“Watch it, Ro.” Wick snatched a handful of mints from a red bowl next to the register and tossed one to his buddy. “I’ll have a chat with Tony and you’ll be findin’ yourself out of a job.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m real worried.” Rodolfo held out a menu and lifted his chin in my direction. “Go have a seat while you wait, and order yourself somethin’ to eat, why don’t ya?”
“What I want ain’t on this menu.” Wick winked and strutted away, and his friend fell in beside him.
Rodolfo shook his head and went back to counting coins.
Shit. I buried my head in my application, hoping they didn’t notice me. This application was difficult enough without this idiot and his sidekick distracting me. But because I’m a lucky, lucky girl, they chose a seat in the booth behind me, with Wick’s back to mine.
“Fuck,” Wick cursed. “Tony better hurry up, ‘cause I’m jonesin’.”
His friend twitched his head, sweeping his dark blond hair out of his eyes. “Man, you better pull back on that shit or you’re gonna end up in rehab just like Masterson. Get your basketball scholarship yanked before you even settle in your dorm.”
“Drakie, my brother, have some confidence. Besides, Masterson was on pills; this is just a little weed.”
“Then why do we have to come all the way down to this shit-pot every time you need a little? They sell weed on the east end, too, ya know?”
“Yeah, but Tony gets the import shit—it’s the best.” Wick sighed. “You know. You’ve smoked up with him before.”
Drakie chuckled. “He just makes you believe that because he likes to take your money.”
“And I like takin’ his. That’s what the poker games are for; I always earn my money back.”
“Not always. Remember what happened last time when he thought you were trying to cheat him?”
Wick laughed. “Man, I was tryin’ to cheat him.”
“Which is why you ended up with a black eye and empty pockets.”
“Well, tonight is different. Tonight is all about diversions: I brought his Kryptonite.” I could hear the smile in Wick’s voice.
“Nice. You invited hot girls with low standards?”
“Nah, man, his other Kryptonite—whiskey.”
My stomach turned just thinking about whiskey—Logan’s weakness.
“Shit. Let me at least hold a fifty for you. I don’t wanna get stuck on this end of town with no money again.”
“No sweat, Drakie. Tonight I have a grand to play with. The old man was feelin’ guilty about being away on business and missing my graduation.”
At least his old man missed an important event because he was working, not because he was off getting drunk with friends named after animals. And holy shit, he got paid a thousand dollars for doing something everybody else has to do for free? Spoiled rich boy with nothing better to do than make trips to buy weed and gamble—no wonder Cousin Tony kicked his ass.
A waitress carrying a huge platter of spaghetti and meatballs passed my table, and my stomach growled. I glanced out the window where Billi Jo and Kat were waiting slumped against the mailbox. My heart sank, and I gripped my purse containing the last of our money. If a miracle happened and I got the job on the spot, I’d buy us a small pizza to celebrate.
I checked the clock above the register—if Rodolfo was right, Cousin Tony should be here in fifteen minutes. Preparing to make a decent impression, I smoothed my ponytail and slipped my hand inside my purse for my cherry chapstick and a breath mint. Then I found the card box I kept money in. Last year, after my wallet got stolen in gym class but my card deck was untouched, I decided the box would be a good hiding place for bills.
I was straightening out our last, crisp hundred-dollar bill when a buff guy with olive skin and a sleeve of tattoos entered from the back through a set of swinging doors.
“You’re back early,” Rodolfo said when Tony stopped at the register.
I scooped up my purse and application and made my move. What I didn’t count on was Wick the Dick getting out of his seat at the same time and heading in my direction like a snowplow.
“Auughhh!” I yelped when my still-tender face bounced off his chest like a paddle ball, sending me staggering backwards and the contents of my purse clattering to the floor. Wick reached out and caught my arm, and I shuddered. “Let go of me,” I yelled, but it only came out as a choked whisper.
Everything inside me froze as I stared at his strong fingers wrapped tight around my arm.
Immediately, he let go. “Hey, I’m sorry. I was just tryin’ to keep you from slamming into the waitress with the tray full of dishes behind you.” He kneeled down and started gathering loose items. “Here, I’ll help you.”
“I don’t need your help.” I rubbed at my arm where his fingers had been, and my stomach convulsed when I noticed fading yellow bruises in the shape of fingertips. Logan’s fingertips.
“Look, I’m sorry. Just let me help you somehow.” He offered me a handful of coins he’d collected.
I couldn’t decide if his tone was sincere or irritated, but because my throat had gone cotton-dry and he obviously wasn’t listening anyway, I kneeled down beside him and started scooping up my things.
“So…what’s a pretty girl like you doin’ on this end of town, anyway?”
I had my answer; his tone was sincere, but guilty with motivation.
My hand ached to slap him, A) for touching me, B) for using such a cheesy line, and C) because I had a strong feeling this was heading in the ‘hot girls with low standards’ area and I didn’t qualify in either department. Well, maybe the latter, except that it didn’t matter how low my standards were, I was never dating again.
I held up the application, hoping to end the conversation. “Job hunting.”
“You might wanna keep looking. The guy that owns this place is kind of a prick.”
“Yeah, well, I need money.”
He held up a hundred dollar bill between his forefinger and middle finger—my hundred dollar bill.
I snatched it out of his fingers. “It’s all we have.”
He swiped a card off the floor. “We?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I just moved to town with friends.”
“Girlfriends, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Hot girlfriends?”
I took a deep breath and batted my eyelashes twice. “I’m gonna go with yes.”
He nodded like I’d just told him a secret he planned to file away. “You play?” He collected several of the scattered cards that had exploded around us on impact.
First rule of hustling a game of anything—never admit knowing how to play. “No.”
His eyebrows shot up as he held up the evidence. “No?”
Then I did what I never do, but I’d watched Kat do a million times to gain power: I said something moderately bitchy while maintaining eye contact. “Again, not that it’s any of your business, but we’re new to town. I thought we should learn to play a few games. You know, when in Rome…”
One side of his mouth curled. “I play cards a little. I might be able to help you out.” He pointed to the ceiling. “And there happens to be a card game going on right upstairs tonight.”
“And you would invite a perfect with you because…?”
“Because I feel bad about tackling you, because you said you needed money, and because I’m a nice guy.”
Yeah, nice guy alright; he didn’t mention the part about needing diversions in the form of girls so he could get even with his buff Cousin Tony.
“Okay, and because you have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.”
I stuck my finger toward the back of my throat in a gagging motion.
“Too bad you don’t play cards, though. You could double or triple that.” He pointed to the hundred I’d stuffed back into the card box. “Gambling is a useful skill in this town.”
I dropped the last of my belongings into my purse and stood. “Not if you don�
�t know how to play.”
He stood and handed me one last penny I’d missed. “Ever heard of beginner’s luck?”
“I’m not a lucky kinda girl.” An understatement.
“How about we test your theory?” Wick waved over Cousin Tony, who looked to be in his early twenties.
Before I could object, Cousin Tony was in front of us. “Hey, this girl’s lookin’ for a job. You got anything?”
Cousin Tony scanned me with about as much interest as a vegan with a steak placed in front of him. “Yeah, I need a dishwasher.”
“Um…I was kind of hoping for a waitress position.” I held out my forged application. “I have exp—”
“Dishwasher. Take it or leave it.” Tony shrugged, then turned to say something to a waitress passing by. Wick mashed his lips together in a smug, ‘I told you so.’
“Come back on Friday for an interview,” Tony called over his shoulder before he strutted away and ascended up a set of stairs.
Friday? My stomach sank. That was in three days—we’d be broke and starving by then.
“See, beginner’s luck,” Wick said.
I glared at him. “You call that luck?”
“Hey, he doesn’t usually interview people he doesn’t know.” He shrugged. “You can thank me for that.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Oh, one more thing.” He crinkled his nose. “I happen to know he doesn’t cut paychecks until two weeks after your first day.”
“Still not interested in your little poker game.”
“Well, blue eyes, I’ll be right up those stairs if you change your mind.” He pointed to the stairs where Tony had disappeared. “There’s an outside entrance, too, if you decide to come back after closin’ time. Oh, and bring your girlfriends.”
“I said no.”
“You also said you needed money.” He winked, then walked away.
“No application in your hand.” Kat closed her eyes as she took a long draw off her cigarette, then exhaled. “Please tell me that means you’re employed.”
Billi Jo clasped her hands together, her big black eyes begging like a hungry kitten as she waited for my answer.
My stomach sank. How could I tell them I failed after all they’d sacrificed for me? I glanced up at the apartment building above the pizzeria, and my fist closed around the strap of my purse. Wick wanted diversions and he was about to get them…three of them.
“Not employed exactly, but…” I dipped my hand in my purse and felt for the box of cards. “Ladies, we’re about to get paid.”
Kat flicked her ashes onto the pavement. “I’m listening.”
I pulled out my deck of cards. “Poker.”
Billi Jo took Kat’s cigarette. “You went in to fill out an application, and you hustled a game of poker?”
“Yup. I overheard a couple of rich boys talking about a poker game tonight, some crazy shit happened, and voilà, we got invited to play.”
Kat swept the bangs of her platinum wig to the side. “Sounds too easy. What’s the catch?”
“The guy who owns the apartment where this is taking place hasn’t officially approved our invite.” I squinted one eye. “Yet,” I added, then pointed to Kat. “That’s where you come in; well…you and your equipment.”
Billi Jo’s eyebrows rose. “You want her to pepper spray him?”
“The other equipment.” I tugged on my tank top, imitating how Kat exposed her cleavage earlier. “This guy, Tony, apparently can’t play poker with distractions.”
“You want me to be the distraction while you two work your magic.” Kat smirked. “Been there, done that.”
It’s not that we’d ever intentionally set out to cheat at cards, but we weren’t opposed to teaching someone a lesson.
Billi Jo passed the cigarette back to Kat. “Looks like our Monday night poker marathons with Uncle Asshat and his GA buddies weren’t a total waste.”
We each gave Billi Jo a fist bump, and then I led the way toward the outside steps of the apartment.
“How do you know they have money on them?” Billi Jo asked.
I pushed my glasses up on my nose. “Because they came to buy weed from Cousin Tony.”
“Nice.” Kat patted the side pocket of her purse where she kept her pepper spray. “We’re playing cards with drug dealers.”
“We’ll have to keep an eye out for Tony, but the other two are harmless.” I think.
Billi Jo ran her hand over her spiked locks. “That’s what you thought about—”
“Listen up,” Kat cut her off, then stopped at the bottom of the steps to face us. “If things start going downhill, I’ll give the signal, then we leave it all on the table and bail.”
“What’s the signal?” Billi Jo and I asked at the same time.
Kat dropped her cigarette and ground it into the pavement. “You’llknow it when you see it.”
12
HIGH STAKES GAME
Thick smoke curled throughout the converted dining room as I laid down a full house and reached to the center of the table to collect my winnings. Wick and Drakie laughed as they held up their beer bottles to toast my second win, but Thug-zilla eagle-eyed me from across the table.
“Beginner’s luck,” I shrugged and held up my untouched beer, accidentally bumping the low-swinging overhead lamp.
We played it cool the first three games, letting Tony and Wick win almost as easily as Kat gained our invite to their poker party. When we showed up at Tony’s door and I asked him what time I was supposed to show for my interview on Friday, he decided the interview needed immediate attention. Funny thing was, he didn’t direct any questions to me, only to Kat—and they had nothing to do with employment.
“If that’s what you wanna call it.” Tony rubbed at his short, dark goatee.
Damn. I’d have to throw the next hand to get him off my back and then try like hell to make up for it. I smeared on some cherry chapstick, giving Kat the signal that it was time for her to up the sexual tension with Thug-zilla.
Kat leaned into Tony, picked up the whiskey bottle, and refilled his cup. She took a fake swig and ran her finger across her wet lips as she gazed at him with her emerald green cat eyes. I wanted to laugh and gag at the same time—laugh because Kat’s move made him forget all about me and gag because the whiskey reminded me of how Logan tasted when he forced himself on me.
“Come on, Tony, your deal.” Drakie ran his fingers along the neckline of his UNLV Runnin’ Rebels t-shirt.
Tony clicked the deck on the table as he prepared to shuffle but kept his eyes on me. “So, you want a job as a dishwasher? Must be pretty desperate for cash, huh?”
I shrugged. “I could use some cash.”
“Desperation makes people do things they normally wouldn’t do.” He held the cards in one hand and reached for his cigarette in the ashtray with the other. “Or shouldn’t.”
Shivers crawled up my spine like millions of tiny spiders. “Haven’t you ever heard of beginner’s luck?”
“I don’t believe in luck.” A path of red ash burned brighter when Tony took a slow draw. “But I do believe in getting hustled.”
“Come on, Cuz, lay off. I ran into this girl at your restaurant filling out an application.”
Tony lifted an eyebrow. “What do you mean ran into her?”
“I literally ran into her and nearly knocked her down, spilled her purse.”
“What made you think it was a good idea to ask her to play a game of poker?”
Wick shrugged. “She had a deck of cards in her purse, so I asked if she played.”
“And that didn’t raise a red flag?”
“She said she didn’t play.”
“Yeah, you stupid fuck. She hustled you.” A slow grin crept across Tony’s lips as he ground his cigarette into the ashtray. “Think she’s gonna tell you before she takes your money?”
“She couldn’t have known I play poker.” Wick’s eyes flashed to me in sudden realization. “You were s
itting in the booth behind me; you overheard me talking to Drakie…”
“A little paranoid, aren’t you?” Kat scowled at Wick. “Smoke too much weed?”
“It’s all good.” I started picking up bills. “We’ll just take back our hundred dollars and call it even.”
“Not the way it works, Princess.” Tony gave me a dead stare as he leaned into the table. “You don’t play me and walk away with money.”
“Look, I won those games fair and square.” I didn’t care about losing my winnings, but we couldn’t survive on $2.54, and I’d be damned if we’d come this far only to lose all our money to this asshole. “Not my fault you can’t drink whiskey and play cards at the same time.”
“And be distracted by three pretty girls,” Tony added with a haughty smirk. “You three make a good team, but not good enough.” Tony popped his neck to the right, then to the left. “You know what they do to cheats on this end of town?”
Before anyone had time to answer his question, Kat reached to the center of the table, snatched a hundred dollar bill, and took off for the living room. “Go! Go! Go!” she yelled and pointed to the kitchen door we’d come in.
Adrenaline shot through my veins when Tony shoved the table away from himself and took off after her. “Fuck, she pepper-sprayed me!” he howled a second later and stumbled after her with his hands over his eyes. “Get her!”
Drakie and Wick darted after Kat, and I swept a handful of cash off the table.
Billi Jo froze, and I yanked her out of her chair. “Go with Kat. I know another way out.”
“Hey, guys!” I waved the cash. “You want a hundred bucks or seven hundred?”
They turned back to me, leaving Kat and Billi Jo a clear path to the door.
“So help me God, Wick, if she gets away with that money, I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you!” Tony tucked his face into his arm as he staggered out the door after Kat and Billi Jo.
Shit! I couldn’t drop the money; it was the only leverage I had to ensure Tony didn’t hurt my friends. I sprinted for the interior staircase before Wick and Drakie crossed the room and sailed down the steps as fast as I could.
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