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drink.”
    He nods, then goes to get my order.
    While waiting, I watch as the girls from earlier make their way to the dance floor. As they dance, they look around, trying not to be obvious. However,when one of the girl’s eyes meet mine, they all lean into a huddle—the boardroom.
    I swivel my stool so I am again facing the bar, and moments later, someone is at my side. I don’t have to wonder who it is, either—I smell her. She is determined. I’ll give her that, and possibly the release she is so obviously looking for.
    I look at the bar where her hands are resting and see a small indentationof where a ring once sat. Glancing up again, I see her smile.
    “You wanna go back to my place?” I question, knowing it will give me her tell. Will she continue trying to play this game, or will she let the player run the table?
    She tries to look annoyed, but then she smiles. “I have a room here.”
    I nod, then take a drink, in no hurry to tell her either yes or not interested. This doesn’t knockher off her presumptuous pedestal; it just tilts it a bit, making her a little vulnerable, which is where she needs to be.
    She shifts in her slides, a little less poised, and I turn my stool to look at her, eye-fucking her from head to toe. I am judging her like the show pony she is, while she is crawling out of her skin, waiting for my response. I don’t give her one, though.
    She tries to getsome control back by asking, “Do you have a girlfriend?”
    “I’m not into relationships,” I tell her honestly, letting her know before shit goes down that I’m no prize to be brought home to Daddy.
    “I’m recently single, too. No desire to jump into another.”
    “I can tell.” I take another sip, then grab her hand and hold it up, rubbing my thumb across the indentation. She takes in a quick breath,and I stare into her eyes. “Let’s go to your room and make you forget all about it. When you go home, you can remember this night, and relish your little secret. Because what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”

Chapter 6
Hailey
    Everything happened so fast. Jamie really had asked her husband for a divorce, and he’d compromised by arranging for her to have a shithole apartment so she could have some time to herself. He cut her off financially once she actually did leave him and moved into said shithole. What he didn’t know was she had been taking online classes for years and gotten a degree in medicalbilling, and she’s already lined up a job for herself so she can get by.
    Well, sort of.
    To our knowledge, no one else knew of her request for a divorce—Alex had told her to keep up appearances until she was sure she wanted to walk away from the life he had built for her. Until Monte made his comment, I’d played along with the lie that Jamie was still living with Alex. No matter how fucked-upher situation with him, no matter the games he is playing with her financially, I just have to be thankful he gave her a two-bedroom apartment, although neither one of us ever expected for me to end up at her place with Marisa.
    I was only permitted to become friends with Jamie because Alex was so deep in debt to Monte. His business needed an investor, and Monte fulfilled that role, becoming hislong-term supporter and lifeline to financial survival.
    Checks and balances once again.
    With Jamie not wanting to continue her marriage to Alex, Monte loses his power of keeping my friend in line for the sake of her husband. The scales don’t tip in his favor.
    We should have known Alex would tell Monte. He wouldn’t keep that kind of secret from the man who has him by the balls.
    My refusal toopen our bedroom to added participants tipped the scale. And not in his favor. Rather than compromise, he tossed me aside. Funny how staying faithful is a compromise. It’s just another example of just how fucked-up my world is.
    As soon as Monte headed out for his meeting, I packed what I could. I left my wedding rings on the dresser in the hopes