DOUBLE KNOT Read Free Page B

getting a little gray in the snout, were also on the guest list for Ondine’s birth.
    “It will be one physician instead of four. Two nurses instead of six. Richard will
     be there, of course, and you. Everyone else is out and you’re in.” She made direct
     eye contact with me, something she didn’t do often. “I need you there.”
    My phone buzzed with a text from Bradley. Davis, it’s time .
    “Bianca.” I stood. “I can’t be in two places at once.” A theme that had been peeking
     into the window of my heart since the day we learned I was carrying twins. “What if
     you go into labor while I’m on the cruise ship having my picture taken?”
    “Work it out, David, and change clothes.”
      
    * * *
      
    I grew up in Pine Apple, Alabama, a little spot in the road below Montgomery, where
     not much happened. I moved to Biloxi and took a position with the Bellissimo almost
     four years ago, and since then I’ve been incarcerated, poisoned, and had my hair set
     on fire, and all that’s in addition to learning enough Chinese to get through countless
     high-roller dinners impersonating Bianca Sanders. I loved my job, I made six figures,
     I missed it already, and I could honestly say I’d given it my all and I’d hang up
     my spy hat next week with no regrets. But when it comes to Bianca Sanders, I wondered
     who in the world would fill my size six shoes.

TWO

      
    Jessica DeLuna wanted my job.
    She had a job of her own; she was Miss Probability .
    Jessica and her husband Maximillian were contracted—not by me—to fill Probability with rich people. They were loosely, or tightly, I’m not exactly sure, connected
     to DeLuna-Elima Securities in New Orleans, a bank loosely, or tightly, depends on
     how you look at it, connected to the Knot on Your Life slot machines in Probability ’s casino.
    The deal went down over Virginia striped bass.
    The husband, Max, handled a bazillion-dollar trust for the Fillauer Estate, old New
     Orleans money. A year ago, about when project Probability went into full swing—timing is everything—Jess and Max accompanied the controlling-interest
     playboy son to the Bellissimo on the occasion of his twenty-first birthday so they
     could be there to intervene if young Richie Rich Fillauer went a little casino crazy.
     The Fillauer kid took first in a $500,000 blackjack tournament without touching the
     trust and the DeLunas were so impressed they didn’t leave.
    Richard and Bianca Sanders, and by Richard and Bianca Sanders I mean Richard Sanders
     and the person who sits through boring dinners pretending she’s Bianca Sanders—and
     that would be me—had young Fillauer over to celebrate his big blackjack win. He asked
     if his financial advisor and wife could tag along. It was the first time I met the
     DeLunas and I hoped it would be the last.
    That didn’t happen.
    Over jumbo lump crab and shrimp, Mr. Sanders told our guests about the next big thing
     on the Bellissimo horizon— Probability . Max DeLuna was delighted. He wanted to hear more. Between creamy asparagus bisque
     and baby wedge salads we slipped out to the Sanders’ library to marvel at the scale
     model of the fabulous ship. It was when the Virginian bass was served and the amenities
     and events aboard the maiden voyage were discussed in detail that DeLuna proposed
     he reach out to his upper-crust clients and gauge their interest levels in booking
     ($1,000,000 spots) one of the fifty luxurious suites for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
     Mr. Sanders, in a moment of vanilla bourbon cheesecake madness, hired DeLuna and the wife as Probability ’s host and hostess—no background checks, no salary negotiations, no corner office
     disputes.
    I almost choked on my white chocolate meringue.
    First, as anyone in the gaming industry would tell you, never spontaneously hire casino
     management. Next, isn’t it curious, and by curious I mean a flaming red flag, that
     a successful banker would accept