The Billionaire's Gamble

Chapter 3: The Handsome Gambler

Sunday, May 6th, 10:49 PM

"Big Blind is five-hundred thousand," the dealer at the lead poker table said. "Small Blind is two-hundred fifty thousand."

Mako rolled a poker chip between his fingers, eyeing the other patrons seated around him. The captain himself sat directly across from him in his immaculate suit and iconic hat. He pushed out the big blind as the hand mandated and slid his hidden cards closer to him.

"Check," he heard all around the table from the other players one after the other.

The flop came about, and Mako observed the three of hearts and seven of clubs in his hand. None of the cards flipped up matched his in either suit or number. A grimace slowly crawled over his face.

"Bet," the player to Mako's left said. "One million."

Instantly, Mako tossed in his cards.

"Fold," he said.

Without the game to focus on, he leaned to his right slightly to look over the captain's shoulder in hopes of seeing the beautiful woman from the pool. As he glanced, there she was. Half-turned toward him in her stunning dress and silky hair, she sipped on a mixed drink with a stiff yet fluid posture. The slight bulge from her hip and thigh intrigued him.

"Call," he heard one of the players say.

Mako looked down to see the turn, and, again, it didn't match anything in his hand, confirming his good feeling about his decision.

When he returned his gaze to the woman, he froze as she gave him a side glance and the same sly smile as earlier. Perhaps she had ventured to the casino floor to find him as well, Mako thought. Regardless, the friction between them sparked again as she looked at him with that sly smile every once in a while, darting her eyes away whenever he looked at her.

In his view, she tilted her head back, allowing her shining brown hair to drop, and finished her drink. Mako bit the inner part of his lower left lip, not caring how long of a glance he took at her.

The urge to stand from the table pressed against him, but he knew better than to sever his prestigious position with the elite of the elites.

"Mr. Ruvic," the dealer said after a moment. "You are the Small Blind for this round."

The previous hand passed him by without notice. He plucked a handful of chips from his stack and pushed them forward, taking a look at his pair of tens of hearts and spades.

Mako shifted his eyes toward the bar once more. The woman's playful looks enthralled him, forcing his attention to drift away from the game entirely.

"Mr. Ruvic, it is your play," the dealer said.

***

While sitting at the bar with her hip touching the side and her elbow propping her up, Elise planted her eyes in her drink and tried to keep her face from breaking out into an uncontrollable smile. The blonde-haired man in the cream suit at the captain's table had mended a tear in her heart that had been bleeding for years.

When she allowed her eyes to slowly meander toward him, there he sat with the same expression of confidence and charm. She longed for him to come to her, but she'd never initiate such a move.

The players around the man shouted in cheers every few minutes as millions of dollars slid around the table. Elise couldn't help but enjoy the man's subtle laughter and bask in his sight whenever he glanced her way.

The night pressed on, and her deep desire for the handsome gambler increased, raising a red flag in her mind. Occasionally, she turned her attention to the two entrances to the casino floor. Her happy face turned sour with fear for a few seconds. When she confirmed that the other man on her mind hadn't yet made an appearance, she flushed her anxiety away and regained control over herself.

"H-hey!" she heard her man of interest shout from the captain's table.

She shifted her focus to him and saw the infectious grin on his face as he pulled piles of chips toward him. Such a man lost in the joy of the evening gave her a few intrusive thoughts. Elise started to imagine herself wrapped in his strong arms as he nibbled her ear. Goosebumps rose all across her shoulders.

That level of euphoria hadn't entered her brain in far too long. Elise closed her eyes for a moment, nearly allowing her drink to fall out of her hand. After a moment, she finished it and set the glass on the bar top.

"Another round, ma'am?" the bartender asked.

The question spooked her a little and shook her out of her trance.

"Oh-um … sure, that would be fine."

Elise swiveled toward the bar for a moment to accept her drink. The cold glass soothed her hands. She sipped it for a moment before turning back so she could keep the handsome gambler in her sight.

The captain sitting across from him tossed his hands in the air in light disappointment, and his laugh sang through the air one more time. She inferred that he had just taken a great deal of money from the poor captain.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen," she heard the floor manager announce. "We will be taking a short break before we continue with the game."

Though the words entered her ears, she didn't fully understand what they meant. The realization struck her, however, as she watched her potential suitor rise from the table and walk in her direction.

Elise nearly choked on her drink. She frantically tried to pull herself together without giving any sort of visual hint to her nervousness.

She slowly turned her head toward the bar, trying to hide her light blush. Footsteps approached behind her nonetheless. Elise swallowed the panic in her throat, forced a calm smile, and settled the shaking in her fingers.