by A. C. Grey
The dealer turned over the next community card, which was an irrelevant and non-eventful seven of hearts. Zoey began to reach for more of her chips, eyeing the bubbly redhead the whole time to gauge her reaction. “Make it one thousand,” she announced once more as she added chips to the pot.
“Really, Zoey? You’re ready to play with me?”
Zoey arched her eyebrow, challenging Tess. “Totally ready to play. Why? Are you scared?” As she said that, she couldn’t resist reaching out and briefly touching Tess’s forearm. God, Zoey thought. What were they doing? Whatever it was, it was hot. Tess smiled and once again called Zoey’s bet.
The dealer revealed the final card, which again, did nothing to change the strength of their hands. Zoey would win this hand, unless she folded, which was not about to happen. Just as Zoey went to reach for her chips, she let out an involuntary gasp. The cause of her outburst was sitting right next to her.
Tess was feeling bold for some reason. Maybe it was the rush of having a great hand. Maybe it was the stream of endorphins caused by her flirtatious banter with Zoey. Who knew? Whatever it was, she was feeling a little like taking a risk. Just as Zoey went to make her next bet, Tess slipped off her shoe and silently began rubbing her foot up and down Zoey’s calf. Who said she had to play fair? Judging by her reaction, Zoey was enjoying their little game just as much as she was.
Feeling Tess playing secret footsie under the table did nothing for Zoey’s concentration. Swallowing hard, she struggled to figure out her next move. Ignoring Tess’s foot, she shifted to gaze directly into her eyes once again. She grinned and put on her most flirtatious air. “You seem nervous, Tess. Fidgeting a lot aren’t we?” She said, making subtle reference to Tess’s secret touches below the table. “Afraid I’m going to top you?” She smiled again, recognizing the double meaning of her words. God, playing this hand was like foreplay. Really, really good foreplay. Zoey shook the thought from her head. Did she even want to go there with a woman? Yes, Zoey finally had to admit. She did. At least she did with this particular woman. Zoey finally added another bet to the pot and waited for Tess’s next move in their little tango.
Tess withdrew her foot, needing to focus on making her next poker move. As much as she’d been trying to distract Zoey, she also had been affected by the touch. She chewed on her lip in a contemplative manner as she studied Zoey. It was much harder to read her than she’d thought. Zoey was all confidence and smirks. It was damn sexy. Finally, deciding there was really only one move to make, Tess shifted the rest of her chips to the center. “So, I’m all in. How about you, Zoey? Willing to live dangerously? Willing to take a chance?”
Zoey chuckled, knowing Tess’s flirtatious grin was about to be destroyed. Zoey nodded. “I am so in.” Once again enjoying their not-so-subtle sexual innuendo, she shoved her remaining chips into the pot. As Zoey expected, Tess’s face fell as they revealed their hands and she realized Zoey had beaten her.
“Uh . . . nice hand, Zoey,” Tess said graciously as she gathered her things to leave the table. Zoey placed an apologetic hand on Tess’s arm as she rose from the table. Luckily, both women were too wrapped up in their exchange to notice the smirks coming from a few men at the table and didn’t hear the remarks about how hot it was to see “two chicks going at it.”
Rather than choosing to sulk over the fact that Zoey had knocked her out of the tournament, Tess spent the rest of the time watching Zoey play from the sidelines. Zoey did pretty well, holding her own for a good portion of the tournament. However, Tess realized that Zoey still made a pretty amateur mistake – she relied too much on the odds and the math and not enough on reading the other players. But that was easily fixed with practice - and was something Tess knew a lot about.
Zoey managed to last long enough in the tournament to earn some money before she was finally knocked out in tenth place. Zoey was a little depressed as she made her way over to join Tess. She smiled weakly. “I can’t believe you stood here and watched me the whole time.”
Tess shrugged. “You’re fun to watch.” She paused as she gazed at Zoey. “You look a little down.”
“A little. Kind of wish I’d lasted a little longer.”
“You did great! You made money. Come on, I’ll buy you a drink and have you cheered up in no time.” Tess led Zoey towards the nearest bar.
Zoey could only smile. She had no doubt that Tess’s perky demeanor would rub off on her in short order. That, combined with the fact that Zoey couldn’t think of anything better than spending time with the redhead, immediately lightened her mood. Tess was right about one thing, Zoey had to admit. She was pretty awesome.
Chapter Six
The two women made their way over to a bar within the casino, both silent, lost in their thoughts. They ordered their drinks and made their way to a table in the corner.
For a moment, neither spoke. Zoey felt decidedly uncomfortable. She chewed on her lip nervously and stared into her rum and coke, fiddling with the straw. Finally, she looked up and caught Tess studying her. Tess offered a silent smile and continued to stare. Her smile suggested some internal laughter at a joke that Zoey obviously had missed. It was a knowing smile. What Tess knew, Zoey wasn’t sure. But it was making her flushed, embarrassed, and more than a little turned on.
Finally, apparently deciding she’d silently teased Zoey enough, Tess cleared her throat. “So, uh. Tell me more about yourself, Zoey. I know you’re an accountant . . . or that you used to be anyway. I know you used to work for your father . . . and that he’s done pretty well for himself. And I know that you have an asshole for an ex-boyfriend. Tell me something more.”
Zoey smiled, feeling a little more at ease. Maybe it was because Tess had stopped staring at her like she was her next meal. Or perhaps it was the effects of the alcohol slowly taking over. “Fine, but then you have to return the favor. I don’t know really anything about you.”
“Fair enough.” Tess smiled and nodded.
“So . . . where to begin. Some of this you already know. I grew up in New York. I’ve been lucky in many respects. My father owns a chain of hotels and I’ve never wanted for anything. I have a younger sister, Hannah. We don’t really see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, but I love her anyway. She’ll always be my baby sister. Let’s see, what else? . . . I’ve always loved a challenge. I played softball growing up and even played in college. My competitive nature has kind of always led me through, whether it’s in school, sports, and so on. I guess that’s what drew me to poker. It was a new challenge.”
Tess smiled, but said nothing, wanting Zoey to take her time, to say whatever was on her mind.
“Anyway . . .” Zoey played with her drink, deciding what else to say. “I told you already about what finally made me come out here to Vegas. I think the whole thing with my ex really shook me out of my comfort zone. So I packed my bags, told my father I needed some time to ‘find myself’ or whatever, and that he could reach me on my cell if he needed me. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going.”
“Why not?”
Zoey thought about her response. “A few reasons. I wanted some time to try this poker thing out by myself – with no distractions.” Zoey smiled to herself as she thought about the giant distraction currently sitting across from her. “I figured if I let people know where I was, they’d interfere. I wouldn’t have been surprised if my ex had showed up here, all apologies and charm, trying to win me back. Also, like I said, I’ve never had to worry about anything. My father’s always taken care of me. Made things too easy. While I’m grateful, it can be smothering. I wanted a chance to prove to myself that I can do this, on my own, with no one helping me or doing it for me. Also, my parents, especially my father, are a bit conservative. If he found out I was trying out a new career as a ‘gambler,’ he’d probably go through the roof. Before I fight that battle with him, I want to make sure I’m good enough and that I enjoy it enough.”
Tess nodded. “It makes sense. But couldn’t your dad track your whereab
outs, if he’s paying for your expenses?”
“I’m sure he could if he really wanted to. I have a trust fund, so he doesn’t directly see where I spend my money, unless he goes looking. However, even though my dad can be overbearing, he also loves me and I think he respects my wishes enough to know that I need some time alone.”
“Well, I for one think it’s awesome that you decided to come out here, Zoey. It’s great to see your determination and courage – a lot of people are plenty happy just to live in their comfort zone, never really taking any risks. I admire you.” She reached across the table and gently placed her hand atop Zoey’s.
Zoey’s first impulse was to pull her hand away. The energy pulsing through their joined skin was unnerving. However, it felt too good, too right, and she knew she’d regret it if she ended the contact. She reached for her drink with the other hand and quickly downed it, signaling to the waitress for another round. She was going to need all the liquid courage she could get if Tess continued to have this effect on her.
Regaining her composure, Zoey glanced over at Tess, who still had her hand atop Zoey’s. “So . . . uh . . . tell me about you.”
Tess smirked. She had a pretty good idea of what was bothering the sexy brunette sitting across from her. She had this idea, because she was feeling the exact same thing. This electric, sizzling, connection, one that was better than the best drug on the planet. She was all sorts of high on Zoey Cameron and she’d barely touched her. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to actually kiss her . . . to make love to her. She had a feeling she might never recover.
Zoey’s question brought Tess out of her reverie. “Well, I’m from San Diego. I have two siblings – a brother and a sister. Amy, my sister, lives with her husband and two kids in Boston. Danny, my brother, is a senior at UCLA.”
She paused, thinking of other things to tell Zoey. “Anyway . . . I went to college in New York. Thought about going to med school for a while, but decided to give this poker thing a try. That’s how I ended up here . . . obviously.” She shrugged. “Not sure what else to tell you. What else do you want to know?”
Zoey pondered that for a moment. It occurred to her, that even though Max had told her that Tess was gay, she’d never outwardly admitted it to Zoey. Also, for all Zoey knew, she could be in a relationship. All of this innuendo and flirting could just be one-sided wishful thinking on her part. “So . . . are you seeing anyone? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? You and Angie seem close.”
Tess laughed raucously, glad for the diversion from memories of Danny. “Me and Angie!! Oh, no. Never. I’m not really her type, seeing as she likes men and all. We’re just friends. And no, I’m not seeing anyone. It would be rather horrible of me to be shamelessly flirting with a certain hot brunette if I were in a relationship, wouldn’t it?” Tess’s smile froze on her face as she realized what she’d just said aloud. Not exactly subtle. Clearly the alcohol was clouding her judgment. Oh, hell. Screw subtlety. Unless her radar was way off, Zoey was feeling the same thing she was.
Zoey’s throat went dry when Tess outwardly admitted she’d been flirting with her and that she was hot. Of course, Zoey would have been blind not to notice and she’d done her own share of flirting right back . . . but hearing Tess actually verbalize it put things on a whole other level. The wash of emotions stunned her into silence. She was elated . . . she was anxious . . . she was scared . . . she was confused . . . but mostly, she was relieved. She knew where they stood. It was up to her to decide whether she wanted things to progress any further. She knew she should take her time, but she also knew that deep down, the decision had already been made.
Tess, sensing Zoey’s discomfort, silently cursed herself. She took a giant swallow of her drink. As a star poker player, she prided herself on her ability to read people, but she was having trouble getting a good read on Zoey. She was pretty sure that Zoey wanted this as much as she did, but maybe she’d been mistaken. It seemed like Zoey had some feelings for her, but she maybe she had come on too strong. She’d clearly rattled her. She needed to remember that Zoey was new at all this. She’d been with only men before, as far as Tess knew. Better to slow things down. Attempting to lighten the mood, she changed the subject.
The two women quickly fell back into an easy conversation, ignoring the subject that was really on both of their minds. As the night wore on, both became a little intoxicated and their flirting became a little more overt. After a few hours, they decided to call it a night.
“Do you want me to drive you back to your car?” Zoey suggested. “Actually, I’m not sure either one of us is really in a position to drive. I could pay for a cab.”
Tess nodded, sad that their night was coming to an end.
“Or . . .” Zoey stared down at her hands nervously as she decided whether or not to suggest what she was thinking. Finally, she summoned her courage. “Or you could just stay with me tonight. You’ve seen my suite. I’ve definitely got room, but don’t feel like you have to or anything. I’m sure you’d probably rather get home. Never mind, it was a stupid idea.”
Tess reached up and gently placed a finger against Zoey’s lips. “You talk too much when you’re tipsy, Zoey. I’d love to stay over. We can get my car in the morning.” She was thrilled. Obviously her earlier slip about the flirting hadn’t scared Zoey off. Things were looking promising.
Zoey smiled and nodded, secretly elated to spend a little more time with Tess. They turned and headed to her room in silence.
When they got up to the room, Zoey rummaged around and found some pajamas for Tess to borrow. They changed and got ready for bed. Neither one really wanted to sleep, but struggled to find something to say.
After a few moments of staring at each other in tense silence, Zoey spoke. “So . . . one thing you’re going to have to teach me.”
“What’s that?”
“If I’m going to be this confident badass poker diva, I’m going to need to learn those fancy chip tricks you do. You know, where you shuffle the chips between your fingers?”
Tess nodded. “No problem. It’s easy with a little practice.” She went to her purse and rummaged around, pulling out a small stack of chips that she kept on hand to tip the cocktail waitresses. “Let’s go over to the desk. You’ll need a hard surface to practice on.”
They headed over to the desk and Zoey sat down in the chair. “So you basically put them in two equal stacks, and then put them between your fingers, like so.” Tess grabbed Zoey’s hand and positioned it correctly. She lingered, perhaps a little longer than necessary, enjoying the feel of Zoey’s hand within hers. “Then . . . uh . . . you just apply pressure with your fingers to the outside edges of the stacks, kind of forcing them to lift up and towards each other.”
Zoey tried, but all she managed to do was to send the chips flying in every direction. Tess chuckled and picked up the scattered chips. “Watch me do it.” She demonstrated, slowly, so that Zoey could get the idea. After a few shuffles, she handed the chips back to the brunette. “Now you try again.” Once more, the chips scattered across the desk.
“It’s harder than it looks,” Zoey grumbled. “You make it look so easy.”
Tess smiled. “It just takes some patience. You’ll get it. Here, let me help you.” She stood behind Zoey, and reached her arm around, covering Zoey’s hand with hers.
The sensation was delicious. Zoey struggled to stifle the groan in her throat. As Tess helped her hand make the correct motion, her entire body was pressed against Zoey’s. She could feel the length of Tess’s arm atop her own, her hand holding hers, her perky breasts teasing against her back. Zoey was suddenly on fire. As Tess demonstrated, her breath tickled the nape of Zoey’s neck. Zoey was so distracted that she didn’t even notice when she finally managed, with Tess’s help, to properly shuffle the chips.
“You did it.” Tess said, in a husky tone, attempting to ignore the feel of Zoey’s luscious body pressed against her own. Swallowing hard, she hesitated, and decided, out of selfish motivatio
n, not to immediately withdraw her body from Zoey’s. As she spoke, Zoey had turned to look up at her, a look that briefly showed elation at her success. However, that look was quickly replaced by one of unequivocal desire. Her deep chocolate eyes darkened unmistakably with lust.
Zoey couldn’t take it anymore. This sultry dance they’d been playing at had to end. She gazed up into Tess’s gorgeous blue eyes and saw the same desire she felt reflected back at her. It was time to stop being scared. Time to stop living in denial. She shifted slightly, turning so that she was facing Tess.
Their gazes never wavered as both women arduously crept closer together, slowly closing the gap between them. Just as their lips were about to meet, Tess pulled back. She wanted it. She wanted it bad. But it didn’t seem right. They were drunk. It was late. She wasn’t even sure Zoey really wanted to be with a woman, wanted to be with her. Sure, Zoey wanted it now, but who knows how she’d feel in the morning, after the alcoholic haze had worn off. Tess wanted to make sure she did this right. She felt like she’d be taking unfair advantage of Zoey if she let her lust overcome her brain at this particular moment. It killed her, but she had to pull back. “I . . . uh. It’s late. I should get some sleep. I’ve got an appointment in the morning. I’ll just go make up a bed on the couch.