The Big Blind (Nadia Wolf) (28 page)

“I think you might need breakfast.”

I petted him and he grunted his morning hello. I threw the scrap of paper in the garbage and continued my journey through the house and then into the kitchen. The house was deserted.

Greyson must have gone to work. I was a little disappointed that he couldn’t wait for me, but he had been spending a lot of time out of the office. I’m sure he was swamped with work. A nagging question pressed upon me. Was this the end before it began?

I ran upstairs to take a quick shower. I found some of Greyson’s clothes to change into. I would head home to change into my clothes and then hit the tables. I’d stay away from Greyson’s casino. It would give us both some space . . . and I needed real money not counterfeit.

I found Gus in the same spot on the couch. I tried to pick him up but his butt drooped back to the couch.

I ran to the kitchen and snagged the backup hotdog supply. Gus perked when I waved one in front of his nose. He batted my hand to release the hotdog. When I yanked it away from him, he rolled over and stood with a stretch.

“Come on, Gus. Come and get the yummy hotdog.” I led him through the house and out the door with the wagging of a hotdog. I pressed the garage door button to open it and tossed the hotdog on the passenger side of Caleb’s Porsche. After Gus lumbered in, I shut the door and slid into the driver’s side.

“We’re going home.”

Chapter 20

I wagged the hotdog in front of Gus’s nose to lead him up two flights of stairs. He took a hotdog break in the middle. I wondered if hot dogs would ever lose their appeal for him. I had a suspicion hotdogs were a lifetime passion. We finally made it upstairs and into my apartment. He sniffed the air as he climbed the kitty stairs to the couch and plopped down with a contented sigh.

I changed into a pair of shorts and a stretchy t-shirt. I grabbed my hoodie for the cool casino.

I should call Caleb and tell him to pick up his car.

Since my phone was broken I ran down to Frankie’s apartment.

Frankie opened the door wearing normal clothes. I had to blink to register him barefoot in jeans and a t-shirt. His dark hair was still wet from the shower.

“Just the person I wanted to see,” he said, yanking me into his apartment.

“What’s going on, Frankie?”

“I’m making you a website. It was slow going at first, but I’ve finally cracked the HTML jargon. You would think you need a PhD to figure this stuff out. They’ve got it all backasswards. But they can’t shut me out altogether. Want to see what I’ve created?”

“Uh, sure, but can I borrow your phone? Mine is broken.”

“Yes, but after I show you the website. Sit down in front of the screen and prepare to be amazed.”

I sat while he clicked on a link with the mouse. It took him to a site that had an ace of hearts playing card in the middle of the screen.

“Go ahead and click on the card,” he instructed.

I maneuvered the mouse and clicked on the card. The card disappeared and a picture of me appeared. It was from the first show with Lupier when I had the accident with fire.

“Frankie!” I screeched. “What the hell is that?”

I pointed to a picture of my butt on the screen. It was as round and as large as the moon itself. It alternated between me standing and then bending over with my butt in the air . . . and my cheeks hanging out—big, white, and exposed. Standing, mooning, standing, mooning, standing, mooning. I gasped in horror.

“Is this live? Did you upload it?” I panicked.

“This is fantastic publicity. I’ve already linked it with the performance on YouTube. We’re getting hundreds of hits. Just wait until I link it up with the scorpion video. We’ll get thousands of hits.”

“You uploaded the video to YouTube?”

“Hell yeah! This is good stuff. I just need another video of you and we can get hits by the millions. What do you think of a performance with lions?”

“Take down the site now!”

“No way. You’re heading into the spotlight. I can’t stall the progress.”

“Damn it, Frankie! I’m a poker player. I don’t want to be in the spotlight. I want to sit at a poker table and glare at people. How can I do that when they’re laughing at me?”

He pointed to the screen. “This is good stuff. This is what pays the bills.”

“How does mooning the world pay my bills?”

“I already have appearance requests.”

“Really?” I asked in shock.

“I received hundreds so far. But I have to weed through them. Some of them are dirty, dirty men who like what they see.”

I groaned.

“It’s not all bad. I’m going on a date with one of them tomorrow.”

“You’re going on a date with a pervert?”

He nodded. “I can’t wait. His dirty suggestion has me all in a fluster.”

“Cancel the date! You can’t trust men on the internet, especially if he’s revealed himself as a dirty pervert.”

“He’s going to have to be one hell of a dirty pervert to make me run for the hills.”

I rolled my eyes. “Where did you get the scorpion video?”

“I’ve got connections.”

I raised my eyebrow.

“I do.”

“Yeah, alright. But Frankie, you have to take down the picture of me mooning the camera. It’s in bad taste.”

He bristled. “I don’t have bad taste. I have the taste of money. This website will have us floating in it by the end of the year.”

I cried on the inside. “If I hear one slam at the table because of this, I’ll force you to take it down. Now let me borrow your phone, please.”

Frankie reached into his jeans and slipped out his cell phone.

“You don’t happen to have Caleb’s phone number, do you?”

“He’s in the contacts.”

“Should I ask why you have his number?”

“For future PR. And if he ever needs a date, I’m there for him.”

I scrolled through Frankie’s contacts. I raised my eyebrow. “Frankie, I’m learning a little too much about you right now. What’s this place?”

Frankie leaned over my shoulder. “Oh, that’s nothing you’d want to know about.”

I decided I genuinely didn’t want to know and dialed Caleb. He didn’t answer. I left him a message to meet me at the casino if he wanted his car.

“Thanks for letting me use your phone,” I said, handing it to Frankie. “I have to hit the tables.”

“Don’t forget you have to work at the chapel tonight.”

“I wouldn’t dream of forgetting. Working for you is the only entertainment I can afford.”

“That’s because I’m so good at what I do, and you’re not good at the tables. But don’t worry because your new career is safe in my hands.”

I stretched in my seat. I’d been sitting at this damn table for over an hour and I was five dollars ahead. I threw a few chips into the pot.

“Well, well, look who’s here.”

I flicked my eyes over to see Venom Vincent. I’ve played at tables with him before. He was one of the regulars playing on the same poker circuit. His nickname was self appointed but fitting. He was a scrawny man who wore too much jewelry and way too much cologne.

“What’s going on Vinny?”

“I should be asking you the same question,” he said. He settled into a seat a few spots away from me.

“Nothing’s going on here. I’ve been playing for an hour.”

“That’s not what I meant. I’ve been hearing some things.” His lips twitched into a smile below his pencil-thin mustache.

“What kind of things?” I peeked at my cards. Junk hand again.

“You seem to be the talk of the tables.”

My eyes narrowed. He piqued the interest of the rest of the table. Their eyes rested on him as well.

“Go on. Tell me some of the talk.”

“Seems you’ve turned into a social butterfly. Not only did you have a fling with Caleb, but I’ve heard rumors of you bedding Greyson Miller and Dagor Moliente.”

Crap, crap, crap!

“Seems some one has a very wild imagination and a loose tongue,” I said. “Who started these rumors?”

“Are you sure they’re rumors?”

“Yes, I’m very sure.”

“What about your website? Do you normally like to reveal your
ass
-ets to the world?” His lips curled as he shuffled his chips.

The players at the table yanked out their phones and began searching for the website. I heard a few snickers.

I’m going to kill Frankie!

“That website has nothing to do with me.”

“How does it have nothing to do with you? You’re the only one waving your butt to the world on it?”

“Never mind. It’s nothing I uploaded on the web. And there isn’t any thing true about the rumors either.”

“Hmmm, then how come you’re turning red?”

“I’m not turning red. I’m freaking burnt.”

“It’s a shame your reputation is flushed down the toilet like yesterday’s lunch. I was thinking you could be my next chick, but I don’t date trashy women. The Vinster needs to keep his reputation on the level.”

As I was looking for my escape, I spotted Caleb entering the casino. “So, Vinster, do you think Caleb would tarnish his reputation by dating a trashy woman?”

“He’s juggling enough girls. Since he’s already had his taste of you, he’ll probably move up the food chain.”

If Caleb didn’t find me soon, I was going to hop over the table and strangle the Vinster. I gathered my chips. There was no way I could play at this table now.

As I turned to leave, Caleb’s strong hand pressed around my arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“To another table.”

“What happened last night?” He lightly brushed his finger against my bruised eye as he inspected it. “You had me totally freaked out. You can’t just tell me you’re in the trunk of someone’s car and then hang up.”

“You called at a lousy time and then they broke my phone.”

“Did Dagor give you the black eye?”

I nodded. “It doesn’t hurt any more. It’s just ugly.”

“How did you escape?”

“Remy and Greyson followed Dagor and rescued me.”

“Where’s my car?”

“The valet has it.” I weeded the ticket from my pocket and handed it to Caleb. “Sorry for borrowing your car.”

“You mean stealing it.”

The Vinster perked with the newest information.

“I didn’t steal it. Can we have this conversation elsewhere? The Vinster is already having fun with his other rumors about me.”

Caleb eyed Vinny. “What rumors are those?”

“He says you and I had a fling and then I proceeded to jump into Greyson’s and Dagor’s beds.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Which is why I’m moving to a different table.”

“I think I want to play a few rounds.” A smile brewed on Caleb’s face.

“You can have my chair. I’m leaving.”

“Stay. You won’t want to miss this. I’ll take a seat next to Vinny.”

Vinny fidgeted in his seat.

“How much is the buy in for this table?”

“Two hundred,” I said.

“Perfect.”

Caleb bought in without hesitation. It was chump change to him. “So, Vinny, are you ready to lose?”

Vinny cleared his throat. I slowly sank back into my seat. I eyed Caleb as he threw a few chips in the pot. The man on the other side of Caleb nudged him. Caleb looked down to see the man’s phone. The corners of Caleb’s mouth twitched. He flicked his eyes to me. A playful spark ignited in them.

“Should I congratulate you on such an amazing website?” Caleb asked as he drove me home. Caleb left the Vinster at the table with one chip and a wounded expression.

“You can congratulate Frankie. I’m going to kill him.”

“It sure catches your eye.”

I groaned. “Frankie said I’m receiving appearance requests. I’m just hoping they don’t expect me to jump out of a cake. That website is false advertising.”

“What are you doing tonight?”

“I have to work later.”

“Do you want to have dinner before work?”

I eyed him. “No. We’re better off far away from each other. But thank you for destroying Vinny at the table. That was fun to watch.”

“How are we better off away from each other?”

“You can’t plead ignorance. It’s way too obvious we weren’t meant to be together let alone in the same room.”

“We could start over.”

“I don’t think that works. And I’m sort of seeing Greyson.”

“What does ‘sort of seeing’ mean?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t know what I’m looking for yet. Even if I did, I’m not sure what he wants.”

“You know he doesn’t stay with women.”

“Neither do you. And I don’t want to date a poker player. If you’re any thing like me, you’ll drive me crazy within a week.”