“For day. For night you need a vest and tie. Hold on.”
He shoves a hand into his pocket, and the lights catch on a flash of silver keys that jangle as he opens the closet from which Tanya produced the shirts yesterday. Cannon yanks out hangers covered in a clear plastic dry-cleaning bag and offers them to me.
“These vests should fit you. Hell, probably better than they fit her.” He murmurs the last bit with a shake of his head.
“Who?”
He shoves the clothing toward me, and I rush to take it. My fingers slide against his, and a spark of heat passes between us.
Cannon’s brow furrows as his eyes lock on mine. “Doesn’t matter. Take a half-hour break if you want now. You’re going to be busy tonight.”
He backs toward the door, and I can’t help but wonder what the hell just happened in here ... and whose clothes I’m going to be wearing for my next shift. A check in the mirror shows me that there wasn’t a damn thing wrong with my wig placement either.
So, why does he keep looking at me like that?
* * *
For the next several hours,I run drinks to what seems like every upper-class New Yorker. Famous men, notorious men, men who have been on the cover ofForbesandTime Magazine.
As I deliver thousand-dollar glasses of cognac and catch glimpses of the labels of some of the most expensive cigars from Matteo’s inventory, I play a game to keep my attention sharp—attempt to tally the net worth of the people present tonight. I stall out when I try to add the geeky guy whose portrait was in stipple format on the front page of theWall Street Journallast week.Did they say he was worth six billion or sixteen billion after his IPO?
I lose track of time and start to droop. I’ve been here for almost twelve hours, and I haven’t eaten all day. I load my tray with another round of drinks for the table I’ve labeledRevenge of the Nerds, and my stomach growls with the intensity of a pride of lions. Of course, Cannon appears at my side to hear it.
“I should’ve told you to get some food in the kitchen earlier. Do that now. I need you focused and helping to clear out the tables before midnight.”
It might be my fatigue, or maybe the fact that I’m pretty sure I’m light-headed from lack of food, but I stare at him in confusion.
“Doesn’t the club close at two?”
The muscle in Cannon’s jaw tightens as he rebuttons his suit jacket and scans the club floor. Everything about him screams calm, collected, and completely in control. “Not tonight.”
I’m not stupid. There’s something big going down, and I’d bet a shred of my soul that it’s mob business, especially given his comments about Donny Linetti’s appearance earlier. Just the reminder that I might be one step closer to finding answerstonightsends a charge through my body like I’ve mainlined Red Bull.
“Whatever you need, Cannon. I’m here to help.”
He scans my appearance, seeming to approve of my uniform, which actually does fit well. Then his gaze narrows on my face, and I get the sense that once again, he’s trying to see inside my head, which would be catastrophic to my longevity.
“Important guests will be arriving at midnight. Don’t speak to any of them. Tanya will show them into the conclave.”
“The conclave?”
He gives me a short nod, and a sweep of dark hair dips over his forehead. “It’s the carved wooden door to the right of the conservatory. Don’t go inside.”
“Then ... what do you want me to do if I can’t speak to anyone or go inside the room where people need to be served?” I ask, rocking back on my heels.
“Whatever Tanya tells you to do.” A buzzing sound comes from his pocket, and he tenses. “I have to go. Don’t fuck up anything tonight.”
As he walks away, I feel like he leaves behind unsaid words hanging in the air.“Your life depends on it.”
A raft of shivers rips down my spine.Like someone just walked over my grave.I straighten my shoulders and pull myself together.
Tonight’s the night.Time to get down to business.
10
Drew
The Italians have arrived. It’s midnight, and the club was silent for a whole fifteen minutes before a contingent of men swept through the door. Caught out in the open, near the bar where I just finished putting away clean glasses, I smile and do my best Vanna White impression. My arm gracefully extends outward, in a silent gesture that they should continue forward toward the carved door where Tanya is putting the finishing touches on the room for the meeting.