“Oh! I was trying to watch a movie, but then Baylor decided to join me, and, well—” I teeter my head, hoping he can fill in the blanks on his own. The last thing he’d think Baylor would do is try to kiss me.
Baylor tried to kiss me. Me!
Sounds from the movie echo down the hallway, and Henry’s face lights up with recognition. “Ah, you’re watchingIt’s a Wonderful Life? I love this one!” He yanks the bowl out of my hands, and shoves a handful of popcorn in his face. “Come on. I’ll be your defense, Pen.”
I turn slowly on my heels and follow him back into the dark theater room.
Baylor is still in the same spot, upright.
I’m relieved when Henry takes the seat next to him and gives him some sort of bro handshake.
“What’s up, man? I thought you weren’t feeling well?”
Baylor glances over Henry’s shoulder at me and then back at Henry. “Guess I just needed some rest. How was it out there?”
A weird fluttering happens in my stomach when I realize he lied to his friends about staying back this morning. I can’t help but feel that he did that to stay here with me.
“Eh, you didn’t miss much. The weather wasn’t great. I ran into those guys from the Kenrick Group my father does business with though.”
Baylor smirks. “Shit. We need to play cards with them again soon. I need to win my money back. Those fuckers took me for fifty K!”
Henry jabs him with an elbow. “Way ahead of you. They’ll be over on Christmas Eve.”
Baylor swivels his head to me and then furrows a brow at Henry. “Really?”
“Yeah. Why not?”
Baylor nods in my direction, and Henry drops his shoulders.
“You know she can handle herself. I mean, she handles you just fine.”
I smile.
“That’s different.” The worry grows on Baylor’s face.
I raise a brow. Henry’s dad doesn’t exactly do business with the best of men. He likely invited them out of respect for his dad or, from the sounds of it, to get a little revenge on their wallets.
“It’s just dinner and some poker. You know, in the spirit of Christmas.” Henry finally looks at me. “You don’t have to play if you don’t want to. We’ll be down here in the bar, so you can stay upstairs if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“It’s okay, Henry.” I nod my head and smile at how considerate he is. “Like you said, I can handle myself. I probably won’t play though.”
I’m familiar with gambling. My dad’s addiction to it was the root of all the arguments between my parents for most of my childhood and the main source of father-daughter bonding. When I started beating him and I was old enough to go to the casino, he’d beg me to come with him to help out the family. I won him nine hundred my first night there. Twelve hundred the next. And then nearly six thousand. I can understand how someone could grow addicted to something like that, especially after seeing my parents’ faces light up when they saw how much I’d won. But that feeling quickly faded when my dad put it right back into the game and lost.
I don’t want to be like him and be obsessed with money. Money gives people a false sense of power. And then when it’s taken away from you, you’re willing to do anything to get it back. Even if it means ruining the security and happiness of those around you.
I swore to myself I wouldn’t play again unless it was just to have fun with friends and the stakes were pieces of gum and whatever else was in your pockets. But I found myself in a bind freshman year and needed a little extra cash to get by. Going to school on a partial scholarship is great and all, but I still have to come up with the other half of tuition, and Columbia isn’t cheap. Not to mention, the cost of living in New York almost matches the price of a single textbook. My parents couldn’t help me—not that I’d ever ask—and my part-time job at the campus coffee shop wasn’t cutting it, so I had to come up with a solution. Cards were the fastest way I knew how to earn money.
And I’m forever grateful I went to that party with my tail between my legs because that was also the night I met Henry. After beating every cent out of him, he practically begged me to be friends with him.
“I don’t think she could afford the buy-in anyway.” Baylor’s voice rips me out of my thoughts and ignites my skin.
“Oh, I got you, Pen.” Henry winks.
The soft glow from the television lights up Baylor’s face as it etches with disapproval. He opens his mouth to say something, but when I drag my bottom lip through my teeth, he snaps it back shut.
A smile tugs at my mouth when I realize I have an effect on him. I’m not sure what that means or why I enjoy it so much, but the fine line I drew between him and me a long time ago is beginning to fade. It scares me, but it also excites me in a curious way.
“Maybe I’ll take you up on that, Henry,” I say, giving Baylor a sly grin.
