His hand jets to grab the trash bin as he bends and vomits.
Samantha pulls her shirt over her nose and jumps up from her seat, squeezing behind me to leave the room.
“We’ll talk later!” she says as she darts down the aisle.
I close the door and watch as Carl regains his composure.
“Go ahead,” he says.
“Are you okay?”
“I said, go ahead.”
I take a seat and start in on my pitch. “I was hoping to enter a few more tournaments.”
“How many days do you expect to be away?” Carl asks.
“About eight days over a period of six weeks.”
“I’m sure we’ll find someone to take your place during those days.”
“Thanks, man.” I retreat to the aisle where Samantha is waiting for me.
“Would you like to sneak away for lunch?”
Any other day, I’d give my kidney to eat lunch alone with Samantha, but what Vanessa told me has me rethinking everything.
The air feels different between us and her sweet gaze seems to have a malignant undertone.
Samantha is a careful, calculating woman. Things don’t just happen around her. She engineers situations, finding glee at the expense of others.
And I just don’t know what to do about that.
“I’d like to, but I have a few tournaments I should practice for.”
Her brow narrows in confusion, and I wonder if it’s because she’s truly sad I didn’t say yes, or if she thinks I’m falling out of her spell.
The truth is, despite her flaws, she’s the only woman for me. I’ll never not want her. No matter what she’s done, she’ll always be imprinted on my heart.
“Care to practice with me?” She waggles her eyebrows. “Maybe we can get some of the guys together and give you a run for your money.”
I chuckle. “Have you played poker before?”
She shrugs. “Here and there.”
Seeing no reason not to, I agree, and we recruit Jacek and Armando to round out a table of four.
Slay mans the grill near our table, mean mugging us a few times, but otherwise keeping to himself, which I appreciate.
We play for ones, and I’m up the first few rounds, but after a lucky streak, Samantha takes the lead.
And she keeps it.
Soon, hours have passed, additional funds have been obtained, and there’s a crowd of Hunks gathered, watching as the action unfolds. For every four hands Samantha wins, I win two, and I’m not just letting her win.
She’s a damn card shark.
Jacek won a round, but it was purely by accident and Armando had to spell his victory out for him.
