by Lying Eyes
“I started to go home but I decided to stay and watch a woman finally win the title. Now, I wish I’d gone the hell on back while I had the chance.”
Audra shook her hands off over the sink before moving a bit to grab a towel. “I’m still in it.”
“You are, but not for long.”
“Thanks. I appreciate a vote of confidence.” She started out the door then.
“Audra, I think you could win it but you have to change what you’re doing right now.”
“I’m not out of it yet.”
“You’re not where you need to be to win, either. Max got to you. He did what he does best and this time he didn’t even try.”
“Max doesn’t have anything to do with the way I’m playing cards.”
“Hmmm…so the little side-show with the busty showgirl in the hallway was all for nothing, I take it.”
“How do you know about that?” Audra was on guard now.
“I saw him pay her to go there.”
“Great, thanks Caroline. That was just what I needed to hear.” She tossed the paper in the wastebasket and started for the door.
Caroline studied her like she was satisfied to have her walk away with the knowledge she provided. “He paid her to act interested.”
“What?” She stopped.
“Max…he spotted her in the crowd and paid her a thousand dollars to act interested and make it look good so you’d believe it was real.”
“I don’t think so but nice try.”
“They were waiting for you to come out of the bathroom. I swear it. I even heard him tell her to giggle loud enough so you’d know in case you didn’t see it with your own eyes.” She moved closer. “I take it you saw everything you needed to see.”
“Why the hell would he do something so immature?”
Caroline’s lips formed a tight line. “Best I can tell, Max is so love sick he’s not sure how to handle himself and from where I’m standing, it doesn’t look like you’re making it easy on the poor guy.” She placed her hand on the door. “Get your act together, Audra. There’s a lot of money out there to be won and I’d like to see you take it home, and I know Max would like to see you finish right behind him. Give the crowd what they came for—play poker. Whatever you and Max have going on can wait a few hours. Do what you do best and you’ll come out okay. I believe in you.”
“By the way…I wanted to tell you…” Audra wanted to apologize but didn’t know how.
Caroline cut her off. “Audra, you’re young and you’re one of the best I’ve seen, but you still have that innocence about you and maybe even that little need to play nice. Before you say anything at all, let me remind you, if the tables were turned, I would’ve taken you out too, and I would’ve done it with a smile. Never apologize and don’t you dare explain why you played a hand the way you played it when you win. If you take the pot then you played the hand precisely the way you should’ve played it.”
“You’re not bitter?”
“Not in the least.” She crooked a smile. “Well, that’s not entirely true.”
“Max?”
“He told you?” She sounded hopeful.
“No, but I kind of figured.”
“He’s one of a kind.” Caroline confirmed what any woman would know if they’d ever spent five minutes in the man’s bed.
“He is indeed.”
Audra nodded then and started to follow her through the maze of people. “Caroline?”
“Yeah?” She stopped right beside her. They didn’t look at each other. Both women stared straight ahead.
“Thanks.”
“You can thank me after you kick Max’s ass.”
Chapter Sixteen
Audra grabbed the attention of a casino host and requested a dinner break in her suite and of course, the host and the kitchen tripped over themselves to make it happen. When the remaining players broke up the party for a dinner break, there were still six left.
Stan approached her. “Want to join me for dinner, Audra?”
“Thanks, Stan, but no. I’m going to my room for a bit.”
“Good idea,” he agreed. Who would’ve thought?
Franco met her in the lobby with a colorful entourage. After quick introductions, he leaned over and whispered his approval. “I see you’re finally playing your cards right, darling. You had us worried,” he gestured toward his party train. “We thought Reynolds had you by the snatch.” He laughed, amused at his word choice and left her with a kiss on the cheek.
By the snatch? She shook her head. It was precisely where he had her among other places—and her heart weighed in with a lot of influence too after Caroline’s little powder room power speech.
Audra barely remembered ordering food once she sat down on the edge of her bed. She glared at the cart set up for one and began to look at the place serving as if it were her enemy.
“It’s just a burger and fries, Audra.”
Her head snapped forward and her eyes narrowed. “Max, I really don’t have the energy.”
“I suppose not but I’d like to explain.”
“It’s not necessary.”
“I just want you to know that whatever happens downstairs, I’m really proud of you.”
“Wish I could say the same.” She stared thoughtfully at him trying to remember how she truly felt when she found him in the arms of his staged exhibition. Caroline would want her to play it off.
His beautiful eyes held sorrow now. “Well, I just wanted to let you know…if I don’t see you…I mean, if one of us goes tonight, and it happens to be me first, I just wanted you to know.”
Audra stood over her dinner and glared at it.
“I’ll let you eat.”
“Max?” She didn’t look up.
“Yeah?” He sounded hopeful then, like he might expect her to forgive and forget, as if there was anything to excuse in the first place.
His behavior warranted a swift kick in the ass but she’d give him hell about that later. Right now, she didn’t have time to get into it with him because the last thing she needed was to fight with him, or try to figure out why he did some of the things he did.
“Nevermind.”
“Audra…I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
Her gaze narrowed then. “Maybe you are or maybe you aren’t, either way…you will be.” She tried to play along with the truly bizarre shenanigans he created. Caroline would expect it and at this point, since she wasn’t sure of his motives for anything, she was going to be loyal to the woman who shared Max’s secrets.
“Well then, play well and I’ll see you on the other side of a couple of million.”
“Yeah, you too.” They locked gazes then and his held a little longer. She turned her back to him, choosing solace in the Las Vegas skyline—the one where she’d always see him and now she knew why.
She was going to love him until the day she died. But first, she was indeed going to kick his ass.
* * * *
“Ladies and gentleman, we are down to six players. They’ve had a couple of hours to regroup, have a meal, maybe a nap, and now they’re back to claim their millions. To my left, Max Reynolds…” The announcer quickly ran through the names of the final six and Audra remained stoic. She didn’t move until the first cards were dealt in front of her and she didn’t even remember picking them up but recalled the quick fold.
Pete, the online player, had the lead and he raised pre-flop before the player to his left made it three million to go. Chips rippled and the crowd fell silent. Two, five, ten—all Hearts brought a flop no one seemed particularly interested in seeing. Poker faces never looked more solemn. Stares were blank and hands never trembled. No emotion. Nothing to give it away but everything to gain if someone, just anyone, did.
The computer must’ve malfunctioned in at least one player’s head because Pete tossed his cards and when he did, he mumbled something about raising pre-flop. Evidently, he forgot he made the initial raise. This left Max to face off with the player p
ossessing the short stack at the table.
Both men checked and the turn card brought another Heart—this time a four and both men checked again. A King of Spades fell on the river and with the King showing high on the board, the short stack was all-in. The player stood with his hands in his pockets. He knew he was going home if Max called.
Audra realized Max was going to make the call just by gathering what information the player offered using body language alone. Max didn’t look at her. She realized then he didn’t have the straight flush.
“Call.” He flipped, stood, walked. True to Max-format, he knew nothing beat his hand. When he took his notorious stroll, everyone in the room understood he held the nuts and he was rarely wrong.
With both hands face-up, Max’s straight flush beat three kings and another player said farewell. After the crowd settled down and hands were shook and backs patted, the five remaining players settled down with larger smiles. They all had good reason to grin.
“No one leaves now without walking away a multi-millionaire,” someone said from the rail.
About as quickly as Audra heard the reminder of the money, she remembered how Max spat out her distant truths. She did need the money and she wanted to pay off every damn bookie her father ever owed. Only then would she have some level of peace. Only then would she be able to live life to the fullest and leave the past where it would serve her best—in the empty years behind her.
Her breath caught in her chest as she thought about Smoke. Max took care of the one man she feared most. The man her mother left her father for all those years ago. She concentrated hard on the board, trying to focus on everything in front of her.
Audra’s mind wandered and the dealer patted the felt as if to remind her she needed to post the big blind. She posted and let her mind continue to run rampant with thoughts of her father. The mention of money. It was the mention of money that started the string of emotions. She was close, so close to ending it all right now—right here—just two more places and her father’s debts were paid and a couple more and she would live a life like nothing she’d ever imagined.
She squinted then. She saw the cards in front of the various players. They were face down on the felt. She heard the mumbling and humming in the distance. Her father left her to deal with the wolves. Why wouldn’t he? He tossed his wife to the pack, why not a daughter?
“Wake up, Audra. Stan raised to you.” Max’s voice rattled her. Surprisingly, it was gentle. He must’ve been lost in her expression, maybe even holding her away from the pain. She glanced up at him for a second before she tossed her cards, realizing pocket nines should’ve been played against Stan’s insignificant raise. A few more hands and the money began to shift too much for Audra’s comfort. When a short break was called, she was relieved to get one. She made a beeline for the ladies room.
And didn’t quite make it.
* * * *
“You like this hallway,” she quipped.
“Down to five.”
“Max, I know this and I didn’t need a private meeting to realize it.” She started to push by him then.
“Give me a kiss for luck?”
“I assure you, if I had a kiss for you right now, it would be the kiss of something—death maybe—but never one for luck.”
He held his heart with a show of terror washing over him—forced, of course. “I’m wounded.”
“You’ll get over it.” She started to leave him.
His quick hands stopped her before she escaped. One caught her waist and the other wrapped around her upper arm. “See, there’s the problem. I don’t think I will.”
“Deal with it because I don’t care.” She had just enough time to boil over the lengths he went to in order to push her away after he had a small slip of tongue about prying into her business. Now, she wanted him to leave her alone until the tournament ended. It would be best for all parties concerned—yes, both of them. Never mind the audience waiting for a grand finale.
“You care more than you want me to know.” He winked.
“You keep telling yourself that, Max.”
“I will and I have a feeling…you’ll stick around and provide a few reminders.”
“Don’t count on it.” She walked off then and left him while the ‘getting’ was good. Yeah, she liked the rare advantage and right now, she had it.
* * * *
It took a few hands to straighten out the mess of chips sliding one way or another and Audra felt a little more apprehensive when she realized the chips weren’t moving near as much. After fifth place was finally secured by the player who never said the first word to any of the others, Audra realized her payday, and whatever dollar amount came with it, was near. Things were going to get very interesting, and it would happen fast.
The internet player had the lead with barely forty million. Max and Audra were hanging right in there together at close to thirty-three million a piece and Stan now had the short stack at twenty million.
“Four players remaining…” The announcer began with a quick recount and told of the departures—the five he deemed as fast ones. She disagreed. Thanks to Max, the hours at the final table were grueling moments, agonizing minutes. Sambo ended with a quick reminder of who was left to duke it out for the world of poker’s most lucrative payday.
The first hand dealt and she was in it. Worse still, she regretted it the second she raised to Max. And to make matters even more unbelievable, and real, all at the same time, Max made it five more million to go. The crowd hushed. Stan folded. The quiet one backed out as if he knew this was the turning moment, the one where one of poker’s favorites would be forever eliminated. He settled back with his arms crossed over his chest and an unexpected smile finally claimed his lips.
Audra peeked at her hole cards again and stared at the board—the one without the flop to showcase whether or not she had anything to make a strong play. She made the call and refused to stare into the eyes watching her every move.
The reporters and camera crews stood on alert. Prior to the last break, they’d all been catnapping around the room but now, everyone paid attention with more interest than anyone had possessed in the past few hours.
“Careful, Max.” Stan chuckled when he saw the flop. “No reason to show your balls and lose your ass after you’ve come this far.”
Audra wished she’d paid closer attention to whatever move he made to draw a comment from Stan because whatever he meant to do, he swiftly changed his mind with a check.
Two tens and a Jack on the flop. She looked at it again to make sure. Yes, two tens and a Jack. She raised again and criticized her reasoning then. If it had been anyone else, she would’ve gone all-in, right then.
“Audra?” he questioned. “Only five more?”
“That’s million…” she teased. “Five million.”
Max winked. “I see that. What I want to know is why you didn’t give me your best shot? I’ve got you pictured in a full house.”
“Do you now?” She leaned over, realizing it might be the last of their fun and games if he called her.
“I do.”
“Then call me. Maybe you’ll see.”
“Oh, I’m counting on that full house, baby.”
The crowd loved it and everyone standing around laughed on cue.
“Not going to call?”
He studied her for a long time. Damn. He made everything so fucking complicated.
“Oh, I’m callin’ and you can count on lovin’ me for it.”
He tossed in his chips and a two of Hearts didn’t help either player on the turn, or so it would appear. He checked and she thought about it. Spectators seemed to grant her a much-needed moment of silence.
“Now what?” He sat back, removed his sunglasses and stuck them in his shirt pocket.
“I hate to do it.” She winked.
He winked back. “It’s tough saying good-bye, isn’t it sweetheart?”
“Got pocket tens?”
“Pay me and I’ll sh
ow you.”
Audra couldn’t resist. “Yeah, from what I hear, you pay a hefty price to teach the women in your life valuable lessons.”
His eyes flickered with the sudden knowledge someone ratted him out. “Play nice.” He mouthed the words more than said them.
“Max, it’s been real…interesting.”
The cameras zoomed in for a close-up shot of the man and woman of the hour. Stan stood before Audra, understanding it was time for the showdown everyone anticipated.
If knees ever buckled on her, now wouldn’t surprise her because of the shaking she couldn’t control. It was now—or maybe never again—but she felt it in her gut. She wasn’t going home. She didn’t have him pegged for tens and something in his face told her that he wasn’t sure if he had her or not. One of them was headed out and it was time to find out which one.
Her grip on the table loosened and her hands moved eloquently over her chips. “I’m all-in.” She walked away and he stood. He didn’t budge and those who watched eagerly waited. Max’s fans knew it wasn’t a good sign. His lips parted. “I’ve enjoyed you more than I ever expected.”
“I hope so,” Audra chimed.
“Flip ‘em over.”
Audra sported her Jack-ten and with the two tens and Jack on the board, her full house looked promising.
Max had deuces and it was then she realized the insignificant turn card might cost her the tournament if the dealer pulled a two on the river. She was hoping he had something like any other low pair to ensure she was a winner regardless of the fifth and final card. He didn’t look displeased at all, which she found rather ironic.
A crowd pleaser, Max walked over to the onlookers and stood close to his fan-base. She spotted Franco nearby and started to walk over to stand with him but she couldn’t move and truthfully, if anything, she’d love to stand with Max—only right now, it probably wasn’t a real good idea.
“Ladies and gentleman,” the announcer began, “it doesn’t get any better than this…”
The dealer slowly turned over card number five to its landing spot. Immediately, Sambo’s enthusiastic way of announcing the results rang throughout the air. “And it’s a full boat that knocks Max Reynolds out of the tournament this year.” The sounds rippled through the audience, a lot of boos, oohs, and ahhs provided a blanket of thrilling chills for the woman left standing.