”

“About two thousand dollars.”

I choked.

“Just sit down and relax. Greyson makes that much every ten minutes he works.”

“Every ten minutes?”

Mya shrugged. “Maybe not every ten minutes. It’s probably more like every hour.”

“I really didn’t want to know.”

“Why not? It’s not like you’re after his money.”

A brassy woman with short hair popped into the room. “I would be after his money,” she said. “A woman can never have enough. If a man is going to make that kind of money year after year, I want in on it.” She ran her fingers through my strands of hair which still had burnt chunks. “So, what are we doing today?”

Mya rambled off a list that included hair extensions, bright red chunky highlights, and a mani-pedi. Mya would apply my makeup at Greyson’s.

A second woman entered the room to assist with the transformation. I closed my eyes and let it happen. There wasn’t any reason to fight it now; I’d come this far. This scheme better work or David would be sorry he taught me how to punch.

“Remy, is Greyson at the penthouse?” Mya held the phone to her ear. “Make sure he’s not there and then come pick us up. I don’t want him walking in on us.”

“We could just go to my place,” I said.

“I dropped off all my makeup at Greyson’s. We need to go back there. Plus, I want him to see you once you’re dolled up.”

“I’m sure I’ll see him before the night is over.” Maybe not if he had dinner plans with Cat. My fingers curled into a fist.

“Oh?” Her eyes twinkled. “Do you have special plans?”

“No, I’m playing Dagor as a favor so I’m sure he’ll want to know every thing that happened.” Unless Cat keeps him too busy to talk to me.
Damn her!
She was probably lying and I’m falling for it.

“I meant to ask you about that. Who is Dagor? And why do you have to play poker with him?”

“He has some information Greyson needs. I can’t divulge the whole situation. If I can make Dagor talk, it might help Greyson.”

“He never tells me any thing.”

Remy pulled up to the salon He glanced at my hair and shook his head as we walked to meet him. I heard him muttered “shit” under his breath.

“What?” I asked. “Is it bad?”

“I’m not saying a word.”

My eyes shot over to Mya. “Does my hair look bad?”

“No! Remy, her hair is perfect.”

“I know it is,” he said. “Too perfect.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“I shouldn’t have opened my mouth.”

“Well you did. So start explaining.”

His eyes flicked back at my hair. “I’ve just seen a lot of perfect hair come and go.” He ushered us into the limo and then slid in front.

Mya scooted to the front. “Remy, did you make sure Greyson’s not in the penthouse?”

“He’s offsite. I have to pick him up in an hour. You won’t have extra time to spare.”

“That should be fine. I only need to do her makeup.”

He nodded. Mya settled back in her seat. Her eyes drifted to the window. Sadness settled on her face that I had never seen before on Mya.

“Mya, are you okay?”

“I was just thinking about David. I always dressed up for him. I would go crazy and spend so much time. He would laugh and tell me I was beautiful whether I spent ten seconds or ten hours getting ready.” Her eyes rested on her wedding ring. “I really miss him. I know it’s been two years but I can’t stop thinking about him. I don’t know if he’s dead or if he ran off with another woman.”

My heart broke in half for her. “Mya, wherever he is, I’m sure he wants to come home to you soon.”

“Sometimes I think that too, but then I wonder if I’m not just trying to fool myself.”

I couldn’t say more to her without blowing David’s cover. “Let yourself be a fool. There’s no harm in believing what you want to believe if it gets you through the day. It’s your life, Mya. Live it however you want. If David comes back, he can see you’re a strong woman who is able to follow her heart.”

A smile crept on her face as Remy rolled to a stop in front of the casino.

“Come on,” she said. “At least I can dress you up for the other Miller brother.”

Remy collected the bags from the trunk and helped us upstairs. He deposited us and the bags in the penthouse and escaped with a quick foot.

“He doesn’t like girly things, does he?” I asked Mya.

“No, it freaks him out. But he does like to look at the end result.”

“Then he fits in with the rest of the male population.”

An hour later Mya pronounced I was ready. I turned to inspect myself in the bathroom mirror. My jaw dropped. A woman stared back at me, but I didn’t recognize her at all.
Is this a hallucination?
Perhaps that conk on the head affected my eyesight.