Amelia looked to me with a smug smile. I shut my eyes. “Thanks, buddy. I appreciate you sharing.”
Travis laughed. “No problem. You want a beer, Amelia?”
“Sure. That would be great. Thanks.”
A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door before Will let himself in. He was always the last to show up for anything. He grabbed a beer, and we all settled in around my kitchen table. Travis tossed the cash I’d given him across the table to exchange for chips, and Will reached into his pocket. But Amelia stopped him before he could pass cash my way.
She pointed to me. “Your game is on Merrick tonight, Will.”
“Uh, no it’s not,” I said.
“Why not? You paid your other friend to play.”
Will looked back and forth between Amelia and me. “Is she serious?”
“Travis didn’t have any cash,” I said.
“Playing cards is the only way he could get me to hang out with him.” Amelia shrugged. “If we don’t have four people we can’t play, and I’m leaving.”
Will stuffed his cash back into his pocket. “Thank you for letting me know.” He lifted his chin to me. “I’ll take whatever you kicked in for Trav. Or I guess we don’t have a game, and Amelia here will be on her merry way.”
I narrowed my eyes at Amelia, who looked damn proud of herself. But I knew Will. He’d probably made two grand day-trading between classes today, yet he wasn’t about to put out cash now that he knew I was stuck. Groaning, I pulled out fifty dollars more and tossed it into the pile.
“Thanks, guys. I can’t wait for one of you to need a wingman.”
• • •
A few hours later, I hadn’t lost all my money. I’d lost all mine plus the cash I’d kicked in for Travis and Will. Once again, Amelia had kicked our asses.
I leaned back in my seat, still shaking my head. I was a damn good card player. It was rare that I took a beating. But Amelia had won at least seventy percent of the hands. “I don’t get it. You said you count cards, but I looked it up. You can’t count cards in poker the way you can in blackjack. You’d have to memorize the likelihood of winning with all the different combinations of hands and then compare that to what you see face up on the table from every other player.”
She shrugged. “That’s right.”
“And you’ve done that?”
“It’s not hard. I’m good at numbers.”
“I’m good at numbers, too. I’m going to open my own brokerage firm in a few years. Maybe I’ll hire you.”
She smiled. “Maybe I’ll hire you.”
The other guys laughed and got up. After a quick round of laters, it was just Amelia and me. She slipped her winnings into her purse, and it looked like she was about to leave, too.
“Stay for a little while?” I asked.
“Why?”
“Because I want to hang out with you.”
“Why?”
“Is why your favorite word?”
She stood. “I’m not a very trusting person.”
I grinned. “Why?”
She tried to contain her smile, but failed.