Day 4
"I'm glad to hear that you've reconsidered my offer, Mr. Cai," Sun said with a smile, filling his champagne glass as they settled in for brunch at one of her restaurants.
To her left, her assistant stood several feet away.
They were given a private dining room in her restaurant. While the establishment was busy, the sounds from patrons were muffled due to the soundproof glass doors.
"May I ask why?" Sun inquired before picking up her fork and taking a bite of her meal.
"After your offer, I decided to meet her myself. So I changed my mind," Locke said. For something like this, he figured half-honesty wouldn't be too difficult of a route to follow.
Sun finished chewing before saying, "Really?"
"I've always liked a challenge."
The other woman's eyes widened in surprise. "She didn't respond to you at all?"
"She did," Locke shrugged. "She just didn't respond as easily as I thought she would. You made her seem…"
"Easy?"
"Friendly," he corrected.
The other woman laughed. "How interesting. You've just encountered the player's challenge." Sun took a sip of her champagne. "Winning the nearly impossible." She leaned forward slightly on her elbows. "No man can resist a hard to get woman."
"True."
Sun shook her head, frowning. "My brother was captivated by her. Too easily, I think. She was too, for a short while." Idly picking at her meal, she continued, "I warned him about her. But he wouldn't listen. All he cared about was the 'love of his life'." Bitterness came to her voice. "She had so much power over him. She did something to him that caused him to completely change. And because of that, I want her to suffer."
"While you do have rights to be angry, I don't believe a man can be that gullible," Locke said.
"You ever been in love, Mr. Cai?"
Locke paused during his meal. "Once. A long time ago." He figured it was better to have said that he had than he hadn't. For a job like this, she wouldn't want someone 'inexperienced'.
"And?"
"My work got in the way, it seems."
Sun smiled wryly. "That's a common argument among couples. You seem to be someone very set in the way you do things with little room for anyone else's interference."
"I like it that way."
"Then I chose the right man for the job." Sun raised her glass of champagne before taking a sip.
"Now that you know I'm willing to accept your proposition," Locke said. "What time frame did you have in mind?"
"How long you plan to carry this out is up to you. Just know that when it's over, I want her to be miserable."
"I want an initial payment of services," Locke said coolly.
"I'll have my assistant wire you twenty-five."
"One hundred," he insisted.
"One hundred?"
"I've already done the first part of the assignment for free, which was to get her attention."
"But keeping it is another story," Sun pointed out.
"I have plans for that," Locke assured her. "The rest of the money can be paid in installments until it's over."
"Fair enough. I want updates on your progress."
"Fine. I want to handle this on my own. No, as you said, 'interference'." Locke studied her carefully. His findings very early that morning had told him that this woman was very determined to make Meliza's life miserable. The harassing emails had been sent from her. If not her, her assistant. Locke glanced at him before going back to his meal.
The question was…why would a woman be so determined to do what she was doing? There had to be more to the whole story.
"I won't have to worry about you backing out of this deal, will I?" Sun asked quietly.
Her meaning was all too clear. She wasn't referring to him quitting. She was referring to emotional attachment.
"I play to win."
Sun smiled, raising her glass again as a toast. "Good."
Something was wrong with him. Why else would he be window shopping at stores that sold objects that men wouldn't care for?
It was just after noon when Locke decided to wander through the nearby mall. He must have stopped at six different stores along the way. At one place, a set of earrings in the window display, another a necklace, another a bracelet…
What did one buy for a woman who could have anything?
It was too early for the jewelry buying stage. They weren't even dating. Besides, he had a sneaking suspicion that she wasn't one to wear extravagant jewelry. Still…his mind briefly conjured up how certain things he'd seen so far would look on her.
Buying jewelry for a woman he didn't really know seemed so…inappropriate. Men usually bought material items for their mistresses, didn't they? As some sort of 'reward' for being with him and being a good trophy?
He'd never had a mistress, so he wouldn't know. So what did a man buy for a woman who did catch his interest? And how would a gift convey that?
Chocolate seemed so…generic. He had gone the flowers route already…but that had been more of a 'thank you'. Still, sending flowers seemed so…repetitive. Even if it was something he'd make himself. Then again…maybe that wasn't that bad of an idea.
Locke released a breath, a wry smile coming to his features. Something really was wrong with him.
"Stupid customer," Meliza murmured as she made her way through the tables on the casino floor.
Today was just one of those days. She could already feel a migraine coming on. So far she'd had to deal with two thieves and three angry patrons who weren't winning. This was a casino. Customers weren't supposed to win. Odds were always in favor of the house. What was wrong with them?
She glanced at her watch to see that her meeting was in fifteen minutes. Barely enough time to get to her office, get her paperwork and make it to the conference room where Ryan and other department managers of the hotel would have their monthly meeting.
Meliza hurried around a corner before colliding into a solid form. She took an unsteady step back to regain her balance, feeling hands on her arms pull her to a full standing position.
She looked up into a pair of black eyes, her mouth parting slightly in shock.
"Hi…"
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah." Great. She probably sounded really ridiculous right now.
Locke's eyes studied her for several moments and she suddenly became conscious of his hands on her bare arms. And a very strange uncoiling sensation in her stomach spreading through the rest of her.
"Thanks," she murmured.
"You're welcome." He slowly dropped his hands and placed them in his pockets, moving back a step.
Was she imagining things, or did his hands linger on her upper arms a little longer than necessary? Meliza cleared her throat, giving him a brief smile, her mind quickly working on something to say. Anything to get the attention away from…well…whatever it was she was feeling at the moment.
Awkward was a good descriptive word. Which was strange, since she had never really been 'awkward' around the opposite gender. And she hadn't really been awkward around Locke before.
"Any luck yet?"
"In the casino?" he asked, a slight furrow forming on his brow.
"The harassing emails," she said quietly.
"Almost," he answered, casting a brief glance at their surroundings, no doubt to make sure no one could hear them. "I'll let you know as soon as I find something."
"No problem." Meliza stepped around him before turning slightly. "Are you busy tonight?"
"No."
"Okay. Good." She smiled, feeling more like herself and proceeded to walk towards her office until he grasped her hand to prevent her departure.
"Care to finish that question?" he asked lightly.
Her eyes widened and she looked first at him, then his hand on hers, then back at his face again. She could have sworn she could see a little amusement in those dark eyes. Probably the most expressiveness she had seen since he came to her hotel.
Wait a minute…Locke Koh was flirting with her?? Meliza had to stop herself from raising her hand to feel her forehead and cheeks. She couldn't be delirious and she definitely wasn't hearing things. Right?
"Actually…you're supposed to finish it," Meliza said, slowly extracting her hand from his grasp. Just enough to see what he'd do.
His hold stayed, particularly at her fingertips, loose enough to allow her to escape. If she wanted to. For a man who made a point not to be readable, he gave off very good non-verbal cues. She briefly wondered other ways he could communicate non-verbally. Meliza made a note to watch him play cards again to see if she could pick up anything while he played.
A black eyebrow lifted. "Dinner tonight?"
"I'll have to check my schedule…" Meliza glanced at her wrist watch. "I have an event to go to and depending when I can get out of it…Listen…I'm running late for a meeting, so I'll call you later…"
"With the expansion being done on the western tower, business is going to be a little slow. No one wants to stay in a hotel that has too much noise," Ryan said. "So let's reduce the amount of rooms people can reserve once construction begins. In the meantime, the casino is going to have some changes as well to increase revenue…"
Idly making random doodles on her notepad, Meliza half-listened to Ryan's voice. It was only when the room was quiet that she looked up, noticing people staring at her.
"Meliza?" Ryan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Would you care to tell everyone what's going on in the casino or would you like me to bore everyone with my voice and tell them instead?"
"What? Oh!" Meliza nearly jumped, grabbing her notepad and flipping a page, searching for her notes for the day's meeting. "Um…more contests and drawings. Wait…sorry…wrong meeting…" She immediately felt her cheeks heat up before she said, "Different video slots. More interesting slots with themes. Sci-Fi, famous game show video slots…that sort of thing. This is very big in the Las Vegas casinos…most customers migrate to theme machines. We're also going to add more Texas Hold'Em tables due to the growing popularity of the game…and I'm working with marketing to host several tournaments here."
"Good. Anyone else want to add anything…?"
Twenty minutes later, safely tucked into her office, Meliza released a breath, adding some notes to her pad of ideas that she was going to bring up in her next meeting with the marketing director.
The meeting had gone too slowly for her liking. And she had hardly been there.
As a knock came through the door, she granted her visitor permission to enter, keeping her eyes and thoughts on her notes. Meliza barely glanced up as Ryan entered the office.
"You got a minute?"
"Am I trouble?" Meliza asked, still writing.
"Well, I don't know yet," he chuckled. "Depends on what happens the next few minutes."
Meliza put her pen down, focusing her attention on him. "What's up?"
"Are you okay?" he asked. Then saying quickly, "You were pretty distracted at the meeting."
"I was?"
"Everyone noticed," Ryan said, frowning. "It's not like you."
"I've been busy," she shrugged, rising to her feet. She moved to lean against the windows facing the casino before abruptly turning away to face him.
"Look, I know this isn't exactly the easiest job in the world," Ryan spoke up, "but I need you focused. We all do. Especially now that your parents are planning to retire…" He moved towards the windows. "Who do you think is going to run this whole thing when they finally leave? Everyone's going to be looking to you for…" Ryan's eyes narrowed at something he could see in the casino before studying Meliza.
Seeing his expression, Meliza glanced through the window before leaning her shoulder against it. She knew exactly who Ryan spotted playing at the tables. "I ran into him before our meeting and it just…caught me off guard."
"Hmm." Ryan looked through the window again.
"He's not my type," Meliza insisted. "At least, I never thought so. He's too…mysterious." She blew out a breath. "Something's wrong with me. I don't know. Any ideas on how to deal?"
"Well…you could be a good girl and keep your clothes on."
"Ryan!"
"It's a suggestion. Anyway…" Ryan leveled his gaze at her before giving her a mischievous smile. "You're supposed to be the heartbreaking ice queen of the Atlantic City casino scene. It's not like you."
"Tell me about it…" she muttered.
"Then again…it's pretty funny to see some stranger dethrone the ice queen. Maybe this is a good thing. Shows you're growing up."
"Or headed for a disaster."
"Since when do you avoid trouble?"
A few hours later in his hotel room, Locke studied the information he had stored on his laptop. Mostly information about Sun's brother. He'd done more research a good part of the day. It never hurt to look. He'd found enough info to go back several years, but he was more concerned about the most recent events. Why would the man throw himself overboard during a cruise? Had he really been that heartbroken?
Could Meliza really have had that much influence over the man? Locke couldn't deny that Meliza had played a role in his own lifestyle change. And there was a lot Locke wanted to thank her for. He just…wasn't so sure how to put the thoughts into words. At the moment, being in her company was all he could do. He just hoped that whatever doubts she had about him would fade. Trust was something he knew very well that couldn't be given lightly.
Still, whatever effect she had on people, a part of him intuitively knew that she wasn't the only party involved when it came to Hyun-Ki Chuong.
As far as he could tell, the man was ambitious, confident, and well-liked by those who knew him. Not so much nice things were said about his sister. She was known to be controlling and very spoiled.
It didn't make sense. The male Chuong had everything he could ever want. So what was so wrong with his life that would cause him to do something so drastic? Locke braced his temple against the fingers of his right hand.
Something was off. He just didn't know what.
Locke began doing a search on anyone the man had been connected with, business and personal, within the past year.
Like he told his recent 'client', he always did like a challenge. While he had pride in his own skills, whether it be in chess, cards, research, he had to admit that he liked finding a worthy adversary or obstacle and winning. In this case…a hidden story.
Three hours later, he found several leads. He picked up his cell phone and searched through his phone list before coming across a number he needed to dial. Kozue, one of his friends back in New York, promised to keep an eye on someone and report back.
After, he glanced at the clock. It was just before dinnertime. And still no word yet from Meliza. He frowned.
Ah well.
Twenty minutes later, he was in the hotel restaurant, waiting for his meal. The restaurant was quiet, with very few patrons. In contrast, the casino was busy.
"Mind if I take a seat?" came a voice. "I won't take long."
Locke studied the newcomer, slightly surprised to see him. "Miguel? Meliza's friend."
"That's right."
"Sit."
"Thanks…" Miguel carefully sat at the edge of the seat across from Locke, taking a sip of the white wine from the glass in his hand.
"So what brings you here?" Locke asked casually.
Miguel sighed, setting his glass down. He looked outside the window for a few seconds before quickly turning back. "Did you ever meet someone and you weren't expecting anything out of it, then when they disappear from your life for whatever reason it really bothers you?"
Locke's eyes widened slightly before he cleared his throat. "Isn't this something you should ask a friend?"
"I'm looking for an unbiased opinion."
Frowning, Locke took a drink. "I guess it could happen."
"You've never met anyone like that?" Miguel pressed. "Or do straight guys just don't talk about that?"
"I-"
"It's okay, never mind I asked…" Miguel said quickly. "I mean…I've always tried to stay away from commitments…I have too much going on in my life that doesn't have room for someone…and then I meet someone who I have nothing in common with…our backgrounds are so different…and then I start thinking that maybe I should at least try."
"Maybe you have more in common than you think," Locke said after a pause.
A part of him couldn't believe he was about to have dinner while giving advice to Meliza's confused friend. He'd never been really good at giving advice. Particularly when it came to emotional topics like the one Miguel was dealing with.
"I guess…" Miguel sighed.
"You don't need similar backgrounds to have something in common."
"I suppose not…" Miguel studied him for a few minutes. "Excuse me if this seems rude but what exactly is going on with you and Meliza?"
"You're not very subtle, are you?" Locke asked wryly.
"No." Miguel leaned forward. "So? What's going on?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing you want to share or 'nothing'?" Miguel pressed.
"Does Meliza tell you about the men she dates?"
"All the time."
"There's your answer."
Miguel grinned. "When I asked her about you earlier she refused to say anything."
Locke merely took a drink. Whatever was happening with Meliza was his business. That, and nothing definite was really happening at the time, anyway. He knew he was interested, he could tell she was interested, but neither of them pushed anything. Besides, he only saw her a few days ago.
"What do you think of her?" Miguel asked suddenly.
"Just that she's a very lucky woman." In more ways than one. If her friend only knew what she had experienced…
Then the other man's grin widened as he placed an envelope on the table between them. "Inside is a ticket to a charity event Meliza's attending tonight. Usual high-society crap. Dress up nice, make an appearance, speak to the person running the show, make conversation with really boring people. Or blood-sucking leeches. I think she could use some help tonight to make it seem less monotonous."
Was her friend playing matchmaker? "Are you going?"
"No…I think I'll try to sort out my relationship issues. So it's better I not let my ticket go to waste. I hope you have a nice outfit. Dress code will be enforced."
"Why are you doing this?" Locke asked quietly. While Miguel's efforts were generous, Locke wouldn't allow himself to go in the man's place. Whatever was going on with Meliza, he'd rather sort it out their way.
"Because I think she needs whatever you have to give her."
"Even if it's only temporary?" Locke inquired, wondering if this man would so easily throw someone in his friend's direction.
"Something tells me you're not the one-night stand kind of guy." Miguel grinned. "Because if you were…you two would have done that a long time ago and not be 'old friends' now." Locke's silence confirmed his suspicions and his smile brightened. "Have fun tonight…"
As if he was even going. There was no way he was going tonight. She'd probably think he was stalking her. And that wouldn't be a great impression, would it?
Meliza considered herself a very polite guest. But wondered if too much was too much. As she watched several couples glide across the dance floor of the hotel ballroom, she hoped that Sophia Brentworth wouldn't take it upon herself to introduce her to another 'young friend' of hers. Meliza could see matchmaking from a mile away. The older woman was nice enough, if a little odd. And she definitely was building a worthy cause. At least twice a year Mrs. Brentworth held fundraisers to build safe houses for children all over the world. A place to go so they could keep off the streets and stay out of trouble.
From her sitting position, Meliza's eyes swept the room again before she pushed back a strand of her wavy hair. She had gone to the trouble of curling her hair so that it fell in soft waves to the middle of her back, pinning half of it away from her face with a silver clip. Instead of black, this evening she chose to wear a sparkly white sleeveless dress that flared slightly at her ankles, showing off her arms and back. The rounded neckline went just under her collarbone, but it fell low to the small of her back. Silver strappy shoes encased her feet and she crossed her legs, her eyes finding her champagne glass very fascinating.
"Um…hi…"
"No," she said flatly, not even bothering to look at the man who was standing behind her left side.
"I…I just wanted to ask you if-"
"No."
"-wanted to dance-"
"I said 'no'." Meliza took a sip of her champagne.
She could hear footsteps fading away and she held back a sigh of relief.
Her peace was very short-lived as another man approached the table, this time having the nerve to sit in the chair next to her on the left.
"Hi," he greeted, holding his hand out for a shake. "I'm Robert Brown. You're Meliza Rinaldo, right?" When she didn't offer her hand, he lowered his hand to rest on his thigh. "I've been to your casino a lot…I go I'd say…at least twice a week. You've got a great staff there."
"Thanks."
"I…uh…help out at the Renoit Winery a couple miles away…I guess my boss is a good friend of yours…Jacques?"
Meliza nodded. "Yes…some of the restaurants at the hotel serve his-"
"Yeah, that's great! Thanks so much for all your support, it means a lot-"
"Wait a minute…you're the one he hired to replace Carl, right?" Meliza asked, wondering if this man knew how fast he was talking. "Jacques mentioned he hired an assistant manager. An American one, he said."
"That's right!"
"Well, good luck. You'll learn a lot from that man." Meliza supposed she could afford to be nice to one of her friends' employees.
"Maybe you could come over some time," Robert offered. "When was the last time you saw the vineyard?"
"Two weeks ago." Meliza sighed. So much for politeness.
"Oh." The expression on his face deflated to disappointment.
"You should probably quit while you're ahead," a male voice came from her right side.
Meliza was tempted to tell whoever it was to not eavesdrop when her brain recognized the voice. Turning to her right confirmed her suspicions. Locke was sitting in the next chair over, dressed in a simple black tuxedo.
How did he get over there without her noticing??
"The woman's nothing but trouble," he continued casually.
Why that…Meliza fought to keep her expression neutral.
Robert glanced between them before asking her, "Do you know each other?"
"Not well enough, it seems." Meliza shook her head once and said in a chiding tone to the intruder, "It's not nice to listen in on other people's conversations, you know. Just because you lost some money in our last game doesn't mean you have to be rude…"
"Losing money wasn't the problem," came his response, not missing a beat. "It's the fact that every single time we play against each other something bad always happens."
"That is not-"
"Last time the dealer got sick, another the casino was getting robbed, another there was an earthquake, your date had to go to the emergency room…" Black eyes turned to the man sitting beside her. "You'd be helping yourself if you left."
"R-Right." The man cleared his throat and got up from his chair. "Meliza…it was…it was nice meeting you. Um…and good luck with…everything."
As he hurried away, Meliza turned to Locke, slight annoyance in her gaze. Of all the high-handed things a person could do…"Thanks for making me out to be some black widow."
"It wasn't that bad," Locke said dryly, his eyes focused on the center of the room. "That was probably the most entertaining thing you've done all night. I was doing you a favor."
Well…yeah. While she couldn't deny that, she wasn't going to admit it either. "What are you doing here?" she asked instead.
"Your friend, Miguel, had some 'issues' to deal with, so he gave me his ticket," Locke answered. "Judging by the topics of conversation that go around here, I'm surprised you're not half-asleep."
She cringed slightly. Some of the women she had passed in the room were adamantly in discussion about the latest fashions they bought, and how nice they looked in them compared to other women. She didn't care for cattiness like that. It was just plain stupid. "Tell me about it."
"Why go through all this trouble?" Locke asked her quietly.
"The reason is worth it," Meliza answered. "The motions aren't."
His eyes shifted away from her and to the dance floor again.
She took another sip of her champagne before spotting her hostess, outlandishly dressed in a purple satin ball gown with pink taffeta off-the-shoulder sleeves and a bright pink rose in her French twist. The woman was in her fifties, but had the energy of a teenager.
And she was making her way towards Meliza's table.
Meliza smiled at the woman in greeting who helped herself to the seat that Robert had recently occupied.
"Hello, my dear, are you enjoying yourself?"
"Always."
"It's a shame your parents couldn't come…I know how busy they are in Las Vegas…" Sophia prattled on. "Your mother always has the best advice for hosting parties…" She blinked, glancing in Locke's direction. "Oh…my…have you two met?"
Meliza glanced at Locke. "Oh. Well-" Confusion must have showed on her features because he…once again…neatly inserted himself into the conversation.
"You could say Ms. Rinaldo and I go way back," Locke said with a smile.
It was the strangest thing…Meliza could hear the smooth tone of his voice, see the smile on his face, but there was detachment in his eyes. She suddenly realized that the face he had on was just an act. The real him was locked away behind the charming façade.
"Really?" Sophia looked at him then Meliza.
"We've played against each other in casinos over the past few years," Locke added.
What is he talking about? Meliza wondered before she realized that he was picking up the same lie she had told earlier to the winery assistant manager. And how do these two know each other?
"Oh!" Sophia beamed. "That's wonderful! So…you're both rivals…?"
"You could say that." She couldn't believe he had the nerve to answer. So far she had lied to one of her closest friends about how they met, now she had to add the older woman into the mix.
Sophia leaned forward and said in a conspiratorial tone, "Well, maybe you could just let her win..."
"Now what kind of professional would I be?" Locke asked wryly, his eyes on Meliza.
Sophia laughed. "Too true. Men have such prides, don't they? Oh…before I forget…thank you again for your information earlier…it's something I will definitely consider."
"I'm sorry," Meliza cut in. "I wasn't aware you two met-"
"Oh, it was only briefly earlier this evening," Sophia said. "Mr. Cai and I got into a discussion about my working with several other charity organizations in Asia to expand my current project. I had no idea about some of the situations in Asia and having grown up there and traveling there, he had great insight."
"Really?" Meliza glanced at Locke then at their hostess. "I'm surprised."
"Why is that?" Locke asked.
"I thought you only cared about winning," Meliza said with a saccharine smile.
"There's a lot you don't know," he responded.
"Are you hoping to educate me?"
"Only if you're a willing student."
Meliza's eyes widened and Sophia giggled.
"Why not hard-working?" Meliza mused aloud. When he didn't reply, she continued, "It takes work to get to know someone, don't you think? And time. Which I don't have right now."
"You'd make time."
"If I thought the reason was worth it," Meliza said, shrugging before rising to her feet, very aware of the curious looks Sophia was giving them. Good. "As much as I enjoy our chats, I see someone I should at least say 'hi' to. Try not to lose too much in your next game, wherever that is, Mr. Cai."
"I don't plan on it."
"Good." Meliza smiled at the older woman. "It was nice seeing you again, Sophia, I'll try to say goodbye before I leave."
"Of course. Enjoy the rest of the night, dear!"
Locke watched Meliza walk away, stopping at the hors d'ouvres stand to speak with someone. He released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.
"I'd have to be in New York not to see that," Sophia said, studying him.
"What's that?" Locke asked. Even though he already knew what the woman was referring to.
"Don't play ignorant with me," Sophia giggled.
"Was it something I said?" he asked innocently. "She seemed a little…irritated."
"I think it's called tension," Sophia declared. "It's known to happen between a man and a woman once in a while."
"I see." Their banter hadn't gone unnoticed by their hostess. Maybe that had been Meliza's plan.
Interesting.
Locke excused himself and headed out of the ballroom only to be yanked off to one side and into the dark hallway.
Immediately sensing no danger from his new companion, Locke's eyes quickly adjusted to the dim lighting to see Sun Chuong standing just a few inches away, dressed in a sleek burgundy strapless dress, her fingers around his arm in a death grip. Several feet away, her short bodyguard stood, alert, surveying their surroundings.
"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.
Tugging his arm free, Locke adjusted the cuff of his tuxedo jacket as if it had been touched by someone carrying a disease. He waited a few moments before answering her.
"I could ask the same thing."
Sun crossed her arms and stared at him suspiciously. "It's only your first day on the job. Am I going to be worrying about you not fulfilling your part of the bargain?"
"Meaning what?" he responded in a bored tone.
"You just don't get invited to functions like these and expect her to welcome you with open arms, no matter how easy she is," Sun chided, frowning. "How did you get in here?"
"A friend of hers," Locke answered. At the confusion on her face, he continued, "I did my research. One of the best ways to get close to a woman is to befriend her friends? He offered me a ticket to this event."
Sun looked up at him in surprise. "Oh. Well…I'm impressed. Good. Keep up the good work."
He rolled his eyes and headed outside for some fresh air.
Social functions. He'd never get used to them. While they were a great way to gather information, he didn't have any use for that anymore.
Locke leaned against the stone railing of the hotel's top floor balcony. Lights from the ballroom he had just been in could be seen through the windows. Atlantic City was brightly lit with its collection of casinos and hotels, and in the distance, he could hear waves crashing to the shore.
The faint sound of heels clicking against pavement caught his attention, and he turned his head, seeing Meliza just outside the balcony of the ballroom, a cell phone clutched in one hand near her ear. Several rows of bushes and flowers formed a miniature wall between them.
He couldn't hear her side of the conversation, for she spoke low, but her warm tone indicated that she was speaking to someone familiar to her. After a few minutes, she hung up and placed the phone in her small purse before moving towards the balcony, bracing her hands on the railing, looking down at the view.
Locke glanced away, wondering why he bothered with Miguel's offer to come tonight. Why was he here, anyway? To chase after her? When she obviously…obviously what? Didn't want him around? If that was the case, she could have told him to leave her alone. She would have never invited him out last night, and he would have gotten the hint.
As soon as he laid eyes on her in her casino, he knew that he had to see her again. His feelings for Meliza several years ago hadn't really had time to develop. They were different people now, so if what happened back then really belonged in the past, then he could easily leave Atlantic City. If Meliza was willing, he'd at least try to stay in touch with her. Locke's current list of real friends was very few. If Meliza wanted to remain friends, it was up to her. He instantly remembered her behavior after their first night out. For whatever reason, Meliza was a little cautious about him and while he didn't think she found his company unpleasant, it was a little disconcerting. He had a sneaking suspicion that her defenses had little to do with him and more to do with the woman she had become in the last few years.
Which was why getting to know her again, no matter how short his vacation, was important.
A man appeared in the balcony, speaking to her. She gave the man a polite small before disappearing back into the ballroom.
When he went back inside, Locke was very conscious of Meliza and the way she spoke to her companion. He could see the tension in her shoulders and the disinterest in her eyes. He walked up to her and briefly greeted the person next to her before taking her hand so he could pull her to the dance floor. Meliza excused herself from her shocked companion and followed him.
"Thank you," Meliza breathed out in relief, placing her hand on his shoulder just before he guided her into a slow dance. "If I hear him talk about his family drama…"
"Friend of yours?"
"I guess." Meliza shook her head before glancing up at him. "Thanks, by the way, for earlier…you gave me an excuse to leave early without hurting Sophia's feelings."
So his guess had been right. She had been making plans to leave early. "I only followed your lead from before," Locke replied.
"That we're rivals instead of old friends?"
"It seemed easier to go from what you told the man earlier."
"And it makes for a great romance," Meliza said airily.
"Is that right?"
"Of course. Man, woman, opposite sides, inexplicable chemistry…Trust me when I say it'll appeal to her romantic side," Meliza said firmly. "It's a woman thing."
"Try to look like you're enjoying yourself, then." The second they had gotten on the dance floor, her eyes had lacked any humor or warmth. She looked as if she'd rather be somewhere else. That bothered him just a little.
She blinked. "I am."
"Try harder."
"Right. Sorry." After a few seconds, she relaxed, her movements more natural. She bit her lip before saying, "You know that you'll probably be in the next gossip column, right? I can trust Sophia to keep her mouth shut, but everyone's going to be wondering who the 'ice queen' is seducing now."
"I'm supposed to be seducing you." The fingers of his right hand opened up over the small of her back as he pulled her a little closer to avoid an intoxicated couple whirling on the dance floor. During the brief times they'd encountered before, he couldn't remember if he'd ever held her this close. Her eyes had gone a little wide after his statement, and while it was a little bold on his part, it was exactly as it appeared. "I asked you to dance, not the other way around. So when did you want to leave?"
She was silent for a moment. Locke pulled back slightly to look at her. Even though she was dancing with him, he could feel tension throughout her body, and her eyes were focused on something beyond his shoulder.
Sensing that he was waiting for an answer, Meliza glanced at him, a small frown between her brows. "What was the question?"
"When did you want to leave?" he repeated.
"Is now too soon?"
"Where to?"
Meliza leaned forward to whisper, "When was the last time you were in a high roller's room?"
It was only when they moved to get off the dance floor that Locke spotted the 'something' that had distracted Meliza. Sun Chuong was calmly drinking a glass of champagne, her arms crossed as she watched the dance floor.
He'd ask Meliza about her later.
"And the lady wins with four-of-a-kind."
Locke watched in amusement as three male players sadly gazed at their chips being pushed in Meliza's direction.
Several stories below the hotel ballroom, Locke and Meliza had entered the high roller's lounge, one floor above the casino level. There were only seven other players in the room, three who happened to be their opponents in Texas Hold'Em.
"Well, don't you just have the luck, darlin'," one of the men leaned on his left elbow to give her a once-over. "What's your secret to winning two times in a row?"
"There is none," Meliza responded, organizing her chips.
"I don't believe you."
Locke narrowed his eyes slightly, all humor gone. The opponent who had spoken to Meliza had pretty much lost most games and he wasn't looking too happy at all. From what he gathered, the man was in his early forties and apparently owned a huge amount of land in Texas that contained oil. Another player at the table was a young prince from a small European nation and the other gentleman was in his thirties who got involved in the business before the world wide web exploded.
Their next game, the oil tycoon had won a small amount back, much to his surprise.
After the cards were dealt again, Locke glanced at his two cards before leaving them face down on the table. He would be the last one to place his bets, so he waited to see what the others would do. The oil tycoon kept his blind small, and the others, Meliza included, did the same. The dealer placed 3 cards face up on the table. It wasn't until the fourth card was placed on the table that Meliza decided to raise the bet.
Locke studied her carefully, curious to see if she had any tells. Throughout the last few games, he hadn't spotted a single thing. And judging by the way she had been watching him, she had been doing the same. The prince on her left folded. He glanced at the other players before raising his bet. The oil tycoon placed his bet to match and the entrepreneur folded. Meliza tossed in a few chips to match Locke's bet. The fifth card was placed on the table and the oil tycoon placed nearly all of his chips towards the center. Locke waited patiently for Meliza's action, noticing that she watched the oil tycoon before glancing down at the table. Her eyes then glanced in his direction before she released a sigh.
"Fold," she declared softly, leaning back in her chair.
Locke placed the same bet as the oil tycoon and the dealer indicated that cards be displayed on the table. The oil tycoon turned his cards over, a small smirk crossing over his features.
"Full house. Three jacks and two nines," the dealer announced, using the best hand with the hole cards and community cards. "Sir?"
Locke turned his cards over.
"Full house. Three kings and two nines," the dealer announced. "Winner."
The oil tycoon cursed and tossed his cards to the center. Locke gave a very generous tip to the dealer before cashing out his chips. When he had the money wired to his offshore account, Meliza had already left the room. He promptly left the room as well, passing the security guard and going through the large double doors to find Meliza standing there, her clutch purse in hand, a white shawl wrapped around her shoulders.
"Nice work," she said with a smile.
Before he could reply, the double doors opened and three men got out, one of them being the oil tycoon. And he looked pissed.
"I want my money back, you bastard."
Locke released a breath, crossing his arms. "You had the lower hand."
"I don't give a damn." The man shoved him in the chest and his two men each grabbed one of Meliza's arms.
"Let go of me," Meliza ordered, trying to snatch her arms back.
"What are you going to do?" Locke asked quietly. "The money's already been transferred. You're in a casino hotel so anything you do will be caught on camera."
"I don't give a sh-t! I don't care how you get it to me, I just want my money back."
A fist came flying to Locke's midsection. He quickly stepped to the side, and the fist connected to the wall, making a small dent.
"You son of a bitch…"
"Stop it!" Meliza cried out.
Another fist came flying towards Locke and he quickly sidestepped, using his opponent's momentum to throw him flat on his back, knocking the wind out of him.
"Boss!"
One of the guards came up from behind Locke, grabbing him in a choke-hold. Meliza used that opportunity to escape, driving the heel of her hand against her captor's nose.
"You bitch!" he screeched.
Locke tried to locate Meliza but quickly focused on what was in front of him. The oil tycoon had gotten up and was advancing. Locke brought up the back of his fist, connecting it between the eyes of the bodyguard who was holding onto him. Locke was instantly released, and he did a roundhouse kick to the tycoon's chest before socking the guard in his stomach, then an elbow to his back. Both men down, he looked up to see Meliza knee her attacker in the groin then kick him in the chest, knocking him down.
Just then, security from the high roller's room rushed outside to find Meliza and Locke both straightening their clothes as a collective groan came from the men on the floor.
"I got a call from surveillance," one guard spoke up. "Are you two all right?"
Locke nodded his head once, glancing at Meliza who softly confirmed that she was unharmed. He took a few moments to look at her. She didn't have a single scratch or bruise.
Security took a statement from them both and the casino manager arrived to speak with them.
After everything was over, they took the elevator down and Meliza breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the wall.
"I see you haven't lost your talent for getting out of trouble," Locke said just before they reached the bottom floor.
Meliza smiled wryly. "Thanks, I guess."
"Are…you all right?"
She nodded. "Just a little annoyed." Meliza stepped out first and they made their way to the hotel exit. "Did you walk here?"
"Yes."
"Okay." Meliza dug her valet ticket out of her purse while he waited to make sure she got in her car safely.
Once the valet pulled up with her car, she turned to him.
"Sorry about that…"
"For what?"
"I'm sure getting in sticky situations is the last thing you need right now."
"It was your idea to gamble. He was the sore loser. Neither of us knew he'd get angry," Locke murmured.
Meliza blew out a breath, pushing back a strand of hair. "All this adrenaline's made me hungry. I know a great Chinese restaurant that's open until two a.m. Would you like to come with me?"
"Sure."
An hour and a half later, they were twenty minutes away from The Rinaldo, at a late-night establishment.
Meliza was in the middle of a story of one of her travels so he merely listened, watching her.
She could be very animated when she spoke. And the way she carried herself, laughing if something amused her, not afraid to express her frustration if something bothered her.
This particular night out told him a lot about her. In spite of the short time he had known her, on Fighter's Isle and now…it occurred to him that he didn't really 'know' her.
It was interesting to him that someone who had obviously grown up in a wealthy family was very down-to-earth. She was perfectly fine eating with chopsticks at a restaurant whose staff barely spoke English. Most wealthy women preferred fine dining.
And the way she had handled herself back then with those men…he was impressed.
"I've been meaning to ask you something," Meliza said, leaning forward on her elbows. "When did you first start learning how to gamble?"
"Probably before it was even legal to in most casinos," Locke admitted.
"Really?"
"You'd be surprised what you can learn just by observing people."
"I'm not surprised…I agree with that." Meliza took a bite of her meal, chewing thoughtfully and swallowing before saying, "I was watching you earlier in the game today."
"Did you pick up anything?"
"No. But that's the whole idea. You know that showing no emotion gives an aura of mystery and plenty of patience, which can throw off opponents who will be too busy trying to figure you out, only realizing they spent too much time analyzing you when they should have spent more time on their game. They're more likely to make mistakes, which you will capitalize on," Meliza declared, studying him.
"Not bad…" He arched a brow at her. "You do something similar."
"Really."
"You count on your opponents to underestimate you. Their mistake is thinking you don't know what you're doing…and you use that against them."
"Are you speaking from experience?"
"In underestimating you, yes. It cost me the job," Locke said without any remorse regarding his last assignment when they had met.
Meliza cringed slightly. "Oops. I'm sure he wasn't that great of a boss, anyway…"
"He wasn't," Locke said flatly.
"Do you mind if I ask why you quit?" Meliza asked. "You were very resourceful…and you must have been good at your job…what made you leave it altogether?"
He slowly set his glass down.
"I didn't mean to be rude," Meliza said quickly, her hand reaching towards his on top of the table. But her movement stilled, and she placed her hand several inches away.
After a moment, he spoke up, "It's a long story."
He hadn't realized how clipped he sounded until an emotion flickered across her eyes. Sadness? Regret? Wait…pity?
She smiled ruefully before asking in a soft voice, "Do you ever let your guard down? Or is having it up part of the rules of being constantly in control?"
His fingers covered hers for a few seconds before he pulled his hand back. "I could ask you the same."
Meliza glanced away.
Locke shifted in his seat and looked towards the center of the restaurant. Then his black eyes moved to her features again, and he sat back in his chair. "Why do the newspapers refer to you as the 'ice queen' again?"
She shook her head, sighing. "Apparently, a woman who goes on a few casual dates is seen as one. But when it's a man, he gets congratulated."
"Double standards…"
"Besides, not every woman is dying to find a partner," Meliza declared. "I'm all for relationships…just on my terms." One slender brow lifted slightly. "You seem very interested in my personal life, Locke."
Instead of commenting on that, he changed topics. "When we left the dance floor, I noticed someone watching you. Asian woman, young-"
"Her name is Sun Chuong. Her family owns a few restaurants here."
"She didn't seem very happy to be in the same room with you."
"Of course not."
"Why's that? You don't seem to make a lot of enemies."
"Except with the women in the lives of the men I've dated," she said bitterly.
"Did you steal her boyfriend?"
Her head shot up. "Of course not." Meliza tossed her hair back. "Her…brother and I had a falling out months ago."
His eyes narrowed slightly. The coldness in her voice…he almost believed her. But there was something else…"What did he do to you?" he asked quietly.
Meliza looked down at her lap before quickly pulling out a couple bills. She feigned a smile and set them on the table. "I have a long day tomorrow…so I'll take you back to the hotel."
She got up and signaled the waitress that money was on the table before exiting the restaurant. Locke swore softly and quickly followed.
He soon caught up with her and her car, and she drove for ten minutes before he decided to break the silence.
"For what it's worth…I'm glad to see you're all right. I…" He glanced at her. "I wondered what had happened to you since Fighter's Isle…"
She shrugged, her eyes on the road. "Life goes on…"
When she pulled up at the hotel, she kept the engine running, putting the car in park.
As he opened his door, she turned to him. "You know why I always like to provide my own transportation whenever I go out?" At his silence, she said, "Because I like being in the driver's seat. It's a lot easier."
And people thought he put up walls…
"Good night," she said with a brief smile.
He exited the car and watched her drive away. Just when he thought he could read her, she did something else to throw him off.