“I think they both suit you. You are definitely Monroe London on stage.”
“Yeah. It’s like a costume you slip on. Monroe London is a 1930s or 40s sultry lounge singer who makes men fall in love with her every night and will settle down with some oil magnate.”
“Is that what your grandmother did?”
“Not oil. Real estate mogul.”
“Is she… still with us?”
“No, unfortunately. She passed a few months ago. She did get to see me on stage once, though. Which is a precious memory to keep.”
“She must have been proud.”
“She was. We had a great visit. She loved the stage so much. I think it was a full circle moment for her to see me there. Even if I wasn’t in a bikini with a two-foot tall headdress.”
“I mean… I don’t think anyone would object to seeing you on that stage in a bikini.”
“Before my sets last night, I was thinking about how I might need to quit and start working a very different kind of stage.”
“Well, now you don’t have to worry about that,” Milo said.
“How will we handle the communication?”And paymentI added silently.
“I will give you my number. But I’d prefer to meet in person to discuss anything you’ve found. If you have time.”
“I do. But maybe… maybe we shouldn’t be meeting in public like this? If Frank starts to get suspicious about you, then he can link me to you…”
“You’re probably right. You might be seeing me around the casino, though. Just so you aren’t startled by catching sight of me.”
“Where should we meet then?”
“There’s my hotel. If you’re not comfortable with that, this town seems full of places to meet without being seen. Maybe we can switch things up each time.”
“Sounds good.”
“Do you have a shift tonight?”
“No, this is my only night off.”
“Do you have any plans today? I can run across you somewhere to give you the first payment.”
“I have to hit up the pet store.”
“You have a pet?”
“A former alley cat with one eye and missing half an ear. Do you have any pets?”
“I work too much. But that’s not stopping me from going and browsing the supplies for a donation to the local rescue.”
“And maybe you’ll be doing that around six?” I asked as the server came back to take our plates.
“As good a time as any.”
With that, he paid the bill in an almost alarming stack of cash.
“Thanks for the invite,” I said as we made our way outside. “I’ve always wondered if this place lived up to the hype.”
“Does it?”
