CASINO SHUFFLE Read Free Page A

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