women were dressed all in black, clothes that looked expensive, but weren’t meant to.
Marie looked down at the spring-inspired dress she had on. It was light pink with a wide white belt across the middle. The short cap sleeves were enough to keep her shoulders covered. It was a modest dress but… girlish. Those women looked like they meant business. She pulled her lip between her teeth and watched them. Even the woman in the gray sweats looked tough, capable. Not like a mousey housewife that would be more at home at a church luncheon than down here in an illegal casino.
“What do you think?” he asked and took a seat at a table they’d walked to.
“I think it’s fascinating.” She wanted to go to another store, right now, and buy more new clothes. Clothes that said she meant business, like those women over there. Maybe then Matteo would take her seriously.
“I’m glad you like it. It’s my own pet project, not one of the family’s businesses.” She looked around with a new understanding. He’d built this up himself, with his own money and efforts. He wanted to show it off to her.
That made sense now.
“You want to have a play at the machines?” he asked and took out a bundle of cash from his pocket. “Try some of the machines, if you want. You can learn some of the table games from those.”
“Oh, okay.” She hadn’t expected to play any of the games, but she soon discovered she liked them. It was all chance, and she was sure the machines were rigged in the house’s favor, but it was fun. When you had money, she reminded herself.
“Having fun?” he asked a little while later. She’d won $200 by then and didn’t want to stop.
“Yeah, but it’s addictive, isn’t it?” She picked up her winnings, put it in her bag, and put her hand in his.
“It can be, yes.” He didn’t look at her and she knew that was the thing about this business. It was meant to be addictive, otherwise, nobody would play. It was all about luck and how much the odds were in your favor.
It probably wasn’t a good idea to think about that too much, she decided as they drove away a little while later. Then you’d feel guilty and she didn’t want to feel that. She had enough to feel guilty over.
When they got home, Matteo took her to bed, undressed her slowly, and touched her so softly it was nearly heartbreaking. He spent hours worshipping her, or so it felt like. When they finally rolled together to go to sleep she was exhausted, in love, and content.
“You gave me the world. You make me feel like I’m important, and you want to make me happy. I never expected all of this you know? My biggest plan was to buy a camper van and travel around the country until I found a new place to call home.”
“You weren’t going to stay in Louisiana?” he asked and she could tell he was confused.
“Why would I? You saw the funeral, there wasn’t anyone there. It was going to be like that for the rest of my life. People would ignore my existence unless they were forced to speak to me for some reason. They hated my mother, she was damaged goods which meant I was damaged goods, too. I didn’t want to stay somewhere I wasn’t wanted. I was hoping to find a place where I could make friends, have a nice quiet life, and live the rest of my days without all the judgment.”
“So, a small town somewhere, huh?”
“Yeah. I mean, I miss it. I miss the nature there, the bayou and the wildlife. I miss home sometimes, the familiarity of it all, but I’m building a life here.” She sat up against her pillows and looked over at him. “I’d like to go back one day, but I’m not in much of a rush. For a while, I missed it dearly, but I’m getting used to living up here.”
“Do you want to move to a place somewhere out of the city?” he asked and looked like he was open to the idea.
“No, not right now. I like it here. I feel like I’m safe on top of the world.” She slid down a little and leaned over to kiss him. “I’m safe anywhere you are, and that’s the most important thing. I don’t care where I am now, as long as you’re there. There’s no