Chapter 24: Truth or dare ?

He had to run somewhere, to unclog his mind, to shake it free of dust. It was a casino bar in downtown New York City. The dimly lit room had the low murmur of voices from men and women on gambling tables, the clicking of the roulette wheel, the wafting of cigar smoke and the swirl of whiskey from glasses.

“Man, that’s the third flop in a row,” Peter  muttered as he leaned over the snooker table, squinting at the shot like it owed him money.

Peter, let out a loud laugh from the far end of the table, where he had just sunk a tricky ball with ease. “Whoop whoop! That’s a good one!” He slapped hands with Marcus.

“New ball, Nat,” Marcus called out.

Greg took his cue, slumping a very unenthusiastic shot as he wasn’t exactly in the mood to win tonight.

“Hey, man, what’s wrong?” Peter asked, his voice became concerned. He walked over, setting his cue stick down as he leaned in closer. “Shoot them balls, not… whatever’s going on with you.”

Nat dropped the snooker, and sighed and drank his whisky in a single gulp.

“Damn, you good?” Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow.

Peter, on the other hand, just gave Nat a halfhearted look of curiosity, as if Nat’s life problems were the least interesting thing in the room.

“I don’t know, man,” his voice cracked slightly. “She… she resigned today.”

Peter squinted. “What? Who? Your new girl that’s been troubling your mind again?”

He half-smiled bitterly, shaking his head. “Apparently, I fucked up again.”

“Oh-ho, caught you cheating, huh?” Peter's eyes lit up as if he’d just found the most exciting gossip in the world.

“Not cheating,” Nat corrected, raising his hand as if to stop a speeding train. “But that’s what it looked like.” He took a deep breath. “She found out about Nina, and Johnny of course saw her texts. I was gonna tell her but she found out herself and now she doesn’t want to talk to me”.

Peter’s jaw dropped, but Marcus, ever the stoic, just nodded slowly. “Man… that’s a mess.”

“Yeah, and now she’s gone,” Nat continued. “She resigned yesterday. I don’t know if she’ll ever talk to me again”

“Damn, dude,” Marcus said, shaking his head. “You really fucked up this time.”

“I can’t live without her.”

Peter shrugged “Either way, you gotta accept it. I mean, she’s gotta understand that it is what it is right”

“Do any of you guys care about the game right now?” Marcus snapped, clearly.

“Seems like someone’s going to need a chill pill tonight?” Peter teased.

“You’re gonna be fine” Marcus said, patting him on the back. “Women, right? They’ll never understand.. Just open up to her, assure her that it’s not what she thinks it is”

“And that’s why I stay single. No drama. No mess. Been on my own for, what, a year now?”

“You don’t count, Peter. Sonia said you’re shallow,” Nat shot back with a grin.

“Whatever,” Peter rolled his eyes. “It’s easier this way.”

“You’re gonna be fine, bro. You love her, I can see it in your eyes.”

“Yeah,” said Peter. “Go get your girl. You’re just a few moves away from winning her over again.”

Nat forced a smile, “A few moves? Like what?”

“Show up at her door with flowers,”

“Cliche”, Marcus remarked. “Tell her you were a fool for not telling her anyway. Make her know it’s not that deep, your relationship with Nina and she ain’t nothing to be scared of. Take her out for a resolution dinner, whatever that is. She’ll melt.”

Peter nodded like he had thought this through. “Yeah, just don’t do what I do and text her after too many shots.”

Marcus just shook his head, smirking. “So, are you really gonna let this woman go? Come on, bro you got this. She’s like the bolted lock on your heart, ain’t no way she’s slipping away”

Before he could respond, a woman in a tight red silk gown with a slit running up her leg and a white woolen jacket strutted past. The soft sway of her hips didn’t just catch their eyes. It froze them in place. She looked like Marilyn Monroe.

“Nat go shoot your shot”

“I’m definitely not the one to do that”

“There are many fishes in the sea,” he said.

“Zara’s not the end of life. You need to try moving on”. Marcus buoyed him.

“Hey, uh, fellas,” Nat cleared his throat, heavily drunk now, still watching her like a hawk.

“Catch up, guys. We’ll talk about strategy later.”

“Yeah, alright.”

He had started chatting up the woman, intrigued by her suave. Her unique je ne sais quo. She was stunning.

Blonde hair, dark eyes, and an accent that carried a cool, exotic undertone.

“So,” Marcus started, leaning in with a confident grin, “What’s your name, beautiful?”

The woman smiled, but there was no hint of interest. “Ridley,” she said, her voice soft but direct.

“Ridley ?” Marcus repeated, enticed.

“Yeah,”  There was a playful glint in her eyes.

“Where are you from?”

“I’m from Georgia.”

Marcus blinked. “Oh you a  girl”

“No,” she replied, with a slight chuckle, “Georgia, the country.”

“Ah,” he nodded “I see”

“I’m actually Russian. Full name is Ridley Kentawski”.

“Nathaniel Wolfe”.

“Nice to meet you”

She shook hands and gave an elegant smile.

“You must be a model or something”. “You’re... stunning.”

Ridley raised an eyebrow. She was as clearly unimpressed. “Yeah, I do some modeling. What about you?”

“I’m a businessman,” Marcus said with pride.

“Businessman?” I own a group of companies”

“Oh? So you’re like, really rich?” Ridley asked, giving him a skeptical look.

Nat scratched his head. “Yeah” he said inarguably.

She nodded and sipped her drink slowly. The other guys, Marcus and Peter had moved closer to hear the conversation, now that it looked like they were making moves.

Peter, taking a long gulp of his beer, turned to Nat and whispered, “Sexy bird, huh?”

“She’s the boss here, actually.”

“Damn. That makes it even sexier,” Peter slurred.

Nat laughed, his mood was now lightened. “Her dad owns this place,” said Marcus. She’s Russian. My name's Ridley Kentawski.”

“Must be a mafia family,” Peter mused aloud. “She’s beautiful. Like a trophy wife.”

They both burst into laughter.

Ridley took another sip of her drink, letting the silence linger longer than it should have. Then she looked him dead in the eyes.

“Let me guess,” she said. “You’re used to girls falling at your feet because you are a billionaire and have abs on I*******m?”

He laughed, slightly thrown off. “I mean, I won’t lie, it helps. But I’m not just a Ceo”

“No?” She arched an eyebrow again. “And what else are you, Nathaniel Knight?”

He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Why don’t you get me a drink and find out?”

“I don’t serve drinks,” she said coolly.

He blinked. “Oh. Sorry I’m just kidding” he hadn’t realized that she wasn’t a show girl.

“I manage this place,” she interrupted smoothly. “I run the casino. Everything that happens in here, I know about. Including the fact that you lost twenty grand last week at the high-stakes poker table in under thirty minutes.”

That hit him like a cold slap. He laughed it off, adjusting in his seat.

“In my casino, everything travels fast,” she said. “Especially mistakes.”

He raised a brow. “Your casino?”

“My father owns it. But I keep it alive.”

“So that makes you the boss's daughter”. A dangerous combination.”

She gave him a slow, amused nod. “It can be. Especially if you don’t know the rules.”

“Then maybe you could teach me.”

Ridley’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you sure you can handle the lesson?”

“Try me,” he said.

She tilted her head thoughtfully, then downed the rest of her vodka. “Come.”

She stood abruptly and without waiting for a reply, started walking toward the private back room. He hesitated, watching the sway of her hips as she moved like that of a Brazilian Carnival dancer. This wasn’t the kind of woman who played games.

But damn if he wasn’t curious.

In the Private Lounge behind the casino, the room was quieter and moodier. A poker table stood in the center, cards still scattered from the last round. Low red lighting glowed above, and a long black leather couch lined the wall.

Ridley stepped inside, gesturing for him to follow. She moved like she owned every inch of the space because, well, she did.

He looked around. “You bring all your losers back here?”

“Only the interesting ones,” she said, pouring herself another drink from the private stash.

“And what makes me interesting?”

“You didn’t try to impress me with money,” she said. “You tried to impress me with charm. That’s cute. So I’ll give you points for effort.”

“Thanks,” he smirked. “And what else would impress you?”

She turned slowly to face him again, sipping her drink with one hand, eyes fixed on his. “Power. Discipline. Risk”

“You talk like this place is a battlefield.”

“It is. Every night, people come here thinking they’re kings. They leave stripped bare. Broke. Beaten. Or worse.”

“Sounds brutal.”

“It’s honest.” She stepped closer to him. That’s what it means running a casino built on vice, ambition, and men who think they can’t lose.”

“And you like that?”

“I live for it.”

He smiled. “You know, most people are scared of women like you.”

“I know,” she said. “But you’re not most people.”

She stood close now. Inches from him. The heat between them was electric.

Nat swallowed. “So… what now? You drag me in here to lecture me?”

“No,” she said softly. “I wanted to see what kind of man you are when the lights dim. When there’s no crowd. No cheering fans. Just you… and me.”

His chest rose slowly. “And what do you see?”

“I see someone who’s used to winning. But I don't know what it feels like to be truly played.”

He chuckled. “You planning on playing me, Ridley?”

“Not yet. But if I did… you’d lose.”

He leaned in slowly. “Maybe I want to lose.”

“You’re not ready for me, Nat,” she said, her tone dropping low. “But you’re fun to watch try.”

Then she turned her back and walked to the bar, slowly and deliberately, pouring herself another drink.

He stared after her, something between aroused and annoyed.

“Damn,” he muttered.

She laughed lightly, over her shoulder. “Drink?”

“Yeah,” he said. “But only if you’re not poisoning it.”

“No poison. Not yet” She handed him a glass.

He sat opposite her at the poker table, drink in hand, watching her shuffle the cards with an elegance that made it look like an art form. Her fingers were quick, controlled, her long red nails flashing like danger signals.

“You always play this late?” he asked.

“I don’t sleep much. Not when there’s still money to be made. Or something interesting on the table.”

“And what’s interesting tonight? The game…or me?”

Ridley smirked, dealing five cards with precision. “We’ll see.”

She slid him into his car. He picked them up cards, scanning the numbers. Two pairs. Not bad.

“So,” she said, reaching for her chips. “We’ll play a few hands. But not for money.”

“Oh?  Then what’s the buy-in?”

She sipped her vodka, her eyes never leaving his. “Truth,” she said.

He laughed loudly. “Are you serious?”

“Deadly.” She leaned back on her chair and crossed her legs to reveal a sliver of thigh through the slit of her dress.

They played in silence for a moment. Ridley won the first hand easily.

“So now the truth or dare?” she said. He grinned. “Dare”.

“Come sit next to me.” Slowly he stood and sat beside her.

He leaned slightly toward her. “Are you always this bold?”

“I’m Russian,” she said, her lips brushing the rim of her glass. “Bold is in the blood.”

“My turn now”, he said

“Truth or dare?”

She looked at him from under thick lashes. “Dare.”

He turned to face her, their knees touched “Kiss me.”

She didn’t flinch. She leaned in slowly, her breath was cool with vodka, her lips brushing his with a deliberate softness, then he sucked her under lips  with passion and intention. The taste of vodka was palpable now.

He unzipped her red dress, unhooking her bra to touch her breast. His fingers rubbed her nipples sensually. She was extremely horny. She looked at him with a desirable longing.

He sucked her breast. Her fingers were splayed on his bald head.

“I’m getting wet now,” she said, smiling. She pushed his head gently and lured herself another whisky. Her breast was still out in the open.

Nat felt like his dick was going to burst out from his trousers.

“Have you ever fallen for someone after just one conversation?” Ridley asked

“No. But I’ve never met anyone like you.” he said. “Tell me what you want right now,” his hand grazed the inside of her thigh. “Tell me!” he barked.

“Those tits” he looked at her drunk and enticed by her perfect breast.

“I want you,” she whispered. “But only if you stop trying to impress me.”

“Then what do you want me to do?”

Ridley turned to face him.

“Play me. No games. No ego. Just you.”

The kiss this time wasn’t a dare. She moved first and pulled him in. Her lips pressed his with a hunger that had been building since the first moment he called her stunning.

He responded immediately, his hand moved to her waist, as he pulled her onto his laps. Nat’s hands found the curve of her hips, her spine, the heat of her skin through silk. The poker chips clattered to the floor.

But just when it started to spiral, just when his hand slipped beneath the fabric at her back. She pulled away. Breathless, and smirking.

“Still think you can handle me?” she whispered.

He looked up at her, flushed and grinning. “I’m starting to think I don’t have a choice.”

She slipped off his lap and smoothed her dress down. “Good. Because I don’t play games I can’t win.”

He stood, stepping closer, his voice low. “And what happens when we both win?”

She looked up at him, her smile was dangerous. “Then we stop playing.”