Page 33 of Her Intense Protector

Bam!

First card out was an ace of spades. Sam bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. Figured. The other two cards were a four of clubs and a six of diamonds. Nothing that would help anyone. The turn was the eight of hearts and the river was the eight of clubs.

The hands stood, Mr. Antsy won with his pair of queens.

Oh well.

Phil and Bud Light stood up from their seats. Bud Light tipped his chair so it rocked into Mr. Antsy’s chair. “Watch it,” Mean Mr. Meade growled. He was not happy, and he didn’t seem like the type of guy you would want to cross.

Jerry called out for the waitress, and like magic she produced a beer for the disgruntled Bud Light. It seemed to work like a pacifier would for a crying baby, because he stood behind his seat.

Thank God.

Now it was down to Sam and Mr. Meady McAntsy.

Now the blinds had increased to two-thousand and four-thousand. She had ninety-eight thousand chips, which left Mr. Antsy with sixty-two thousand chips.

This could take a while.

On the first hand of heads-up play, Sam was dealt a jack of hearts and a king of hearts. Suited connectors, she could hit a straight or even a flush. All in all, not a bad hand. She was first and called the big blind, then Mr. Antsy raised to twenty-thousand chips.

Okay then, maybe this will be faster than I thought.

She called his raise. And put in twenty-thousand.

The flop was queen of clubs, two of hearts, and a nine of hearts.

Mr. Antsy was first and bet ten-thousand chips. This left him thirty-two thousand behind. Sam decided if the next card was a heart, she was going to push all-in, but for now she just called the ten-thousand chips.

The next card was a five of diamonds. No help for her. Mr. Antsy checked, and she checked as well. The river was a three of hearts.

She had a flush!

He checked and Sam bet out thirty-two thousand. This bet would force Mr. Antsy to go all-in. By just saying the amount instead of the phrase all-in, would he think she was bluffing? Would he think she hadn’t realized that put him all-in?

He hesitated, the first time she saw him do it all night. She could have sworn he looked up to the game-runner for just a moment, before saying “call,” and then pushing his chips forward.

They laid down their hands.

“The lady has a flush. The gentleman has three queens. The lady wins,” Jerry said brightly.

Phil let out a squeal.

Mr. Mean Meade and Carl both gave her squinty eyes. The game-runner gave her a broad smile.

“You won, Miss Brooks,” the small man behind the dealer said. “Let’s get you to the office so that we can get you your money.”

“But I saw you put it in your briefcase, why do I need to go to an office?” Samantha pointed to the briefcase sitting beside him. “Can’t I see it now? I’ve never seen that much cash before.” Her eyes were wide and hopeful.

“That’s not the way we do things.” He smiled back at her. It was a nice smile, but it still creeped her out. She leaned forward, this time knowing she was showing off her bra. It was time to pull out maybe not the big guns, because she didn’t have big guns, but she had a pretty lacy bra…

“You can put it back into the briefcase after you’re done,” she promised. “After all, you’re going to give it to me anyway, right?” She gave him the pout that always worked with her dad.

He sighed. “All right.”

“Thank you ever so.”

I did not just say ‘ever so’.