Luca cleared his throat and pointed to the man on his right. “We have Archie, Raymond, León, Edgar, Harrison, Alejandro, Quincy, and Vance. All of them are integral in keeping our businesses well-funded with patrons and supporting us in events such as this. They were all personally invited by the Caprioni Family to this select game on opening night. Something we do for all our new club openings.”
Clearly, what he was trying to tell me was that while I might be better at this game, I shouldn’t make them cry too badly. They were important to our business relations. We might not need their money, but the support they gave was worth more. Many of the names I knew from business deals I’d read about. Interestingly enough, two of them, Raymond and Harrison, were the ones trying to buy the plot of land for the amusement park.
“It’s really lovely to meet you all,” I greeted again. “Now, how do we feel about five-card draw? You gentlemen strike me as risk takers.” They all smiled at that and nodded their heads.
Edgar grunted and waved at the dealer. “Set it up, Scott. If the lady wants to lose her client’s money, that’s his loss.”
Okay, for real now, why the fuck does everyone assume I’m a working girl? It was because I commented on their clothes. That had to be it, or maybe the name Angelica was a step too far to pull off. Fuck it, they’ll learn soon enough.
Scott, our dealer for the night, opened the deck and set to shuffling it. Libby handed me my drink with a note written on the napkin.
Watch out for Alejandro, he always cheats.
Smirking, I wrapped the napkin around the rock glass so the ink would bleed as the condensation seeped into the paper. One thing every man should learn is that just because a woman wasn’t officially playing the game, we were always playing the long game. Libby had my back, and none of them had a fucking clue to even be concerned.
The blinds were put in the pot, cards were passed out, and the game was underway. Taking a sip of my drink, I grabbed my cards looking at what I was dealt. It wasn’t a great hand, but it wasn’t the worst. I could do something with it. Not that it mattered, I didn’t plan on winning the first round. I had to get a feel for these men and how they played.
“I’ll take three cards, please, Scott,” I requested, tossing away what I knew wouldn’t help me, leaving the best of my hand.
Glenda never wanted me to learn how to play poker or any other gambling activity, knowing that with my personality, I’d become addicted, but not in the way most people think. No, see, for me, it was about getting in people’s heads. I wanted to know their tells, what it meant when they cleared their throat before a turn, or if they tapped their cards twice as they thought. This wasn’t just about being good at keeping your thoughts to yourself and off your face, it was all about the little things, and that’s what I got high on.
While I waited for my cards, I watched every detail of these nine men. Luca might be my lieutenant, but I still didn’t know him for shit. Playing this game would teach me about him just as it would the others. Many of the men were pleased I had to hand in that number of cards, believing it was proof I would be shit at this and an easy target. The rest turned in one or two, except for Alejandro. He also handed in three cards. Keeping Libby’s note in mind, I made sure to see if he gave three and got three. Scott was a good dealer, and he did everything as he should. Guess we were going to wait for us all to have a few more drinks before making his move.
The first round I lost, folding before I got in too deep, making Luca glance at me questioningly. He didn’t need to know my plans. All I needed from him right now was to have a little faith and trust. Not having to play meant I got to lean back in my chair and watch. I gulped down my drink and wandered over to the bar pretending to be bored.
“Could I get another gin and tonic,” I asked the bartender, then leaned forward and lowered my voice. “Lighter on the G if you please.” The man looked at me with surprise at the request. “No one wants a sloppy date,” I added.
Hell, if everyone was going to think of me as a hooker, then I might as well use it to my advantage. He nodded and only put in half a shot but made the rest like normal. I plucked out a few limes and added them before taking my seat.
“Looks like Quincy takes the first round, you bastard. Can’t believe you won with two pairs,” Harrison muttered. “You all fell for the bluff. We should know better. When he bets big, he’s got shit.”
“You’re just a sore loser, Harrison,” Quincy snarked. “Let’s take a five-minute break then go for the next round.”
Everyone got up from the table and went to the bar where Libby and the other girl were consoling the loser ever so wonderfully.
“So, Angie, you wanna tell me what your strategy is, or did you just realize you’re not as good at this game as you thought?” Luca murmured as he rearranged his chips.
I rested my arm on the table and rested my head on my hand, grinning at him. “What would the fun be in telling you that? If you’re worried about the money, I promise to pay you back with interest when we get back to the house.”
“That’s the last thing I’m worried about,” Luca said with a snort. “On the other hand, when they find out who you are, they’re going to think you’re a joke. This is a risky move.”
“Why don’t you let me worry about that for now… call it a trust exercise,” I suggested, reaching out and booping him on the nose. “This round try not to rub your nose when you don’t have a good hand. Or keep doing it but only when you have a good one so everyone thinks it’s a bad one. That will throw them for a loop, and they’ll never know if it’s good or bad.”
Shock shone in his eyes at my comment, but the others returned, ending our conversation.
“Well, little lady, let’s see if you do better this time around,” Raymond said encouragingly.
Libby appeared at my side, offering me another drink, having spotted mine was empty. “Don’t worry, angel, it’s got just the right amount of gin for yah.”
I grabbed a hundred-dollar chip and handed it to her. “You’re a gem, Libby, don’t ever change.”
She blushed and stuck the chip in her bra, giving me a wink as she meandered over to Vance who grabbed a handful of her ass. “Libby-lou, you know you’re my favorite, right? I always ask for you at these events.”
“Aw, Vance, you flatter me,” Libby gushed and planted a kiss on his cheek, making the man glow. “Did you want me to blow on your cards?”
“That trick doesn’t work the same as dice, but maybe I’ll take you with me to the casino night Jace is hosting in two weeks,” Vance offered.
Libby clapped her hands. “Sounds fun.”