“A Miller Genuine Draft in each hand. Now make that shit happen for me, will ya, gorgeous?” He smiles at her, showing the genuine bond they share.
I have been introduced to Jared and know he officiated at Hendrix and Livi’s nuptials, but the man is far from warm and friendly. He won’t let me serve him yet. I haven’t earned it, he claims. I wish he would tell me what I need to do to be granted that honor.
“You,” he barks at me. “Morrison’s woman, come over here.”
I start to correct him, to tell him I’m not Morrison’s woman, but he speaks before I can. “When your man gets back, I got a joke for ya to give him. You ready?” he asks in all seriousness.
I nod, unsure of what he actually expects me to do. He reaches over and pulls me down by my shoulder, bringing my ear close to his face.
“How’s a casino like a woman?” he whispers, and I can’t help wondering where he is going with this. “Liquor in the front and poker in the back.”
My eyes grow big in shock as Livi giggles next to me, having heard every word he said.
“Think on that one and give it to our boy when he gets home from his tournament.”
“Tournament.” At the word, it all hits me. Instantly, I know where Morrison is, and I’m far from happy. This is my problem, not his.
Remembering where I am, I wipe the counter as I laugh at the joke, then continue on with my shift. I do what I do best—push it all down and keep going, even as the world crumbles around me. The night passes in a whirl of drinks and bar food. Once we close up, Livi sets a shot in front of me.
“Ummm…I should tell you I don’t drink often. In fact, the last time I drank, I was Lucy Loose Lips, and it wasn’t attractive,” I try explaining.
“Girl, I’ve watched you be on edge all night. Then, after Jared said ‘tournament,’ you went into robot mode. Now, you have a little girl waiting back home, and she doesn’t want Robot Mom. Toss that one back and let’s chat.”
Livi and I have bonded over my time here. She knows every detail of how Monte and I came to be and our time together. Even though I check in with Jamie, we can’t talk long, since she doesn’t want to attract attention that would show Monte she has two phones; with her husband Alex owing Monte, he is sure to have eyes on her. Livi has become almost as close to me as Jamie in this short time. She gives off this innocent vibe, and after living all my life in the world of players and reading tells, Livi is a breath of fresh air. She’s clean, pure love and loyalty.
“Tell me he went to play for himself. Please, Livi, tell me he’s not off trying to beat Monte for me.”
“Can’t do that, Hailey. I wouldn’t want you to lie to me, and I’m not about to lie to you. He’s good at what he does, though. He’s gonna get you outta this mess, and he’s gonna do it while holding you up so you can fall down.”
I stiffen at her words. “I can’t fall down.”
“Sure you can,” she states matter-of-factly. “We all do at some point.” I sigh and then she continues, “These boys were raised to lift each other up. It’s okay to depend on others, Hailey. Not everyone expects anything in return, and the Caldwells don’t want anything but your love in return. Let Morrison do what he needs to do for this family, his family—and that includes you and Ris Priss.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
She squeezes my hand. “There was a time I didn’t think I could let anyone help me, but you know what? I was walking in the snow in downtown Detroit, all to avoid telling anyone how bad things were, and Hendrix swooped in and took care of my problems. More than that, he held my hand as I faced my past. He gave me the strength to endure. Let Morrison give you that. Let all of us give you the security you’ve never had.”
“He’s not playing with someone who will play fair. Monte won’t allow him to win, and if by some miracle he does, how do I ever repay him?”
“By living your life free of the chains of your past.” She takes me by the hand to the bar stools, where we both sit. “These boys, they saw things growing up, the kind of things that stay with ya. They were powerless to get their momma out of a bad situation, so they had to watch helplessly as she put up with a lot of crap she shouldn’t have had to put up with. They can’t meet someone being held down and not want to extend a hand to get them back up again.”
“I wasn’t beat on, Livi. My situation is not their mother’s. I owe Monte.”
“You don’t owe him a damn thing. You played a game, and you lost. It happens. Sure, the money wasn’t on the up-and-up, but blackmailing you into a marriage?” She shakes her head. “That is not evening up anything.” Quirky Livi rubs her ass like she often does, but this time, something flashes in her eyes. “Consent is,” she starts, and looks around before whispering, “fucking required.” Then, as if she’s found some new confidence, she repeats, but more loudly this time, “Consent is fucking required. You hear me, Hailey?”
“I did consent, Livi.”