A moment later, my phone vibrates with his answer.
Unknown Number
Let’s keep this going.
Is he for real? That was fucking hard.
I can’t with this guy.
Of course, because a ‘well done’ would kill you.
You know Richard Belmont?
Everybody knows him. Richard Belmont is the owner of the Belmont Plaza, one of the biggest five-star hotels on the Strip. He’s famously horny and apparently an asshole.
Who doesn’t?
I want his phone number. Let’s see if you can charm your way into getting it.
Seriously? I don’t think you’re his type.
Let’s hope you are.
He’s married.
Sounds like a you problem.
I shake my head, an exasperated smile playing on my lips. This guy’s audacity, the pushing, it’s infuriating but also thrilling. It reminds me of the dares Ace and I used to give each other back in Phoenix, sneaking into places we didn’t belong just because we could, enjoying the pure thrill of it. This feels like that, a spark of the person I was back then.
My heart tightens as his voice echoes in my head once more.
“C’mon, Trouble, what’s the point of living if you’re not gonna have some fun?”
He’d say it, that cocky grin on his face, his eyes daring me to follow him into whatever reckless idea he had.
And I would have followed him everywhere.
The Strip fades away replaced by a memory.
Ace holdsup a card between his fingers, the seven of spades, grinning at me with that lopsided smirk of his. We’re crouched on the roof of a small house, far above the bustling crowd. The lights of Phoenix are spread out beneath us, the muted sounds of traffic and chatter drifting up like a distant echo.
“Ready to see some real magic, Trouble?”
“Real magic?” I raise an eyebrow, trying to hide my smile. “You mean like making doves appear out of thin air?”
“Nah, I leave that to the amateurs. This is the good stuff.” Ace snaps his fingers, and in an instant, the seven of spades becomes an ace of hearts. It happens so fast that I barely catch it. One second, the card is there, and the next, it’s an entirely different one.
“How the hell did you do that?” I ask incredulously, laughing as I grab his hand to try and figure out the trick. But he pulls away, his grin widening and becoming impossibly more lopsided.
“It’s called the snap change,” he says, holding the ace just out of my reach. “You gotta be quick, Trouble.”
I shake my head, pretending to pout. “Show-off.”
“C’mon, I bet you could learn it. You’re good with your hands, after all.” He throws me a wink, and I roll my eyes in return, knocking my shoulder against his.
We both look down at the crowd bustling below us on the street. The lights from a nearby food truck cast a glow, illuminating faces as people pass in front of it.
“See that guy?” Ace nods toward a guy standing on his own by the truck. “What do you think he’s up to?”
