Erin on the Gambling Table (Overhauled).
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Chapter III. Do ends justify the means?
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"Here, wear this," Cassius unceremoniously told her as he handed her a paper bag. He seemed mentally busy; his thoughts focused on something else.
The fact that he was handing her clothes after he had forbidden them completely was strange enough, but the contents of the bag only deepened her surprise.
The outfit itself was similar to the ones he used to give her during the first few days; a slim-fitted, sleeveless white crop top, and a thong, both white. However, for the very first time he was handing her actual clothes, nothing transparent or minuscule. It was revealing, but not more than anything she would've comfortably worn at the beach.
Erin didn't protest. She obediently put on the clothes and stood up to model them for him. Cassius was looking at her dispassionately, with the expression of someone who's trying to objectively assess the merits of something.
"I think that will work," he said after a while. His lips drew a small smile of satisfaction at a job well done, then, without giving her the chance to ask, he went out of the room to retrieve a few more items: a couple of 4-inch white stilettos, some make up, and a new bottle of perfume.
"I have a few friends coming over tonight. In fact, Ryan, the one I talked to you about, the one who owns the house, is coming. I want to... display you properly, without letting them see too much."
He said it like it was supposed to be an explanation, but it only managed to give her more questions.
"You know how this works. Vermillion lips, no foundation, don't go crazy on the makeup. Also, make sure to style your hair nicely. I need you ready by 20:00. I'm a little busy but I'll come back later to check on you, OK?"
Before she could reply, he gave her a wet kiss, then left the room without saying anything else. Erin lingered for a bit, unsure whether she should feel nervous about it. Then she put her thoughts behind her and started getting ready.
The guests started arriving at 20:00 sharp. It was only a handful of people. A few guys in expensive clothes plus the girls they were probably sleeping with. Ryan was one of the first ones to arrive. Tall, blonde, blue eyed, slim guy in his early thirties, with a sharp angular face, wearing a fake embroidered cowboy shirt and jeans. His pose was that of an aristocrat. His demeanor was friendly enough, but she didn't like the way he looked at her; it was clear that the man had taken an interest in her instantly, and she didn't feel comfortable standing around him in these clothes. Cassius, however, didn't seem to notice. He mostly looked enthusiastic to see the man.
She couldn't help but feel excited at first, it was the first time she had seen anyone besides Cassius and Justine in almost a month, but the evening went by slowly. She found the girls to be empty and uninteresting, even when talking about topics she loved. The guys, on the other hand, she found intimidating. All accomplished millionaires with whom she had very little in common, and who kept looking at her like she was little more than meat. She couldn't believe those were the people Cassius considered his friends. More than once she thought about asking his permission to simply go to bed, but she knew it was important for him, and decided to make an effort.
At least the food is good, I guess
. Justine had put a lot of effort into preparing a wonderful assortment of sushi for the evening.
They ate and drank, then set the table for a poker game.
Cassius told her to sit on his lap for good luck. Erin had no idea how the game was played but figured it could be interesting to watch him. About an hour went by and a few thousand dollars changed hands. It looked like Cassius was winning.
At one point in the evening it came to a showdown between Cassius and Ryan for the biggest pot yet. Ryan looked very confident, but in the end, Cassius had the better hand.
"I hate playing this game with you," he complained, throwing away his cards, "It's not normal to have the kind of good luck you have."
"I have a very good lucky charm," Cassius replied while caressing Erin's thigh. She was a little surprised about how affectionate he was being, but it was nice to see him like that.
Ryan fixed his eyes on Erin. She turned away from him but could feel his eyes all over her. "A very nice looking one as well... I hope you lend her to me sometime."
"No, man, that's not going to happen," he promptly replied while dealing the next hand.
"So, that's how it is between us?" Ryan huffed sarcastically, "I let you stay in my house but you won't share your toys with me?"
Cassius couldn't help but chuckle. "If I ever get a house, you're more than welcome to stay, but I don't share my toys. That's a bit more intimate than I'm interested in getting with you."
All the guests at the table laughed. Erin laughed as well, but more out of nervousness than genuine amusement. She was not comfortable being discussed like that.
"Fair enough. How about selling her then?" Ryan kept prodding.
"Not happening," Cassius repeated. The conversation was eerily casual. Both men were talking in a slightly amused tone, the kind of tone people use to poke fun at each other and discuss trivialities. Erin wanted to scream at them both. At Ryan for talking about her like that, and at Cassius for not defending her.
"Oh, come on. Don't be so stubborn. I'll pay you well. In fact, tell me how much she cost and I'll double it. You can get two just like her."
Cassius was not looking at either one of them, seemingly absorbed in his cards, but his lips produced a warm smile that was clearly unrelated to the game.
"No, I can't," he replied. Most of the guests on the table were not paying attention to the conversation but two people fixed their eyes on him: one was Ryan, slightly intrigued; the other was Erin.
They played the hand and progressively, Cassius forced everyone to fold, until it was only him and Ryan again.
It was Ryan's turn to bet, but he didn't immediately play. He locked his eyes on the couple and lingered for a moment. Even at a friendly game, he was extremely competitive. After losing to Cassius all night, he was looking forward to turning the tables.
He looked at his cards, then at the couple again, and he saw an opportunity.
"You're not willing to rent her, you're not willing to sell her, I wonder... Would you be willing to bet her?"
The mood on the entire table changed. Everyone was looking around, intrigued and expectant at the new development. Erin could feel all eyes fixed on the three of them. She looked nervously at Cassius who had never looked more hesitant than he was then. She realized in horror he was actually thinking about it.
"Look, we're just playing a friendly game. I really don't want to..." Cassius began, trying to defuse the situation, but Ryan wouldn't let it go.
"What's the matter?" he interrupted, "You seemed so confident in your cards a minute ago. I'll tell you what. I know you've been trying to find a more permanent place to stay. I'll bet you this manor that you like so much, if you're willing to risk her."
Cassius' poker face cracked entirely, and a nervous smile drew across his lips. "Why... Why would you do that?" he queried, almost stuttering in his nervousness, "The manor is much more expensive than her."
"So, consider the extra cost a compensation for whatever emotional value she has to you."
He paused for a moment and took a sip of his drink; his eyes still staring at Erin.
"Look, the offer is on the table," he continued, trying to break Cassius's hesitance, "I think we both know you're the kind of person who regrets passing on these kinds of opportunities. Your call."
Cassius stared at his cards and began tapping nervously on the table. He briefly moved his eyes towards Ryan's smug smile, then went back to stare at his cards. Erin was shaking in his lap. She wanted to cry in anger and disgust but felt completely paralyzed. The worst part for her was that nobody seemed to notice. The jerks at the table were all smiling and laughing, Ryan was undressing her with his eyes and Cassius seemed completely absorbed in his own head.
"I'm in," He finally said. For Erin, the next few seconds passed extremely slowly. She could've sworn time had stopped completely.
Ryan showed his cards, never losing his smile, revealing a full house. The enraptured guests all turned to Cassius. He let an instant go by in suspense with a blank expression, then, revealed a better full house. The entire table laughed and clapped excitedly while Ryan threw his hands in the air, defeated. Erin seized the commotion to run away to her room.
The scene lasted for about a minute. A couple of people began mocking Ryan. A couple of others congratulated Cassius. Nobody seemed to notice Erin was gone. Nobody seemed to care.
When the guests finally settled down, Cassius was still staring at Ryan with a soft smile. He looked awfully calm considering what he had done.
"I really thought I had you there," said Ryan, contemplating the cards. He then reached into his pockets and put a set of keys on the table, "Well, a bet is a bet. I guess I'm going to go before I lose something actually valuable." He gestured the girl with whom he had arrived and left without saying another word. Cassius sent everybody home amongst protests, saying the night was over.
Once the guests were gone, he stood in the middle of the living room for a moment and looked around, contemplating. The silence around him like a quiet and respectful acknowledgement of how far he had gotten. A moment passed with him basking in his victory. Then, he hurried upstairs, knowing Erin needed comforting.
When he arrived in the bedroom, he found her curled up on the bed, sobbing.
"Kitten..." he called sweetly.
"Go away!" she rasped, her voice seething with rage. It didn't matter to her anymore if she angered him or if he punished her. She felt betrayed.
"Kitten..." he called her again, softer this time.
"I said go away! And don't fucking call me kitten!" she yelled. Cassius could tell she was making an effort to keep her voice from breaking.
"Kitten..." he repeated a third time, this time extremely soft.
"I said don't call me that!" She screamed again. For a moment she stared at him with a choleric expression, almost snarling, trying to look intimidating. Cassius remained calm and silent. Slowly, her expression began to crack. When she couldn't hold his gaze anymore, she buried her head in the pillow and continued weeping inconsolably.
Erin cursed herself. She was telling herself that she should be hurling insults at him, not crying; he wasn't worth crying over, he wasn't worth her pain. But even then, she couldn't help but feel heartbroken. It seemed like every time she saw something positive in him, she stupidly allowed herself to feel hope, only to be let down.
She had thought she'd seen something in his eyes back on the table, especially with everything he was doing lately, something that had instantly made her feel that maybe things wouldn't be so bad, only for him to immediately bet her.
Cassius let her vent for a couple of minutes, until he couldn't stand watching her cry anymore.
"You told me you wanted the house."
