Southern Comfort Ch. 04

I had not forgotten the previous game when Jon had been in the top two winners. I tried to pick up on any body language that would tell me what he was holding in his hand, but he was excellent at concealing his tells. I'd learned that the hard way. I hadn't forgotten how easily he made me think he wasn't angry over Bob. I was playing strictly on instinct where he was concerned.

I filled an outside straight and was confident in my hand. I had checked on the deal with nothing. This time when Doc opened I went all in. Jon and Bob both folded immediately. Doc eyed me for a moment. Bob looked for a moment like he might stay in, but when Jon threw down his cards, Bob tossed his down as well.

"You're bluffing!" Ed declared at last.

"Am I?" I asked coolly.

"You forget, I've seen you try to bluff. You're good, but not that good! I call," he said firmly. His reference to the doctor's lounge incident made his eyes sparkle with amusement.

Doc's hand was three of a kind, a decent hand, but not good enough. I raked in $800 from the pot. Of course, nearly half of it was my own. Ed shook his head in disgust. "Women!" he snorted. His money was considerably dwindling away.

Jon and Bob both took hands that I folded, and Doc lost more. I was dealt nothing notable. I had a remote chance at a small inside straight. I decided to play it against my better judgment. I drew one card. Jon and Doc both folded when Bob bet strongly. I raised his bet. He re-raised and I called. I had only a pair, but to my surprise, it was good enough to stand. Bob had gambled on a pair of Jacks. I had a pair of Aces.

I had the distinct impression Bob was toying with me. There was no audible rattle of warning, but something about his demeanor made me uneasy. Maybe it was the way those blue eyes kept staring at me across the table. Jon seemed to be casually watching the exchange of looks between us. I began to suspect Bob's motives for accepting Jon's invitation to play.

The game dragged on for a while longer until Doc lost the remainder of his money. He kissed me on the forehead, shook hands with the other two men and congratulated them on their wins. He made an exit around two a.m. He had hospital rounds the next morning.

Bob and Jon both had the bulk of the money in play. I was comfortable with what I had won, more than tripling my stake. Jon asked if we wanted to continue or close the game. Bob and I both opted to continue. Of course, we did. Closing the game would mean an end to the evening. We all called a short break to go to the bathroom, make drinks, and stretch our legs. Bob and I both avoided even speaking to one another.

When we returned to the game, Jon lit a joint and passed it to Bob. I basically sat out, folding several hands and watching as Jon and Bob battled it out. Both men looked high to me and very relaxed.

Bob had a slight financial advantage over Jon. He chose to open a hand. Jon and I both called. On the draw, we all stood pat. An uncomfortable silence settled over the table as we all eyed one another trying to size up our opponents. There was something in the air. I could feel it, but I couldn't quite define it.

"Bet or check?" I asked Bob after several moments of silence. I saw Jon cover his mouth with his hand to hide a smile.

"Damn! Damn! Damn!" I mentally cursed myself for having tipped him off. He knew I was holding a good hand, most likely a winning hand. My eagerness in asking Bob if he was ready to bet had tipped Jon off. He knew me too well.

Bob stared at me a moment and said, "Yeah. I'll bet. I'm just trying to decide how much." It was the most he had said all night.

"How much have you got there, Jon?" he asked. He tone was cordial towards Jon, where it was so cool it bordered on icy when he spoke to me. I decided his interest in me had waned. I chalked it up to experience. Jon would be happy about it at least. Jon gave his money a quick count and reported his total to Bob.

"I know I can put her out. The question is, do I take both of you for your money, or do I take the lady as well?" Bob said smoothly. Bob wasn't easy to read. Was he boasting or bluffing? His joke about wagering me made me think he was bluffing. It was an apparent dig to goad Jon into revealing his hand.

"Bob, are you proposing we sweeten the pot on this one hand?" Jon asked coolly. Jon knew I had a good hand. I had no idea what he had. But, his confidence was not lacking.

"Hey, you two! Remember me?" I said snapping my fingers to get their attention and frowning at them both.

Bob and Jon stared at one another across the table. Neither blinked. Neither seemed to be bothered by the prospect of losing.

"Winner takes all?" Bob suggested ignoring me completely.

"It seems like the only way to settle this little dispute, Bob," Jon said evenly. I could not believe my own ears. The two of them were actually wagering possession of me. They weren't joking.

"Of course, the lady has to agree as well," Jon stipulated.

"Of course," Bob agreed with a nod. "What do you say, Cindy? If Jon wins, you stay right where you are. If I win, you leave here with me. The arrangement is permanent either way," Bob said looking at me for an answer.

I was stunned, especially that Jon would agree to such a thing on one turn of the cards. Maybe it was Jon's way of saying he'd had enough of me. I was holding a flush, but I had no idea what either of them had.

"You're fucking nuts! Both of you!" I declared after giving it my careful consideration. I pushed my chair back. I threw my hand down and stood up. It was time to save whatever dignity I had left and make my exit.

"You fold then?" Jon asked me, but he was still staring evenly at Bob.

"I fold. And, I don't agree to your little arrangement either! Right now, the thought of being with either one of you permanently just isn't that goddamned appealing!" I snapped. A dignified retreat wasn't possible. It was more like an undignified surrender.

I was livid with both men. I knew one of them had to be bluffing. There was no way three potentially winning hands would be dealt on a table with only three players. The odds were astronomical.

Jon turned over my flush for Bob to see. Bob sighed and sat back in his chair, tossing his cards face down on the table. Jon began to chuckle and Bob shoved the money in front of him across the table to Jon.

"I told you!" Jon said laughing low.

I looked from one to the other in confusion. Bob looked sullen. He folded his arms across his chest and pouted. Jon pulled a joint from his pocket and handed it to Bob. "Consolation prize?" he asked sarcastically. Bob nodded and lit the joint.

Bob sat back again and looked at me. "It wasn't about our cards, princess. The wager was between Jon and I. It was about you making a choice between us. Jon said you would back down even with a winning hand. I said you wouldn't." Bob shrugged. "I lost."

Both men had been bluffing and they caused me to throw down a flush. For a moment, I was speechless. I found my voice pretty quickly though.

"Jon! Goddamn it! You've done a lot of stupid things, but this one takes the cake! You're going to keep on making these little bets of yours and one of these days, I'm going to surprise your ass," I said with all the anger I could muster.

Jon shook his head. "I knew you wouldn't agree to something that would keep you from seeing me again. I also know that you aren't going to agree to not maintaining your little friendship with Bob either. It's a real dilemma. But, it was a safe bet," he explained.

"The real issue here is that neither one of us is willing to back down, Kitten. I have you now, but for how long? Bob here wants you, but I'm willing to wager that he isn't that patient. What do you say?" he asked me.

"I said it before and I'll say it again. You're both fucking nuts! I'm going home now. You two enjoy yourselves." I picked up my coat and purse and walked out.

I was furious with Bob, as well as Jon. Bob was easier to avoid for a few days than Jon was, but I made the attempt on the part of them both. I turned my attention to other matters.