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Opal inhaled sharply. His lips had felt like rose petals against hers. “Mmm,” she breathed out.
The smell of vodka, sweat, and desperation rose through the air. That was never a good scent. Her eyes fluttered open, and she surveyed the area. The attention prickled across her skin. Something was up, and she assessed the situation.
A large man was beating his hand against the poker table. The dealer’s arms were held up in innocence, and the other players in the game had varying levels of distress written across their faces.
“Can I help you out?” She walked up to the dealer. His eyes flicked to a player in a bright yellow shirt. The man had a large belly, dark glasses, and a thick cigar overstuffed with tobacco.
Opal turned and flashed a smile. His eyes were covered by the tinted lenses, but her tiger sight let her see through them. He watched her with hungry eyes, and she licked her lips when she saw it.
His heartbeat skipped. His pheromones kicked in. Sweat beaded over his forehead and down his arms. Vodka seeped through his pores. Opal’s nose wrinkled at the cloying smell.
Opal stood next to him, revealing just enough skin to catch the guy’s attention. “What is the problem?” Opal lowered her voice into a silky purr.
The guy whose badge said “Wilson C.” turned the cigar over with his tongue and grumbled. “The dealer isn’t using new playing cards. It’s a new hand. He isn’t following the rules.”
Opal looked up at the dealer whose irritation with Wilson C. was poorly hidden.
The dealer cleared his throat. “I have already switched the cards out. I’ve also shuffled them, Ms. Hayes.” She swept her gaze around the rest of the table. The other players nodded in agreement with the dealer.
“Ah, okay. So, it’s just a little miscommunication.” Opal turned back to Wilson C., and she smiled again. “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you play this round and come to find me when the game is over? We will have some complementary gifts for you to take with you.” She could see his eyes go wide as he spotted her cleavage. His stare became feral. She straightened immediately and stepped back.
His breath rasped around the cigar, and he reached out to take her free hand. “I would like that, Ms. Hayes.”
Opal smiled harder. The back teeth in her jaw clenched tightly. She did her best not to dig her fingernails into the poker table. Just because Wilson C. was a pervert didn’t mean his money wasn’t helpful.
“Great.” She pulled her hand out from under his sweaty one. “Come and find me after the game. You must behave for the rest of the round and treat everyone at the table respectfully.”
Wilson C. nodded. His glasses bobbed on his head, and the cigar wagged like a dog’s tail. She had no doubt he would track her down later.
Opal made a mental note to save a few extra high tokens for him to sate his gluttonous desires. She made a second note not to see him alone. She could protect herself, but she didn’t want to put herself in the position where she had to. She was supposed to be the smiling, laughing face of the charity.
Someone hearing that she had to handle a donor physically wouldn’t be good for business. So she would not put herself there.
Once the wrinkles ironed out of the day, she had a few moments to plan for a date with Benton. She hadn’t seen him much but wondered if fate would have a reason to have her accidentally walk into one of his poker games.
Opal didn’t let herself think long about coincidences. Instead, she turned her attention to the date. She would have taken him into the back room and ravaged the hell out of him if it weren’t important for them to be present and active in the event.
But she didn’t know Benton well enough to understand if “something fun” was code for sex.
She decided to play a coy kitty and arrange something fun. Maybe something he hadn’t experienced before.
It would be difficult because he had traveled and seen all sorts of things. Opal rationalized that he hadn’t seen these things with her.
Opal made reservations for a train ride through the Hoosier National Forest. It would be quaint and delicious. They would have a cozy car to themselves, along with beautiful scenery. And she would also learn how up for anything Benton really was.
Once the night was planned, Opal focused the rest of her attention on the last of the players.
The games went quickly. People dropped like a deck of cards in a game of fifty-two pick up, and by lunch, only twenty-five percent of the players were left.
Since the best card players were at different tables, Opal would catch Benton out of the corner of her eye.
Although she didn’t see the last few tables close out, she knew Benton was one of the winners. She got busy shuffling the losers into new rooms and satiating bruised egos. Wilson C. was true to his word.
He stumbled over to Opal, who motioned to two large men dressed in black. They flanked Wilson as he asked Opal for her number.
“I’m sorry, Wilson. I’m in a long-term relationship. I appreciate your asking, though. Here are a few tokens to get yourself some four-star food in the dining room. It’s on me. Enjoy!” She waved him off and spun quickly.
She did not watch as the men took Wilson away from the poker room and out of her life for good.
