Black Number Four (30 page)

“Listen, you wouldn’t mind if I asked you a few questions, would you? I’m a new writer and I could really impress my boss if I got an exclusive interview with you.”

“Actually, we need to get to the first table. Come on, Sky.” I stand, pulling her arm but she jerks it away, throwing me an evil glare before turning back to the reporter.

“I’ve only got a few minutes. No quotes about being young or hot or a female. Poker questions only. Go.”

I let out a frustrated sigh before falling back onto the stool next to her. Lacy gives a giddy smile and little clap and pulls out a digital voice recorder. She asks how Skyler’s feeling about May, if she’s been entering a lot of tournaments, how she’s balancing school and her social life along with playing, and on and on. Skyler answers each question quickly but with character and I actually think this reporter will have a pretty decent article once she finishes.

Checking my watch, I tap it and motion to the tables and Skyler nods. She stands, smiling and leaving a twenty on the bar. “I have to get to the table, but I hope you have enough to impress your boss. Good luck.”

“Wait!” Lacy hops up quickly and we both turn back to face her. “What about the guy you were seen kissing a couple weeks ago? Can you tell me a little about him? Is he your boyfriend? Is…” Suddenly, she eyes me closer. “Is this him?”

Skyler remains calm, but I feel my face redden and I clench my fist.
Fuck
.

“Oh gosh.” Skyler laughs, covering her smile with her hand. “I’m sorry, but it’s just funny that you think I would have a steady boyfriend. I’m in college. I kiss a lot of boys. Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t even remember his name.”

Lacy looks me up and down, still scrutinizing, but laughs it off. “Oh yeah. Duh! Obviously. I was in college not too long ago.” Now it’s my turn to say
obviously
. “Well good luck tonight. Hope you’ll check out the article!”

Skyler nods curtly and forges toward the tables. I hurry to catch up with her. “Great cover. Looks like you’ve got your poker face on, after all.”

She stops short and turns on her heel to face me. “Maybe if you weren’t so stupid saying my name in a crowded bar I wouldn’t have had to think on my feet. Thank God I did, though, because clearly you had nothing to say. And stop acting like my coach. You want to help me train? Fine. But right now I need you to just back off. Back. Off.”

I throw my hands up in surrender and she rolls her eyes before storming off. “Good luck!” I shout after her and she flips me off, sliding into her chair at the first table. I smile, shaking my head, but this isn’t a laughing situation. She’s shaken, she’s off, and obviously she’s pissed off, too, which is just wonderful.

This is going to be a long night.

It’s just past midnight and only five players are left at the final table. Skyler is one of them, but mostly due to luck because she has played like shit all night. She’s playing aggressively but not smart, and though that might have worked well enough to get her to this table, it’s working against her quickly now. The other players are calling her on her bluffs and when she does have a strong hand, she bets too quickly and chases callers away. Sunglasses and hoodie aside, she isn’t fooling anyone. She’s on tilt. She’s playing with her emotions and not with her head and it’s all about to be over. Skyler’s going to lose this tournament and I don’t have any doubt about it. If anyone wanted to make some quick cash, they’d bet on that tonight instead of a Blackjack hand.

Before I even have the chance to murmur a prayer under my breath for her to calm down and get back on track, she pushes all her chips forward. All in. I sigh, shaking my head as the only other player left calls easily. He’s a young guy, too – maybe in his early thirties with a bald head and beady eyes that he hasn’t bothered covering with sunglasses. Judging by the way he’s been playing all night, he has something good to call such a big bet. He’s been playing safe, no bluffs that I’ve seen – at least, not that he’s had to show. He’s playing the way Skyler should be except maybe just a little less aggressive than what is ideal. Whatever the case may be, he’s got a winning hand. I can feel it.

Both of them stand and flip over their cards, Skyler pulling off her sunglasses and crossing her arms as she realizes her odds. She has a ten and Jack suited, which isn’t bad, but he’s got a pair of Kings. The flop has already been dealt and didn’t help either of them. Slowly, the dealer lays out the turn. It’s a Jack. Good for Skyler, but still not a win. The river reveals a King and the crowd claps for the beady-eyed man as Skyler’s shoulders sink. She lets out a long breath and her eyes find mine. For a moment, we just stare at each other, a sadness in her eyes that I’m not sure how to handle. Finally, I shrug and she shrugs, too. That’s it. Game over. Time to go home.

I don’t even try to talk to her as we pile into the back of a cab. I tell the driver my address and she starts driving as Skyler quickly turns to me.

“Wait, she needs to take me home first. It’s on the way.”

“You’re coming home with me tonight.”

“What?” Her voice squeaks as she yells, her face scrunched up. “Um, no. Not happening.” She leans forward to talk to the driver but I stop her before she can say anything.

“Damnit, Skyler, you’re coming home with me or I’m going to call that reporter and tell her I was the guy from the bonfire and I can tell her way more fun stories about you than what she got earlier.”

For the second time tonight, Skyler’s mouth falls open. “You wouldn’t do that.”

I pull the card Lacy slipped me as we left out of my pocket and hold it between my fingertips, swiveling it slowly. Skyler’s lips flatten into a line and she throws herself back against the seat angrily, crossing her arms and looking out the window. “You’re a Class A Douche right now.”

“You can insult me all you want, but you’re still coming home with me.”

She shifts, tightening her arms across her chest. “Why do you want me to come home with you anyway? Wouldn’t you rather call Erin?”

“I’m not asking you to come home with me for sex, Skyler. I’m your friend and whether you want to let me or not, I’m helping you get ready for May and we need to talk about tonight.”

The cab pulls up to my apartment complex and Skyler whips around to face me. “You aren’t
asking
me anything. You’re blackmailing me.” She throws open her door and slams it shut again before leaning down to glare at me through the open window, her face twenty shades of pissed off. “And it’s so nice to know that if it were Erin here, it would be for sex. Sorry I’m cock-blocking your cardio plans.” She slams the door and the cab driver eyes me in the rearview mirror. She shakes her head, clicking her tongue as I hand her cash for the ride.

There it is. There’s Skyler admitting what I knew all along. What happened at the gym earlier messed with her head and she hates it. I know my goal was to fuck with her head, but now I’m just as pissed off as she is.
She’s
the one who called things off.
She’s
the one who wants Adam. So then why is she jealous of
my
fake-hookups with Erin? Why did it throw her off her game so much that she lost a tournament she should have bagged easily?

No. Fuck that. She doesn’t get to pin this on me.

I slam my door, too, causing Skyler to flinch slightly as she stomps off toward my apartment, but she doesn’t turn around. She wants a fight? Fine. But tonight, she’s in my ring. Round two.

Ding ding.

I have no idea what I’m doing.

I always have my stuff together. I’m confident. I’m sexy. I’m Skyler fucking Thorne, damnit!
I
play boys. Boys do
not
play
me
. Kip got to me today and I just let him know that by word vomiting inside the cab. I held myself together, regardless of throwing the tournament. He didn’t know why, it could have been anything, but now he knows it was him.

He holds power over me. It kills me to admit that, but it’s true. For whatever reason, he rattles my cage and, as far as he knows, it doesn’t make sense. I’m supposed to be about Adam – that was the game plan. Whether I’m really into him or not, that was my role to play. I’m not supposed to care about Kip yet I just proved that everything I said to him at the dance was complete bullshit.

Fuck my life.

“Skyler!” Kip calls after me but I keep my pace. He yells my name again as I jog up the stairs and reach his door, tugging on the handle violently with no result. It’s locked, of course, because this is South Florida and you’d be an idiot not to lock your apartment. I cross my arms and wait, debating whether I should just make a break for it and call a cab but I don’t know if he’s bluffing about calling Lacy or not and that’s not a bet I’m willing to make.

“Just open the damn door.” I cut him off before he can start in as he reaches me. He huffs and shoves his key in the lock, swinging the door open and letting me in first before closing and locking it behind him again.

“What the fuck, Skyler?” He throws his keys on the small table by his couch before running his fingers through his hair. “Why are you mad at me? You wanted this, didn’t you? We’re friends, you have Adam and I’ve moved on. I haven’t made this weird. I didn’t hold what happened against you and I didn’t make shit awkward. I moved on and you got what you wanted because clearly Adam wants you. I see him texting you every fucking day and he’s always talking about you. This is it. You asked for this. So why does it matter who I’m fucking?”

I swallow hard, his words sinking deep in my gut and taking my breath with them. I assumed before, but now I know it’s true. He’s had sex with Erin. I’m not allowed to care, but I do.

Instinctively, I wrap my arms around my stomach and take a deep breath to keep from throwing up. I pull my eyes from the floor and meet his. He’s standing across the room from me, arms outstretched now, his chest heaving with rugged breaths as the muscles move under his light green t-shirt. His blue eyes are wild and darker in the soft light coming from the kitchen. He looks beautiful and dangerous and I know without a second thought that he truly is both.

“Let’s just drop it, okay Kip?” I plead, hoping he’ll head my words and just let it go. “Let’s just talk about the tournament and then we can both go to sleep and clear our heads.”

“No. Fuck that.” He spits the words out violently, shaking his head. He takes a few steps toward me and I back into the wall. “I don’t know what fucking game you’re playing but I’m calling it tonight. Why do you care about me and Erin?”