Page 34 of The Butterfly Effect
My eyes prickled with tears. He had complimented me, and it was so genuine. The shock of it threw me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and willed the tears not to slide down my cheeks.
“Thank you. That means a lot.” I looked down and swirled the wine around my glass.
When I looked back up at him, he had a sympathetic smile on his face. “For what it’s worth, my father and older brother tend to doubt me too. No matter how many times I’ve proven myself. And my younger brother, he’s the apple of my mom’s eye.” He topped both of our glasses and held his out to me again. “To being the family black sheep, hmm?”
I laughed and tapped his glass, taking a sip. Matching his tone, I said, “Well, for what it’s worth, I think you’re pretty powerful too. I’d be surprised if anyone ever told you no. Just your mere presence brings people to their knees.” The double meaning of what I’d said hit me too late, and I blushed.
He smirked but ignored the innuendo. “Thank you.”
Our pizza arrived, and we ate mostly in silence, exchanging a few small comments. It was delicious. The thick, chewy crust had a crispy shell and just the right amount of sauce, cheese, and toppings. I pulled a pepperoni off the piece of pizza on my plate and stuck it in my mouth, licking the leftover grease from my finger. It wasn’t intended to be for show, but as I pulled my finger from my lips, I caught William’s stare.
I pulled my napkin from my lap and dropped it on the table. William set his credit card with the check, and the waiter walked off with it. When he came back, the ticket was signed, and we stood up. I walked with him towards the exit, disappointed he didn’t put his hand on me to escort me out like he’d done the last time I was here, but when he opened the car door for me, some of that disappointment subsided.
“Thank you for dinner. And thank you for spending Thanksgiving with me,” I told him, putting on my seatbelt.
“My pleasure. It wasn’t theworstThanksgiving,” he said with a grin. “We’re making another stop before I take you home, though.”
I looked at him, surprised. “Where are we going?”
“Don’t ask so many questions.” Even with a smile on his face, he was stern, and I couldn’t argue.
A few minutes later, we pulled up to our destination. The lights on the building were bright, and the billboards surrounding it flashed pictures of people who had won. I couldn’t hide my confusion or shock as we pulled up to the valet.
“A casino?”
“Like I said, Carlisle tradition.” William stepped out of the car, quickly walking around the front and opening the door for me. I took his extended hand and climbed out after him.
The valet climbed into his Aston Martin and drove away, and William led the way into the building. Slot machines flashed and the sound of bells and whistles surrounded us. Like at the restaurant, there weren’t many people. Most of the tables sat open aside from a person or two and the dealer.
“My family tends to play blackjack on Thanksgiving after dinner. I thought it might be fun.”
“I’ve never played before.” I looked down, grabbing my elbow and hugging it towards me to hide my embarrassment.
“I could teach you,” he suggested, but my attention had been drawn to the roulette table. He noticed my gaze. “Or we could play roulette, if that’s more your speed.”
I had learned how to play roulette on a drunken night in college when I’d bet one hundred dollars on red and won. It was a stupid bet for a poor college girl to make, but it just felt right. Luckily, I won, which meant I’d ultimately only lost sixty dollars that night. It wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. The memory made me chuckle.
For a moment, I got excited about the luck of the spinning wheel, but he seemed excited about sharing his tradition, and I wanted to spend more time with happy, carefree William.
“I think you should teach me how to play blackjack.” My stomach fluttered at the smile that grew on his face.
He put his arm around my waist and walked me to a table where one man sat with a dealer. When we sat down, he didn’t even look up from his chips. His receding hairline and the crow’s feet by his eyes alluded to stories of a long life, but I was glad he didn’t look like the type to share those stories.
The intoxicating man next to me was even more beautiful in the present company, and heat grew between my legs. I shook it off, pressing my thighs together and picking up a couple of chips to bet.
Leaning into me, William explained the game. His scent was overpowering, and the way his low voice sounded against my ear made me shiver. I couldn’t pay attention to what he was saying, so I figured I would watch him. He’d show me the ropes.
The dealer placed cards in front of each of us, and William laughed when he looked at my draw. A queen and an ace. “Is that a good thing?” I asked him.
He motioned for the dealer to give him another card and turned his head to me. “It means you won this round. That’s twenty-one.”
“Beginner’s luck.” I laughed when the dealer reached out and took William’s bet, letting me know he had lost the round. He’d explained we played against the dealer rather than each other, but satisfaction filled me to beat him at his own game.
We played another round where we both lost, and then a third we both won when the dealer busted. The rules were starting to make sense. It wasn’t complicated. You needed the cards to add up to twenty-one. If you went over, you lost. If you didn’t but got a higher number than the dealer, you won. So far, I had won two out of three, so I was enjoying myself.
William leaned over to whisper in my ear. “Maybe you’d like to make a more interesting bet?” A shiver ran down my spine when he said it, but curiosity got the best of me.
“What did you have in mind?” I almost didn’t recognize my own raspy voice.
