“Well.” He coughs a little and I notice a strange wheezing through the phone. My small hometown is part of the country dealing with snow right now, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s getting sick. Although, he always stays on top of his vitamins and shit. “First thing, you need to figure out what rattles her. Try a few different things before you take her out for practice. Nothing she will know you’re intentionally doing, but maybe talking about her past, or pushing her buttons. And once you get her at the table, you need to see if she has any tells. Talk to her about her cards afterward, find out when she was bluffing and when she wasn’t and see if there was a giveaway that maybe she didn’t notice. It might be something she does unconsciously, licking her lip or something.”
Well fuck, if she’s licking her lips I have a feeling my focus isn’t going to be thinking about what her cards are.
No, fuck her. She wants Adam and I was just a fucking pawn to help her get him back. The fact that I ever even trusted her is completely moronic.
But she seemed like the one who was trying to resist. Was that part of the plan? Shit, did I only want her so bad because she was holding back? I mean, the second she gave in, I went away for a week and then came back to a closed off version of the girl I had left behind. And then Friday happened.
I have no idea what to think anymore.
“Look for her tell, got it. Anything else?”
“Figure out how she bets, too. Is she aggressive or a nit?”
“A what?”
He sighs. “Someone who only bets on the cards they know have a high chance of winning. Does she take risks or is she safe? Does she bluff a lot or never at all? Just try to be perceptive of her game plan.”
I pinch my fingers over the bridge of my nose. “This isn’t as easy as I thought it would be.”
Dad chuckles, which isn’t a sound I’m used to hearing from him. “Nothing in life ever is, Son.”
It’s silent for a moment as I flip through the file, trying to see if there’s anything else I need to ask, but it’s my father who speaks first.
“Was I a good dad, Kip?”
I close the file, sitting up on the couch and rubbing one of my eyes under my glasses. Where the hell did this come from?
I repeat the words in my head… a good dad. What exactly does that mean? He had a job, he was brave and taught me everything I know about respect. He provided for our family and I never went without. Hell, we have way more than any other family I know. He put me in sports and let me take piano lessons even though he wasn’t a fan of the idea. He never beat me, never cheated on my mom. So, that’s a good dad, right?
“Sure, you were a good dad. Of course you were. You still are. Why?”
He sighs. “I don’t know, sometimes I just wonder if maybe I was too hard on you. I know you don’t care about this poker tournament and I don’t want to push you away by asking you to do this for me, Oliver.”
What is with all the name drops lately?
“Listen Dad, I know this is important to you. And UCLA is important to me. You’ve always taught me that nothing in life comes free or without sacrifice, and this is my sacrifice. One semester and tournament isn’t going to kill me. And believe it or not, I’m having some fun here in Florida, too. In fact,” I add, standing and peeking out the blinds of my window toward the beach. “It’s a beautiful day here and I was just about to go enjoy it.”
“Okay Son,” he says, coughing again. “Well, work on getting everything squared away with Skyler this week, okay? You don’t have a lot of time left.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it under control.”
“Okay then. Talk to you soon.”
“Bye, Dad.” I end the call and drag myself to the bathroom, stepping into the shower. I can’t help but be overwhelmed with thoughts of Skyler standing here, the water slowly running down the inside of her thighs. I quickly wash my hair and rinse off, not even allowing myself enough time to let the water run warm. I need to get her out of my head.
It’s time to start playing dirty, to rattle her, push her buttons. She screwed me over and played me. Little does she know, I was sent here to play her. She has no idea who she’s up against.
I grab a pair of board shorts and throw them on before putting my contacts in and finding my aviators. I haven’t shaved since Friday so there’s a little scruff on my face, but I leave it. After a quick spray of cologne, I head out the door and lock it behind me. It’s a perfect day for the beach, and I’m banking on a certain sorority noticing that little fact, too.
The breeze rolling in from the water is the only thing saving me from sweating right now. The sun is hot and high in the sky without a cloud to block it and the beach is packed, as I suspected. I’m pretty sure everyone from Palm South is here. At least, I hope so.
“Kip!” I hear my name being called and see Kade jogging toward me from where a volleyball net is set up. I smile, but I’m thankful I can hide behind my shades. I’m not sure I’m completely ready to pull off a calm façade.
“Sup, man? You all right?” He asks, breathless when he finally reaches me.
“Yeah man, why wouldn’t I be?” I try to act casual, not fazed in the least.
“Uh, let’s see.” He pulls his shades off and waves them as he talks. “Your girlfriend who was only really your girlfriend for like a day broke up with you and told you she only dated you to get back at her ex-boyfriend, who just so happens to be your fraternity president, and then you chased her outside and almost got into a fight with said president, then you ran away and no one has heard from you since. Ring a bell?”
Well shit, when you put it like that.
I laugh, shoving his shoulder. “You make it sound like a Lifetime movie. I came out here hoping my brothers would have beer, not questions.”
He eyes me hesitantly, but shrugs and throws his glasses back on. “Well, looks like you joined the right frat, then. Come on, the ice chest is over here.”
After Kade fixes me up with a koozie and a beer, I scan the beach until I spot who I came here for. I quickly down the beer in my hand and replace it with another before making my way to the group of girls sprawled out in low-sitting beach chairs.
“Afternoon, ladies,” I say, taking a sip from my can as I scan the girls. Erin, Jess, Ashlei, Cassie, and Skyler are all in a line, their bright swim suits reflecting the glare of the sun. Erin holds her hand to shield her eyes and peeks up at me smiling. The rest of the girls stare at me dumbfounded. Skyler has her shades on – not the ones I bought her that I ended up breaking last night, but shades nonetheless. I can’t read her eyes, but her mouth is hanging open and that’s good enough for me.
“Well, hello there, handsome,” Erin says, predictably. I can always count on her superficial bullshit. I’m sure she couldn’t give two shits about what happened Friday, about me, about Skyler, or anyone else for that matter. She changed after the summer we spent together. Gone is the cool, relaxed girl who liked to listen to me play on my keyboard. She’s been replaced with someone fixed on popularity and making her parents happy. I can’t for the life of me understand people who care so much about what others think.
But then again, thinking of my current situation with my father, I guess I’m not one to talk.
“You girls need a drink? We’ve got a cooler up by the volleyball net.”
Jess lifts her tumbler full of light pink liquid. “We’re all set, thanks.”
I offer a smile. “Well, if you run out, you know where to find us.” I try to keep my eyes trained on Erin, but again I’m thankful for the dark tint on my shades because Skyler couldn’t be any more distracting in her bright pink suit. Although, I can’t help but wonder if it’s actually hers or just something her sisters dressed her in. Pink doesn’t strike me as a color she would pick out on her own. Regardless, her skin is catching a nice glow from the rays and that tight stomach of hers glistens in the sun as just a tiny film of sweat gathers. Her legs stretch out into the sand and her hair is flowing freely around her face, catching in her mouth that’s still hanging open as she stares at me.