Intercepted (2 page)

Chapter
2:
Jake

It
’
s eleven and Tamara is
already asleep. Stretching out on an armchair by the window of the suite she
paid for, I watch the trail of glimmering lights outlining the ski slopes while
I nurse my scotch. I glance at my watch. The night chair will be open till
midnight. I consider going for a quick run, then decide against it when a sharp
stab on my quad reminds me of the fall I took last night. I
’
ve been skiing after Tamara goes to sleep every
evening, and yesterday the moon was full, so I ventured off the trail and into
a path of virgin powder. It was incredible. The feeling of almost floating,
every muscle in my legs burning, every part of me alive. I caught an edge
towards the end and it earned me an almost torn quad. Tamara doesn
’
t know because she thinks I was here, sleeping
next to her. I told her I strained it the next morning when we were skiing
together and she believed me. She always believes me and doesn
’
t ask any questions.

I glance in her direction and watch her sleep for a moment. She looks
peaceful, young, even though she is more than a decade older than me. Like most
women I
’
m with, Tamara takes good care
of her body. She
’
s got incredible legs and a
pair of tits that would put any twenty year old out of the race in a second. I
look back through the window and focus on the lift, which has now stopped.

I down the last of my scotch and shrug into a jacket, determined to find
a way to pass the next few hours, cause I know sleeping is off the table.
Earlier I heard one of the waiters talk about a late poker game within the
hotel staff, so I
’
m gonna find out where it is.

I follow the hallway into the main lobby, which is now deserted save an
employee behind the front desk doing paperwork. Without letting him see me, I
head to the bar I was in with Tamara a few hours back, but the lights are dim.
The room looks cavernous. Through the black windows the moon bathes the snow
outside. There are a couple of guys at a table in the back and they look drunk
as fuck.

I amble through the main areas, but there are no signs of anything. Maybe
I should go ask the guys running the ski lift. I dart a look outside and see
they
’
re packing up. Grabbing my beanie out of my
pocket, I slide it over my head and push the side door that leads out to
Needle, the night chair. Arctic air claws my face the second I step out and I
take a big pull of it, welcoming the burn in my lungs. It
’
s tinted with tobacco and I turn my head toward
the source of the smell. A guy in his early twenties flashes me a quick smile
before taking another puff of his cigarette. He
’
s wearing a heavy jacket over a bell uniform. His face looks vaguely
familiar.

“
Want a
smoke?
”
He
pulls a packet out of his pocket.

I don
’
t smoke, but
this guy may be my ticket to that poker game, so I reach for it and put a
cigarette between my lips. He pulls a lighter and flicks it, cupping the flame
with his hand.

“
Thanks.
”
I take a drag and immediately regret it. How
people can be addicted to this shit is beyond me.

“
You
’
ve been up in Needles?
”
He
gestures to the lift with his chin. His black hair covers most of his forehead.
He flicks it with a quick snap of his head.

“
Nah. Not
tonight. Taking the night off.
”

He nods, then extends his hand.
“
I
’
m Shane.
”
He has a broad, easy smile.

“
Jake.
”
I
bring the cigarette to my mouth to free my hand and shake his.

“
I
’
ve seen you around. You
’
re the one with that
…
blond gal.
”
The corner of his mouth curves up as he says it.

I shake my head and chuckle.
“
Yeah.
”

The sound of packing snow saves me from that conversation when two guys
from the lift walk in our direction. I recognize one of them from the last
couple of nights when I went skiing. He makes quick eye contact with me and
nods, then flashes a smile to Shane.

“
Ready for me
to kick your ass again? Hope you made good tips today, man. You
’
re gonna need them.
”
He grins.

“
Kiss
my ass, Derek. I
’
m gonna get it all back and go home with your tips, too, asshole.
”

Derek chuckles loudly and gives him the finger as he shuffles to the
entrance.

“
Can you guys
use one more?
”
I put out my cigarette
pretending I don
’
t really care either way. But
for some reason I do. I need this. Derek stops in his tracks and locks eyes
with me, then looks at Shane. Shane shrugs.

“
Fine with
me.
”

Derek darts one last look at me.
“
Private
game, sorry,
”
he mutters.

“
Wouldn
’
t you rather make more money? I
’
m not very good.
”
I do my best to sound unaffected. He meets my eyes dead on.

“
Look, man,
you
’
re a guest. Your kind don
’
t mix with ours.
”
Something
dark crosses his eyes. He
’
s about to
head for the door when I lift my hand, so he stops.

“
I
’
ll give you two hundred bucks each if you let me
in. Just for tonight. It can still be a private game. I
’
d rather keep it that way anyway.
”
What
the fuck. Did I just offer these two assholes four hundred bucks for a fucking
poker game? I clench my teeth. I guess I fucking need this more than I thought.

Shane scoffs.
“
Seriously?
”

“
Yeah,
”
I
answer without looking at him. My eyes are still locked with Derek
’
s.

“
I
’
m in, Derek.
”
Shane takes one last draw of his cigarette, then
steps on it.

Derek gives me a quick nod.
“
Just for
tonight.
”

Chapter 3:
Natalia

When
I unlock the door to my room, it is after midnight. Dani is not here. I am
guessing she
’
s already at the
poker game. I send her a quick text asking her where it is and she responds
almost instantly with a room number. I don
’
t really feel like staying up, but I can use the money. Poker is
one of those things I learned when I was young. I
’
m good at it. While other girls hung out
in their lame little clique groups, I sat behind the gym building with Tango
acquiring valuable poker skills.

Tango
was my best friend and by far the smartest person I
’
ve ever met. His dad was a mean drunk, so
most days he hung out at our apartment. Mom always found excuses to make him
stay. She loved him as if he were her own and I know for a fact she would have
adopted him if we could have afforded to. The memories churn in my chest and I
shut the door on them.

I
knock on room 244, in the wing of the hotel assigned to the staff. While I
wait, I make sure nobody
’
s
around. These games are obviously not permitted in the hotel premises, which is
why they change locations every time.

Shane
from the bell department opens the door and lets me in, flashing an easy smile.
He looks so much younger in street clothes. I give him a quick hug as I walk
in. Dani waves from the other side of the round table where the game is already
in full swing under a cloud of smoke. Zack is sitting next to her. His eyes
meet mine and he groans, mumbling something about his chances going out the
window. I do a quick sweep of the faces. Two guys I don
’
t know, then my breath hitches when I see
Hot Guy from the restaurant sitting next to Dani. He looks up and smiles
broadly as recognition crosses his eyes.
Fuckdammit
. I no longer
remember how to breathe.
In. Out.
In. Out. Come on, Natalia. You
’
ve done this all your life
.

Shane
defrosts me when he tells me I can take the spot next to Derek, who
’
s sitting opposite Dani. Hot Guy
’
s eyes don
’
t leave mine as I take a seat across him.
Something in my stomach flutters. I don
’
t know why his presence makes me so uneasy. I work with lots of
guys, my first friend was a guy, and as far as flirting I am not even on the
market because I
’
m engaged.
Maybe that
’
s it. The way this
guy
’
s eyes are locked into
mine seems… indecent.

I
shake off the discomfort in my stomach and focus on the cards I was dealt. Not
much, but I have all night to make these guys think my skills are rusty. There
are eight people at the table, including me, and I have beat every single one
of them in the past, except the new guys. This is the first game of the season
and if things go well, it will add a nice bonus to my overall income.

“It
’
s a five card-draw and you need
fifty to be in,” Derek says as he deals. I fish out a fifty out of my pocket
and lay it on the table.

“Is
this game expanding?” I look at the two new guys before pausing slightly on Hot
Guy.

Derek
shrugs. “That
’
s Pete,
snowboard instructor; Liam bartends at the Spyglass bar and that
’
s… Jake. He
’
s… not with the staff, but it
’
s cool.”

I
nod slightly.
Dammit
. Now he has a name. A cool one.

“Hi
again. I
’
m Jake.
” He smiles and it
’
s like someone just sucked the wind out of
my lungs.

“Natalia.”
I nod once. “Aren
’t you a guest?
”
I look at my cards, then back at him, doing my best to sound impassive. I
cannot let this guy mess with my mojo.

“Yeah,
but it
’
s past my bed time, so
I
’
m not even here.” He winks
and for some reason it feels intimate. I look away at Dani to shake off the
feeling. She winks, too.
Shit
. I focus on Zack and he narrows his eyes
at me.

“I
thought you were tired. Don
’
t
you need a night off?”

I
smile at him and scrunch my nose as I study my cards.

“Nah.
Need to build up the pot.”

Zack
lets out another one of his groans. “You
’
ll be tired and moody tomorrow. I won
’
t let you take it out on me. Especially
after taking my goddamn money.”

“Aww,
such little faith in yourself, Zacky.”

He
mumbles something unintelligible and I blow him a kiss.

The
game is on and I wait a few rounds, letting the others play their hands while I
wait for the right moment. Two hours pass and only Zack, Derek, Jake and I
remain in the game. The stakes are high. A little over two hundred dollars are
piled in the center of the table, mostly tens and fives given that the source
were tips.

Zack
has nothing and Derek
’
s luck isn
’
t much better. Jake raises an eyebrow and
lays his Full House on the table. I smile inwardly, but don
’
t move a muscle. Tango was a good teacher.

“Those
are good,” I mutter.

“How
good?” His eyes are locked on mine and it
’
s as if an electric field has formed around us. The room is a
vacuum.

All
eyes are on me.

I
purse my lips, the first facial expression I allow myself and shake my head
slightly, then lower my cards and gently slide them on the table.

My
Straight Flush beats his Full House and I meet his eyes dead on with a wide
grin.

He
narrows his eyes, but a hint of a smile curves up a corner of his mouth.

“Damn.”
He looks at my cards and shakes his head, like he still can
’
t believe it.

Dani
cheers and hugs me from behind. Zack slides his chair back and runs both hands
through his hair, then stretches.

“
I don’
t know why I bother. I should
just give you the money.” He gets up and darts me a sulky look before walking
out the door. I smile because I know he can
’
t stay mad and he
’
ll
go back to being nice to me tomorrow.

Dani
gathers the bills, organizing them in a single pile. She
’
s a master at it and works quickly. She
loves helping me because my wins mean we go shopping. She knows I
’
ll buy her something nice. She would do
the same for me, but she
’
s
only won twice last season… on nights I wasn
’
t playing.

“You
are good,” Jake extends his hand to shake mine. “Didn
’
t see you coming.” I shake his hand and
immediately regret it. His hand completely envelopes mine. It is strong, a bit
callused, definitely not what I would have expected from a guy vacationing in
Aspen with a Barbie girlfriend. The image of her hand in his hair trespasses my
thoughts. She looked older than him and I
’
m intrigued. My hand is still in his and I pull it away, the skin
to skin contact strangely lacking the second I let go.

“
Thanks. I
’
ll see you around.” I look at Dani who has
finished packing the bills in her bag. She does a little victory dance in front
of Derek and Shane, who shake their heads, but laugh anyway. Derek calls it a
night and kicks everyone out of his room. Jake turns in the direction of the
guest area while Shane, Dani and I head toward our rooms at the opposite end of
the hallway.

Before
I follow Dani into the room, I turn my head around to see Jake standing at his
end of the hallway. Our eyes lock for a moment and the unwelcome feeling in my
stomach returns full force. With a single, quick wave, he turns away. I close
the door behind me and lean against it.

 
Shit
.