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Nothing had been left untouched. The empty rooms had been filled with furniture, and all of Marcus’s boxes had been emptied and tidily put away. His office had been made into the ultimate man cave. She couldn’t wait to see his reaction. She was a little disappointed that he hadn’t visited, but even during their short conversations, people were always interrupting. He was hella busy. It hadn’t been that way with Vinny. Back then, everything had been on automatic, and Gavin was in control. Now, Marcus handled most of the load and with all his new business endeavors and expansions, Pyre Casinos was busier than ever.
She walked down the hallway lined with dreamy oil paintings of land and cityscapes. The master bedroom had a gold, black, and red theme. It was a sultry haven she was proud of. She sat on a chaise lounge to unzip her sandals and strip. While the tub filled with water, she walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of chilled white wine. She drank while 90s R&B bounced off the walls and she soaked. She was building brand-new memories here, and therefore, everything felt warm, comfy, and new—exactly what she needed.
When she finished, she pulled on her silk robe from the life-size geisha standing guard in front of her closet. She refilled her glass and climbed into bed. She playedPsychon the brand-new massive flat screen mounted on the wall and opened her laptop. She laughed at Shawn’s shenanigans as she clicked through her bank statements and checked her stocks and other business investments. She checked in with Kiki and several other local business partners who ranged from a local pizza parlor to helicopter rides along The Strip. When she had enough of business for the day, she set the laptop aside and called Maddie.
“I’m watching Shawn and Gus,” she said.
Maddie laughed. “I’m re-watching season four.”
“You want to come over?”
“I can’t. I have a test tomorrow morning.”
“On a Saturday?”
“Yes, it’s my only class. I’ll be free after that, though.”
“Okay, I’ll think of something.”
“What happened with you and the COO?”
“You mean Marcus?”
“Yes.” A pause and then, “He seems really nice.”
“He is.”
Marcus was definitely a puzzle she wanted to explore but was trying not to. They were friends with benefits, which nixed deep, meaningful conversations and emotions. But what he revealed the other night had been on her mind all week. It didn’t make sense for Marcus to come from such a background because he emerged from the ghetto unscathed. There was no sign of it on the surface, which meant something was internal that she couldn’t see. She hoped he had major flaws because he was almost too perfect to be real. She was missing something about him, and it was bothering the hell out of her.
“He seemed … upset?” Maddie hedged.
“Just a little.”
“Levi said you two were probably low-key dating.”
Carmen snickered. “I like that. Low-key dating. No, we’re not dating, just banging.”
Silence on the other end. “You’re sleeping with him?”
“We’re friends.”
“Oh.”
“He’s really nice. If you’re interested in an internship, he’ll hook you up. He’s good at what he does.”
“Okay,” Maddie drawled. “I’ll do that.”
“Okay, Smarty, I’ll let you study.”
“Okay, bye.”
“Bye.” She shook her head as she called Mom. “Hey.”
“Hey, baby. The house looks fantastic.”
Carmen looked around the room. “It does.”
“How you been? How’s your new baby?”
