with his dark hair all disheveled and his brows raised. Crew’s full lips form a straight line while his hands hook on his hips. This gorgeous man could be hanging out with anyone he wants. Getting laid. Doing whatever guys like him do around here on a Friday night.
But instead he got a sitter for his baby daughter and took me out.
What kind of asshole would I be if I ruined this lovely evening with my new friend all because of my personal reservations?
Fuck it.
It’s Vegas. He’s hot. I only have this one life, and we only have tonight.
I grab my crystal tumbler and slam the remnants of my Amaretto and Coke until every last melting ice cube slides down my throat.
“Teach me how to play poker,” I say.
Blackjack was easy. Too easy.
Crew’s face lights. I realize I’m asking a poker world champion to teach me his game, but I don’t care.
“You really want to play poker?” Crew wears a lopsided, boyish grin worthy of Christmas morning. He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face if he tried. “Because I’d be more than happy to take you to the penny slots. Nickels, if you’re feeling bold.”
“Uh, uh.” I shake my head, and I swear the liquor drowns my veins in slow motion. I’m blanketed in warmth all over again. “I want to learn your game. You want me to have fun tonight, right?”
“Yeah.” He reaches for my hand and pulls me away from the table and our beady-eyed dealer.
“It’s got to be a fun game since you made a career out of it.”
I amble after him, my hand in his, and I nearly stumble, but I catch myself before he notices.
“Something like that.” His eyes flash. “You feeling okay?”
“I feel amazing.” The words come out faster than my lips and tongue can move. “Why do you ask?”
“Your drinks must be hitting you now,” he says. “It’s like a switch was flipped.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I’m pretty sure that came out like one big, long word.
“You don’t drink much, do you?”
I shake my head while simultaneously scanning the room for another one of those plastic-looking cocktail waitresses. If Barbie ever came to life, I’m pretty sure she’d work here.
“For someone who owns a bookstore with a bar in it . . .” His gaze follows mine.
“The liquor’s for the customers,” I say. Every sip of wine, every late night mixed drink, is stealing from my business. I’ll drink on occasion, like when I’m having a moment and Bryson needs to give me a talk, but it’s not like I sit around the shop every night sipping my driest red and paging through a Proust tome.
Crew watches me intently, and I make a personal vow to hold my liquor tonight. There’s a fine line between drinking enough to warrant your own personal babysitter and drinking enough to have a good time.
“One more drink,” I say.
For now.
“I’ll pace myself.” I make it a point to enunciate each word, and I wear a poker face like no one’s business.
But the look on Crew’s face makes me bust out laughing. I’m pretty sure he has no idea what to think of me right now.
“Alcohol makes me giggly.” My fingers lift to my mouth as I hide my teetering smile. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
He cocks his head, and I can’t get a read on him. I’ve either turned him off immensely, or he’s debating whether or not to hail a cab and send me home. I can’t blame him for either.
“You’re a cheap date, Calypso. You know that?” he says.
“Good thing this isn’t a date,” I say. The swirling lights around us blur in and out. All I see, clear as day in this vibrantly dark casino, is his face. My eyes land on the dimple centered in his chiseled chin.
His hand takes mine, and a second later our bodies are pressed together, chest to chest. My bottom lip falls just a hair, but no sound comes out.
“It’s a fucking date, Calypso,” he says. “We’re on a date. You’re my date. This . . . is a date.”
13
Crew
“I-I had no idea this was a date.” Calypso’s pretty eyes widen and flutter.
Me neither.
Somewhere between meeting “Elvis” and watching the way her face lit when she got that Blackjack, I decided we were on a date.
Calypso’s the most refreshing fucking person I’ve ever met. What you see is what you get with her, and I guaran-fucking-tee she’s the only woman like that in this entire