Chapter Six

My body froze; it was all I could do to keep from trembling.

Hearing the words escape his lips made everything happening feel so much more real.

And that was terrifying.

"Luca, why didn't you bring her by sooner?" Rosie beamed as she took my arm and led me away from Luca.

"You go visit the boys, darling," she shouted back to Luca as she hurried me towards a group of women. "I'll introduce her around."

I glanced over my shoulder to see Luca waving goodbye to me.

He wasn't going to rescue me.

He wanted to see me drown among these women. 

"Have you been to the SuperNova before, Sienna?" Rosie asked as we approached the women.

"No," I admitted, still overwhelmed by my surroundings. "This is my first time in."

Rosie stopped and turned to face me.

"Sienna, how did you meet Luca?" Something shifted in her demeanor.  She had been bright and bubbly a moment ago.  Now it was as if she were a mother bear protecting her young.

"I'm a showgirl at The Cashmere Crown.  Luca attended my show."

Rosie nodded and gestured to the group we had been walking towards.

"Well, if anyone asks, you tell them that you've been here a dozen times and wish that Chef Ray would make his prime rib every night of the week."

Why did it matter if this was my first time here?  Rich people are human, too.  They must have had a first visit here.

"Why?"

Rosie linked her arm back through mine. 

"I'm trying to help you. You just need to trust me." She said as we took a few steps forward again, approaching the group of women.

"Bonnie, Claire, you both look lovely.  Where are John and Adam?" Rosie greeted the two women with the same bubbly compassion she had met me with.

"Hello Rosie.  They're playing poker before we eat." The woman on the left turned her attention to me.  "Who did you bring with you?"

"This," Rosie took a dramatic pause, and sent me to the front of the group.  I felt like a rabbit being held out to two wolves. "This is Sienna, Luca Moretti's new girlfriend."

"You're dating Luca Moretti?" The one on the left in the short pink dress said.  Bonnie, I believe.

"I am." I feigned confidence.

"Hannah!" The woman in the floral maxi dress called to another girl. "Luca's girlfriend!" 

From the back of the crowd came the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.  Rich, warm brown eyes.  Jet black hair. Golden skin with a cool moonlight undertone.

"I didn't realize Luca had a girlfriend so quickly after I broke his heart." The girl said as she walked over, flashing me the biggest and whitest smile I had ever seen. 

"I'm Hannah.  Yes, that Hannah." She laughed and flipped her hair behind her shoulders. "I'm sure you've heard all about me."

I held my composure.  Even if what Luca and I had was real, I would've hated this girl all the same.

"Actually, he hasn't mentioned you.  It's lovely to meet you nonetheless." I gave her a big smile back.

Rosie's arm was still linked in mine.  She gave my arm a reassuring squeeze.

Hannah let out an arrogant laugh. "I guess he wouldn't have.  After all, cheaters don't usually advertise their relationship to their mistresses, am I right?"

Did Luca really cheat on her?  Who would cheat on her? She's gorgeous and rich.

"Our relationship is pretty new. I would never be someone's side chick." Rosie squeezed my arm again after I answered.

Hannah turned her gaze to me, looking me up and down.  This girl didn't come over to be my friend. She needed to make sure I knew my place.

"I think it's so nice he's bringing his new playthings out for a test run.  Do you even know where you are?"

"Of course I do, I just wish that Chef Ray had the prime rib on the menu all the time."

My face remained perfectly calm, but inside I was celebrating.  Thank you, Rosie, for the tip. Thank you, brain, for remembering all the details.

"Oh, you eat meat," Hannah said condescendingly, looking back at the other two women.  "Well, I hope you enjoy your breakfast. I'm sorry, what was your name again?  Sierra?"

She did that on purpose, I know it.

"Sienna," I corrected.

"It was lovely to see you, Rosie."

The three walked away and left us alone.  My walls crumbled for a minute, and I felt my body shake.  I needed to sit.

"Maybe you won't be helpless in the world after all." Rosie gestured to a bench nearby, and we both took a seat. 

"Why did you help me back there?  Clearly, the other women wanted to see me fail." 

Rosie smiled, and something about it felt so familiar.

"Back in the 60's, I was a showgirl performer over at The Peacock."

Of course! I have seen her picture in our dressing room.  Rosie Guerra was easily the most influential showgirl of all time.  She married the crowned prince of a South American country and ran off for her happily ever after. 

She looked happy.

Maybe her story started like mine. Maybe she never wanted to be with the Prince, but had to.

Maybe I could be that happy someday. 

I stayed seated when Rosie left, watching Luca interact with the other people in the hotel.  He looked so natural in this world of hidden secrets.  He knew how to make everyone around him feel important.  He glanced in my direction.

My heart skipped a beat.

I turned my eyes to the floor.

I was still in disbelief that there was a whole casino hidden from the rest of Las Vegas.  I couldn't handle the feeling that came with the way he looks at me. 

I didn't want him to look at me.

Is this the way he looked at Don before he poisoned him? 

I thought this would be easy.  I thought I could blackmail Las Vegas's most eligible bachelor into a few dates in exchange for my silence.  I thought we would just show up together a couple of times, let the paparazzi take our picture, and then go our separate ways while I rise to fame. 

My apartment is gone.

My belongings are gone.

And even with Luca still staring at me from across the room, I had never felt so alone. 

I looked back up to meet his gaze from across the room and watched as he excused himself from the conversation and slowly made his way over to me.  

I couldn't look away from him as he moved.  He walked like a stallion, tall and confident.

He extended a hand as he got close, and I knew I had a part to play again.  I smiled and gently placed my hand in his, allowing him to help me up from my seat.

"You survive the girls?" He said, as charming as ever.

"You sent me to the wolves with no warning." I matched his tone, sweet and flirty.

"That was just a taste of this world, Sienna." 

The way he said my name sent shivers down my back.

"Hannah can do much worse than a few backhanded statements, so be on your guard."

My stomach plummeted as we made our way into the dining room of the hotel.

What have I gotten myself into?