Page 24 of Playing with Forever
I ruffled his hair like we were kids again. “Get us some food to go with all this alcohol or we’ll have splitting headaches tomorrow.”
Austin grinned and signaled to the bartender. I let my smile slip once he looked away. He didn’t understand. ‘Just let go,’ he’d said, like my problem was that I had a Type A personality or something.
If only it were that easy.
CHAPTER9
Andrea
“The guy went absolutely berserk and so of course we had to call security,” Violet said, telling me all about the latest incident at the casino where she worked.
I held obediently still as she painted my fingernails and I listened to her story. We were having a lazy night in, and I wanted to have my nails painted dark red to match the fun lingerie I was going to wear to see Chase tomorrow. He’d invited me to the club again as his guest, and I couldn’t wait to see what he had in store for us.
“You wouldn’t believe it,” Violet went on, shaking her head. “The guy was kicking and screaming as they carried him out, like a kid that had a toy taken away. As if he thought he made a big enough scene they’d just give him his money back.”
“He lost a few hundred grand atyourpoker table,” I pointed out.
“He sure did. Which don’t get me wrong, it sucks. But he bet the money and lost it, all his own doing. Now, he’s banned from the casino and I’m pretty sure there’s some embarrassing videos of him online somewhere.”
“That’s crazy,” I said, and meant it. “I don’t understand how you handle it all.”
Life at a casino seemed wild. I knew how to play poker and Blackjack and all that—you couldn’t live with Violet and avoid a card game forever—but I’d only gambled at a casino once. I lost a hundred dollars, which had been enough to freak me out and swear off gambling forever. Especially considering my father’s own addiction to gambling that had not only destroyed his life, but had put myself and Madison in debt after he’d taken out numerous loans and credit cards in our names.
Violet paused a moment to look up at me and grin. “What can I say. I like the excitement.”
“Easy for you. You keep a cool head. Me, I’d be freaking out.”
“Not my fault you have no poker face whatsoever, unlikemoi.” She rolled her eyes at me. “God help you if you ever had to lie to the police.”
“Why would I need to lie to the police!?” I never understood how Violet’s crazy mind worked.
“When you help me pull off a daring casino heist,duh, why do think I work there?” Violet said playfully as she capped the nail polish bottle. “Okay, let that dry.”
She stuck her toes out and grabbed a sparkly green color for herself to start on them while I gently blew on my fingernails.
My phone buzzed and Violet immediately smirked. “Chase again?”
“Maybe.” I couldn’t check my screen from here and I didn’t think my nails were quite dry enough yet to risk grabbing the phone. “I’m seeing him tomorrow.”
“Lucky you,” she said, swiping her big toe with the polish. “I’m so jealous that you get to have sex on the regular with a hot guy, while I have to resort to my battery operated boyfriend. So not fair.”
A knock came at the door and Violet groaned. “I can’t get up like this.” She waved a hand toward her foot.
“My nails are close to being dry. I’ll get it.” I’d just be careful with my fingers on the knob. “Coming!”
I headed to the door and peered through the peephole. I wasn’t as surprised as I probably should’ve been to see Violet’s younger half-brother, Christopher, standing on the other side.
Ugh.
I opened the door. Christopher grinned at me. He looked a little disheveled, the way he always did, with his dark blonde unkempt hair and wearing a wrinkled t-shirt and a pair of old, faded jeans. He stood in a slouch, with his hands shoved into the front pockets of his pants.
“Hey, Andrea, good to see you.”
“Christopher, hi,” I replied, forcing myself to be polite when I was already irritated because there was only one real reason why he’d stopped by. “Here to see Violet?”
“Not that I don’t love seeing your pretty face too, Andrea, but uh, yeah,” he said, trying to look past me. “Is she here?”
Christopher was the kind of guy who could be charming when he wanted to be. When I’d first met him, I was charmed too, although not attracted. That shine had worn off quickly as I’d gotten to really know him over the past few years.
