"I'm all in." the dark-haired man said exuding a look of total confidence.
The overweight bald man sat up in his chair and peeked to see his under cards. He glanced over at the younger man across from him and saw the smug smile on his face. The bald man rubbed his mouth in contemplation trying to mask the ill feeling churning in his stomach.
"Whatcha gonna do, Jack?" The young man said leaning back on the two legs of his chair. "Call or fold?"
Jack gazed at the top cards going through the run down in his head. The highest card showing was only a ten with no pairs on the table, but there were three diamonds on the table and a possibility of a gut shot straight.
Jack looked at his cards again. He made the ten high straight on the river. The only thing that could beat him was a flush or a higher straight.
"You have the nuts, don't you Brad?" Jack said.
"Sure, but if you want to know for sure, you'll have to call." Brad said leaning forward and placing his cigar in his mouth avoiding any kind of eye contact.
"If I fold, will you show me?" Jack asked.
Brad closed his eyes and calmly shook his head.
Jack propped his head on his hand staring at the heap chips on the green felt table. The amount was in the neighborhood of a million dollars, but the all-in bet had raised the stakes to assets not on the table.
"You're mulling this one over for quite a while. You should probably just fold." Brad said taking a nonchalant puff from his cigar.
"I don't think you got it?" Jack said.
Brad offered no response and puffed away.
"Okay. I call." Jack said causing no outward reaction in Brad's demeanor.
Brad sat up to the table and placed his cigar on the ashtray and pick up his under cards.
"I'm surprised you called with what's at stake." Brad said looking at his cards.
"If I folded this hand, I don't know if I'd ever overcome the regret."
"What about if you lose?" Brad said.
"Did I?"
Brad turned over one of his cards to reveal a six of diamonds.
"Are you nervous now?" Brad asked.
"Come on. Come on. Let's see it!" Jack said standing.
Brad smirked and turned over his last card. It was the ace of diamonds.
"Nuts!"
"Son of a bitch!" Jack said slamming his fist on the table and threw his cards in anger. He turned and stepped away with his back to Brad.
"Come on Jack, you're filthy rich. You think I smoke Cubans in a marble tiled game room at home?"
Jack rubbed his brow and took a deep breath before turning to face Brad.
"There's about a million here on the table. What do say if I made it $1.5 million and we call it even?"
Brad smiled and held his empty hands open at his side, "A bet's a bet my friend. No take backs on the playground."
"Fucking nuts." Jack said shaking his head.
"I told you to fold."
"Yeah, yeah, shut up and let's get this over with." Jack said walking out of the room.
Brad sprung to his feet grabbing his brown blazer from the chair and followed Jack into the main foyer.
"Remember, it's my choice." Brad said.
"I know." Jack said and buzzed the intercom on the wall.
"Give'em a couple of minutes."
"Of course." Brad said putting his blazer on and straightening his tie.
The two Gentlemen small talked to pass the minutes when the first Lady emerged from the top of the stairs and was soon followed by another only a few paces behind. The Ladies were completely nude except for a pair of 4-inch white strapped heels.
"Very nice. I totally understand your disappointment." Brad said watching each Lady saunter down the stairs and standing at the foot of the dais.
"You sure you won't take the $1.5? 500 grand is a lot."
"No. I think I'll be fine with one of these lovely Ladies." Brad said as the last Lady came down the stairs and stood at the other end of the dais.
Brad walked across them slowly letting his eyes linger on one till he stood in front of the next. They were all young and slender with varying heights and ethnicities.
"Six. You really are rich."
"How many do you have?"
"Just two. I'm not nearly as well off as you are."
"An extra 500 grand can go a long way." Jack said, but Brad waved a dismissive hand at him.
"Can I see the papers for each of them?"
"Yeah, let me go get them." Jack said reluctantly.
Brad continued to examine them one by one. The Ladies all held their hands behind their backs with their eyes casted down toward the floor. He swept his eyes across the dais and caught the blonde at the far end looking at him. As their eyes made contact, she quickly darted her eyes back to the floor.
"Here. Take a look." Jack said striding in with a clipboard in his outstretched hand. Brad took the clipboard and began examining the first page.
"Is this in order?"
"From left to right."
"Then you must be Martique, correct?" Brad said standing at the left most of the dais.
"At your service, guv'nor." Martique said raising her head.
"Oh. African-Brit?" Brad said looking over at Jack.
"African-French raised in England. Exotic. Beautiful. And classy."
"I'll second that." Brad said examine Martique and the looking at her papers. He dragged the back of his hand on her shoulder and ran it down her arm. Her skin was a radiant glow of smooth milky chocolate. She was the tallest of them with her papers listing her at 5'11" 23 years old.
"Very pretty. Thank you Martique."
She gave a small curtsey and bowed her head down again.
"Wow, five more to go and they're all pretty. I could be here for hours."
"Well, it's late so try and put the pedal to the metal." Jack said.
Brad examined the papers one by one. The Ladies all had different backgrounds for the next whether it was physically or culturally. The Ladies standing in front of the Gentlemen were like a small sampling of the beauty in the corners of the world.
"So have you decided yet?" Jack said.
"I know how to make this easy. Who is your favorite?"
"My favorite?"