CASINO SHUFFLE Read Free

minutes.”   He holstered his BlackBerry and took the empty water glass from the recovering attendant.   “Are you feeling better now, Simone?”
    She exhaled loudly.   “That man’s lucky I wasn’t carry my toilet bowl brush.   Might’ve stabbed him.”
    Antonio patted her gently on the back.   “You were a formidable opponent.   I’ll replace the water glass in the bathroom.   Why don’t you go have a cigarette in the cafeteria?”
    “How’d you know I needed one?”
    “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