“Looks like you’re about to go find that date,” I tease him.
“Well, I’m about to go find something.” He pauses, his voice turning serious. “Thanks for not slapping me the moment you saw me.” I can’t help but smile as I shake my head in admonishment. “I never asked my PR team to reach out to your people and I’m glad you turned down the offer.” He knocks on the top of the bar, the seriousness melting away from his expression as he smirks. “I’ll be seeing you at the poker table, Quincy.”
“Oh, you’ll see me there,” my tone is full of confidence.
With a nod, Aaron walks away. Even though I’m curious, I don’t look over my shoulder to catch a glimpse of whoever captured his attention. Instead, I look down at my drink and take a breath. I wasn’t expecting to see Aaron Holt here, but clearing the air feels good.
Better than I expected it to feel. Still, I doubt we’ll be friends.
I focus on the sound of the bar and the casino beyond. The highs and lows of it, the conversations that go unnoticed, the moments which slip between. While I listen, I keep my eyes on my drink.
When someone else slides onto the stool next to me, I glance over to find a man I’ve never seen before. That’s not what has me on edge; it’s the hungry look in his eyes as he looks me over. When he noticesme looking at him, his lips stretch into a grin he probably thinks is charming.
“Quincy Wells,” he greets me, his voice on this side of booming.
“Hello,” I greet him politely.
“My name is Donald,” he introduces himself even though I probably won’t remember his name. “I know you’re here for a poker tournament, but I’m curious when the last time you played was?”
“I can play,” my voice turns defensive.
The way Donald’s eyes light up tells me I’ve given him the exact reaction he was hoping for. He leans toward me slightly and it takes all my willpower not to move away from him. But I have a feeling it would feel like a win for him.
“I never said you couldn’t play,” he points out and shrugs. “I’m just curious about how rusty you are.”
My lips press together for a moment as I try to keep the words from spilling out. But it’s impossible.
“I’m not rusty,” I defend myself, the competitive side of me coming out even though I know I should keep it under wraps.
“Well,” he holds the word out slightly, “I have a game. Usually it’s pretty small, but I curate everyone who attends. We’re playing tonight. You should come and make sure you’re ready for tomorrow’s tournament.”
He slips a business card onto the top of the bar and slides it over to me. I glance down at it, but I don’t take it. Not yet.
“The address of the game is on the back,” he tells me with a knowing smile on his face.
Then he’s walking away and I’m surprised he didn’t put more pressure on me to agree to show up.
And that makes me wonder if I read him wrong. My eyes flick down to the card, and I find myself picking it up.
You promised to say yes to everything this weekend.
My shoulders drop slightly as I remember the promise I made to myself. I’m not sure it’s the best idea I’ve ever had, but I can’t give up so soon. It wouldn’t hurt to play a few hands before tomorrow.
I’ll go, but I won’t stay long.
CHAPTER 4
ACE
I look at the cards which were just dealt to me and find a pair of queens, but I don’t let anything show on my face. Keeping my reactions under control was one of the hardest things to get a handle on when I was young and learning the game. Now, it’s second nature which has come with hours of playing and learning how to beat the people I’m up against instead of the cards.
It’s a skill, one I’ve honed and has served me well.
While I look around the table, I watch the faces of the other players. They don’t give anything away and I can’t help but smile. One of them is working way too hard to keep their feelings off their face which is causing his jaw to clench.
The door to the room opens and as much as I want to immediately look over to see who has walked in, since I’m waiting to see if Donald manages to get Quincy Wells here, I hold myself back. My eyes dart toward the entrance and see Donald walking in with a swagger he doesn’t normally have. I don’t need him to say a damn thing; it’s obvious he thinks Quincy showing up is a done deal.
A shiver works its way down my spine, but I sit perfectly still as the flop is dealt out and a third queen makes an appearance. I glance at the other players at the table while keeping part of my focus on Donald as he makes his way around the room.