Free Mackenzie Legacy, The by Derrolyn Anderson

the hotel, the only reason for its existence, and Caledonia could see swirling clouds of emotion wafting and dissipating throughout the air conditioned atmosphere.
    When Calvin approached the front desk and presented the card, the pretty brunette behind the counter was all smiles. She called for a concierge to make the tournament arrangements, and slid another card across the marble counter towards him. A bellman materialized to show them to their suite.
    “Whoa,” was all Calvin could manage when they stood in front of the floor to ceiling windows in their room. After a summer of traveling they were accustomed to hotel rooms, but this one surpassed anything they’d ever seen. Not only was it the finest room either one of them had ever set foot in, but looking down at the strip from thirty stories in the sky was amazing.
    “I’ve never been up this high before,” Caledonia breathed, looking down. Pedestrians moved like blood cells on elevated walkways that fed fresh gamblers into the heart of the compound.
    Calvin tilted his head towards a large sunken bathtub mounted on a raised platform with the same million dollar view as the bed. “That tub… is definitely big enough for two,” he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.
    Caledonia rolled her eyes at his one-track mind, but she had to agree that it looked inviting.
    Calvin smiled, “They gave me this for tonight.” He handed her a voucher for dinner at one of the hotel’s restaurants.
    “La Volière… Hmm, I think that means aviary in French.”
    “Seriously… You speak French too?” he asked in mock horror, only halfway joking.
    She smirked at him. “Just a few words here and there.”
    The poker tournament wasn’t scheduled until the following afternoon, but Calvin was nervous, and they both wanted to take a closer look at the venue ahead of time. They dressed in their best clothes and took the elevator back down to the labyrinthine lobby, following the herds of people drawn into the casino’s palpable current of energy.
    Time no longer seemed to exist in the busy whirl of the windowless gaming palace. Bells and buzzers sounded, bringing cries of elation that stood out like little mushroom clouds in a sea of fixated anticipation. Scantily clad cocktail waitresses dipped and twirled through the crowd, their trays laden with drinks.
    The two Cals found the card room, taking a spot with the rest of the spectators to watch some of the games in progress. Caledonia gazed upon the scene, her singular eyes seeing a cacophony of intense emotion. A palette of vivid color swirled above the player’s heads; cold greed, envy and anxiety contrasting with warmer pulses of elation and arrogance.
    It occurred to her that the whole town was built on a foundation of deceit and deception, and the glitz and glamor of the shiny new surfaces only masked a scaffolding of greed. Calvin was engrossed in watching the action at the tables, but Caledonia didn’t want to stay any longer than she possibly had to. The place made her head hurt.
    “I’m going to go check out the shops in the lobby,” she told him.
    “Okay,” he said, tearing his focus from the game. “I’ll go with you.”
    “No. You stay and watch,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”
    He leaned over to kiss her cheek, giving her hand a squeeze. “Don’t leave the hotel… okay?”
    “I’ll be fine,” she assured him, beating a hasty retreat.
    She lingered in the quiet hallways, looking at some sparkling jewelry displayed in glass cases. The rest of the hotel was hushed in contrast with the gaming rooms, and as she wandered she regained her equilibrium. She walked past a small lounge with a sign advertising “The Magnificent Raynaldo–Master Hypnotist”. Caledonia peeked inside to see a small gathering of people drinking cocktails, watching a man on a small stage set in the corner.
    She lingered in the doorway, watching as he scanned the crowd for a volunteer from the audience. He suddenly stopped,