Alice, Manager at the Golden Nugget - Casual Causality at the Casino

“I am so sorry, Ms. Carr.”

“It’s fine, Bethany,” I muttered, pushing my glasses to my head as I stopped myself from sighing in frustration. It was not fine. I wasn’t mad about Bethany ordering the wrong alcohol brand (though I was still annoyed about that), but by how relaxed my boss, Andy Caruso, was.

Today was his birthday. As his assistant, it was my job to ensure this day went perfectly. That was already a tall order for the Golden Nugget. But add the ten heist people on the casino floor who planned to rob the casino tonight... It was only a miracle that I wasn’t pulling my hair out.

I took a deep breath. “Honest mistake. Mr. Caruso won’t mind this flavor.”

“But Ms. Carr, it’s supposed to be his favorite, the twenty-year-old Macallan. Are you sure?” Bethany, bless her heart, looked on the verge of tears. We were in the bar close to Andy’s suite. Caterers bustled around, arranging the decorations and setting up the food. I glanced at the clock, noting we had just an hour before the party was set to begin. However, the party wasn’t on my mind. I still felt upset that Andy revealed the information about the ten men to me two hours ago. He didn’t want to call the police, wanting to catch them in the act to be his birthday gift to himself.

“Positive,” I lied, forcing a smile. “Andy won’t bat an eye. Now, get housekeeping to prioritize his suite. We need rose petals scattered generously, the aromatherapy candles lit precisely at 7 PM, and that damn broken ice bucket replaced.”

Relieved, Bethany nodded vigorously. “Yes, Ms. Carr. Right away.”

As she hurried off, I couldn’t help but let out a small sigh, running a hand through my hair. It was bad enough that the logistics of Andy’s birthday had me on edge. Those ten men on the casino floor had been a dark cloud over my thoughts since Andy casually mentioned them. How could he be so calm about this? I wondered if it was all a test — maybe even a twisted game to see if I could handle the pressure.

There was no point in me staying before the party. The staff could practically run themselves, and I was eyeing a bottle as if my life depended on it. I headed back to my office, the plush carpet muffling my hurried steps. Inside, the chaos outside faded slightly, but the weight of the situation remained. I sat at my desk, staring at the neat rows of meticulously organized paperwork. My perfectly manicured nails tapped on the table.

If Andy had a plan to nab these men, why didn’t he tell me?

Picking up my phone, I dialed security. It rang twice before a familiar voice answered. “Security, this is Michael.”

“Michael, it’s Alice. I need you to discreetly increase the surveillance on the casino floor. Keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. And make sure your team is on standby. We can’t let anything slip through the cracks tonight.”

There was a pause on the other end before Michael spoke, his tone serious. “Understood, Alice. We’ll be on high alert.” He paused again. I didn’t need to see him to know something was bothering Michael. “I think we have a situation, but none of us can make heads or tails about it.”

“Is someone robbing the casino?” I asked, a tad too loud. Why did those men have to choose this night to rob the casino?

It took another long pause until Michael responded, “It would be helpful if you see the footage. Andy doesn’t know about this yet.”

My heart raced as I contemplated Michael’s words. I hadn’t expected these men to escalate so quickly. I debated whether to go directly to Andy with this for a moment, but I quickly dismissed the thought. If he didn’t know, there might be a reason for it.

“Send me the footage to my office computer,” I instructed. “I’ll review it immediately.”

“Copy that,” Michael replied. “You’ll have it in a minute.”

As I waited, my mind spun with questions and scenarios. Who were these men? What were they planning? And most importantly, how would it affect Andy’s birthday celebration? Would she have to cancel everything? The screen flickered to life, and the footage started to play.

The casino floor looked as busy as ever, with guests moving between tables and slot machines. The camera seemed to zoom in on a blackjack table. At first glance, everything seemed normal. None of the people were the heist members.

“What am I looking at?” I asked, pulling the phone close to my mouth.

“You should see a woman in a red dress.”

My eyes scanned the footage again, and then I saw her. She was sitting at the blackjack table, her elegant red dress making her stand out amidst the crowd. She wasn’t one of the ten men.

“Who is she?” I asked, eyeing her for any sleight of hands.

“We don’t know yet,” Michael replied. “She arrived an hour ago and hasn’t lost her money.”

My eyebrows slightly raised. Cheaters weren’t unheard of. You have those who’ll try to sneak cards past the dealer or card counters who have perfected their craft. But this woman was different. She didn’t seem like a regular cheater. There was an air of confidence about her. As if she knew something the rest of us didn’t.

“Alright, Michael. What about the lady in red don’t you like?” I asked after looking at her and having her face memorized. Her presence could be a coincidence, but given the situation, I doubted it. She might be the distraction or even the mastermind.

“The woman doesn’t seem to be cheating,” Michael answered. Strange. “But look at the dealer.”

The dealer? Did we hire a mole? Leaning closer to the screen, I focused on the dealer. He shuffled the cards and dealt them out to everyone, including the woman in red. The woman had a 14. However, the dealer revealed his blackjack before the first player could ask to stand. So far, the scene was playing out like most blackjack games, though the woman didn’t seem bothered about losing her hand.

Before I could ask Michael what he was talking about, the dealer did something I had never seen a dealer do before. As he collected everyone’s chips, he handed the woman’s chips back to her. I tilted my head. That was… correct?

No, that couldn’t be right. When a dealer beats your hand, they take your chips. Even a baby knew this. But no matter how hard I tried to make sense of the nonsensical scene, I could only come to the most obvious conclusion. The dealer’s action was correct.

Michael’s voice came from my phone. “No matter what game she’s playing, any time she loses, she gets her bet back instead of losing it like everyone else.” I scratched my head. That… sounded right? But if the woman didn’t lose money when she lost a round, when would she lose money? I groaned as I rolled my temples. Why did this feel like a logic problem? “We weren’t sure if we should bring security to question her. Everything seems normal.”

A slow frown spread across my face. This woman defied the very foundation of blackjack – not losing money when you lose a hand. Except, no. Everything told me that this is fine. It was fine that losing a round caused her to keep her chips. It was fine that this woman seemed to have found a way to beat the house at its own game. It was fine that everyone found this normal. It was fine that my thoughts kept correcting me.

But it wasn’t fine.

Closing my computer and connecting my earphones to my phone, I stood. “Listen, Michael, I don’t know what the hell is going on, but that is not normal.” The words felt hollow in my tongue as if I was trying to convince myself. “Send three of your guys with me. We’re going to have a word with the mystery woman.” I could only hope I could finish this before Andy’s party started.

I marched out of my office, Michael’s concerned voice buzzing in my ear. “Are you sure about this, Alice? This woman hasn’t broken any rules technically.”

I scoffed, hating that I was half-agreeing with Michael. The only thing stopping me from fully agreeing with him was spite. There was no doubt in my mind that this woman was connected to the ten heist men. “Technically? Blackjack is built on the concept of risk and reward. This woman isn’t risking anything if she isn’t losing money. She’s either exploiting a loophole we don’t understand, or something more is at play.”

I made my way through the casino floor, the vibrant hum of the games, and the chatter of the patrons surrounding me. Andy loved interacting with the guests. Down to earth, he always said. I preferred working behind the scenes, though people liked being around me. Glancing around, I spotted three of the casino’s best security personnel heading for the blackjack area. Readying myself to face the woman who dared to defy the laws of blackjack, I followed them.

It didn’t take long for me to spot her. It was almost like the woman wanted to be found. Her red dress was probably worth more than the other casual players’ clothes. Looking down, her stacks of chips were taller than the average player’s beside her.

Alright, lady, your luck just ran out.

Signaling for the plain-clothed guards to hold, I walked toward Table 18. The dealer, Tom Edwards, glanced up as well, a hint of apprehension in his eyes. He knew something was up.

“Excuse me,” I began, addressing the woman directly. “Would you mind stepping aside for a moment? I’d like to have a word with you.”

The woman smiled calmly, though I could see she was enjoying my confusion. “Is there a problem?” she asked in an innocent voice.

“Yes, there is,” I replied, keeping my tone even but firm. “Please step aside with me for a moment.”

Her smile didn’t waver as she stood, her movements graceful and deliberate. She followed me to a quieter corner of the casino, the security personnel trailing discreetly behind us. The buzz of the casino floor faded slightly as we moved, the noise replaced by the steady thrum of my own heartbeat pounding my head.

Once we were out of earshot of the other patrons, I turned to face her. “What’s your name?”

“Veronica Steele,” she replied smoothly, her eyes never leaving mine. “And you are?”

“Alice Carr. I’m the operations manager here,” I said. “Veronica, we’ve noticed some... irregularities with your gameplay tonight.”

Her smile widened, as if she found the entire situation amusing. “Irregularities? I’m not sure what you mean. I’m simply enjoying a game of blackjack.”

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my frustration in check. “Ms. Steele, you and I both know that’s not true. Your dealer is returning your chips to you every time you lose. That’s not normal.”

For the first time, a flicker of something crossed her face – irritation, perhaps. “And what should my dealer do?”

I opened my mouth but stopped when I hit a roadblock. What should Tom Edwards do? When Veronica loses a run, her original bet should be returned. But that can’t be right. It shouldn’t be right. Yet, I couldn’t find another possible answer.

Veronica raised an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting the dealer should take my chips when I lose?”

That almost felt familiar, but it made no sense. Why would the dealer take Veronica’s chips when she lost a round? Somehow, the idea made less sense than the dealer returning her chips after losing a round.

Trying to ignore my growing headache, I finally spoke. “If you know something, I suggest you say it.”

Veronica’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she leaned in slightly. “Alice, you seem awfully stressed over a simple game of blackjack,” she said smoothly. “Are you sure you want to go down this path?”

I crossed my arms, refusing to let her get under my skin. “Yes, I’m sure. And I think you know exactly why. So, let’s stop dancing around the issue and get to the point. What’s going on here?”

She chuckled softly, her confidence unwavering. “Alright, Alice. I’ll give you a little hint. Have you heard of cause and effect?”

Her question caught me off guard. Of course, I knew about cause and effect, but how did it relate to this bizarre situation? “Yes, I have,” I replied cautiously. “But I don’t see what that has to do with your gameplay.”

Veronica’s smile grew. “It’s almost tempting to explain what I’m doing.” She tapped her chin. “Tell you what, go back to playing manager. The casino won’t see me as a problem. Besides, you have other fish to fry with the ten heist people threatening to ruin your boss’ birthday.”

My eyes narrowed at Veronica’s cryptic words. How did she know about the ten heist people? My heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t possibly know about them.

Unless…

The three guards closed in as I signaled for them. “Nice try,” I said, refusing to let her rattle me. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you and your crew aren’t going to rob this casino.”

Veronica raised her hands in surrender, though her smile never left. I didn’t like that. “I’m not with those guys, though I can’t decide if I plan to help them steal the vault or not. Either way, tonight will be the most unforgettable night this casino has ever seen. It’s a shame you won’t know why.”

The guards surrounded Veronica, though I signaled for them to wait. I didn’t know what was worse, the things that didn’t make sense or the things that did. Veronica knew about the heist. That much was certain. But was she a mastermind pulling strings or a wildcard playing her own game? Regardless, her ever-present grin only told me she was planning to make trouble.

“Give me one reason why these guards shouldn’t send you to a small room?”

Veronica shrugged as she eyed the three men around her. “Let’s play a game,” she said, completely ignoring my question. “If the guards can keep me in your ‘small room’ for the rest of the night, I’ll return my winnings. If I escape, I turn the casino into my playground.”

I didn’t like the sound of her game. Letting her go was out of the question, but locking her up felt like a gamble. Her confidence told me she had something up her sleeve.

“A playground?” I scoffed. “What does that even mean?”

Veronica twirled strands of her blonde hair, revealing a wicked glint in her eyes. “Let’s just say your tight security might loosen up a bit, and the guests will have a night they’ll never forget.”

That does it. I could feel my mind unraveling the more I listened to this woman. Was Veronica crazy, or was there more to her? The answer didn’t matter. She was the security’s problem now.

I nodded to the guards. “Take her to the holding room.”

Veronica’s smile widened as if she had expected this. Or even wanted this to happen. The guards took her by the arms, but she didn’t resist. As they led her away, she glanced back at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Once she was out of sight, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. More questions kept flooding my mind. Who was Veronica? How did she know about the heist? Why did she play blackjack wrong yet right? And what was her endgame? I needed to take action fast.

I pulled out my phone and dialed the head of security, Jack. He picked up on the second ring. “Jack, it’s Alice. We have a situation. I need you to secure the casino floor and arrest the ten heist men.”

Jack paused. “Andy instructed us not to act until they tried to steal anything. It’s a weird birthday gift if you ask me.”

“The situation has changed,” I said, trying to convey how bad things are. “We have a very unpredictable guest who knows about the heist. Make sure everything is on high alert, and arrest those men now.”

Jack sighed heavily on the other end of the line. “Alright, Alice. We’ll go with your call. But if Andy has a problem with this, it’s on you.”

“Understood. Just make sure they don’t slip through our fingers.”

As I ended the call, I checked the time. I still had a half hour before Andy’s party started in his suite. He will be very disappointed that he didn’t get his birthday gift. But it was either that or the vault possibly being emptied out. Andy will understand. He has to. Something was about to go down, and it was up to me to stay one step ahead.

Straightening myself, I forced a smile and walked into the restricted area until I bumped into someone in a red dress.

“I apologize,” I muttered, trying to regain my footing.

She turned around. “No need,” Veronica responded, grinning at me as she giggled. “I wanted you to bump into me.”

My blood ran cold. Veronica? Here? How? She was supposed to be in the holding room. How did she get out so quickly? And how did she manage to intercept me here?

I forced myself to stay calm, even as a wave of panic threatened to crash over me. “How did you—”

Veronica placed a finger to my lips, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “Shh. It’s all part of the game, Alice. And you’re playing beautifully.” Playing? I haven’t done anything yet.”

I took a step back, my mind racing. The guards should have secured her by now. Either they were incompetent, or she had outside help. Neither option was comforting.

“What do you want, Veronica?” I asked, keeping my voice steady. “And how did you get past the guards?”

Her smile widened. “I want to see how far you’ll go to protect this casino. How much are you willing to risk? How clever are you, really?”

I glanced around, hoping to spot one of the guards, but the hallway was empty. She had chosen her moment well.

“Why don’t we play another game?” Veronica continued, her tone light and playful. “Since we’re on our way to the boss’ suite, and you won’t stop what is coming, I’ll give you a chance for a consolation prize because of how you’ve been resisting my influence so far.”

“I’m done playing games,” I muttered, walking past her. Veronica followed me. Of course. “If you want me to play your stupid game, you can start by telling me how you escaped the holding room and guards.”

She shrugged. “You know, I was thinking about staying there for thirty minutes to make my escape seem believable. But they wouldn’t let me use my phone, so I made that the reason they would jerk each other off.”

That… somehow made sense. Naturally, if the guards stopped her from using her phone, they would turn gay and rub each other. There really should be a meeting to prevent this sort of thing. Wait!

“You… made that happen?” I asked, the wheels slowly turning in my head.

Veronica’s grin widened, a hint of pride in her eyes. "Yes, Alice, I did. Cause and effect. Now, about that consolation prize…”

Her voice trailed off, and her eyes flickered toward the approaching elevator doors at the end of the hallway. Two burly guards stood stiffly beside them, their faces hardening as they saw her.

Backup. I might have believed the guards were too busy to stop Veronica from walking past them (it didn’t explain how she practically teleported in front of me), but these guards weren’t stopping Veronica from using her phone. Whatever game she was playing was about to come to a stop.

“Hey, you silly princesses,” Veronica purred, looking straight at the two guards. “You can get out of those costumes.”

The guards didn’t move a muscle. In fact, their faces remained frozen as they stared Veronica down. What were they waiting for? Couldn’t they see she was obviously an intruder? I was about to shout at them when they reached behind and pulled on something that sounded like a zipper. Suits don’t have zippers, at least from behind.

Their faces became plastic(?) as their bodies lost their shape and crumpled to the floor. Standing by the doors were not two guards but two confused women in royal dresses. The hallway felt like it was spinning as I struggled to grasp what my eyes saw. It was anyone’s guess if Veronica was enjoying the sight of the two princesses, my utter confusion, or both.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised,” Veronica purred. “You hired these two princesses as surprise entertainment for your boss’ birthday. Nice touch with the bodysuits.”

My mind struggled to keep up with the bizarre scene before me. The princesses stood there, both shocked and embarrassed. It was clear that they had no idea what was happening, their confusion mirroring my own. I didn’t hire these two women as entertainment (this casino was a respectable establishment, dammit). Bethany hired them at the last minute while she was also ordering the wrong alcohol. It was my idea to put them in bodysuits disguised as guards so no one would notice the mistake.

But how did Veronica see through the bodysuits? Those two must have been actors as well hookers to fool everyone into thinking they were legitimate guards. Even I forgot they weren’t guards.

Veronica sauntered forward, her heels clicking against the polished floor. She reached out, her fingers grazing one of the princess’ cheeks. “Don’t worry, darlings. You can go back to your duties now,” she said, her voice dripping with a seductive sweetness. She turned back to me. “Where do they need to go, again?”

Veronica’s voice was filled with a mischievous tone as she looked at me expectantly, waiting for my response. I blinked, trying to shake off the bewildering turn of events and regain my composure.

“Uh, right,” I stammered, my mind still reeling. “They were supposed to be surprise entertainment for my boss’ birthday. They were meant to perform a dance routine in his suite. The party will start soon, and their disguises are ruined.”

She smirked, clearly amused by the situation. “Well, lucky for you, Alice, I'm here to make sure everything goes according to plan. Lead the way.”

Lead the way? This woman was not supposed to be here, and there was still the high chance she was connected in some way to the heist. I was so confused.

“Listen.” I tried to put strength in my voice. “This casino is my responsibility and I won’t let you ruin my boss’ birthday or his casino.”

Veronica’s eyes narrowed slightly, her amusement turning into a flicker of something else, something darker. She took a step closer, closing the distance between us. Her voice dropped to a low whisper that sent shivers down my spine.

“There is nothing you can do that will cause me to spare your casino from my brand of fun.” She walked past the two princess hookers and pressed the button. “Don’t think I haven’t forgotten about your consolation prize. Play your cards right, and you might be the new owner of this business. Whether you still recognize it as your casino is another question.”

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me… relaxed? Yes, relaxed. It made sense that a blatant threat and cryptic offer would cause me to feel relaxed. Maybe a little aroused. Hopefully Veronica didn’t know that.

With the elevator opening, the four of us entered the elevator and I pressed the button for Andy’s suite.

As the elevator ascended, the tension in the confined space grew thicker with each passing second. Veronica leaned against the mirrored wall, her eyes fixed on me like a predator. The two hooker princesses, still bewildered by the sudden turn of events, huddled together, their gazes darting nervously between us. My eyes narrowed at them. I could have sworn their dresses seemed more royal instead of tight and revealing.

Veronica broke the silence. “So, Alice, tell me about your boss. What kind of man is he? What are his desires?”

Like hell I was going to give this stranger details about Andy so that she would use it against the casino. “Andy,” I began cautiously, “he’s a powerful man, used to getting what he wants. He enjoys the finer things in life, the thrill of taking risks. He’s built this casino from the ground up, and his birthday celebration is a symbol of his success. He… enjoys spanking me whenever I misbehave.”

My cheeks turned red after I said the last part. Where had that come from? Andy doesn’t spank me. He also makes me put my underwear in my mouth, work naked, crawl on my hands, and shove things up my ass. Anything that was humiliating was up for grabs for Andy. But wait, that clashed with the professional image Andy and the casino was known for. What would cause Andy to do that to me?

“Would you say you telling your boss you want to be humiliated is the cause for him treating you this way,” she asked, almost as if she was answering my question. “To help balance your prideful nature.”

How could she know about the secret desires that Andy had awakened within me? The humiliation, the submission... It was a side of myself I had never fully understood, let alone shared with anyone else.

When the elevator doors opened, I ran. I ran like hell.

I didn’t care that I was leaving the hookers with Veronica. I didn’t care that I was running away from Andy’s suite. Veronica was obviously too much for someone like me. I mean, who just reveals dirty secrets about what you and your boss do behind closed doors to a potential heist leader? Was I even fit to be the casino’s operations manager? With my legs carrying me to who knows where, I collided into my boss. The collision also somehow caused my suit and dress to rip. Shit, the dress wasn’t cheap.

We tumbled to the ground, my body crashing against his, as if the universe had conspired to bring us together in this moment of chaos. His strong arms lifted and steadied me, and I found myself lost in his deep, penetrating gaze.

“Alice, what’s happened? Are you alright?” he asked, his voice filled with worry. I glanced down at his fly, noticing it was unzipped. However, my head was still spinning because of the many questions that were spinning my mind.

How could I explain the chaotic whirlwind of emotions that had just unfolded in the elevator? How could I begin to unravel the tangled mess of desires and secrets that threatened to consume me?

“I have to go,” I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t stay here.”

“There, there,” he said, comforting me as he rubbed my shoulders but turned me around. “If this is about you ruining my birthday gift by telling security to capture those heist men early, I understand.”

“But the casino is still in danger,” I whined as he walked me closer to his suite. “We have to put the casino in lockdown.”

“No, no, no,” he said, tapping the code of his suite door. “Security is already on high alert, and I have a birthday party behind this door. I’m not missing this for the world.”

I took a deep breath. He was right. I had spent time and effort organizing the party for my boss. It would be a shame to let my nerves cause this night to end on a bad note. Besides, the security in Andy’s suite must have already taken care of Veronica. However, I couldn’t help but feel a deep pit in my stomach that something bad will happen.

“Wait, what about my clothes? I asked, trying to hide the rip above my ass.

Andy chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well, Alice, I think we can find a solution to that little wardrobe malfunction of yours," he said. He stepped closer, his hand trailing down my arm, sending shivers of anticipation through my body. “For now, why do you head to the bathroom? I’ll send some new clothes to you.”

I spun on my heels, unsure of why I was doing this. If tonight was salvageable, I suppose a quick trip to the ladies room would make things right. It was nice how things were turning out. My boss wasn’t mad, which caused me to relax and forget most of my troubles.

However, the way my hands were hiding my rip must have sent a signal to Andy because he gave me a quick slap on my ass.

That felt oddly unnatural but I moaned in response.

“There you go, Alice. I knew Ms. Steele was right about you.” He grinned from ear to ear as his hand settled on his suite door.

I smiled back at him, unsure about what he was talking about. The restroom was near as I walked toward it.

“Also, she told me that once you get out, everything at the Golden Nugget will feel normal.”

I paused in my tracks, my mind reeling with confusion. What did he mean by “everything at the Golden Nugget will feel normal”? But when I turned around, he was no longer in the hallway. Perhaps he was trying to make me feel better.