In any other circumstance, I might’ve told Luke he was being impulsive, but the trio of vodka, rum, and tequila did strange things to my mind. It made me forget that consequences existed.
“Don’t hold,” I told him. “Let it ride.”
“Let it ride,” Luke declared to the dealer.
I watched as the community cards were revealed, one and then the other. The players flanking Luke each got nothing. Luke had three of a kind. His bets were paid three to one, and it appeared I wasn’t the only one feeling a little proud.
Slowly, I began to realize that this was the final table of the daily let-it-ride poker tournament. The casino had games like this running all day and night, and based on the little hill of chips in front of Luke, he was playing to win. It was down to the final three. More tourists had stopped to watch, and I became one of them. I took another long sip of my cocktail as the next hand was dealt.
The crowd shuffled closer, forcing my embellished ankle boots to scoot forward too. Luke discreetly checked his hand as I breathed in the scents of herbs and eucalyptus. It was looming around him. I didn’t know how someone could smell so cool and clean in the desert.
“Are you trying to win a wedding present for Andrew and Cricket?” I asked Luke, my head hovering behind his broad right shoulder. “If you haven’t bought anything for them yet, I don’t think they’re registered in the casino’s gift shop.”
Luke laughed. “I thought they might like some commemorative shot glasses.”
“Try again,” I bantered back.
“Well...” He sighed. “I guess they’ll have to suffer with the cake stand I picked out two months ago.”
“How do the players bet?” the dealer asked the three men.
Each man set forth three equal bets. Luke picked up a few chips, but he then turned to me.
“Is this enough, Imogene?”
I smiled. “I think one more chip will give you extra luck.”
“All right then,” he agreed.
I didn’t think to ask why Luke was looking to me for advice. After a few rounds, I didn’t consider what it meant for my arms to lace around his neck. The player to Luke’s right tapped out. It was just the other man and us, but his chips were dwindling. I could smell the paunchy man’s desperation over Luke’s aftershave.
“This money is going to get me through hiking the Appalachian Trail,” Luke reminded me under the growing hoard of onlookers. “We can’t make a mistake, so... should I tap out?”
I smiled at the thought. In my head, none of this wasactual money.None of this was real. It was simply a dazzling dream with a handsome face I knew all too well. I wasn’t worried how Luke might fare when he set off for his dream trip. I could only think about that exact moment.
“Keep playing, Luke,” I urged him. “That man is on the verge of doing something stupid. You can be the last man standing, so don’t hold back.”
The bet he placed was generous. It was more chips than I imagined he would spend, but Luke looked bold. His eyes were determined enough for us both. Even as mine grew hazy, he laid out three separate twenty-five-dollar bets. My hands clung to the soft linen of Luke’s ink-blue shirt.
I couldn’t believe what I was watching. The two community cards were unveiled, a ten of hearts and a queen of hearts. Luke’s whole body stiffened in shock. My eyes grew wide as Luke turned his hand over.
He had a king, a jack, and an ace,all hearts. Suddenly, the whole room went quiet.
Luke had a royal flush. The bets’ payout was a thousand to one, and consequently, the twenty-five-thousand-dollar jackpot was Luke’s to claim.
I’d never seen a man earn so much money so quickly.
“Damn,” Luke muttered under his breath. “I’m glad I wore my good shirt tonight.”
Cameras were flashing. People were screaming. Casino management was hustling over in droves to congratulate Luke and offer him complementary dinners and gifts for the night. I knew the casino was alive with sound, but I couldn’t hear it. All I heard was my drumming heartbeat rising from my chest to my ears.
“Well,” Luke began beside me. “What do you say, Imogene?”
“Sorry, what?”
I had faded out, eyes wide and mouth half-open. Stupefied by the scene, I hadn’t heard the original question. The information overload was taking over my muddled mind. Luke flashed another crooked grin.
“Would you like to go to the steakhouse with me? It’s free of charge.”