This week just seemed to be getting worse and worse, and I wasn’t sure how much farther fate would take this sick joke. On top of all of my current problems, there was a new one brewing at work. It probably wouldn’t affect me, or anyone I actually know in any way, so it was really tempting to just forget about it and get on with my life.

On the other hand, it was hard to forget about a traitor to my country playing poker just a few feet away from me.

I really hated myself for sticking my nose into something that is absolutely beyond my pay grade, but I only stuck in the tip. In the sense that I wasn’t confronting him directly. Just collecting whatever evidence I could from a distance using my Skills to pass on to the proper authorities once I had something concrete to give.

The problem was, I didn’t exactly have anything “concrete.” At least with my current levels. So it was time to grind, but I couldn’t exactly run off work to start throwing around my Skills. Besides, I only started this job so I could grind! However, things were going pretty slowly today.

[Detect Cheating]. Nope, they’re clean.

…

Clean.

…

Cleanerino.

…

Clean-tastic.

Wait- no, they’re just cheating on their spouse, not at cards. Clean…ish.

To use [Detect Cheating] so many times without a hit was like trying to sniff each flower in a bouquet and getting stale air instead. It drove on my mind to the point I needed a break. Since this round had about an hour left, I figured it would be safe to leave for a few minutes and grab breakfast.

My mouth opened wide in awe as I looked at today’s spread. While the last few days were pretty mediocre, it was now the quarterfinals and some of the biggest names in poker were finally taking part. And to give them the experience they deserved, the catering was upgraded to world-class levels.

All of the slices of cheese and meat were perfectly fresh, with the only mold present on the gorgonzola, but who was going to eat that anyway? Of those cheeses, most of them had labels placed next to them on delicate little signs. They showed off a name, as well as their country of origin, most of them being from somewhere in Europe. The fruits and veggies were perfectly crisp and flavorful, to the point that none of the bananas even had a brown single spot! The meats, though? Every kind of cut under the sun was organized neatly on several boards, and there was even a large bowl of caviar!

Picking out the best looking and smelling ingredients, I put myself together an impressive sandwich using a pair of bagel buns as the bread. Swiss cheese, some pastrami, still warm bacon, lettuce, tomato, and some cream cheese gave me the best looking sandwich I’d seen since I came to this world.

As I balanced the culinary tower on a paper plate with a cup of milky coffee in my other hand, slowly made my way over to a corner to sit down and enjoy my meal in peace, I was interrupted by a voice coming from behind.

“Damn, you really know how to make a sandwich! That thing looks good!” exclaimed a woman dressed in the green attendant’s uniform. I recognized her as one of Kamila’s friends. During the emergency team meeting, the trio she was part of didn’t quite clap as much for me as the others, but she was still the only one out of those three who didn’t openly glare at me.

“Uh, thanks!” I replied with an awkward smile, before composing myself enough to properly reply. “If you want, I could get you one too. But this one’s mine, I’m not parting with this masterpiece.”

“Oh, you’d do that for me?” the lady asked with wide eyes and a finger to her pouting lips. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

“Er, no?” I replied with a confused look that quickly turned into exasperation. “Just trying to be polite.”

“I guess Kamila was wrong about you, then! You don’t seem like some kind of predator,” she chuckled, holding out her hand. “I’m Beatrice, by the way!”

“Mike,” I replied, looking down at my own two hands which were busy grasping my brunch. “So what made you decide to give me a chance? Kamila and her other friend didn’t seem all too happy with me.”

“Well,” began Beatrice. “I like to consider myself the office gossip, and being polite to everyone is the best way to find juicy details! And word has it, you haven’t acted untoward anyone since you started, so I don’t see why I should be scared of you.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good to hear. But it kind of sucks that she’s made her feelings about me clear to all the other employees.”

“Mmh, I don’t really blame her though. She’s our mama bear, after all. And I read they have a tendency to maul people who don’t even mean their kids any harm!”

“Is she really that protective of you all?”

“Of course! After everything we’ve been through before working for Goldshanks, how can she not?”

I looked at Beatrice with a knowing look.

“Ooh, I see it in you too! You know exactly what I’m talking about! In the last place I worked, my boss took this cheerful demeanor as flirting and tried to blackmail me into having sex with him.”

“Why am I not surprised?” I groaned.

“I really hope that comment was aimed at him and not me.”

“At him, at him,” I quickly replied, trying to hold my hands out defensively, but instead just lifting my sandwich by a few inches. “Something like that was happening at my bank, where the tellers were all being blackmailed like that too.”

“Aww, those poor employees! I really hope they have somewhere else they can work like here, but this place is one in a million. Maybe they could work for a credit union?”

“Well thankfully it isn’t a problem any longer, since I helped them unionize.”

“You what?!” replied Beatrice in a fit of giggles. “Kamila really was wrong! You’re definitely one of us! Just don’t say the U word anywhere near Goldshanks, or he’ll have your ass on the street before you know it.”

“Oh fuck, really?!” I whispered, quickly looking around me to make sure nobody was listening in.

“Nah, I’m just messing with you! He’s pretty generous with the pay so we never really considered it. Honestly, he’d probably consider a union as an easier way to figure out what we all want from him without asking us all himself.”

“Damn, this really is a one in a million place to work.”

“Sure is! And that’s why Kamila’s so protective. Give her some more time and I’m sure she’ll warm up to you. In fact, I think I’ll even put in a good word for you!”

“Thanks, Beatrice. Here’s hoping that day comes soon, I think she’s someone I’d like to be friends with.”

After giving each other a nod, we went our separate ways. I found a nice table with a good view of the players and took a seat with my sandwich.

It really was a thing of beauty, this culinary construct, and nothing could ruin it for me. But before I could take the first bite and properly enjoy it, I was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind me.

With an eye roll, I turned around, not bothering to put down my food. I came face to face with a woman with long, curly red hair. It wasn’t a natural shade of red, but rather the kind of dark red or maroon you got from hair dyes that still advertised themselves as the real deal. Beyond that, she wore a thin layer of makeup that accentuated all of her facial features, and a black satin gown that accentuated everything below that.

From my time in this world, I was expecting her to have some kind of permanently sultry look upon her face, but instead I was greeted by a permanent scowl.

“So you’re the one catching all of the cheaters, huh?” she quickly asked. “You’re in charge of security?”

“I’m the one catching them, but I’m not in charge.” My eyes impatiently shifted to the sandwich in my hands and then back to her. “Talk to Todd, he’s probably in the back, but that place is employees only.”

“Damn, just giving me the cold shoulder like that?” she replied with a sharp smile. “I don’t think I’ve met a man who can actually control himself around me. It’s pretty refreshing!”

“Yeah, well,” I lifted up my sandwich. “This looks much more attractive to me right now.”

“Oh man, we totally could’ve been friends in another life! But…” there was a sparkle in her eyes as something in her voice changed. It became filled with a sort of infectious confidence that grabbed the attention of everyone around. “I’m going to need you to drive off a cliff.”

“Excuse me?” I asked with a furrowed brow.

“I need you to put that sandwich down, head to your car, and start driving North towards the nearest cliffs. Then, I want you to drive off of them and die.”

“Oh sure, sure. How about if you eat shit?” I shot back.

“W-what did you say?” she asked in shock.

“I said, ‘eat shit’, asshole. Why don’t you jump off a cliff?”

The color began to drain from her face. Her reaction wasn’t in indignance, I could see. It was genuine fear.

She quickly turned around and ran out the door. I didn’t mind, I just got back to my sandwich.

“So Mike, what did you get off of her?” came another familiar voice before I could take a bite of my sandwich.

If it were anyone else, I would’ve told them to get lost, but I wasn’t about to tell that to my boss. “What do you mean, Mr. Goldshanks?” I asked.

“That was Victoria Palmer, of Victoria’s Garden. One of the sponsors?”

“Son of a…” I mumbled to myself as I dropped the sandwich and began to run out the door after her.

I made it outside and didn’t see her there, nor in the parking lot. I was hoping to hit her with [Detect Cheating], but she seemed to have already left. Maybe her car was right by the entrance or something, or perhaps she ran on foot.

But what was up with that reaction? It was already weird that someone would feel that way about me telling them off, but the owner of a massive casino… and likely head of the mob?

“Something’s going on, and I have no idea what to do about it.”

I let out a sigh and headed back into the casino to finally get a bite of my breakfast and do my job. The sandwich was gone by the time I came back.