Gerard watched, intently, the sweat glistening across Frank's furrowed brow.
"I fold," Frank sighed throwing his cards down on the table, frustrated.
Gerard grinned smugly from ear to ear.
"Let's see what you've got then," Frank sighed, sure that Gerard must have some astounding hand.
Gerard fanned out the cards in his hand before laying them down dramatically on the table in front of him.
"Three of a kind," Gerard laughed pointing at the three sevens amongst his cards.
Frank buried his face in his hands as Gerard reached over the table and turned over the cards his friend had thrown down moments before.
"Wow... A full house," Gerard cooed. "My poker face really is impenetrable." He laughed happily to himself. Before he turned his attention to the piles of notes in the middle of the table, gathering them into his forearms.
"It's because you always let the stakes get too high," Frank returned begrudgingly. "You're a madman," he laughed. "It throws me off."
Gerard laughed smugly and stacked up the cash by his side, pulling his thumb across the edge, creating an oddly pleasing sound.
"The problem with your game is you're too scared of losing Frank... Makes you too predictable." He stated flatly, a smile nevertheless playing on his lips.
Moodily Frank blew away his fringe, that had fallen over his eyes, and took an angry gulp of the Jack on the rocks beside him on the table.
"Well... That's me out anyway," he declared shaking his head disdainfully, reaching over to pull a cigarette from its box. As he sparked his lighter the flame flared violently below his lips.
Frank glanced up to see Gerard suddenly leaning clumsily over the centre of the table, a cigarette balanced perfectly between his delicate lips, his eyebrows raised playfully. Frank let out an amused sigh and offered over a light, the flame illuminating his friend's impulsive expression before it disappeared; enveloped in a fog of smoke as he took deep luxuriant drags.
Gerard took the cigarette from his lips and glanced at it lazily between his fingers deep in thought.
"One more game," he said without looking up.
"I don't think so..." Frank replied fiddling self-consciously with the box of cigarettes beside him. "You've cleaned me out."
"We don't have to play for money..." Gerard teased as he placed his hand on Frank's fingers, that were shaking anxiously on the cigarette packet, holding them still.
Nervously Frank pulled his hand out from under his friend's and took a desperate gulp from his glass; finding it the perfect excuse to flee from the table, under the guise of filling it again.
Gerard kept his eyes on Frank making his way across the room, pulling himself back across the table, and leaned back in his chair one arm slung over the back. He watched amused as Frank fussed around fixing his drink.
"I'll tell you what," Gerard called across to him. "I'll give you a chance to win back your money and..."
"And...?" Frank laughed, heading back to the table, drink in hand, a look of intrigue playing on his features.
"Well..." Gerard replied slowly reaching over to cradle his drink between his fingers. His cigarette still balanced precariously amongst them, ash tumbling off the end, gathering in a growing pile.
"Well let's just say I'll get something I want too." He smiled mischievously, taking a sip from his drink indulgently and brushing away the ash that had gathered on the table by his hand.
