Araceli

23- Deceit (edited)

—Valarie (first person)—

Her gaze set on Joshua made me uncomfortable. It felt like she was trying to gobble him up. I didn't quite understand if it was due to his attractiveness or if there was something else behind the way she stared at him with that playful smile on her cherry plum lips, like honey dripping from them as glaze around the corners.

"I accept. Although If I may ask, what is the game we're playing?" Joshua pressed his lips firmly. He relaxed in place trying to lose any hints of hesitation from his demeanor.

"So, am I included in this game?" As hard as it was to accept the fact that I was feeling a little left out as I observed an unlikely exchange between the two exceptionally gorgeous people I'd had the privilege to set my eyes on, in, forever. It was, however, my turn to butt in. I need to know where I stand in this situation.

"Of course, darling, it wouldn't be possible without you. You are here for a reason after all," Gizem shifted her focus toward me as she put a deck of poker cards in the middle of the table.

She said I was here for a reason, and that again sounded like everything was planned. The way her delicate hands moved and the way her gaze followed every movement that I made was chilling as I became the most conscious I've ever been about the littlest movement. Her eyes were like a wide-angle camera. Nothing went unnoticed.

"It's a game of deception. However, the rules are a little different from what you know," she explained. A strand of her red hair fell over her freckled face which made her appear twice as majestic. Being a woman, her beauty didn't fail to amaze me but Joshua felt as indifferent as ever.

"Are you implying that we play bluff?" I countered pulling my brows together. My hands unconsciously reached for the deck of cards as I tried looking for anything suspicious.

"They're not rigged, are they?" I didn't look at her as I mumbled my thoughts looking through the back of each card carefully and then proceeded to look underneath the table. I have learned enough through my job as a journalist where I had to keep up with the world. Which inclined the world of celebrities and politicians who play at the most prestigious casinos and the shady things that go around there.

"Hah, you're interesting. Just as I expected," she giggled.

"I assume you know how to play bluff? We will play like it's played except only with the face cards. As you have guessed, I made the rules. I have decided to include the tens in the face cards. We will each be dealt five cards and the remaining five will be placed face down with the ace of spades placed face up," Gizem put on a sinister smile as she explained the weird rules. This made the game more complex and harder. It did remove the unnecesary moments of dealing with the lower hands to create tension.

"And there's one other hidden rule that I cannot reveal before the game is over," she held her hand out to me, asking me to hand the cards over.

"The hidden rules you're talking about. How do we know they're not in your favor? I would like us to have an equal chance here," I pushed my hair away from my face and raised an eyebrow at Gizem. Her face twisted into an even bigger grin.

"Have you forgotten that you're on my turf? I made the rules, I can change the rules and I can break the rules. However, I am not that much of a cheat," She hummed as she finished her sentence.

I looked at Joshua who hadn't said a word in a while. He looked like he was panicking on the inside with that blank expression and rigid movements. I hope he knows what's going on.

"Do you know how to play poker?" I nudged him out of his thoughts. He gave me a slight nod.

"I'm not very good at it," he replied.