Page 35 of Crow

He’s smart. Combine that with people who maybe aren’t so smart, and it’s Vegas. Even I know that people come here to get drunk, party, and pretend they’re millionaires for a night. He just handed me five hundred bucks. How easy would it be for someone to sit down with that, or more, and lose it all? How many chairs are there at the table? Eight? Ten? More? He wouldn’t have to win every round. Just a few big pots.

Crow leads us to the poker section. It’s massive. I expected one single table, but there are at least twenty or more.

“It’s a big room,” he tells me. “Other hotels have ones that are much smaller. Just a few tables. Those ones are for more serious players. They’re also more fun. Like a home game.”

We sit down at a table where there are two chairs side by side. I let out my coiled breath, a tiny bit of the tension leaving me, but I’m still a ball of nerves.

Crow buys four massive stacks of chips, but I keep some of the money he gave me in my wallet, buying two hundred dollars of the five dollar and ten dollar chips. My red and black stacks aren’t nearly the size of some people’s at the table. It looks like a few of these guys—and they’re all men—have been here for hours already. They’re cleaning up.

A new flood of sensation fills my belly. It’s not nerves. It’s excitement.

A few of the men are wearing sunglasses, so people can’t read their eyes. Crow slips his on as well, but for him, I think it’s about blending in. There’s no way he needs them. These guys have no idea what’s about to hit, but the craziest part is, neither do I.

I shiver in anticipation.

For the first few rounds, I’m clumsy and awkward, but no one seems to mind. A few of the men even send me encouraging smiles. Two look so young that I can’t believe they’re old enough to be here, but the others are mostly middle aged. I catch an older, portly man with a huge bulbous nose ogling my breasts more than once. I fight the urge to cower or feel ashamed. Fuck that. If he wants to check me out instead of focusing on his cards, then he’ll only lose hands.

Crow doesn’t look at me once, but I know that he’s ever aware of my presence and our surroundings. I do know that if I caught his eye and signaled that I wanted to leave, he’d grab his chips that instant and see me out of here.

I spot waitresses, pretty girls of all ethnicities and body types, walking around carrying trays. They stop and chat people up, or just smile and take drink orders.

I’m astonished when I get asked if I’d like a drink, but as I gape at a stunning brunette with a friendly smile, I wonder why I feel that way. I’m old enough to drink. I’m here, playing, just like anyone else.

“Umm, how much are they?”

She doesn’t laugh at me. “They’re free.”

“Free?”

“In here, they are.”

Oh. She means that if you’re playing, they’re free. That’s a great strategy. I search my mind for the easiest thing I can order. It’s not like she came all this way to get me a glass of water.

“Do you have cranberry juice?”

“We certainly do, but alcoholic beverages are free too.”

I figured that. I just didn’t want one.

Or do I?

This is my first night of freedom. I’m not driving. I’m not working. I’m basically just going to fold every round so that Crow can play while I sit here. I feel like if I was walking around in here or going to shops to look in the windows at all the wonderful things, he wouldn’t be able to fully focus for worrying about me.

“I guess, do you have vodka?” it’s a common drink order at Patti’s, so it’s the first thing I think of.

The waitress smiles back. “Sure. A vodka cranberry then?” I nod. “I’ll be right back with it.”

She is. Not more than five minutes later, I have a midsize glass with ice. It’s barely pink, which looks disconcerting. It’s probably more vodka than cranberry. She said they were free, but after digging in my purse, I find that I only have twenty dollar bills and the hundreds Crow gave me. I can’t not tip her. Not when I’m a waitress myself.

I take one of the five dollar chips off my stack. “Can you take these?”

The woman nods. “Certainly.”

“Thank you so much for the drink and for being so nice. It’s my first time.”

Her smile grows. “A Vegas virgin. Be careful out there.”

I incline my head to indicate Crow. “I’m with him.”

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