Risk

by Raquel Belle

  “We’re waiting on one more player,” I tell the men as I sit down.

  The dealer is alert. Only our best are allowed to work the back rooms. If he does a good job tonight—and if the pot gets as big as I’m planning—he will easily walk away with a six-figure tip.

  Other than the dealer, the room is serviced by Tessa and two cocktail waitresses. A private bar manned by a bartender is set up in the corner. In addition to the two security guards at the door, we have two men in the room. With this much money on the table, you don’t take any chances in terms of security.

  “Shit! This is a fucking step above. I wish the rest of the crew could see this.” A female voice slurs from the other side of the red curtain that separates off the table from the room’s entrance.

  “Good evening, miss.” Tessa’s pleasant voice comes through. “What would you like to drink?” For a moment, I think Deanna came alone. I feel a prick of annoyance, which I cover by signaling to one of the cocktail waitresses for another scotch. One more and then all my focus has to be on the game. I keep myself to a two-scotch limit for all gaming. It’s a rule I’ve never broken.

  “Alright boys, ready to see what a lady can do?” Deanna bursts through the curtain. I force myself to pause before looking up at her and feel some relief when I see Lilly a step behind. Compared to Deanna’s bravado, Lilly made such a quiet entrance, it’s like she wasn’t there at all.

  “Gentlemen. Meet Deanna Madison,” Tessa smoothly introduces the raucous addition to our game. Clearly, Terry briefed her fully in the short space of time it took for me to make it from the security hub to here.

  “Please,” I stand and gesture to the empty chair across the table. “Deanna, meet Maurice Johnston, Jeremy Ainsworth, and Mr. Takao Hayashi.” The other two men simply give her a cool nod while Mr. Hayashi, unfailingly polite, stands up and bows to her deeply. “And I’m—”

  “David.” Lilly says my name at the same time as I do. Her eyes are round, staring at me.

  “David Milner.”

  “He works at the casino,” Lilly murmurs to Deanna, her eyes wide. “He’s a pit boss. I met him earlier.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Maurice give a start of confusion. Jeremy has an obnoxious smirk plastered across his face. Even Mr. Hayashi is carefully looking down to hide a slight smile, amused by Lilly’s inadvertent faux pas. I don’t have the heart to correct her in front of them.

  “Well, shit. This really is the high-roller table, huh?” Deanna plops down in her seat, seemingly unimpressed. She has no clue what kind of money she’s sitting with, I realize with grim resignation. Well…either no clue or too drunk to care. Meanwhile, Lilly has retreated to the far side of the room, hovering near the bartender. Her thin fingers clutch her champagne flute. I notice that she’s holding it by the actual glass—not the stem like you’re supposed to, to keep it from getting warm.

  “We playing or what, David?” Jeremy calls my attention back to the table. Entitled little prick. I hate trust fund kids. Men like Maurice and Mr. Hayashi have worked for what they’ve got. Just like I had to. Kids like Jeremy though…they’ll never work a day in their lives.

  “Let’s play.” I give a node of assent to the dealer, who’s eyeing me expectantly.

  “Texas Hold’em. Buy-in is $25,000.” I hear a gasp from Lilly's side of the room at this remark. With five players, that’s a starting pot of $125,000. “Pot limit,” the dealer concludes.

  “What’s that mean?” I hear Lilly’s slight whisper under the clicking of chips. Tessa, clearly recognizing Lilly as a fish out of water, has kindly stationed herself next to the young girl and is explaining that this means the maximum raise can't exceed the size of the pot.

  I take one last look at Lilly’s flouncy floral dress, noting the ruffle stopping just above her knee. Then I turn my attention back to the table. Deanna’s eyes are fixed on me and she raises one eyebrow briefly.

  “Like what you see?” She remarks. Clearly, she saw me scoping out her sister. I ignore her and reach for my cards. The hand has been dealt. Let the chips fall where they may. I only need to glance at my cards to see my hand is useless. I'll bluff and let myself get taken early on. I want Deanna to see me lose. Build up her confidence. And then take her down.

  “Check or bet.” The dealer's voice cuts into my thoughts.

  “Check.”

  “Check,” Mr. Hayashi echoes me.

  “Bet.” Jeremy ups the stakes and shoves a fresh $25,000 chip onto the table, as bored as if it were a mere $25.

  “Call.” Deanna throws her own $25,000chip on the table before the dealer can get a word in edgewise.

  Soon enough, Deanna is owning the table. She takes the first few hands. I have to admit she’s better than I expected. More calculating then I anticipated. And more observant. Every time I cast a glance at Lilly, Deanna seems to notice.

  A new hand is dealt. I check my cards. The ten of hearts and a four of clubs. Not looking too promising. I glance around the table but the others' faces are impassive. As the dealer goes around the table and the others place their bets I glance again at Lilly. She's fidgeting, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other. I think she's totally oblivious to me but suddenly she turns in my direction, locking eyes with me. Catching me staring, she looks quickly away.

  I return my attention to the game. A king of clubs is on the table. A five of clubs is added. I consider folding. But then I get a lucky break; a four of hearts. Still, a pair of fours is no match for the four-of-a-kind that Deanna has managed to come up with. I grit my teeth in annoyance.

  “Boy, ya don’t like losing, huh?” Deanna grins as she scoops up the pot. “Maybe you’d do better if you could keep your eyes off my sister and concentrate on the game.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t get too cocky,” I respond. But I can’t help flicking my eyes in Lilly’s direction. Her cheeks have gone pink at Deanna’s words.

  “Pride comes before the fall,” Maurice mutters to himself, his words barely audible. His eyes meet mine. Maurice is no first-timer. He knows what I’m up to, letting Deanna take hand after hand like this. I’ve noticed he’s been folding more frequently than he normally would. Clearly, he’s just watching the show go down.

  My cards aren’t looking much better on the next hand. Normally I’d fold but again, I decide to stay in the game and feed Deanna’s confidence.

  This time I'm dealt a two of diamonds and a queen of clubs to start. A two of clubs and a two of spades ensure that I'll at least be able to claim three-of-a-kind. Finally, a six of hearts rounds out the flop. Useless.

  “Close but still not good enough,” Deanna coos. She likewise landed three-of-a-kind, but her cards were sevens. A higher rank.

  Although Deanna is doing well, Lilly appears to be getting more and more nervous. After first peppering Tessa with questions, she eventually falls silent. She pulls anxiously on her low-slung ponytail and whenever her eyes meet mine, they are filled with fear. But there’s also a spark of awe.

  Before long, Deanna is sitting on $650,000. She’s enjoying her ride sitting at the big boys’ table. I push thoughts of Lilly to the side and focus on my newly dealt hand. Finally. Something I can work with.

  Deanna has done well but like any non-professional poker player, she has tells, signs that show she’s bluffing. I’ve seen her gently scratch her wrist, right above the small rose tattoo, twice. Both times she’s been bluffing. It’s a nervous tick. Something she can’t control and probably doesn’t notice herself. But I’ve picked it up. I have no doubt Maurice and Mr. Hayashi have noticed as well. Jeremy’s too dumb and careless to bother looking for other people’s tells. He’s just in this for the lifestyle, not the art of the game.

  “This is too rich for my blood,” Maurice remarks delicately. He folds.

  Jeremy likewise is out of the game. He must have an awful hand or he’d never forego the chance to get in on this action.

  Mr. Hayashi, impassive as ever, folds without comment.

&n
bsp; I call the pot and level my gaze on Deanna. It’s just the two of us. She’s got a smile on her face but her eyes are red and bleary. She’s had two more rum and cokes since sitting down. And then she makes her fateful move, declaring “All in.”

  “Deanna!” Lilly lets the word escape, louder than anything else she’s said all night, and then turns bright pink. She’s been inching closer and closer to the table as she’s become more entranced by the action. Shaking off her embarrassment, she gives me a defiant look before touching Deanna’s shoulder gently. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  “Trust me, Lilly.” Deanna shrugs her sister’s hand off of her shoulder. “It’s not like this is my first time,” she adds, giving Lilly a pointed look. “How do you think I got the money to fly you out here?”

  Chastised, Lilly steps back into the shadows, her eyes fixed on mine, pleading. As if I could do anything to help her sister now. As if any of us could. She's not just a railbird, a spectator watching the action for entertainment. She cares about the outcome because she cares about her sister. That much is clear.

  Deanna looks at me. Although she and Lilly are nearly identical, their eyes are distinct. Deanna’s have a hardness to them, something Lilly’s are lacking. “You might be able to fool these clowns,” she spits the words out. “But not me. I’m all in. You’re going down.”

  I nod. If I’ve read her bluff wrong, I’ll lose money. Sure. But it’s money I can afford to lose. I doubt Deanna can say the same. I’ve seen grown men cry after smaller losses than what Deanna is about to potentially throw away. We're only waiting on the river, the final of the community cards dealt open-faced on the table, to be played. As things stand, I have a queen and a nine in my hand. With the two queens on the table, that’s already three-of-a-kind. Enough to beat Deanna, if she's bluffing. If another nine is played, I'll have a full house. That may well be enough to beat her even if she isn’t bluffing. But from the way she’s scratching at her wrist, I think even a simple pair would put her out of the game now.

  The dealer clears his throat. Mr. Hayashi is sitting forward in his chair, eagerly waiting for the big reveal. Maurice has stopped smoking his cigar and is just chomping on the end, also anticipating the result. Even Jeremy seems to be shaken out of his usual bored rich kid stupor. His eyes are fixed on the dealer’s hands. From the corner of my eye I see Lilly clasp her hands, pressing them tightly together as she stares at the dealer and then again at me, almost reproachfully. I can only hold her stare for a second before I look away. There’s no room for guilt in gambling. We’ve all made our moves and told our tales. Now, it’s up to the cards to tell the truth.

  Chapter Three

  Lilly

  I don’t know much about poker. I’ve seen the old guys back home play on occasion, at the diner or the local bar. So I’ve got a vague idea of how this all works and what makes for a good hand. But the kind of poker played back home is very different from what’s unfolding in front of me here. Back home the cards come with a side of cheap draft beer and maybe some stale peanuts. But the private poker room at the Fortuna looks like it’s straight out of a James Bond movie. The problem is, I’m not sure who’s 007 and who’s the villain.

  I’m thankful that Tessa, who seems to be some kind of hostess, has been standing by me all night, answering my whispered questions. I think David somehow told her to take care of me. He didn’t actually say anything to her. I just caught him giving a slight nod towards me when they exchanged looks. Whatever message he sent with his eyes, she received it.

  But now, David’s eyes are on me. It’s not the first time I’ve caught him staring tonight. And it’s not the first time he’s caught me looking back.

  “Nine of clubs,” the dealer’s solemn voice announces the final card as he turns it over. “Showdown, please.” He looks expectantly at David and Deanna.

  Without a word, David turns over the two cards he’s had hidden to himself throughout the game. A queen and the nine of hearts. I hear Tessa breathe in sharply next to me. “A full house,” she whispers to me when I shoot her a questioning look. “Three of a kind and a pair. It’s a strong hand.”

  The dealer is looking expectantly at Deanna, waiting for her to show her hand. Standing behind her, I can’t see her face. Can she beat the full house?

  “Miss?” The dealer prompts her. And with that simple word, Deanna seems to snap.

  “Fuck this!” The words are crisp and clear, and she’s staring directly at David as she says them. She throws down her cards. I don’t have to look at them to know that she’s lost.

  “Shit,” Tessa whispers next to me, apparently shocked herself. “She was bluffing.”

  “Full house takes it.” The dealer needlessly announces, reaching forward to clear the table of cards. David reaches for the massive pile of chips in the middle of the table.

  “No!” Deanna screeches and I hear the sharp slap of her hand beating his away.

  “Miss, the pot goes to the winner,” the dealer sternly admonishes her. Meanwhile, the hulking security guards in the corners of the room have stepped forward. One of them gives David an expectant look. I can’t move. I can barely breathe, to be honest.

  “It’s fine, guys. Stand down.” David shakes his head at the security team. For a guy who just got smacked, he’s shockingly unfazed. He draws his hand away from the pile of chips and leans back in his chair, carefully adjusting the glittering, gold cuff-links at the ends of his sleeves. “Those are my winnings, Deanna.” He motions to the table with an open hand.

  “They would be. If you didn’t cheat,” she spits back. Her voice is slurring and I can feel my cheeks getting warm, blushing in embarrassment on her behalf.

  “Oh shiiiiit!” The young guy named Jeremy seems to wake up out of his haze, giving Deanna a double take.

  “That’s a very serious allegation, young lady,” the big man with the cigar—I think David introduced him as Maurice—says.

  The Japanese gentleman is sitting calmly, his eyes on his own pile of chips in front of him. Meanwhile the staff in the room is transfixed, all of them staring at David.

  “It’s not an allegation. It’s the truth!” Deanna is completely oblivious to anything but her own anger at losing. “You work at this goddamn casino, right?”

  David nods briefly.

  “I’m sure you’ve got all kinds of fucking tricks up your sleeve,” she hurtles on. She’s up out of her seat and I cringe as I see that her short red dress has ridden up and is barely concealing her butt. I want to run over, pull it down, and drag her out of here but I’m scared to take a step thanks to the security guys standing at the ready. And Deanna clearly isn’t ready to go. “You probably have the dealer rig this shit so you win every time, huh? Is that how you get your kicks? Inviting guests to the ‘high roller’ back room and then cheating them out of their hard-earned cash?” Deanna swats at the pile of chips as she’s speaking, spraying them in his direction.

  “I can assure you that is not the case.” David’s voice is calm but his hands are jammed into his pockets, as if he’s itching to take action and holding himself back.

  “Or do you have these little cocktail girlies reading my cards and sending you secret signals, huh?” She whirls to face one of the waitresses in the corner, who looks totally mortified to be dragged into this mess. I can’t blame her. “Or your hostess lady over here, huh? She’s been standing behind me the whole time, hasn’t she?”

  “Deanna!” I step forward slightly, finally finding some strength. “She’s just been explaining the game to me. That’s all.”

  “Whatever, Lilly! He’s been looking back there the entire time. I’ve seen it! I thought he was just checking you out but now I’m not so sure.”

  I look back to David and see him signal to the bouncers. They advance on Deanna, who is quivering with anger. “This is bullshit!” She explodes as one of the muscled men takes her arm.

  “Hey! You don’t have to touch her,” I step forward, hoping the others
in the room will ignore the quiver in my voice. “Please.” I turn towards David. He was so nice earlier. Surely he can help. “She didn’t mean to offend you. I think this is just a misunderstanding.”

  “It’s not a fucking misunderstanding, it’s a fucking scam!” Deanna’s shrill voice interrupts me. She jerks her arm out of the security guy’s grip and gives him a shove. “I’m not leaving here without my money!” She stamps her foot in rage, nearly losing her balance. Suddenly, the security guard has gone from grabbing her arm to supporting her, making sure she doesn’t drunkenly tip over in her heels.

  “Deanna, please! Calm down.” I look back to David. “Is there maybe a manager we could speak to? Someone more…senior?” I have no idea how casino job rankings work and don’t want to offend him. The words are barely out of my mouth before the room erupts into laughter.

  “Damnnn, yeah Milner, show us your supervisor,” the younger guy, Jeremy, says with a grin.

  Meanwhile the guy called Maurice is speechless with chortling laughter. The bartender is looking down but I can hear him snorting as he tries to contain himself and even the cocktail girls are failing to suppress giggles. Mr. Hayashi has turned his back to me, politely trying to hide his mirth, but his shoulders are shaking with hilarity. I turn to look at Tessa, who is kindly hiding her smile behind her hands.

  Everyone in the room seems to be in on the joke. Everyone except for me and Deanna. I look at David, the only other person in the room not laughing.

  “I’m the most senior you’re going to get.” His voice is steely. “I own this place.” I feel my legs wobble slightly.

  “I thought you said… You said you were a pit boss.” My own voice sounds distant, as if I’m watching myself in a dream. Stupid, Lilly. The comment sets off a fresh burst of hilarity among the others in the room.

  “Like I said, I wear many hats in my job.”