Vegas. The Shining Jewel of the Nevada desert. Fortunes and pittances won and lost in the blink of an eye. Millions gather at the garden of gambling in the hopes of an experience they'll never forget. Many of them soon coming to regret that wish. Most who tried their luck left with empty wallets or hangovers that seemed as though they would never heal.
Not everyone, though. For those with the right disposition and set of skills, there was a living to be made in front of the gambling tables. Knowing the odds was one thing, but you also needed to remember them under pressure. A poker face wasn't complete without a veneer of cool confidence. The line between gambling addict and professional gambler was very thin: whether you won or lost more.
The formative years of Felix Hara's aspiring card career were spent straddling the line between the two. Learning the odds came pretty naturally to him, but keeping a clear head when the stakes started to rise was something only time and experience could give him. That, and one or two trips to the bank of mom and dad. Their terms were quite lenient: clear your debts and prove you can make it on your own before you try to strike out on your own. By the age of twenty-four, he'd finally done both. His plane ticket was secured within the day.
With a dashing figure, slightly bronzed skin, a mane of shiny copper-blonde hair and confidence that by all means seemed well placed, Felix touched down and hit the ground running.
The plan was simple enough. Find a cheap enough place to stay, then make his money at the tables. Not blackjack, mind you. Trying to take on the house alone was a fool's errand; even if you could get the edge a ban was sure to follow. It was the Poker tables where he would find his fortune. Taking on the player opposite of you was the way to millionaire's row and not the poor house. All he needed was his pool of skills, along with an endless sea of casual and overconfident players to part with their chips. Vegas was more than happy to supply both kinds.
The first month was spent acclimating to the unique atmosphere of Vegas; its own ebb and flow. Once the unwritten rules were clear, the wins started to outweigh the losses, and the numbers in Felix's account kept rising. From three digits to four, then five. When you could win on bad hands all night, anything was possible.
Only, it soon wasn't enough.
The high-octane lifestyle of the poker tables wasn't enough for Felix as a profession. It soon started to become a lifestyle. Gone was the dingy, stuffy room he'd settled on renting. Much more exciting to live from hotel to hotel. Choosing suitable accommodations based on his winnings from that particular day. Sure, some nights he could only afford a place hardly any better than his short-lived apartment, but that was all part of the thrill. Each night in a luxurious suite was a reward for the day of card wizardry. Having to sleep in a hot room with paint starting to crack served as motivation to do better tomorrow. Whenever it started to feel like work, he'd take a day off or two to unwind. The perfect system. At least for a time.
After all, Felix wasn't the only shark in this ocean.
When playing for profit, most of the sharks knew to avoid each other. They were easy enough to discern from a minute of observation by the trained eye. At best, you were just diluting your winnings between you and the other player. If you thought you could go for their stash, there was a good chance they would catch on and make a tactical retreat before that could happen. That was, unless they had countermeasures at the ready.
The evening started out like most others. Felix chose a casual short/shirt combo and found a nice poker section away from the intense lights and sounds of the slot machines. Just a cool blue light and the gentle breeze of aircon to keep him company, aside from the dealer in a red uniform and the other players whose chip piles Felix was slowly but steadily lightening over the rounds. At the course he was going, he'd be sleeping well that night.
That was, until
she
arrived. As the round played out, all Felix was aware of was a red blur moving in the corner of his vision. The cards came first, always. Once things wrapped up and one of the players; a middle aged balding man, got up with a depleted chip stack and an exasperated sigh, his immediate replacement demanded Felix's full attention.
Perhaps it wasn't so much a demand as it was a gentle enticement. The woman couldn't have been more than a few years older than Felix himself. From a brief glance, she looked to be a mix of east asian and caucasian. Glittering green eyes that could turn hard or soft at a moment's notice. Shimmering black hair cut into an A-line bob that came just short of her shoulders and partially covered her left eye. Most of her body covered up in a patterned red dress from the east. What was it called? Che- chem- ches-
Cheongsam
. That was it. What caught Felix's attention most of all was her chest. She looked to be at least a C-cup.
Looked
being the operative word. The male gaze was a weakness plenty of women would use to their advantage, especially in this. Easier to just pretend they're faked. Padded, or the like. Focus on her face.
Focus on her face
.
As the newcomer set her chips down directly opposite to Felix and the game resumed with a new hand, Felix got two impressions from the glances he could steal away from his hand: alluring, yet otherwise inscrutable. A face like water: able to adapt to every change in the state of play. His first instinct was the bail out.
Now
. Something told Felix this woman was out of even his league. Yet another voice was of an entirely different tune:
You can win this
.
The more rounds he played, the more unsure Felix became. They went back and forth, trading wins and losses, while the other players were whittled down until they left the table, one by one. Though the lighting inside the room hadn't changed, evening turned to night. Only the two of them remained.
The woman gave a pointed sigh. "One more round." This was the first time she spoke outside of the game. Her voice was a lower pitch than Felix expected, yet silky smooth as her fine dress. What was her plan for this round? Go all in? On a close inspection, her pile of chips seemed quite a bit lighter than his own. Unless she was hiding a few more in reserve, she wouldn't be able to clean him out in this last round.
The cards went out. Felix took a cursory glance at his pair. Two hearts: six and a ten. Some potential there for sure. Unprofessional as it may be. Felix wanted to make this last round interesting.
"Raise." He advanced a stack of chips. One thousand in all. Now to gauge her reaction.
"Call." She matched his bet, with a simple smile that looked more innocent than it had any right to be.
Now, the flop. Seven of hearts. Lucky seven. Then, queen of clubs. Not quite so lucky. Next card was- three of spades.
Such a promising start. Felix licked his lower lips. Once upon a time, that was a big tell of his. He'd trained himself to do it more erratically. Threw off quite a few people who thought they could figure him out. He could still come out smiling after the last two cards.
"I raise." This time, his opponent went on the offence.
Two
thousand more now taunted him, trying to evoke a reaction. Felix wouldn't be intimidated just yet.
"I also raise." Felix pushed the pot up by another grand. His opponent called this time.
Both players laser-focused themselves on the turn. Nine of hearts. Things were heating up. It was still a long shot, but-
"Check."
"Check."
It seemed they both wanted to let the river decide this. Boy, did it.
Queen of hearts. Not quite the sure thing, but a solid hand nonetheless. Flush, five hearts. Now, to see how far he could push it.
"Raise." Felix pushed in one more thousand for good measure. The woman's remaining chips were already looking sparse. Any more of this and she would be forced to all-in. A silence set in. The air grew heavy and tense, in spite of the ventilation keeping things cool and breezy. The woman stared at her own hand. Was she running the numbers in her head, or-
"Fold." She dropped her cards. If the woman was number crunching, she probably didn't like the conclusion she reached. Despite the fact just thrown away over four thousand, she seemed to take it stoically. After a few deep breaths, she collected her few remaining chips and gave Felix a look of curiosity. "Might I have a word?"
Felix cleared his throat. "Is there a problem?"
A soft giggle was her first response. "More like a proposal." She got up and walked towards the exit. "
