CASINO SHUFFLE (3 page)

“Knowing what others need is what I do for a living.”
 
His BlackBerry buzzed.
 
As he answered he escorted the attendant out of the bedroom and into the guest hall.
 
“This is Antonio.”

“Antonio?
 
Carl.
 
I’ll be at the port in five minutes with Shannon Moon.”

“She’s alone?”

“Yup,” said the limo driver.
 
“Said
Brandon
is coming in later tonight with his tour manager.
 
I called dispatch to have a stretch pick him at the airport around eight.
 
I didn’t figure an Escalade would be enough for him.
 
Those pop star types have a big entourage.”

“Miss Moon didn’t bring a personal assistant or her agent?”

“Just me and her in here.”

That fit the unassuming and private young woman Antonio had researched on-line, but still, he was somewhat surprised.
 
“Any further special requests?”

“Just make sure you don’t have any magazines with her picture in ‘em lying around.
 
She tossed all mine out the back window.”

Antonio distinctly remembered forwarding that information to the limousine manager just before checking all the magazines in the suite.
 
“What’s her mood?”

“She didn’t get mad.
 
She threw them into the street when we were stopped at a traffic light.
 
A bunch of drivers jumped out to pick them up, so she started signing them.
 
Horns were going off like crazy behind us.”

“How much luggage does she have?”

“Couple of suitcases is all.
 
She’s a nice girl, Antonio.
 
Not like most of the celebrities we get.
 
What’s she doing dating that ass
Brandon
?”

Antonio winced.
 
“I assume she can’t hear you?”

“She’s listening to her iPod.
 
Plus I got the partition up.
 
Come on Antonio.
 
You know I’m a professional.”

“I was hoping as much.”

“I heard she showed her breasts in her last movie.
 
Did you see it?”

“I have to go now, Carl.”

“Hey, guess what?
 
She bought me a milkshake at McDonalds.”

“Another story for the breakroom.”

“Nobody’s gonna beat this one.
 
Shannon Moon bought me a milkshake.
 
Who can top that?”

“You’ll win the gossip pool hands down.
 
I’ll see you in the port in four minutes.”
 
Before ending the call he added, “Keep a sharp eye for paparazzi.
 
We have reason to believe they may be waiting for her arrival.”

“If I see any, I’ll run em over.”

Antonio replaced the water glass in the guest bathroom, wiped out the armoire and rearranged the robe, which had become disheveled from the perched paparazzo, and sent Sonny a quick text as a reminder to put the condoms in the nightstand.
 
He found a folded slip of paper on the floor, glanced at it quickly and slid it into his tuxedo jacket.
 
When he left the Sachem Suite he checked to make sure the doors were secured behind him.
 
As he strode down the hall he visually inspected the linen wall covering, pile carpet, brass chair rail and mirrors and, after wiping away a smudge with his handkerchief, found the route of Miss Moon’s travel satisfactory and sent Maria a quick note of thanks on his BlackBerry.

At the end of the hall he pushed through a door marked
Villa Staff
and bumped into a small crowd of housekeeping attendants gathered on the elevator landing.
 
Most of them gasped in surprise.
 
One giggled.
 
Several jammed digital cameras back into the pockets of their uniforms.

Antonio squared his shoulders and arched an eyebrow at them.
 
“Hello ladies.”

They sang in chorus, “Helloooo Antonio.”

“Have you assembled for a meeting?”

As one, they shook their heads.

“Waiting for an elevator, perhaps?”

A few shook their heads.
 
Others nodded.

Antonio pressed the call button.
 
Immediately the elevator door to his left pinged and opened.
 
He raised his arm.
 
“Ladies, I trust you won’t be waiting for an
elevator
any more this evening.”

They pushed one another forward.
 
One spokeswoman smiled up at him, “Thanks Antonio!”
 
Once all were pressed into the elevator, she said, “Say good-bye to Antonio girls!”

As the doors slid closed they all waved at him.
 
“Bye-
bye
Antonio!”

He crossed the landing and knocked on the door to the butler pantry.
 
Sonny opened it from within holding a box of condoms.
 
“I just got your e-mail.
 
I’m on my way.”

Antonio took the condoms and slipped them back into Sonny’s jacket pocket.
 
“Discretion.”
 
He said, “On a related matter, there was a small contingency of
Brandon
fans out here on the landing with cameras.”

Sonny’s eyebrows drew together in a passing resemblance of confusion.
 
“Really?
 
I didn’t hear anything.”

“Sonny, I’m fond of our housekeeping attendants too,” said Antonio.
 
“But our foremost consideration is the privacy of the guests.
 
Also, we wouldn’t want any of the ladies getting disciplined when we could have prevented their violation of the company policy on the privacy of celebrity guests.”

Sonny abandoned the charade and his shoulders sagged.
 
“You’re right, Antonio.
 
Sorry.
 
I was hoping they would behave themselves.
 
They all love
Brandon
.”

“No need to apologize.”
 
Antonio walked over to a storage closet and removed a shopping bag of compact travel umbrellas they kept on-hand for guests.

Sonny asked, “Is it raining?”

“No, the weather this evening is very mild.”
 
Antonio updated Sonny on the hiding paparazzo event in the suite.
 

“You think he’ll try for another picture?”

“I’m sure of it.”
 
He glanced at the white board on the far wall of the pantry, where all arriving VIP guests were listed along with their suite number, arrival time and special requests.
 
He took in a sharp breath.
 
“I nearly forgot about Max.”

Sonny fastened the top button of his tuxedo jacket.
 
“I’ll take care of it.”

Antonio checked his watch.
 
“If all goes well I should have time.
 
I’ll get Miss Moon settled within the hour.
 
Max is arriving at eight p.m.
 
By the time I have Max organized and at the poker tournament
Brandon
’s limousine should be pulling into the casino.”
 

“Million Dollar
Texas
Hold ‘Em.
 
What’s the buy-in for something like that?”

“More than you or I can afford, but well within Max Allen’s means.”

“Must be nice to have rich parents.”

“Max’s parents are quite broke, I assure you.
 
It seems that luck skips a generation.”
 
Antonio pressed the elevator button.
 
“Are those raspberry?”

Now Sonny’s confused expression was genuine.
 
“Huh?”

Antonio stepped into the elevator.
 
“The condoms were requested to be raspberry-flavored.”

As the doors began to close Sonny said, “It doesn’t say on the box.”
 
Just as the doors to the elevator bumped shut he called out – “Should I smell them?!”

Antonio had barely smiled when his BlackBerry buzzed on his hip. The elevator lurched into descent.

The cell phone screen read MAX ALLEN.

Antonio shot back his cuff and checked his watch, hoping that this phone call did not mean what he feared.

“Hello, this is Antonio.”

Chapter Two

“Hello Antonio, its Max.”
 
The cell reception in the elevator was scattered.
 
“I’m trying…remember…this tournament is going to work.”

The elevator doors slid open and Antonio exited into the back-of-the-house hallway landing, lobby level.
 
“Million Dollar Texas Hold ‘Em,” he said.
 
“Seating begins at eight.
 
There are currently sixty-three players involved.
 
No side games.
 
Winners from day one progress to day two where a final winner will be determined in a show-down.
 
The tournament will be telecast live on cable and our marketing photographers will be present for promotional shots.”

“Telecast live.
 
Will I have to shave?”

“The dress code is a bit more substantial than that.”
 
Antonio sidestepped a bellhop hustling a brass luggage cart down the back hallway.
 
“Formal Texan attire is required.”

The line was silent for a moment.
 
Finally Max said, “I don’t think I want to know.”

“I have a black tuxedo, freshly pressed, and a white Stetson, brushed and ready for your arrival.”
 
Antonio turned a corner and saw the security team waiting for him at the end of the hall.

“Ah, geez.
 
A
tuxedo
.
 
What’s a Stetson?
 
Isn’t that cologne?”

“A cowboy hat,” said Antonio, taking a quick count of the security officers as he approached.
 
He nodded to Mark Ford, who was squinting at his shopping bag of umbrellas.
 
“A ten gallon cowboy hat, to be exact.”

On his end of the line, Max was laughing and relaying this information to the limo driver.
 
There was an abrupt silence.
 
Max came back on the line.
 
“He says you’re serious.”

“I’m sure it was printed on your invitation, Max.”

“I don’t read my mail!
 
I don’t even know where my mail goes half the time.”

“Mr. Cashmen is coming and I know that he’s looking forward to playing with you again.”

“Cash is wearing a hat too?”

“Of course.”

Pause.
 
“White hats are the good guys, at least.”

“Exactly why I chose it for you,” said Antonio.
 
He stopped in front of the security team and handed the sack of umbrellas to Mark Ford.
 
Pressing the BlackBerry lightly to his shoulder, he said, “Everyone gets an umbrella.”