where is that gun of mine?”
“Who knew Greystone had any communists working there?” I laughed and pointed to the back. “Let’s go meet my friends. I see I need to keep moving or my life is in danger.”
A wicked glint appeared in her eye. “Not your entire life is in danger. Just part of it, or are you going to say that part of you is your whole life?”
Steering her toward the back of the room, I laughed. “Maybe not my whole life, but a very big part of it.” I arched a brow and added, “Very big.”
“You did not just say that, did you?”
“I did, and I won’t take it back.”
She grinned. “You are terrible . Just terrible.”
“Good. You’ll remember me then.” I continued to lead her to lead her through the casino. “We’re all playing poker. Do you want to join our table or just watch?”
“I think I’ll watch for now.”
As we made our way toward the poker tables, I briefed her on Lewis and his boys. I made a point of mentioning that Lewis knew Trey. She gave me a half smile. “I mentioned to Trey that I was going gambling tonight. I’ll have to tell him who I met.”
Of course, the question that begged to be asked was if she’d told Trey she was out gambling with me. I wasn’t going to ask it, though. Nothing would be had by putting her on the spot.
When we arrived at the table, Lewis and the boys were all lovely to her and made her feel at ease. I pulled a stool over so she could sit by me. Thankfully, she knew enough about a casino not to comment on the game as we played. The whole table did chat throughout though. She waited until we had a break in play to whisper in my ear, “Why are you letting them win?”
I looked straight ahead both to hide our conversation and to make her continue whispering in my ear. In a low voice, I replied, “The lady knows something about cards.”
“A little.” She leaned in a little closer. “You didn’t answer my question.”
I kept my voice flat. “I’m happy to lose here if I win elsewhere.”
“Ah,” she said. “I get it. You’re in the middle of a deal with them.”
I nodded and gestured over to a table of strangers. “If I was at that table, I’d be playing a different game.”
“Gotcha.”
It only took an hour or so for Lewis and his mates to win just short of a thousand pounds off me. Without looking at Allison, Lewis played with my chips now sitting before him and said, “I think David you must be distracted tonight.”
“Possibly,” I answered. I gave him a side-eye glance as a warning not to make jokes about Allison. “Maybe we should move on to blackjack.”
Lewis caught my eye and understood. He turned to Zhan and Joseph. “This is where I leave, and I suggest you do, too. We’ll never beat him at blackjack.”
Zhan shook his head. “I don’t even want to try.”
“Me either. I’m fine quitting while I’m ahead,” said Joseph, scooping up his chips.
As I said goodbye to Joseph and Zhan, I could hear Lewis speak as he shook Allison’s hand a final time. “It was wonderful to meet you, Allison. Please tell Trey hello for me when you see him again.”
“It was nice meeting you as well. I’ll definitely mention you to Trey.” Oh how I wished I could’ve seen her face.
After a few more minutes of goodbyes, Lewis left with his lads, but not before calling over his shoulder, “Good luck, you two.”
Allison gave me a sheepish half smile, so I elbowed her in the arm and said, “So Lady Luck, are you up for blackjack?”
“I guess so, but I don’t know that much about it—just that you’re trying to hit twenty-one.”
“That’s the gist, but it gets more complicated at a casino.”
“All right then. Teach me.”
“I’d be honored,” I said, showing her the way to an empty seat at a blackjack table.
Allison again sat at my side and watched closely as I played, usually nodding in understanding of the play at the table. At one point, though, I drew an eleven, and her eyes widened
“Who knew Greystone had any communists working there?” I laughed and pointed to the back. “Let’s go meet my friends. I see I need to keep moving or my life is in danger.”
A wicked glint appeared in her eye. “Not your entire life is in danger. Just part of it, or are you going to say that part of you is your whole life?”
Steering her toward the back of the room, I laughed. “Maybe not my whole life, but a very big part of it.” I arched a brow and added, “Very big.”
“You did not just say that, did you?”
“I did, and I won’t take it back.”
She grinned. “You are terrible . Just terrible.”
“Good. You’ll remember me then.” I continued to lead her to lead her through the casino. “We’re all playing poker. Do you want to join our table or just watch?”
“I think I’ll watch for now.”
As we made our way toward the poker tables, I briefed her on Lewis and his boys. I made a point of mentioning that Lewis knew Trey. She gave me a half smile. “I mentioned to Trey that I was going gambling tonight. I’ll have to tell him who I met.”
Of course, the question that begged to be asked was if she’d told Trey she was out gambling with me. I wasn’t going to ask it, though. Nothing would be had by putting her on the spot.
When we arrived at the table, Lewis and the boys were all lovely to her and made her feel at ease. I pulled a stool over so she could sit by me. Thankfully, she knew enough about a casino not to comment on the game as we played. The whole table did chat throughout though. She waited until we had a break in play to whisper in my ear, “Why are you letting them win?”
I looked straight ahead both to hide our conversation and to make her continue whispering in my ear. In a low voice, I replied, “The lady knows something about cards.”
“A little.” She leaned in a little closer. “You didn’t answer my question.”
I kept my voice flat. “I’m happy to lose here if I win elsewhere.”
“Ah,” she said. “I get it. You’re in the middle of a deal with them.”
I nodded and gestured over to a table of strangers. “If I was at that table, I’d be playing a different game.”
“Gotcha.”
It only took an hour or so for Lewis and his mates to win just short of a thousand pounds off me. Without looking at Allison, Lewis played with my chips now sitting before him and said, “I think David you must be distracted tonight.”
“Possibly,” I answered. I gave him a side-eye glance as a warning not to make jokes about Allison. “Maybe we should move on to blackjack.”
Lewis caught my eye and understood. He turned to Zhan and Joseph. “This is where I leave, and I suggest you do, too. We’ll never beat him at blackjack.”
Zhan shook his head. “I don’t even want to try.”
“Me either. I’m fine quitting while I’m ahead,” said Joseph, scooping up his chips.
As I said goodbye to Joseph and Zhan, I could hear Lewis speak as he shook Allison’s hand a final time. “It was wonderful to meet you, Allison. Please tell Trey hello for me when you see him again.”
“It was nice meeting you as well. I’ll definitely mention you to Trey.” Oh how I wished I could’ve seen her face.
After a few more minutes of goodbyes, Lewis left with his lads, but not before calling over his shoulder, “Good luck, you two.”
Allison gave me a sheepish half smile, so I elbowed her in the arm and said, “So Lady Luck, are you up for blackjack?”
“I guess so, but I don’t know that much about it—just that you’re trying to hit twenty-one.”
“That’s the gist, but it gets more complicated at a casino.”
“All right then. Teach me.”
“I’d be honored,” I said, showing her the way to an empty seat at a blackjack table.
Allison again sat at my side and watched closely as I played, usually nodding in understanding of the play at the table. At one point, though, I drew an eleven, and her eyes widened