Lucky - by Erin Latimer

Impossible Odds

For the first time since I’d walked in, I checked the overhead lights. They were low-burning gas lamps along all the walls. Luckily it wasn’t too bright. I glanced down at my arms, and could only make out the tiniest glitter when I moved. Nobody would think anything of it. I was preened and powdered and covered with makeup. Nobody would look at me and guess “fairy”.

            At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

            After we'd bet I caught Earnest staring at my pile of chips, raising his brows at me. “I would have expected,” he said, looking down his nose at me when he realized he’d been caught, “from your uncle’s description, that you’re a much heavier better, my dear.”

            I ground my teeth together silently. If this was an indication of how the night was going to go, dear old “Earnest” might end up with my fist in his face before long.

            Instead of saying what I wanted to say, I gave him a smile and said cheerfully, “The night has only begun, poppet.”

            Earnest looked horrified at the casual term of endearment, and James pressed his lips together and his blonde eyebrows shot up. He looked like he was trying to keep from laughing. The girl, Ducky, snickered behind her cards.

            “Well,” Earnest huffed. “I shall certainly tell your uncle all about this night.”

            “You go ahead.” I grinned, thinking that he could tell “Richard” whatever he liked. Although I almost felt bad for whatever poor girl was going to find herself the subject of his ire. Poor thing would have no idea what he was talking about.

            The dealer flipped over the cards, and Earnest paused in the middle of another huff, thankfully. It wasn’t a big surprise when most of my cards matched up, what was surprising was when an equal amount of Ducky’s cards matched, and we had to split the pot.

            The girl cackled when the dealer gave her half the chips, giving me a smug look as if she’d engineered the entire thing and thwarted me somehow. I merely raised my shoulders at her, as if to say “what can you do?” and went back to my cards.

            It was just as well. I kept checking the clock, when I thought nobody was looking. It had only been five minutes. Fanning myself with the cards I watched the dealer flip over another set of cards, thinking that it felt like it had been a good deal longer than that.

            Usually I was excited in this sort of situation, all my senses heightened, skin tingling with excitement. Right now I was just…nervous. And even though I found myself getting angry with myself, Kiran’s face kept popping up in my mind. I swallowed hard.

            I might never see him again. No, I’ll LIKELY never see him again.

            Maybe it was better that way. Maybe I should get back to my old life, back to gambling for the thrill of it and kicking the dust of each city off my boots and moving on after a short time. The way I had always lived. It was an old, familiar pattern I could easily fall back into.

            I watched the dealer flip the cards over in one motion, a gesture that came from long practice, sliding them out over the velvet display box.

            My mouth quirked at the side a little. Four cards out of five matched. I seriously doubted that anyone could match that.  I watched the others turn their hands over, and James let out a little groan when he saw mine.

            “Three.” Ducky’s voice was sulky, and she fluttered her lashes at me. “Very close.”

            She was very close, for the second time.