It was still too early to count my chickens. I needed to keep my guard up. I couldn’t let go the way he or I really wanted to. The closer I got to him, the closer he would get to my secret. I needed him though. This wasn't the first time that I was in front of him with a bruised pride. I followed him out of the main room and into one of the smaller rooms. It seemed like a little bar for people to come take breaks between their games. There was a small bar and few tables scattered around the room. He told me to sit while he got us some drinks.
I sighed and felt a wash of relief when he left, grateful for the few moments away from him. Being in his presence again was having an unexpected effect on me. I never thought it would happen. Never thought I would be so lucky. In the mess that followed my husband dying, the financial struggle and uncertainty, he just never really crossed my mind anymore. I could not fuck this up. I needed to get him to buy me out. I have never asked him for anything before, surely, with our history, he would give this to me.
He walked up to our little booth with two drinks. I smiled when I saw his selection.
“Scotch,” I said.
He grinned, handing me my tumbler. “You seemed to like it enough last time we were together.”
The last time we were together I was drinking to calm my nerves because I was with the stranger who had won me in a card game. It had worked though. Truth be told I didn’t need that much convincing to go to bed with him. I smiled at the memory.
“You saw how quickly I got drunk that time. Are you hoping for a repeat performance?”
“Hoping? No. But I will welcome one.”
We laughed. I didn't know what it was. It was just so easy with him. I didn’t have to think. There was no pretense to him. I didn't have to act like someone else to try and impress him. He took a swig of his drink.
“So, is the Baron about?”
I took a larger, more deliberate pull of mine. “No, he isn't.”
“I'm glad to hear that.”
I chuckled. He didn't know the half of it. “Why do you say that?”
“I don't have to remind you what happened the last time the two of you were at a casino together, do I?”
You could cut the sexual tension with a knife. He remembered just as well as I did what happened between us last time we were both at a casino. I couldn't believe the attraction was this strong even after all this time. We didn't even need my husband around to get us in the same room together this time. I was here on official business, but this man was distracting me.
“No, you don't.” Because he's dead, I didn't add. It was clear that he didn’t know already, otherwise, he would have offered condolences. On the other hand, I really didn’t want to discuss my husband when I was talking to Mr. Enigmatic again for the first time in five years. The man was dead and even though he was the source of all my problems, he didn’t deserve half the attention he was still getting from me. I was here to ask for something specific, but I was actually having fun; something I had deprived myself of because of the money issues for such a long time now that I almost forgot what it felt like. Talking about Russell would ruin the mood immediately.
“If I was you, I wouldn't be caught dead in a casino.”
“Oh, come on. You have one bad night and you never come back?”
“I know you did not just refer to what happened between us as a bad night,” he said.
I laughed and blushed. “You know what I mean. Can’t I just enjoy the games like everyone else here?”
“He raised a brow looking at me. If you're here to play, then why don't you play with me? Hearts, wasn't it?”
3
Niall
I watched her throw back the rest of her drink, and then she smiled at me.
“Absolutely. Why not?”
Perfect. I told her to stay put and went to the bar and asked for a deck of cards.
“Shall we?” I asked her, walking back to our little table with the cards. She raised an eyebrow. I motioned to a table that was off to the corner, dimly lit, semi-private where we could pretend it was just the two of us.
“We don't have to play here. I can beat you at any one of these tables,” she said with a grin. I laughed at that. It wasn't so much the playing that I wanted to do with her. After all this time, I was drawn to her. I'd sit that any one of these tables and just listen to her talk about what had been going on in her life since we last met. I just wanted to spend time with her, it didn't matter so much whether we were playing cards or not.
“We’ll see,” I said.
We sat at our little corner table and got comfortable. I pruned the deck, taking out the two of diamonds and the two of clubs and then dealt both of us ten cards each. She took the cards and shuffled them in her hands.