Chapter One

Looking up from her cards, Kayla noticed Dylan watching her with an intense look on his face. He was hard to read, but he did have a lot more to lose, she thought with a smile.

"How many do you want?" Kayla nervously tapped her toe to the ground.

"I'll take one," he said, sliding one card from his hand on to the table.

"One." Kayla gawked.

"One."

"Okay. Dealer takes three."

Dylan smirked as she picked up the three cards in front of her. Picking up the card, she added them one by one to her hand. A five of clubs, the ten of hearts, and the ace of diamonds. Two pairs, she thought excitedly to herself. She might just make out okay after all.

"Whatcha got?" she asked excitedly.

"Let's place them down at the same time," he said.

Nodding her agreement, Kayla counted aloud. "One, two, three."

They flipped over their cards at the same time. Kayla looked down at his cards and cried out in despair. Dylan had a queen of clubs and nines. Four of them. Looking up from his cards on the table to the look of triumph on his face, Kayla felt like she was about to have a heart attack.

Leaning backwards in his chair, Dylan smugly flicked his cards closer to her as if daring her to inspect them. Glaring at them, Kayla stood up and stepped away from the table.

At a loss for words, Kayla just stood as if in shock. When she finally was able to get a hold of herself, she looked back up at Dylan who had stood as well and was now leaning against his bar. He was watching her intently and giving her an amused little smile. Raising one eyebrow, he reached over the side of t

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