Aurelia stood in the center of the lobby. The crowd moved around her, as if she wasn’t there. Hardly a surprise. She’d spent most of her life being invisible.
“Ready to go to the rooms?” Stephen asked, joining her. “Geoff said we’re already checked in.”
She held up her key.
He glanced at the number. “We’re next to each other. That’s great. We can send coded messages through the wall.”
She stared into his blue eyes and told herself it was enough that Stephen was nice. Going through this with a guy who was a jerk would have been unbearable.
“Do you know any codes?” she asked.
“No, but we could learn one. Or make one up. You’re good with numbers, right?”
She smiled. “I’ll work on it.”
They made their way to the room elevators. Thankfully, the camera guy took a different elevator, leaving them alone for a few minutes.
Once they reached their floor, they made their way to their rooms. They were actually across from each other, rather than next door, but still close enough. A different camera guy was already waiting for them.
“Who do you want to go in with?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Your room. Stephen, go with her.”
Like they were sharing a room? She blushed at the thought, then shoved her key into the lock and opened the door.
Aurelia hadn’t traveled much and rarely stayed in a hotel. Still, she knew what a regular room looked like, and this wasn’t it.
To her right was a beautiful bathroom done in marble and glass. There was a stall shower and a big tub, double sinks, a vanity and plenty of mirrors. It was like a movie set or something out of a fairy tale. Past the bathroom was the bedroom. Except it was more than a bedroom. There was a king-size bed with beautiful linens and big nightstands. Beyond that, three steps led to a sunken living room. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered her a view of the pirate boat floating in front of Treasure Island.
She turned in a slow circle, taking in the room again, then looked at Stephen. “I don’t understand,” she said. “This can’t be my room. It’s so beautiful.” She laughed. “Tell me we never have to leave.”
“If we win big downstairs, we can stay as long as you like,” he told her.
Aurelia smiled. “I’d like that.”
They agreed to meet in half an hour and go down to the casino. Aurelia used her time to put her brown hair into hot rollers and pray that it came out okay. She changed into white jeans and a turquoise-colored silk blouse she’d bought on sale nearly a year ago.
She normally didn’t spend much money on her casual wardrobe. All of her clothing budget was spent on work clothes, and everything she didn’t spend on her own living expenses either went to her mother or her small savings account. But the shirt had been so beautiful, she’d been unable to resist it.
After spreading out her newly purchased cosmetics on the marble counter, she carefully applied moisturizer, then concealer. The powder foundation went on as easily as the girl at the makeup counter had promised. She kept her eye shadow simple by brushing on a light taupe color. After mascara, she applied blush, then lip gloss. The last step was pulling out the hot rollers and finger combing her hair. She bent at the waist and doused herself in hairspray. As she stood, she flipped her head back and surveyed the look.
In a bathroom full of mirrors, there was no escaping reality. But this time it wasn’t so bad. Aurelia looked at herself from several angles. She would never be stunning, but for once in her life she was pretty. At least she felt pretty, and that might be enough.
She’d barely slipped into her shoes when Stephen knocked on her door. She picked up her purse and went to meet him.
“Hi,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt.
“Hi, yourself,” he began, then stopped and stared at her. “Wow, you look great.”
“Thanks.”
She was aware of the man and the camera just beyond Stephen’s shoulder. For a moment she wished it could just be the two of them. That even a small part of their time together could be real. But it wasn’t. She had to keep reminding herself of that.
“What do you want to do first?” Stephen asked. “Slots, blackjack, or do you prefer roulette?”
“I’ve never gambled,” she admitted. “What do you suggest?”
As they spoke they walked toward the elevators. Stephen pushed the button for them to go down. The doors opened immediately. As they stepped onto the elevator, she felt him put his hand on the small of her back.
It was nothing, she told herself. Men did that sort of thing all the time. She’d just noticed Finn doing it to Dakota. But she couldn’t help being aware of how he touched her. The silk of her shirt seemed to intensify the heat from his hand. As the elevator started down, she felt a little light-headed and told herself it was from the vertical movement and nothing else.
They walked out of the elevator and into the craziness. It was fun and bright and loud. Aurelia didn’t know where to look first.