Mopping the sweat from my brow as I looked around the table. Like always me sitting around with a bunch of friends like Philip and Ed, Tim and Harold and a few of the others just for a refreshing game or two. And now everyone is staring at me. Damn, why does this have to be. Tugging on my collar, watching my shaking hand toss in half of what I have left. “Third.. thirty” dropped from my mouth as the six chips landed in the center of the table.
“Two rich for my blood” I said looking at my friend sitting next to me. Tossing my cards down. “This Philip is out” with Tim and James agreeing.
“Thirty” I said taking a long while to look over my cards. What started as eleven players was now down to nine. Tiberius and George both leaving totally broke and from the looks of Jimmy the dealer the pile of chips that I had in front of me was not going to last. Finally bowing my head I matched Steve’s bet.
“Now to you Grant, will you let it ride…” The call of the cards on the table said it all. My gaze now shifted to Haro and that evil glare that he has on this new player.
“Haro are you in?” I asked. Being the dealer usually makes things a little more unsettling than a gambler. Butt I would not count on that tonight. “Haro? Are you in or” I was expecting to be interrupted.
“Yeh, I’m in” pushing forward his thirty to match Steve’s bet. “And another sixty on top of that.” Saying this like everyone who was still sitting at this table had another sixty to lay out. Not even bothering to watch as the others folded, at this moment there was only one who I wanted gone.
“Hey new kid, are you in or out” my eyes narrowed across the table. If I didn’t know any better I would swear that he is a she in disguise. Wearing all black and a bandana tied across her chest would answer the reason why “he” is not saying anything.
Staring back at Haro. Knowing that most of these gamblers have lost to me. “Well ain’t we feeling all giddy inside” speaking with our directing my speech to any one. Seeing the way Haro’s eyes sort of bulged out upon my comment. Matching his raise then tripling the wager as two dollars and forty cents were added to the pile. “What do you say huckleberry” my rude side comment. Comparing this clearly professional fool to a small tree grown berry. Tipping my hat to Haro feeling his rage only six feet away.
“Maybe you should just walk away, Umm” I know if Layla could see me now I would definitely get the cold shoulder. Butt Layla is not here only Haro is. “Take your twenty cents and be gone” flashing him my eyes as they glared at him through the shadows.
“Fine then” I said in an outrage. “I’ll see your raise and call you for thirty two more” the impact of my prized weapon as it slammed on the table. The echo of my chair that clattered off the floor.
“Three dollars and twenty cents” toying with the idea in the open. “If you lose” I said nonchalantly. “Then what are you going to use to defend yourself once you leave this fine house of travel” hearing the rest of the guests shuffle out the door leaving only the bartender, dealer and cashier behind.
“Maybe, yes, maybe you two should take this outside” feeling my hard earned dreams about to go up in smoke as these two gamblers, and I use that term loosely, square off. I am the owner and bartender of this fine establishment which…”
To see Haro flipping the table, right after grabbing his iron. To see Jimmy go head over tin cup as he tries to retreat from the table. To listen to the silence before this heavy table hit the floor on its side and the quiet afterwards as both of our smoke wagons actually had a peace pipe to smoke over. That look, I can see it in his eyes. I can see Haro life flash before his eyes as I sit there relishing in the silence that followed. To say that one hole down below is never enough. That two holes could definitely be feminine. The look in his eyes as his iron hit the floor. This is not like one of those plays where the hero gets the girl. This cowardly act of shooting someone just because your luck has hit a weak spot.
Source: reddit.com/r/Erotica/comments/12odgru/est_the_outlaw_chapter_8_the_gamble_part_7_of_12