Tyler looked at Kylie, his face ashen. “I had no idea she was going to be here,” he said and Kylie believed him because she wanted to believe that was true. Her girlfriends had raved about how hot Tyler was, what a great couple they made: two tanned blonde surfers with blinding white smiles and all the right moves on the water. Even their names were similar, with the yl combination in the middle.
So Kylie had wanted to believe that they had a match made in heaven, when really she was just another of Tyler’s conquests. He’d only been living in Sydney for a year and a half and Kylie was his third girlfriend in that time.
Kylie had insisted on leaving the party not long after Brittany and her pack. She made Tyler take her to the beach where they sat on the warm golden sand and talked. Tyler was wounded, he said. “I don’t understand her. I told her a week ago that we had to move on. She just doesn’t want to let go. I’m so sorry you had to see that.”
No one could fake that level of hurt and indignation, Kylie thought hopefully.
Then the first surf carnival of the season rolled around, barely four weeks ago, and Kylie knew her darkest fears about Tyler were real. He’d used her to break up with Brittany just like he was using Madison to break up with her. There was one major difference, she didn’t treat him to an ego-feeding display of anger and heartbreak like Brittany had done. She minimized the drama of his cowardly display and her self-control satisfied her while the walls of her world crumbled.
What goes around comes around she told herself as she walked away. She’d wanted him so much she could taste it and she’d ignored all the warning bells ringing in her head. It was perfect justice that he dumped her the same way.
She’d taken a second job to save money for her trip to Canada and was working so many hours it didn’t register when he stopped calling every morning just to say hello. They were supposed to be traveling together and she assumed he was busy too.
The surf carnival was going to be her last competition before they caught the plane to Edmonton together. Not once had Tyler had even hinted that he’d had a change of mind, although Kylie had wondered how he was going to pay for his ticket as a part-time barista in a local coffee shop. Now she understood; he’d never intended to go with her.
She’d phoned Nell and told her in a tremulous voice that she was traveling solo. “Tyler can’t make it, so is it okay if I come alone?”
Aunt Nell said, “Of course, love, but do I hear tragedy in your voice?”
“Nothing I can’t handle,” Kylie answered tersely, afraid that the slightest bit of sympathy might plunge her into a pit of despair and self-hatred that would trap her like quicksand. If she started crying she might never stop.
Now, standing in Will’s kitchen, surrounded by five people, five affectionate new friends, the golden sands of the surf beach seemed to be another world. She lifted the pavlova onto the kitchen island and the others murmured delight at the fruit-topped meringue. None of them had eaten it before and considered it an exotic addition to the dinner. Kylie used Will’s sharpest knife and a fork to wiggle through the chewy base and cut it into pieces. They stood around the island to eat, as if no one wanted to let it out of their sight.
Even though everyone had sworn they were too full after dinner to eat another thing, all of them had seconds.
Joseph cut off a third serving and looked at Kylie with pleading eyes. “Will you marry me? I will be your slave if you will make this for me even once a month.”
“Hands off, Sewchuk,” Will said, easing between Joseph and Kylie. “This lady is a guest in my house.”
“If she’s in your house, sir,” Amanda said, “she’s no lady. But I do apologize for my husband, Kylie. The man’s a food harlot. He proposes to at least one new cook a week, male or female, he’s an equal opportunity harlot.” She cut herself a third piece of pavlova. “It’s how I know he’s alive.” She joined Joseph at the table where he was eating, all the while making small moans of appreciation.
Will leaned his butt against the island and patted his stomach. “That really was great. Thank you for bringing it.”
He put an arm around her shoulders and Kylie smiled, grateful for a Christmas miracle of her own.
“Texas Hold ‘Em,” Thomas said in his usual half shout.
“Only if there are no cigars involved,” Megan said in a sharp, authoritative voice.
“C’mon, babe, it’s Christmas,” Thomas pleaded.
“One only,” Megan replied. “And you don’t get kissed until it’s completely out of your system.”
Will smiled at Kylie. “You a card player?”
“A bloody awful one, but I try,” she said, in a typical self-deprecating, Aussie way. She said it the way she would have called the Hope Diamond not half bad for a bit of ice. Understatement was more discreet than overstatement, Mum taught her. People didn’t get their expectations up.
Ever since she was old enough to hold a hand of cards, Kylie’d been perfecting the art of poker. Her parents had two loves in life: surfing and cards. Their passion had shaped her well, so well that some of her mates from uni wouldn’t play poker with her any longer. Maybe Will and his friends were better than she was and it was safer not to big-note herself before the cards were even dealt.
“Would you kiss a cigar smoker?” Will asked, his eyes twinkling.
“You never know your luck in the big city,” she said, certain that she’d do way more than that. She needed rebuilding from the inside out, just like his fine old house.
“What are we waiting for? To the man cave!” Will ordered.
Two-thirds of the basement had been devoted to Will’s massive man cave. It had a large-screen TV so big it almost covered an entire wall. A row of reclining chairs faced it. There was a pool table, a wet bar, and a games table Will had built himself. At one end of the room was a small exercise area with a recumbent bike, weights, and an elliptical trainer. The wall by the games table was the hockey wall, full of memorabilia – mostly of the Edmonton Oilers. Under it was a set of cupboards with a built-in humidor and shelves for cards, poker chips, and an assortment of board games.
When Will showed the cave to Kylie on her first tour, he’d described how he’d had it professionally ventilated to ensure that the cigar smoke wouldn’t seep through to the rest of the house. He’d added that it was soundproofed as well and she thought he must have some wild parties.
His friends knew the space well. Joseph went straight to the humidor and slid out a box of Cuban cigars.
“These are mine, but I leave them here because we live in a no-smoking building,” Joseph said to Kylie. He offered them around and everyone but Megan took one. Kylie’s grandfather loved cigars and she’d learned that habit from him.
Thomas was at the bar, lining whiskey glasses in a row. “Who wants a wee dram?” he asked.
“Not me,” said Kylie, already lightheaded from the wine, the rich food and the dizzying proximity of Will and his simmering sexuality.
“Me either,” said Will. He pulled a chair out and waved Kylie into it. The seats were well padded and comfortable.
“I’m driving so I’m out,” said Joseph.
“Cheap round,” Thomas said, pouring two fingers of single malt scotch into three glasses.
“It’s a $100 limit.” Amanda opened a metal box that looked like an attaché case and started handing out chips. “White chips are a dollar, reds are toonies, greens are fives, blue for tens and black for twenties.”
“I didn’t bring any money with me,” Kylie said, irritated that Will hadn’t warned her that there would be card playing, card playing for money. The gambling part didn’t worry her. She was from a country where the whole nation stopped to watch a horse race on the first Tuesday of November every year. Where she came from, there were betting outlets in every shopping center, just in case a person couldn’t get to the track.
But she liked to know up front what she was in for. Her desire for Will cooled just a little at the thought that he had t
ricked her.
As though reading her mind, he patted her hand. “You’re my guest. Your money isn’t good here. I’m staking you.”
Just like that the fire in her belly flared again. He was looking after her and it was like an aphrodisiac – such a contrast to ‘could you help me carry my boards to the beach’ Tyler.
“Hey, aren’t we your guests too?” Joseph waved at himself and Amanda, at the same time reaching for his wallet and peeling off a whack of twenty dollar bills. Amanda scooped up the cash and put it into the slots where the chips usually sat.
“No, you’re more like my adopted family.” Will handed four fifty-dollar notes to Amanda.
“Does that mean we can move in with you?” Thomas stacked his chips up neatly in front of him while Megan paid for them. Once all the money was handed over, the case was snapped shut and Amanda put it on the coffee table by the TV.
“Yeah, as soon you come up with your share of the purchase price and renovation costs, including all my time charged out at double rates.”
“No one on earth is that rich, man.” Joseph shuffled the cards and set the deck in the middle of the table, signaling for Kylie to cut.
She cut the ace of spades.
“I guess we know who’s dealing the first hand.” Joseph pushed the cards her way. “We change dealer each time.”
Before she picked up the cards, Kylie clipped the end off the cigar that Joseph had given her. She put it to her lips and inhaled softly, all the while watching Will watch her.
“Draws nicely,” she said to Joseph. “This is going to be a good smoke. Thanks.”
Then she set it down and dealt the cards. She got two kings. Good start.
Her luck held and very shortly she was up $50, $100. When she was ahead by $250, and Joseph had only a few one-dollar chips left, the others players started to twitch and flinch. Will looked at her with new respect, studying her like a scientific specimen, as if she’d suddenly sprouted wings and started to breathe fire.
Kylie didn’t like the coolness in the room. She wanted these people to like her. She may only be in Canada for a short time but that didn’t mean she wanted to leave behind any enemies. So she turned her skill at winning to sabotaging her own hands. She threw in face cards and bet wildly on cards of no value. She couldn’t lose for winning and at one point she was dealt two aces only to have to more show up in the river – only a royal flush could beat her hand.
Kylie frowned. “My luck has really changed,” she said, pushing a small note of dissatisfaction into her voice. She folded her cards and handed them to Will who was dealing next.
Mum would have been ashamed of her. A $250 lead had been whittled into a $30 loss. Mum’s motto was you always played your best. If people couldn’t outplay you, they shouldn’t be at the table.
“Stretch break,” Will said as he gathered the deck together. Everyone stood and shook out their legs. Kylie puffed on her cigar while watching Thomas pour fresh drinks. People started taking turns in the washroom.
Chapter 3
When no one was looking, Will flipped Kylie’s two cards over quickly to see what she’d thrown. The vein in his temple pulsed at the sight of the winning cards. Deliberately losing was another form of cheating. His friends were adults and if they couldn’t stand her luck, they shouldn’t be there.
“Kylie, can I ask you to help me get some snacks from upstairs?” Will asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Absolutely,” she said and set her cigar on the side of the ashtray.
At the top of the stairs, Will closed the door to the basement, took her by the hand and led her into the kitchen. He guided her until she was standing with her back to the island and then he towered over her, his arms folded. “You’re cheating,” he said.
“Whoa, slow down there. If I was cheating how come I’ve lost so much money now?”
“I looked at your last hand. You had two aces, four of a kind. You should’ve won.”
She bit her lip and a scarlet tide washed up her neck.
“I’m talking to you, missy.” He lifted her chin with his index finger. “And I’m telling you that I don’t like cheaters.”
“Oh calamity! I didn’t think you’d notice.” She flexed her dimples at him. “What the hell? Your friends are much happier this way. They’re laughing again. I didn’t want to wreck the party by cleaning everybody out.”
“That wouldn’t wreck the party. The luck comes and goes. Tonight might be your good turn. Next time it will be someone else’s.”
“Maybe, maybe not.” She didn’t flinch as she looked into his china blue eyes. “I’ve been playing cards a long time and your mates are really easy to read. They can’t bluff to save their lives. Every one of them has a couple of tells. Like every time Thomas is bluffing, his nostrils flare slightly. When he’s got a good hand, he drums his fingers on the table. Amanda bites her lip when she bluffs. Megan plays with her hair. These aren’t huge markers, but I’m used to watching. For the record, you shouldn’t touch your ears when you’ve got a good hand. It’s like a neon sign.”
“Well here’s the rule: if you play cards under my roof, you play to the best of your ability. No one’s going to cry if they lose, although they just might avoid playing with you for a while. Do you understand?”
“I do. But I don’t necessarily agree.”
“You try throwing one more good hand you’ll find out that when I make a rule, I’m serious. There is a reason I live alone. I’m a tyrant. It’s my house and my rules and if a beautiful young woman like you breaks those rules, she’ll be spanked.’
“I’m sorry,” she said, “I didn’t hear anything after beautiful young woman like you.”
“Don’t play dumb.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “Just like forgetting your keys is a spanking offence, so is cheating at cards. Whether you cheat to win or to lose. Understood?”
“I’ll think about it. I love it when you talk tough.” She smiled at him with a look of pure sassiness. “Now are you ever going to kiss me?”
Will’s willpower broke. He swept her into his arms and kissed her. And she kissed back, her mouth open and hungry. Pushing her high round breasts into him, her hard nipples poked through the thin fabric of her dress. His hands massaged her back, tangling in her long blonde hair. The sensation of her skin so close to his electrified him. Her short excited gasps for breath filled his ear as she nibbled his neck.
“Hello?” Megan’s voice came from the basement steps. “I’m going to use the upstairs facilities, okay?”
Will jumped back. Kylie straightened her dress and combed her hair with her fingers, smiling sweetly at Will.
Megan brushed past them, eyes averted, on her way to the main floor powder room.
Will opened the pantry door and brought out chips, pretzels, and jars of mixed nuts. He told Kylie where to find dishes. Adjusting the hard-on in his jeans, he wondered how long it would be before he could call an end to the party.
Downstairs again, everyone took their places at the table and the game resumed. Will settled beside Kylie, enjoying the salty taste of her that lingered on his lips.
He dealt and she took the first hand with a full house, tens over sixes. When she won, she won big and when she folded she sometimes even showed her weak cards. Very quickly the majority of the chips were piled in front of her again. Will relaxed. She’d listened to him and learned. Good girl.
“Woman, you’re cleaning me out,” Joseph complained when once again as he fingered his last few chips.
Kylie smiled at him sympathetically and with the next hand, she folded. As quickly as her winning streak had come, it vanished again. She lost hand after hand.
When Thomas finally threw in his cards and said, “I’m so tired I’m almost falling asleep here,” Kylie hadn’t won another hand. To make matters worse, she’d lost $75 of Will’s stake.
It was after 2:00 AM.
“I’ve got my big post-Christmas sale on tomorrow.” Joseph stood and stre
tched. “Good thing we don’t open until noon.”
The others yawned as they collected the dirty glasses, ashtrays, and bowls, helping to carry them upstairs.
“We’ll help you clean up,” Amanda said, half-heartedly.
“No way,” Will said. “You guys all have to work this week, but I’m off. It can wait until the morning.”
The guests headed to the hallway where they picked up their layers of warm winter clothing and started wrapping themselves for the short walk to the car. Kylie reached for her coat, but Will pushed it back into the closet.
“You’re staying here with me,” he whispered into her ear. “We have a score to settle.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and they bid the others goodbye like an old married couple. When the taillights of Joseph’s car inched out of the driveway, Will turned off the front porch light and placed a heavy hand on Kylie’s shoulder.
“It’s time for you and me to talk about my rules.” He guided her to the stairs that led to the second floor. “And the bedroom is the best place for these discussions.” He watched her carefully, looking for the tiniest sign of resistance, the slightest clue that she might not want what he had promised her would happen if she cheated. And she had cheated. From the first time she’d shuffled the cards, he knew she was an experienced card player. Years of practice showed in the way she dealt, looked at her cards impassively, and handled her chips.
When she was genuinely losing in the second half of the night, she’d shown her bad hands. When she was betting big on weak cards, she hadn’t. She couldn’t have been more obvious if she’d drawn him a diagram.
“You break my rules,” Will said, his hand on the shapely bottom walking up the stairs in front of him, “you pay my price.”
She swung her hips with an exaggerated movement and Will’s jeans tightened again. Neither of them said anything.
At the top of the stairs he pointed to the left. “This way.”
She stepped into his bedroom and gasped. The big bed, made up with alternating layers of red and white bedding faced a gas fireplace. The bed had a deep red bottom sheet, red and white pillows, a white top sheet and a red duvet – dressed up for Christmas, Will’s favorite season of the year. He turned on the fireplace with a remote control that he put back on the nightstand.
A Spanking Good New Year: Short Story Collection Page 12