The Las Vegas airport never heard the word subtly. Slot machines clutter the waiting areas as if invasions from the casinos themselves. Allison walked beside me and between those slots. She cringed at an older couple cranking at the one armed bandits.
"Those machines are so antisocial," she whispered.
That's my Allison. Always out for the connection. It's music festivals and spiritual retreats for her. Which is why it took so much convincing to get her to join me and another couple. Susan and her boyfriend Greg carried their matching luggage together. I'd known them since sophomore year of college. Allison and I met on a dating site for curious women.
"Poker is social," I added. It's my preferred way to play.
"Isn't it a little adversarial, Rachel?" Allison said.
"But in a fun way!" I said.
I took my girlfriend's hand. Her fingers intertwined with mine, making that familiar warmth. Her large, dark brown eyes, looked at me for an intense second. Allison was mystical, mysterious, and dangerous all at the same time. That's what attracted me months ago. I'd never dated another woman before her. We'd been doing this for six months and we loved it.
"And there's lots of other fun to be had here too, right?" she hinted.
"Yes. Clubs. Shows. We're going to have a good time, I promise."
The strip overwhelmed all of us as our rental van slogged through the traffic. We passed a casino that advertised dancers, gambling, and sex toys all under one roof. Allison smirked subtly at an advertisement for a porn star's lessons in pegging video.
"Would you ever do that, Rachel?" she said.
"Do what?"
"Top a guy with a strap on dildo," she said. "I hear it's orgasms on a whole different level for him."
"How so?"
"I wouldn't let just anyone do that to me," she said. "If I found someone ready to take it like that, then that's pretty special."
"Hmm.. Oh and I bet you'd feel like a complete boss bitch doing it too, right Allison?" I chided.
She blushed.
"Maybe that too."
Our group made it to our resort hotel. Once in our room, we showered off the afternoon sweat together and reclined half dressed until the sun went down. Then, we hit the black jack tables. Allison played like her bets were her cover. She never made much more than the minimum, and chatted with Greg and Susan. We met other tourists there, and one local: An aspiring pro poker player by them name of Eddie Silva. I watched him for any subtle tells. I sensed he watched me in return. I fiddle with my bracelet when I anticipate a good hand. It's lame. He had to have caught it, which is why I chickened out and folded. Eddie won.
"You're good," Eddie said. "This isn't your first time."
"Nope," I smiled. Allison put her cards down, happy to be rid of the betting. "I'd go pro if I lived here. You better watch out."
"Oh? You'd like another game?" he said. He indicated to a group clearing out a poker table right then. Oh, yes, I had to do this, especially after that fold. All I had to do was get rid of my stupid tell and I could clean everyone out.
"I think I'd like that," I said. I turned to Allison and our friends.
"Allison?" I whispered. "Would you hold my bracelet? For like, an hour?"
"You're not coming to the club?" she said.
"I am, but not yet," I said. "I wanna see what I can do."
"Okay," said Allison. "See you in an hour?"
"Yes!" I said. We shared a quick kiss. "I won't let you third wheel for long."
She left to the club. I sat down at a poker table with a handsome local. Alone, and outnumbered, I readied myself to swim with the sharks. Let me tell you, it's fun. Too much fun. Once I entered this poker shark head-space. It literally flows like I'm swimming. I watched the older Asian man eye my cleavage. Eddie Silva held his chin up ever so slightly when he was dealt that third card. Another woman, a charming British lady, looked jet lagged. Yes, I learned the tells. With no bracelet to fidget with, I noticed myself squeezing my feet together at the good hands. Eddie caught that tell too.
But then I caught one of his.
When Eddie gets confident, he lets down his guard and orders a drink. Then he stirs it.
The Asian man tried to buy his way out of a bluff, and fattened the pot. It forced me to put more in than I had planned, ignoring the buzzing of my phone. Eddie though wasn't intimidated and the Asian man backed down like the sleepy Brit. It was down to me and Eddie in that last hand. I bluffed my way into a win. A huge one. Over a thousand dollars on my first night. You know what? I'd just beat a semi pro.
"She's good!" said Eddie. "Let me get you something to celebrate that."
"Sure! Umm..." I pulled my phone out of the purse. Shit. I'd been playing for almost two hours.
"I uh... I'm sorry," I said. "I promised I'd only play for a single hour..."
Eddie looked hurt. The Korean man was disappointed too.
"You've all been great. Rematch soon!" I said. It hadn't been the most gracious exit. Though dammit, I'd sorta broken a promise here.
It's good to be a girl. It's even better to be a girl with cash sometimes. There was the usual line of pretty people outside of a club, but I walked up to the bouncer and bribed him. "I have to meet my girlfriend," I emphasized. He understood and let me through. Once past the door, the glitz of animated screens strobe lights beckoned me in. Shuffling around, I got my way to the bar and found my way to Greg, Susan, and Allison.
"Allison!" I said. "Oh my god! Top shelf on me right now, okay!"
"Yeah?" she said.
"Yes, come on!"
I told her how I totally killed it on poker. How I'd beaten a semi pro, and how I'd become flush with cash.
"Good. I'm happy for you," sighed Allison. We ordered some fancy vodka drinks from the bar and then danced. Allison moved close enough to keep others away. Still, she didn't really dance with me.
"Hey," I said. I leaned into kiss her. Her lips touched in rote acceptance. "What's up?"
"You said you only be an hour, Rachel," she said.
"I know... but it happens. I got caught up in it," I began. Oh god, no this wasn't the right way. It was all over her eyes. Allison and I loved to dance, and I loved to dance with her. Though now we weren't connected and it was my fault. "Allison... I'm sorry I broke my promise to you, not even one day into this trip and I'm messing this up."
"Yes," she said.
"You're upset," I said.
"You left me the third wheel," she added. "Why?"
It's far too hard to whisper shouts to each other's ears like that. Allison and I moved to the restroom of the club. We had to talk it out in there, as awkward as it was. Listening about how she'd kept guys away embarrassed me. What made it even worse is that Allison knew that I loved to play and had supported me in it all night. She didn't like how I would forget things, and forget her, when I'm swimming with the sharks at the table. It's too good to become the master in a game like that.
"Okay, I've messed it up," I said. "We'll do something different tomorrow. I promise."
Allison looked at me.