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me.”
    She walked away with her dignity intact,
    went into the staff bathroom, checked to see
    that no-one else was in the stal s, and cried her
    eyes out.
    +++
    Reno was stil in New Jersey, meeting with
    investors interested in bringing the PaLargio to
    Atlantic City. But Reno wasn’t convinced and
    the meetings were just bogging down. But by
    Wednesday night he was so exhausted that he
    made his way back to his hotel suite, the best in
    town although it couldn’t hold a candle to his
    own hotel, and dropped onto his bed. His
    Atlantic City hosts, a group of wel -connected
    businessmen, had offered him a woman for the
    night, but he had turned them down. He usual y
    accepted when he was in town and they knew it,
    he always kept a fresh supply of condoms for
    the occasion, but not this time. Trina was on his
    mind.
    He cal ed Joey, the kid brother who
    idolized him. He wasn’t good for major tasks,
    his attention span wouldn’t al ow it, and
    sometimes even on smal jobs he could be a
    pain.
    “Hel o?” Joey said into the phone. He
    sounded asleep.
    “Hey, where are you?” Reno asked.
    “I’m home, where you think?”
    “Home? What, Trina didn’t have to work
    tonight?”
    “How should I know?”
    Reno frowned. “I told you to watch her,
    to keep an eye out on her for me, Joey, what
    you mean, how should you know?”
    “I did keep an eye on her Monday night.
    And I was right back at that rat-ass Boyzie’s
    Tuesday night too. But she gave me the slip.”
    “You lost her?”
    “She lost me. She told me to get lost.
    Said she wasn’t interested in being in your
    harem anymore, or words to that effect.”
    Reno sat up, his heart pounding. “Joey,
    what are you talking about? What did you tel
    her?”
    “Didn’t you cal her already?”
    “No, I didn’t cal her. I’m gonna see her
    Friday, what I need to cal her for?”
    “Because you ain’t gonna see her
    Friday.”
    Reno’s heart was hammering. “What did
    you tel her?”
    “I didn’t tel her nothin’, what you take me
    for? She asked why you had me fol owing her. I
    told her because you liked her and you like to
    keep tabs on the females you like.”
    “Geez, you make me sound like a
    stalker, Joey.”
    “Or words to that effect, al right?”
    “What else did you tel her?”
    “I didn’t tel her nothin’. Then she says,
    ‘so this what he does, have you fol owing al the
    women he likes?’ I didn’t answer that particular
    question.”
    Reno frowned. “Why didn’t you answer
    it?”
    “It’s none of her business, for one.”
    Reno shook his head. “You made me
    sound like a stalker with a stockpile of females
    at my disposal, you idiot!”
    “What did I do?”
    “Next time I see you remind me to kick
    your ass!”
    “What did I do?”
    “Remind me, Joey!” Reno said with
    even more venom and slammed down the
    phone. And then he picked it up again.
    +++
    It was nearly ten at night when Trina was
    knocking off. She and Jazz walked out
    together, with Jazz offering to give her a lift.
    “Nal , girl, I can take the bus,” Trina said.
    “You sure? Nathan won’t mind.”
    “Nathan wil mind, y’al live in the exact
    opposite direction than I do. But I got it. I’l take
    the bus.”
    the bus.”
    “Sure you’re sure?”
    Trina smiled. “I’m sure I’m sure,” she
    said, walking away from her friend. “You and
    Nat have a good rest of the evening.” She said
    this as she headed for the bus stop.
    It was less than a minute later when
    Trina saw a limo drive past her heading in the
    direction she just came from. Limos in Vegas
    were nothing new, but they were kind of rare this
    far north of the strip. She glanced back as she
    kept walking, and saw the limo turn around and
    head back in her direction. She stil didn’t think
    much of it until that same limo drove just past
    her, and pul ed over to the curb. When Reno got
    out, her heart rammed against her chest.
    He looked gorgeous, in his pul over knit
    shirt and jeans, his