leather sectional and sat down, smoothing the towel over her thighs. She slipped a yellow jellybean between her lips. “Want one?”
“No thanks.”
“So.” She tapped a cigarette from a pack and hung it off her lips. “How long have you been at the casino?”
Max looked for a place to sit down that wasn’t so close to her bare legs. “Oh, I just got here about an hour ago.” He leaned against one of the chairs.
Shannon laughed, removing the cigarette from her lips. “I mean altogether. How long have you been here with Antonio?”
“Oh! Four or five years, I think. We’re friends.” He pointed to Antonio and then to himself. “Me and him.”
Shannon touched the cigarette to her lips again. Raised her eyebrows.
“Got a light, Max?”
“No, I don’t smoke.”
She laughed again. “Okay. Can you get me a light?”
“Right – I was just going to,” he said, pushing away from the chair, the chair sliding across the parquet floor. Max lost his balance. Stumble-stepped. “Matches?”
“You okay?”
“Yup. Be right back.” Max waved at her and spun around, hurrying towards Antonio.
Antonio said into his BlackBerry. “Hold a moment, Mark.” He retrieved a box of matches from a nearby drawer.
“Thanks.”
“The ashtray is on the end table,” Antonio said to Max, and turned back to his conversation.
“Thanks.” Max pivoted and hurried to the sitting room. “Here you go, Miss Moon.” He pushed open the box, pinched out a match and struck it sharply against the side of the box. Several matches jumped free and skittered across the floor. Max looked at them. “I’ll get those.” He bent down to pick them up. The lit match in his hand began to burn his thumb. “Ow.” He shook it out. Picked up the matches. Put them into the matchbox. Selected one. Shut the box. Struck it against the side. “Okay.”
Shannon Moon leaned forward and lit her cigarette. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” He dropped the dead match into the crystal ashtray and slipped the box into his pocket. He glanced at Antonio. Back to the actress. “So.”
“So.”
“I have a big fan of yours.”
Shannon exhaled smoke. “Huh?”
“It’s her birthday this weekend. Sunday, really.” He blinked, somewhat confused himself. “Sunday is her birthday. She’s your biggest fan.”
“Oh – what’s her name?”
“Trixie. She has all your movies.”
“Which one is her favorite?”
“The one where you’re a princess. You fall in love with that knight – the mean one.”
“Most women who watched that movie fell in the love with the knight.” She shrugged her bare shoulders. “Bad boy syndrome.”
“Did I say it was her birthday?”
“Sunday.”
“Right. I was hoping you could do it for her, but I don’t want to get anybody into trouble. Antonio and me, we’re friends. So if you don’t want to do it just say so. I won’t mind.”
She smoked, exhaled. “Okay, I give. What do you want me to do?”
“An autograph. To Trixie …something like that. Whatever you want to write.”
“Oh, that’s all?” She adjusted her towel, tugged it up. “I don’t mind. You and Antonio are nice guys.” She held out her hand.
Max reached out and touched her cool skin again. He held his hand there, waiting.
Shannon grinned. “I was thinking you would give me a pen and paper.”
Max snatched back his hand. “I thought you wanted to get up. Sorry.”
“It was nice. Just no holding hands when my boyfriend shows up. Wow, I didn’t think men could blush anymore.”
“Me neither. I’ll get the paper and pen.”
“It’s cute.”
“Be right back.” He turned and ran towards Antonio.
Antonio held out a silver pen and a piece of paper. “Make sure they take pictures, Mark. I want
“No thanks.”
“So.” She tapped a cigarette from a pack and hung it off her lips. “How long have you been at the casino?”
Max looked for a place to sit down that wasn’t so close to her bare legs. “Oh, I just got here about an hour ago.” He leaned against one of the chairs.
Shannon laughed, removing the cigarette from her lips. “I mean altogether. How long have you been here with Antonio?”
“Oh! Four or five years, I think. We’re friends.” He pointed to Antonio and then to himself. “Me and him.”
Shannon touched the cigarette to her lips again. Raised her eyebrows.
“Got a light, Max?”
“No, I don’t smoke.”
She laughed again. “Okay. Can you get me a light?”
“Right – I was just going to,” he said, pushing away from the chair, the chair sliding across the parquet floor. Max lost his balance. Stumble-stepped. “Matches?”
“You okay?”
“Yup. Be right back.” Max waved at her and spun around, hurrying towards Antonio.
Antonio said into his BlackBerry. “Hold a moment, Mark.” He retrieved a box of matches from a nearby drawer.
“Thanks.”
“The ashtray is on the end table,” Antonio said to Max, and turned back to his conversation.
“Thanks.” Max pivoted and hurried to the sitting room. “Here you go, Miss Moon.” He pushed open the box, pinched out a match and struck it sharply against the side of the box. Several matches jumped free and skittered across the floor. Max looked at them. “I’ll get those.” He bent down to pick them up. The lit match in his hand began to burn his thumb. “Ow.” He shook it out. Picked up the matches. Put them into the matchbox. Selected one. Shut the box. Struck it against the side. “Okay.”
Shannon Moon leaned forward and lit her cigarette. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” He dropped the dead match into the crystal ashtray and slipped the box into his pocket. He glanced at Antonio. Back to the actress. “So.”
“So.”
“I have a big fan of yours.”
Shannon exhaled smoke. “Huh?”
“It’s her birthday this weekend. Sunday, really.” He blinked, somewhat confused himself. “Sunday is her birthday. She’s your biggest fan.”
“Oh – what’s her name?”
“Trixie. She has all your movies.”
“Which one is her favorite?”
“The one where you’re a princess. You fall in love with that knight – the mean one.”
“Most women who watched that movie fell in the love with the knight.” She shrugged her bare shoulders. “Bad boy syndrome.”
“Did I say it was her birthday?”
“Sunday.”
“Right. I was hoping you could do it for her, but I don’t want to get anybody into trouble. Antonio and me, we’re friends. So if you don’t want to do it just say so. I won’t mind.”
She smoked, exhaled. “Okay, I give. What do you want me to do?”
“An autograph. To Trixie …something like that. Whatever you want to write.”
“Oh, that’s all?” She adjusted her towel, tugged it up. “I don’t mind. You and Antonio are nice guys.” She held out her hand.
Max reached out and touched her cool skin again. He held his hand there, waiting.
Shannon grinned. “I was thinking you would give me a pen and paper.”
Max snatched back his hand. “I thought you wanted to get up. Sorry.”
“It was nice. Just no holding hands when my boyfriend shows up. Wow, I didn’t think men could blush anymore.”
“Me neither. I’ll get the paper and pen.”
“It’s cute.”
“Be right back.” He turned and ran towards Antonio.
Antonio held out a silver pen and a piece of paper. “Make sure they take pictures, Mark. I want
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