She trailed off, like I should already know what she was getting at, but I had to ask, "Give me a call about what?"
And that was how I found out that the GM himself had pulled Stella aside earlier in the night to inform her I would no longer be working any shifts at the Tourmaline—in any department, for any reason.
"I assumed you'd been caught stealing or slapped a member of the Zaman family or something like that."
"Yeah, something like that," I muttered.
I would never slap a member of the royal Arab family that owned the mega-conglomerate, of which the Tourmaline luxury hotel chain was just a small part. But I had been caught stealing. And now, I recalled Cole's earlier homey conversation about marathons with the Tourmaline GM in a new light.
Had I really thrilled earlier about how Cole had kept me by his side all night? Triple Ice had made small talk with the Tourmaline GM with me right by his side!
That cruel bastard!
I tried not to look like I was about to cry now that I had been reduced to one volunteer position at the Nora Benton Community Center.
I must not have done a good job.
Stella's face fell. "Is there anything I can do to help? You know how much my sisters and I appreciate you—especially after everything you did to help Tony."
Okay, there was no way I was going to drag Stella into my drama when I knew she and her sister were struggling to raise Lucia and two other siblings after their parents landed in jail.
"No, girl, I'm fine," I answered, giving her a hug and a brave face.
Before walking away from her...and the job I was counting on to pay back my debt.
So, rat-infested apartment it was.
Cole might have lost me not one, but somehow two of my main jobs in as many days, but I'd be damned if I went crawling back to his penthouse.
Ignoring my aching feet, I hopped on another bus outside the Tourmaline and stepped out in front of my old apartment.
After sending up a little prayer that the Rat Thief hadn't found a Rat Wife and started an entire rodent family in my efficiency, I walked up the stairs to my apartment...
...to find two bars of bright yellow DO NOT CROSS tape strung across the front door and a handwritten sign that read EVICSHUN NOTIS.
"Hiya, Sunny!" Vinny greeted me cheerfully after I knocked on his door.
And his eyes stayed firmly above my neck.
That should have been my first clue that someone had gotten to him.
Still, I answered, "Hiya, Vinnie? What's going on with my door? Why did you bar me from my own apartment?"
"Aw, well, you were late with the rent, remember?"
"Yes, one day late. Once in my entire time living here. And I paid the rent in cash with the interest fee."
"Aw, did you?" Vinny grimaced and tilted his head to the side.
"Yes, Vinny,I did," I answered from between clenched teeth. "We had a whole conversation about how I wouldn't be around for a while. You accused me of finding a sugar daddy, and I super-kindly asked you to deal with my rat problem while I was gone."
"Not sure I remember?—"
"Vinny, it was last night!" My voice was only a couple of notes away from shrieking. "Listen, can we not do this? I've had the longest day, and my feet are killing me."
"I mean, I'd be fine with not doing this. I'm a nice Italian guy at heart." Vinny proudly patted the chest of his stained wife-beater. "Friendly and respectful. But the thing is..."
Vinny scratched the back of his ring of thin hair. "This is technically Los Lobos territory. Not-so-nice Mexicans. I'm talking new-Vegas cartel. But they do make my job easier, usually. Do the collecting for me when someone doesn't pay. Keep the building safe. Make sure nobody comes around here bothering me about my cash-only rent policy."
