I relaxed once he was gone and was able to observe the area around us. We were tucked into a cove just far enough to see the beauty unfold around us and yet hide us from view.
“What are you thinking?” Caleb asked.
“You can’t tell?”
“No, you’re the only person I can’t read.”
I smiled. That was the best compliment he could give me. “I’m thinking you went to way too much trouble.”
“How is this too much trouble? We’re on the beach relaxing. If we were at a restaurant, a person would bring us food. I just ordered our food to be delivered to the beach instead. Not only that, but I’m stimulating the economy.”
A laugh escaped me. It was so easy to be around Caleb. It’s one of the things I admired about him. I’d like to consider myself relaxed and easygoing. But with Frankie around—and never having enough money—I’m wound tighter than Frankie’s hair in a curling iron.
“When you make such a well-reasoned argument, I think I’ll just eat the dinner and shut up.”
He brought out food from the basket. There were cold salads and some warm dishes I didn’t know the names of. They looked questionable but smelled delicious and spicy.
“Caleb, why did you give me chips?”
“I didn’t give you chips. I gave you fruit.”
“I didn’t mean chips as in food. I had a good stack of chips in my bag this morning. How is that possible when I was nearly passed out yesterday?”
“You must play well when you don’t have the capacity to think.”
I narrowed my eyes at his jab, but I suspected he said it to cover his tracks.
“Funny thing,” I continued, “I was sitting at a poker table with a man who swears he won all of my chips yesterday except for ten.”
Caleb sighed. “Nadia, it was nothing. You shouldn’t have played yesterday. I had the chip lead, so I slipped you a handful of mine. I think I owe it to you anyway. The last time we played I sucked out on you with a seven-two on television. I still feel guilty about that.”
“You feel guilty?”
“I wouldn’t if you were any other player. I was just having fun when I shoved all-in with a seven-two. It wouldn’t have broken me, and it would have added to your chip stack. Who would have thought I’d win that one?”
“I would and the rest of the poker world would.”
His lips curled. “I always win.”
“Exactly.”
The sun rested on the ocean edge. Orange and pink hues settled on Caleb’s face, making his eyes shimmer. I had always believed he was a surfer in another life. He relaxed on the beach in total harmony with his surroundings. His shoes were already off, and his feet dug into the sand.
He caught me staring at him. His eyes were fixed on mine, and I couldn’t tear mine away no matter how much I scolded myself.
“I don’t think I’m hungry anymore,” he said, but his eyes said he was very hungry.
I edged away from him. “But I’m hungry.”
He reluctantly handed me a fork, and scooted around behind me. He drew my shoulders back to lean against his chest. His fingers swept the hair off my shoulders. I ignored the tingling heat from his fingers and dug into the fruit bowl, allowing the flavors to play on my tongue.
“This is amazing. Do you want some?”
His lips pressed gently against my neck. My fork drooped as I let the sensation of his mouth and breath play upon my skin. Forget the food. I turned to him and gazed into his eyes.
“Poker Goddess! I have found you at last!” Sergio exclaimed as he jogged over to us and plopped himself down next to me.
I jumped from his unexpected appearance. It was as if a cold bucket of water had splashed down on me, banishing Caleb’s lingering heat.
“Please, you must come to my family’s party. It will be much fun and there will be music to boogie to,” Sergio urged.
“I’m busy right now,” I said, returning to my food.
“You must come. I told everyone that you would. You are the guest of honor and a celebrity.”
I tried to scoot away from Sergio but I was surrounded by Caleb’s legs and arms.
“Perhaps some other time.”
He turned to Caleb. “Tell her she should come, and you come too as a guest.”
Caleb cocked his head to the side to see my face better. “Do you want to go?”
“I need a decent night’s sleep for tomorrow. I have to make sure I place in the tournament or I’ll be stuck here with angry authorities.”
Caleb’s eyes lit up with something that made me a little nervous. “If that’s your only concern, then don’t worry about it. I can cover your ticket home. I’ll just add it to what you owe me.”
“I don’t owe you anything.”
“We both know that’s not true. Why don’t we go to Sergio’s party and have fun? We can worry about the tournament and what you owe me later.”
I eyed Caleb and then Sergio, who was nearly vibrating with excitement.
“I’ll go, but I want to be back at the hotel at a decent hour.”
“Thank you, my goddess! You won’t be sorry. Come and follow me. It’s not far from here.”
I glared at Caleb and stood up to follow Sergio.
Caleb hopped up and closed his hand around mine. “See? An unexpected adventure. Those are the best kind.”
“Hurry,” Sergio said. “We have to get there before Uncle Santos eats all the bean dip. If he eats it before anyone else, you don’t want to be around afterwards.” He made a face and waved his hand in front of his nose.
Caleb chuckled.
Chapter 3
“Rise and shine, sleepyhead.”
My eyes blinked open to a fuzzy room. My arms struggled to lift myself from the bed. They were limp and unable to support my weight. A kiss fell upon my cheek.
“What happened?” I asked, unable to detach my head from the pillow it was squashed on.
“You had a few drinks at Sergio’s party.”
“Just a few? Then why can’t I move?”
“Every time you turned your head your glass was refilled.”
I whimpered. “When do we have to be at the casino?”
“In twenty minutes.”
“Oh shit!” I flipped the covers off and scurried from the bed, stopping momentarily for the room to stop spinning. “This tournament is going to be the death of me. Can’t I lose today so I can return to my normal life?”
“Then you’d owe me for your ticket home.”
I groaned. “I’ll get ready.”
I sped through my morning routine even though my temples banged against the inside of my skull in protest. We were out the door in seven minutes. My routine is rather simple and without much fuss. I normally don’t have to worry about time limits . . . or attracting too much attention from the opposite sex. And today, I would be far from attracting anything. I may even be able to deter Caleb.
The play at the table was sluggish. I found myself with a dwindling stack of chips in front of me. This was not going to end well. The tournament director made his way to our table and moved my seat to the next table to consolidate.
As I switched tables, I felt someone’s eyes on me. I flicked my eyes up to find the Frenchman settled opposite of my new seat. He smirked at my chip stack but didn’t say anything. Ten hands later I found myself in a hand with him and we were both all-in with the same amount of chips.
“Again, we are head-to-head,” he said. “My luck may have gone downhill in the last couple of hands, but I can still beat you. Your poker skills are pathetic.”
I was used to trash talk. It was a source of amusement when it came from someone who was getting annihilated at the table. He had begun the day with a decent stack but was now left with a paltry pittance like I had.
He cursed when I turned over my cards to reveal a pair of queens to his pair of jacks. It was a quick round, with the dealer placing all five cards in succession: the flop, turn, and river. I smiled—no j
acks. His tournament was officially over.
The vein in his neck bulged as he threw down his cards. He stood abruptly, knocking over his chair. “You won’t win the tournament,” he sneered. “I’ll make sure of it.”
There was no doubt about it. He was on tilt and was letting his emotions control him. I watched with mild satisfaction as he stormed out of the tournament room. That wasn’t my first threat, and I was sure it wouldn’t be my last. Though, I didn’t know how in the world he would make me lose the tournament. As it was, my stack was tiny even after I collected his chips.
Fifteen minutes later, I was packing up my belongings from the table. Not because the tournament was done for the day, but because I had lost all my chips to a guy with a rainbow mohawk. I was thankful it wasn’t to Caleb again . . . or the French guy. I waved to Caleb on my way out. He glanced up and nodded.
As I exited the tournament room, I spied the Frenchman in the hallway. He was grasping his phone and pacing a small stretch of hallway. His thick accent reached my ears. “No, I had to win. You have no idea the significance of it. I have no other choice. I’ll have to find a way to get it.”
I snuck around him, staying as far away as possible. His face paled as he became aware of my presence. As I maintained my path, he abruptly ended his conversation with a muttered oath.
I understood his need to win, but his anger seemed misplaced since only one person could win. The odds of winning are low, especially with Caleb playing.
Now that I’d lost, I wasn’t sure what to do. I had no reason to stay in Panama. At the same time, I didn’t have money to go home either. I knew one thing for sure: I didn’t want to room with Caleb for another night. I had snuck by the last couple of nights without a physical mishap between us. My luck was going to run out soon. Sometimes I wish it would . . . but that would complicate things.
I made my way to the front doors of the casino. I’d return to the hotel to pack my few belongings and make arrangements for a flight back to Las Vegas.
Sergio jumped from his scooter parked at the curb and dashed over to me.
“My poker goddess, what has happened? Why aren’t you playing in the tournament?”
“I was knocked out,” I said, stepping to the side of him. “You’ll have to excuse me, but I have to find a way to get home.”
“You need an airplane?”
“I need a ticket for an airplane.”
“There is no need, my goddess. I know of an airplane that can take you.”
My eyes narrowed skeptically. “What airplane?”
“You will enjoy it. You won’t be squashed in a seat between two people, and you won’t have to worry about leg room.”
I hesitated. Sergio’s offer made me suspicious. But he seemed like a harmless dopey puppy. I would owe Caleb for an airplane ticket if I stayed. My prior lost bet would have to be paid off too.
“All right,” I said with defeat. “Let me pack my bag at the hotel and we can leave. But if I don’t like the plane, I’m not going.”
“I don’t think we will have time to collect your things. My uncle’s plane is scheduled to leave at two o’clock. It only gives us fifteen minutes to hurry to the airport.”
I had my purse and passport on me. Only a toothbrush and a few articles of clothing remained at the hotel. I wouldn’t lose too much.
“I’ll never make it through security in time.”
He shook his head. “We do not go through a security gate. Hop onto my scooter, and I will get you there in time.”
I settled on the back of his scooter and clung to him as he swerved through traffic. I squeezed my eyes shut. In the back of my mind, I wondered what kind of plane didn’t require a security gate. In the front of my mind, I wondered if we would arrive at the airport alive. I held onto Sergio with a python-like grip.
“Oh, my Nadia! You make me happy when you hug me,” Sergio gurgled with happiness.
“I’m not hugging you! Slow down!”
The scooter rolled to a stop minutes later. When I opened my eyes I found we were in front of a metal airplane hanger. I scanned the large space and wondered what kind of plane I’d be risking my life in.
A few small single-engine planes were tethered in the lot. I breathed a little easier since they weren’t ready to fly. I’d hate to fly all the way back home in a micro single-engine plane. They appeared to be in good condition, which made me feel significantly better about my future ride home.
“My goddess, let’s find my uncle.”
He led me through the hanger to find a postage stamp-sized office in back. It was only big enough to cram in a small desk with a chair wedged behind it. A short, stubby man with a handle-bar mustache and a WWII aviation helmet was gathering papers at the desk. He glanced up as we approached him. Giving us a wave, he closed the short distance to meet us.
I remembered him from Sergio’s party. He was the one who ate the bean dip and stunk up the party. Then the alcohol had kicked in, and I couldn’t remember smelling anything afterwards. Thank goodness for alcohol.
“Uncle Santos, poker goddess Nadia needs a ride home. She has sadly lost and has no way to return to Las Vegas. Can you take her?”
He rubbed his chin and gave me an assessing glance. “It’s on the way to the air show. I can make a pit stop in Las Vegas. And I’ll have a pretty girl to sit in front of me while I fly, so sure.” He gave me a smack on the back. “Welcome aboard the Latin Beauty.”
I followed him to the side of the hanger where a creaky Spartan biplane rested. The only part of the plane that still had paint was where a Latin beauty in a floral bikini was sprawled on the side. There was no cabin or cockpit; just open air with a front seat and back seat.
I shook my head and spun around to leave. There was no way I was going to risk my life in that jalopy. I set off at a brisk pace to distance myself as far away from the plane as possible.
“Nadia, wait!” Sergio called after me.
“No way, Sergio! There’s no way I’m flying in that deathtrap!”
“My uncle flies it to the plane show in America every year. It is a safe plane.”
“It doesn’t look safe. I don’t want to be in the air without a flight attendant and a flotation device.”
Sergio’s face was quizzical. “I do not think a flotation device will help you in Nevada.”
“The point is, on a normal airline I’d have a flotation device if I needed one. And I’d have an oxygen mask if I needed one, too.”
“You will have all the oxygen you need because the plane is open.”
“Exactly! It’s open! What if birds attack me?”
“I would never want to see my poker goddess hurt. I would not suggest the plane if you had any other way of getting home. Tell me how you plan on getting home, and I will help you.”
My foot tapped uncontrollably. My biggest problem was I had no money. Well, Frankie was my biggest problem, but my current biggest problem was lack of funds. The thought of asking Caleb to buy me a ticket home made me queasy. I surveyed the ancient Spartan. I hoped his uncle wouldn’t fly in a contraption he anticipated might go down in a fiery inferno.
“Are there at least seat belts?”
“Oh yes, my Nadia. There are seat belts, and there is even a brand-new barf bag.”
My stomach dropped. “You could have left out that last detail.”
He seemed puzzled. I gave up the fight and stalked over to the biplane. I inspected it with a stern eye. I couldn’t see any rusting holes or leaking fluids. The wings were attached, and the tires were full. I sighed. I guess this is my ride home.
Uncle Santos slapped a leather helmet on my head and snapped on a pair of goggles. He gave me a boost into the front seat of the plane. I detected a lingering hand on my butt.
I called down to Sergio, “Can you tell Caleb I found a way home? I don’t want him to worry.”
“I will, my goddess. Safe travels! We shall meet again soon!”
As the plane bumped along the unpaved r
unway, I recited a prayer to ask forgiveness for killing Frankie when I returned home . . . if I returned home. The plane raced along the short runway straight at a dense forest of trees. I squeezed my eyes shut to block out the view of my impending doom. When I finally had the courage to open them, we were soaring into the open sky.
I laughed. This was kind of fun. Like being on a rollercoaster ride; it was a little scary but a thrilling, exciting ride.
Chapter 4
I stormed into All Celebrities Chapel, nearly ripping the front door off its hinges. I was going to find Frankie and kill him once and for all.
“Frankie!” I bellowed as I blew through the foyer and into the chapel.
Little Orphan Annie was at the altar and was in the middle of a wedding ceremony. He gaped at me with wide eyes as I charged in for the kill. I grabbed onto his red jumper with a snarl.
“Girl, you’re looking scary,” Frankie said, batting my hands away. “I’m in the middle of a ceremony, so come back later. But make sure you clean up. You’ve got stuff sticking out of your snarly hair. And what’s that in your teeth?”
“Bugs! Frankie, there are dead bugs in my teeth! Do you know how I had to get home?”
“Bugs? Oh, that’s just disgusting! I know how they died, too. Have you smelled your breath lately? You need better hygiene habits. And call me Annie. Can’t you tell?” He spun around to show me his newest outfit.
A bride standing at the altar inspected me with crossed eyes and tequila breath. “I think there’s something wrong with your clothes. They’re all feathery. Are you a chicken?”
I ignored her. “Frankie, I had to fly home in a jalopy biplane. It took us four days! I slept in airplane hangers and in a barn. I had no clothes and no money. I’m starving, angry, and my butt seriously hurts from sitting so long.”
“Don’t forget, you smell. I think you brought the barn stench home with you. You would think with all the time in the air it would blow some of that stink off you.” He took a small sniff at me. “Do I detect some bean dip?”
High Stakes Page 3