“Tough to do. I might need convincing.”
Holding me close, he looked me in the eye as his playful mood morphed into smoldering passion. After slowly tracing my lips with his thumb, he cupped a hand behind my head and pulled me into probably the most delicious kiss ever. Every nerve tingled as he assaulted my mouth with his tongue.
When he pulled back, he gave me a quizzical look. “You smell like sautéed onions and charcoal. Where have you been?”
I stepped away so I didn’t have to look him in the eye. Afraid of what I might glimpse lurking in the depths, I didn’t want to look too deeply. Taking his hand, I pulled him away from the table and into the flow of the crowd. “Trey Gold needed help finding your Couple Number One. I managed to corral them in the Burger Palais.”
“Yes, they both have a passion for food.” Out of the corner of my eye I could see him looking at me. “Your new chef, was he there?”
“He’s not my chef—the Big Boss threw him into my lap. And yes, he was there taking lessons in Italian sauces from Rocco.”
“Someday I’m going to have to meet this chef of yours.” Teddie looked at me as if he could see into my soul. “He sounds interesting.”
“He’s here to make money for the hotel.” I forced my eyes to meet Teddie’s. “That’s as far as my interest extends. So, tell me, how did the initial taping of the show go?” A deft change of subject that puffed my chest with pride. What had Vera said: shuck and jive were part of the skill set. That didn’t make me proud.
“Interesting cast of characters for sure,” Teddie started in, clearly relishing his role as arbiter of love. “The young couple, Rocco and Gail, should be the early favorites. They really seemed to be on the same wavelength, as did that weird couple—the young guy and the boardroom gal. They were in tune. Go figure.”
I took a quick survey as we climbed the steps to the elevated platform of Delilah’s. “Yeah, go figure.”
Teddie’s perceptive abilities clearly needed some fine-tuning. Of course, the whole show was a staged farce, which disappointed me. I don’t know why—I was certainly way more than a bit player in the Vegas fantasy show. Perhaps it was something about Teddie, recently—a more tenuous connection? And my fear that our relationship was some sort of superficial game. A figment of my imagination, or was it real? Who the heck knew anymore?
With bougainvillea trellises, a stone water feature forming the wall behind the bar, and a white baby grand in the corner, Delilah’s was a nice oasis from the raucous, desperate energy of the casino floor. Of course video poker games were embedded in the bar top, and a camouflaged atm lurked discretely in a corner—subtle signs that this place was still all about wagering. At least here, one knew the odds.
Sean, drying clean glasses with a rag, still manned the bar. “You back for more?”
I sidled onto a stool as Teddie broke away and slid onto the empty piano bench. With no apparent thought, he began to play and sing. His rich tenor always turned heads—the bar quieted as people stopped to listen. He played my song, the one he’d written for me, “Lucky for Me.” When he caught my eyes, he held them. The room fell away. The past and the future faded, distilling life to the now.
After exactly two bars and a chorus, a call from my office broke the spell.
“Lucky?” Miss P’s voice emanated from the phone at my hip. “We have an emergency at 3M. And you’d better hurry.” Her voice held a note of panic. History had taught me that when something rocked Miss P off center, I’d better pay attention.
With an irritated swipe, I grabbed the offending device and held it to my lips. “On my way. Have Paolo waiting out front in two minutes.”
Teddie didn’t even miss a beat, or a note, when I waggled my fingers at him and bolted.
3M was our code for Miss Minnie’s Magical Massage Parlor. I know, that’s four M’s, but
Holding me close, he looked me in the eye as his playful mood morphed into smoldering passion. After slowly tracing my lips with his thumb, he cupped a hand behind my head and pulled me into probably the most delicious kiss ever. Every nerve tingled as he assaulted my mouth with his tongue.
When he pulled back, he gave me a quizzical look. “You smell like sautéed onions and charcoal. Where have you been?”
I stepped away so I didn’t have to look him in the eye. Afraid of what I might glimpse lurking in the depths, I didn’t want to look too deeply. Taking his hand, I pulled him away from the table and into the flow of the crowd. “Trey Gold needed help finding your Couple Number One. I managed to corral them in the Burger Palais.”
“Yes, they both have a passion for food.” Out of the corner of my eye I could see him looking at me. “Your new chef, was he there?”
“He’s not my chef—the Big Boss threw him into my lap. And yes, he was there taking lessons in Italian sauces from Rocco.”
“Someday I’m going to have to meet this chef of yours.” Teddie looked at me as if he could see into my soul. “He sounds interesting.”
“He’s here to make money for the hotel.” I forced my eyes to meet Teddie’s. “That’s as far as my interest extends. So, tell me, how did the initial taping of the show go?” A deft change of subject that puffed my chest with pride. What had Vera said: shuck and jive were part of the skill set. That didn’t make me proud.
“Interesting cast of characters for sure,” Teddie started in, clearly relishing his role as arbiter of love. “The young couple, Rocco and Gail, should be the early favorites. They really seemed to be on the same wavelength, as did that weird couple—the young guy and the boardroom gal. They were in tune. Go figure.”
I took a quick survey as we climbed the steps to the elevated platform of Delilah’s. “Yeah, go figure.”
Teddie’s perceptive abilities clearly needed some fine-tuning. Of course, the whole show was a staged farce, which disappointed me. I don’t know why—I was certainly way more than a bit player in the Vegas fantasy show. Perhaps it was something about Teddie, recently—a more tenuous connection? And my fear that our relationship was some sort of superficial game. A figment of my imagination, or was it real? Who the heck knew anymore?
With bougainvillea trellises, a stone water feature forming the wall behind the bar, and a white baby grand in the corner, Delilah’s was a nice oasis from the raucous, desperate energy of the casino floor. Of course video poker games were embedded in the bar top, and a camouflaged atm lurked discretely in a corner—subtle signs that this place was still all about wagering. At least here, one knew the odds.
Sean, drying clean glasses with a rag, still manned the bar. “You back for more?”
I sidled onto a stool as Teddie broke away and slid onto the empty piano bench. With no apparent thought, he began to play and sing. His rich tenor always turned heads—the bar quieted as people stopped to listen. He played my song, the one he’d written for me, “Lucky for Me.” When he caught my eyes, he held them. The room fell away. The past and the future faded, distilling life to the now.
After exactly two bars and a chorus, a call from my office broke the spell.
“Lucky?” Miss P’s voice emanated from the phone at my hip. “We have an emergency at 3M. And you’d better hurry.” Her voice held a note of panic. History had taught me that when something rocked Miss P off center, I’d better pay attention.
With an irritated swipe, I grabbed the offending device and held it to my lips. “On my way. Have Paolo waiting out front in two minutes.”
Teddie didn’t even miss a beat, or a note, when I waggled my fingers at him and bolted.
3M was our code for Miss Minnie’s Magical Massage Parlor. I know, that’s four M’s, but
Similar Books
