7. Her Poker Face

Her father had always told her that sometimes it was best to divert your mind from a problem in order not to harm yourself. That was what she was going to do now. Through something that was a big part of him. Poker.

The game was supposed to remind her of her father and the many games he would take her to play and the fun times she would have with him. But thinking of her father always made her think of Rafael. Thinking of Rafael came with thoughts of her marriage.

She tried not to think about her marriage, she did… but thought of it sneaked up on her every now and then.

It had been three months. Things between her and Rafael remained tense. He did not speak to her unless he needed to. Sometimes he came home late looking very exhausted. They did not eat together like they used to. In fact, it was a wonder he came back at all. They were like strangers sharing a common space. Except they did not have nothing between them.

There were unspoken words and unexpressed emotions fattening up the elephant sharing their home. This was not what her father had envisioned when he had asked Rafael to marry her. She hadn’t envisioned this when she’d married him. She’d not expected an easy marriage without quarrels. But She hadn’t expected this either.

She blinked as someone bumped into her.

“I’m sorry,” she said automatically even as the man walked away.

She was thinking about her marriage again. She needed to stop.

She looked around the large casino hall. There was a quiet buzz in the room. The familiar sound of cards shuffling and dealers asking players at a table to place their bets took her back to her childhood. She made her way to the nearest poker table.

She took a breath, pulled out her bank card from her purse, and extended it to the dealer.

He took the card as she said, “A grand’s worth of chips, please.”

The young man nodded, a small glint lighting his eyes. He probably thought she was going to lose it all tonight. He was wrong. She was Andreas Galanis’ only child. She had been at the tables before she could talk. She blinked as the chips and her card were placed in front of her and the dealer began shuffling the cards.

She glanced around at the players as she put away her card. One was a young man who looked like a university student in his polo shirt and—maybe—jeans, though Adrea couldn’t see under the table. He was looking at her with interest. She got those looks a lot.

Pale blonde hair, ice-blue eyes, and a body to die for. She was a looker. Who wouldn’t look twice?

‘Your husband, that’s who,’ her mind unhelpfully supplied.

A sharp pain shot through her heart. She blinked it away. This was why she was here. She needed to forget. If only for tonight.

She took a breath as two cards were placed in front of her. She took a moment to compose herself before taking a peek at them. She blinked once and laid the cards flat on the table again. A king and a queen. Both of the same suit. Hearts. She was going to enjoy this round.

The university student was the small blind. He placed his chips down. The big man next to him, a handsome fellow in a fitted suit, placed his chips on the table. Adrea studied the next player. Sometimes, people were eager to bet high when they were confident in their hand but had little experience. She watched the woman in the mink coat as she called the bet. Then it was Adrea’s turn. She didn’t need to think about it. She laid down her chips.

And just like that, the game began.

Adrea was unaware of the man watching her from a balcony overlooking the room. He knew her. She had been a regular in this place when her father was alive. He had enjoyed watching her clean people out before they realised that behind those big blue eyes and beneath the pale hair was a razor-sharp mind. A true master of the game.

He smiled as he watched the people around her bet high. They underestimated her. They thought they were leading her by the nose. They didn’t realise she already had them in the palm of her hand. They would learn soon enough. He was going to enjoy watching her wipe them out.

He watched as the dealer laid down three cards on the table. From what he could see of her, she betrayed nothing. The university student bet high. The big man next to him hesitated for a beat, then followed. The woman in the mink bit her lip nervously but stayed in. Adrea, calm and composed, pretended to hesitate before matching the bet.

A small smile played on the man’s lips. He saw what she was doing. He wasn’t blind to the web she was weaving.

He had a feeling she had a good hand. Another card was placed on the table. He saw her slump slightly. He chuckled. She was taking everyone at that table for a ride. He was sure of it. She followed along, playing down the strong hand he now knew she had.

Adrea was beginning to feel the heat of the game. No one had folded yet. She felt that if anyone had an ace, she was in trouble. One king was already on the table, giving her a pair, but there were also two aces. If someone had another ace, she was screwed. She played it cool. Unlike most at the table, if she lost this money, it wouldn’t hurt too much. It was just pocket change.

She let out a breath as another card was laid down.

This was it. If anyone had an ace, they would bet high. She had already lulled them into a false sense of security. Now it was time to flush out whoever held the strongest hand. She placed a bet, a big smile on her face. She wasn’t going to hide that she had strong cards.

The university student narrowed his eyes at her, his sharp gaze flicking from the table to her, as if calculating her hand. Adrea decided he wasn’t confident enough to have an ace.

The man next to him was sweating bullets, staring at the table. Was he winning or was he cooked? One way or another, she would find out.

The university student folded. The man next to him studied Adrea for a moment before following suit. The woman in the mink coat didn’t hesitate to fold.

Adrea grinned. She’d won this round.

The man on the balcony wore a full-on grin. He had never doubted it for a second. He had known she had them from the moment she sat down. He turned from the railing and walked away. He’d just decided he wanted a closer look. He was going down to the table.

Adrea was happy to play the next round. She watched as the dealer set her cards in front of her and immediately checked them. She resisted the urge to make a face. A three and a four. Two pretty black cards. Spades. Not the best hand. It wasn’t the absolute worst one either.

She watched the bets being placed before it was her turn. She considered folding but decided to stay in.

“Check,” she muttered, pushing the appropriate chips forward.

She heard someone hiss behind her and glanced over her shoulder. A few people were watching her. She turned back to the table.

The dealer placed the cards down. She made a displeased face before quickly masking it. She liked the cards on the table, but she liked playing the room even more. An ace of spades, a two of hearts, and a king of spades. She liked how this was shaping up.

She noticed the university student looking at her thoughtfully. Her attention shifted to the dealer. He was staring into the distance with a slight frown, his back stiff. He blinked and look away.

Curiosity piqued, Adrea tried to see what had distracted him but found nothing of interest. She looked back at the table. The other two players had folded. That left her and the university student.

He examined her chip stack, then her face. He seemed to come to a decision.

“Raise,” he said, pushing a few high-value chips forward.

The man next to him folded, disgruntled. The woman in mink hesitated, then tossed her cards aside.

Adrea kept her cool, considering her options. What were the chances he had something good? What were the chances he was bluffing? She decided not to test it—yet.

“Call,” she said.

The dealer placed another card. A four of spades.

She had a pair, but better yet, she had a flush.

The university student looked her in the eye. “Check.”

She was not expecting that.

“Not going to raise the pot?” she mused.

He smiled at her. Adrea decided that he seemed confident in what he had.

She shrugged. “Check.”

The last card landed. A king of diamonds.

Two kings on the table now. She wondered what he had. She gave nothing away, but she pretended to be dismayed before quickly masking it. She bit her lip, as if fretting.

The man from the balcony smirked. The kid was buying it.

“All in,” the student declared.

And just like that, he had lost.

She nodded, pushing her chips forward.

He grinned, thinking he had won. He revealed his cards—a king, giving him three of a kind.

A strong hand. But not as strong as hers.

Gasps rang out as Adrea flipped her cards.

The student’s face fell.

As she received her winnings, the man from the balcony smoothly slid into his seat.

Adrea’s eyes widened in recognition.

“You haven’t gotten rusty, Adrea,” he said, smiling.