Two could play the game Loyal had started. They walked side by side, and Ellie allowed him to guide her to the blackjack table.
“Doesn’t this include counting? I’m not the girl who can add numbers up in her head at the drop of a dime and calculate the probability of the next card. I went to Vegas once and lost all my money,” Ellie said, grimacing in shame.“This requires skill.”
“I’m very skilled with numbers. I’ve got you covered, I promise,” he chuckled.
She sat, and he stood behind her chair, reaching over her to place her wager. Ellie sipped her drink, long and hard because she felt the pressure as he placed a large stack of chips in front of her.
“Rich, are you sure?” she asked.
“I think you’re lady luck,” he whispered in her ear.
Five other players sat beside her, and the dealer began.
“Why am I so nervous?” Ellie asked.
“That’s natural. Everybody else is just playing it cool,” he chuckled, leaning over her.“You can’t let the house intimidate you.”
“But I’m so intimidated,” she exclaimed, giggling as she sipped her drink. The alcohol was an instant anxiety reliever. She noticed his hands were tattooed as he reached over her to stack more chips in front of her.
Oh yeah, he’s sexy, she thought.
“Good luck on your Ace,” the dealer told her as he flipped the first card over in front of her.
Rich leaned down and whispered in her ear,“I’d hit that.”
Ellie blushed, and then her heart galloped as Loyal stepped up in place of the dealer and said,“It’llbe the last card you ever play, my boy. Nice try, though. She’s taken.”
“Of course she is. I thought I’d gotten lucky. No disrespect,” Rich said, laughing as he stepped back.“Let me get that chair, beautiful.”
Ellie didn’t move. She looked at Loyal in challenge.
“I mean, how would he know? You’re pretty preoccupied, and from the looks of things, you have your hands full,” Ellie shot back.
“Yo, E, you supposed to be risking chips, not lives,” he stated.“Come dance with me, gorgeous, so I can make it clear for you.”
Ellie sipped her drink and then took it with her as she lifted from the table.
She sipped it once more, and he took it from her hands, placing it on the tray of a passing waiter. He led her to the heated glass atrium.
Christmas lights illuminated the space, and she looked up at the stars through the glass ceiling.
“Nice event,” she said curtly.
“It was about to get ugly if you kept flirting with my mans,” Loyal said, brow bent. She reached for his forehead and smoothed the lines from it with soft hands.
“I’m surprised you noticed,” she said.“You seem happy with the date you came with. You didn’t even come speak to me.”
“I didn’t see you, E,” Loyal said, honestly.
“You didn’t come looking either,” Ellie shot back.“And the hand on the small of her back? Can we not do that again?” They stood in the middle of the room. They were supposed to be dancing, but he just stood there, in front of her, body to body, staring down at her.
Loyal wrapped one arm around her body and placed his hand on the small of her back. He pulled her into him, and she felt his natural affinity to her presence.
“Yes, ma’am, it won’t happen again,” Loyal stated.“You in that dress. It’s…” He shook his head as if he had no words.“…a problem.”
She smiled.
“It makes niggas think about what’s under the dress, E. I been doing business with Rich for ten years, and tomorrow, I’ma find a new bank. You can’t be flirting with niggas in here. Your jealousy leads to pouted lips. My jealousy leads to much, much worse,” he stated.“Nigga thinking about fucking you, and Iain’t feeling it.”
