That woman right there was a professional on every level. She knew just how to be the right amount of stupid to keep them interested and stoke their egos. Damn, maybe I needed to make more friends with strippers and working girls. I might learn a thing or two about how to get information out of a man who didn’t require pain.
This time when I got my hand, I knew I was gonna play to win. It was too good to pass up just to study men I could read easily enough. “Only one card for me this time,” I told Scott, handing in the one I didn’t want.
He slid me over a new card, and I picked it up and pouted.These assholes were going down, and none of them would see it coming.
“It’s risky to hand in only one card,” Archie mused aloud. “Three shows you have a bad hand, two say you’re not confident, but one means you’ve got something or you hope to God the new card gives you something.”
“Aren’t we philosophical tonight,” Edgar muttered. “Give me three.”
“Oh, did I touch a nerve there, Ed?” Archie teased.
“Fuck off and put in your bet,” Edgar snapped.
Everyone put in a fairly conservative bet but me. I dropped half my chips in the pot. “I think that’s somewhere around five grand.”
“Now are you sure you want to do that, dear,” Vance warned. “If you wanted to take some of that back, we might let you on account of not really knowing the game.”
I gave him a warm smile. “I so appreciate that, I do, but that’s the right number for this hand.”
León tossed in his hand. “Fuck, I fold.”
“Damn tightwad, why do we even invite you to these things? You never take a risk. Live a little, would you?” Edgar grumbled and flipped the man’s hand over. “For fuck’s sake, you have a decent hand. There was a chance you could have come out on top.”
You never showed hands before the game was over. If someone could count cards, you’d be handing them information you didn’t want them to know. My gaze shifted to Alejandro who was studying those cards a little too intently. Was this how he cheated? No, he seemed like a smart man, but I wasn’t sold on the idea of card counting.
We continued, and Harrison was the one to challenge me. “I see that bet and raise you two grand more.”
The men all turned to look at me, waiting expectantly for me to give my response. Not wanting to go crazy, I nodded and threw in the two grand. “I see you and call. Let’s see what you have that’s so impressive.”
Harrison laid out a flush with a giant grin on his face as the other men swore and tossed down their cards. I held my cards, glanced down at them, frowned, and looked back at his as if I wasn’t sure if he did better than me or not.
“Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I think this beats your flush. What do they call it, ah… yes, a straight flush,” I announced, fanning out the cards. “Look at that, all hearts… must be a good sign, right?”
Harrison looked like he might be ready to climb across the table and clobber me as the dealer slid over all the chips. “You little witch, you knew how to play all along.”
“Now, now… I told you all I could play. You’re the ones who didn’t believe me,” I chided, wagging a finger at them. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to use the ladies’ room. Tonic just runs right through me.”
Standing, I looked down at Luca, who had a smug look on his face until he noticed me watching him. “Oh, it’s past the bar, take a left. You know what, never mind. I’ll show you.”
“What a gentleman.” I simpered, taking his arm.
seventeen
Nottrulyneedingtouse the bathroom, I took my time washing my hands and patted my makeup. Dancing had gotten me all sweaty, and no girl ever looked good with creases or raccoon eyes. Feeling enough time went by where the old farts would be talking among themselves, I exited the bathroom.
Luca waited like I asked, albeit begrudgingly. “You know, they’ll think we’re fucking in the bathroom if I don’t go back.”
“Does that bother you?” I questioned. “I mean, if you don’t want to be a liar, I could give you a blow job really quick.”
“Astin, didn’t I tell you nothing about me and my dick are quick?” he reminded me.
I tossed up my hands. “Just trying to help a guy out.”
He had me super curious, though, about this whole going-the-distance thing he keeps bringing up. If he’s not quick, then are we talking a half hour? Hour? I mean, how long could a woman take getting rammed before it started to get raw? Have I been missing out on something by thinking twenty to thirty minutes is a long time? Fuck, if I was going to ask him, better to wait and find out for myself.
Exiting the bathroom, I smiled at his pout. “Did you miss me?”
He just rolled his eyes, shoved his hands in his pockets, and headed back.