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Bastien didn’t have anything to say about that, but Mikelina was beginning to feel sorry for Jace. She’d ditch Bastien if he treated her this way, too.
“You have issues. Don’t you think you’re being too rough on Jace? Maybe he’s rebelling against the schedule and your disapproval?”
“I’m trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he makes it hard. He hasn’t gone on one scheduled event. I could have done nothing and still had this week go off the same.”
“Sometimes you have to throw the schedule to the wind, even if you worked really hard on it. Embrace the spontaneity.”
“I’d like to embrace you,” he said.
“There’s still time for you to turn around and go skinny-dipping.”
“You’re killing me,” he said.
“I think it’s more self-inflicted.”
“I wouldn’t be able to relax and enjoy our time. Not until this question is out of my head.”
“All right,” she said. “I’ll humor you. But if you think I’m not going to try my hand on a few slot machines, you’re crazy. Mama needs a new pair of shoes.”
He smirked and she was glad he was starting to lighten up a bit.
“I admit, I’m a little gun-shy when it comes to marriage, but I am worried for my sister. They broke up a year ago when he took her for granted. I told you about him leaving for trips and not telling her? They had a fight. I don’t know even what it was about and he didn’t call or text or return her messages for two weeks.”
“So he has a history of disappearing,” Mikelina said. “No wonder you’re on his ass so much.”
“I want to trust him, but he’s done this before and it doesn’t look like he’s changed his ways.”
“Do you know if he’s ghosting your sister this week?”
“He talked to her the other day. I don’t want to call her and get her worried in case he is. Until I have proof, I want her to think he’s having too much fun with me to check in every day. She’d be all right with that.”
“It’s putting you in a tough spot.”
“At this point, I’d be happy if I don’t even see him for the next week and a half. But I want to make sure he’s not screwing around or hurting my sister by doing shitty things.”
“I can understand that. What are you going to do when you find him?” she asked.
“I’m going to peacefully observe.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. If he is just out for a good time, more power to them. I’ll buy them a few rounds of drinks and buy them a suite so they can stay the night. Then you and I are going to go home and spend some quality time together in that beautiful house.”
“And if they’re not?” she asked.
“I’ll let Kitty handle it. After seeing what Gina put me through, she’s not going to accept any bullshit from a gambling addict.”
The Gulfstream had more shops than they did poker tables and the big draw was the off-track betting and the horses. Still, the lights and sounds were set up for maximum excitement and as she strolled around the casino looking for Jace and his friends, she couldn’t resist the siren call of the slot machines.
“You mean to tell me you’re not going to put a few quarters in these slots?” she asked as she won ten dollars.
“Do you want me to tell you the odds of winning?”
“Never tell me the odds,” she grumbled in her best Han Solo impersonation.
“Three thousand seven hundred and twenty to one.”
She blinked at him. “Did you just quote Star Wars back at me? That’s like nerd foreplay. First Doctor Who and then this. I think there’s a movie marathon in our future.”
