The Strip Ch. 15

This is a rewrite of 'Vegas', combining both Books. While maintaining the theme, it offers a completely different and fresh take for the main characters.

Grateful thanks go to the best editor in the world -- thesoundandfury - not only for his editing, but also for the constant encouragement, suggestions, and for helping me to become a better writer.

Chapter 15: One for all… all for one

As each player was knocked out, the table took a short break to accommodate the ESPN television crew. That allowed the remaining players to take a breather whilst the departed player was interviewed. Those breaks, together with the regular two hourly intervals, allowed the players a little more breathing room than had been the case in the tournament so far.

At each break, Norman Chad had made a point of talking to Daniel, making him laugh with some quip or other whilst all the time telling him to relax and play solid. Daniel didn't tell the little man how much that meant to him, but both knew how invaluable it was. Granting access to the empty interview room was another example of how thoughtful the diminutive commentator was.

"Where's Holly?" Daniel asked Rosie as they headed for the room to escape the mayhem for a few moments.

"I don't know," the redhead responded. "Said she had some business to attend to, but that she'd be back shortly."

"Business?"

"Yes… but listen to this, Daniel," Rosie continued, her voice trembling with excitement. "Holly told me to check my bank account this afternoon. Said there'd be a present from Big Eddie there, a recompense for everything he's put me through."

"Recompense?" Daniel stared into his girlfriend's wide, green eyes. Her hands were shaking when he took them in his. "What's he up to, Rosie?" he asked, wondering what more damage that gangster could do.

"I've no idea, but there's a hundred and fifty thousand dollars there," she gasped, her whole body trembling against his now. "Daniel…"

"That's… that's impossible," he mumbled, taking her by the shoulders and staring intently into her big, green eyes. "Rosie, he wouldn't do that… would he? I mean, how… why… what made him…"

The redhead pulled the Englishman into a hug. "Hold me," she whispered, digging her face into his shoulder. "I don't know why," she murmured into his neck. "I don't know. Why would he do that?"

"Better ask Holly when she gets back," he suggested, one hand stroking her silky red hair as he held her tight. "Looks like she has all the answers…"

***

Daniel was still pondering on the money in Rosie's account when he returned to the action. It made no sense! And how did Holly know about it? Put it out of your mind, he told himself, for the moment at least. He had work to do.

Before the first had after the break was dealt, he stroked his crystal four times. Once for each player remaining. He'd done that since Harrington became the first player to fall all that time ago. Why, he had no idea.

Probably for the first time in the entire tournament, he was beginning to believe he could win. All the sensible money had been on the pros, but with the two amateurs shoulder by shoulder with over forty million, Cunningham had some ground to make up with thirty two million, and the Canadian, Gavin Smith, was suddenly the short stack with 'only' twenty million.

That made him the target, though not an easy one. A double up would turn him from short stack to chip leader.

Either way, it seemed to make no difference to the tubby joker. In true Gavin Smith style, the Canadian had constantly wisecracked throughout, bringing some light relief from the tensions that had existed throughout the day. It may have been wasted on the indefatigable Cunningham and the arrogant Smith, but he'd found a willing audience in the Englishman.

Daniel found himself enjoying the humorous, teasing repartee and couldn't help but laugh along at the steady stream of one-liners. He'd been feeling the pace over the last hour or so and tiredness was catching up with him, especially after the exhausting but exhilarating night he'd spent with Rosie.

Thoughts of their lovemaking had begun to flitter through his mind, warming his soul but affecting his concentration. Gavin Smith was a timely outlet…

Play underway, Daniel's King-Ten wasn't a monster, but it was worth playing fourhanded. When Allen Cunningham made the usual button raise, he simply called in the small blind. Possibly a raise was more sensible, but with the unpredictable Gavin Smith behind him, it was a safer option.

So it proved, the Canadian pushed all in.

Cunningham immediately folded, with that now familiar nervous twitch of his nose. With a call and a re-raise, his interest in the hand suddenly ended.

That left Daniel with a decision and the Englishman pushed himself back in his chair, his eyes studying his opponent. Gavin Smith winked at him, pushing back the black cap that perched so well on his mop of unruly hair.

"I know what you're thinking," the Canadian grinned, taking a sip from what looked remarkably like a glass of whisky. You never knew with Gavin Smith. "You're thinking I'm making a move because I have to. That I don't really have a hand. But then again, you're wondering if I do. And the last thing you want is to double me up. Quite a dilemma, huh?"

Daniel's deep sigh gave the game away.

"Confused, huh?" the Canadian chuckled. "Me, too."

The Englishman couldn't help but smile back at the chortling Smith. With that little black cap and light shirt that constantly needed tucking into his crumpled jeans, he looked like a scruffy, overgrown schoolboy.

"Hmmm," the Canadian continued his verbal assault. Didn't he ever shut up? Daniel already knew the answer to that question. "If you're in this much doubt, I'd say you don't have an Ace. That means a King? King-Queen you'd definitely call with, probably King-Jack, too. Okay, that leaves King-Ten. Unsuited. If I were you, I'd fold."

Daniel grinned. The man was uncanny with his reads, but then, he'd been doing that all day. If he called and was right, Daniel would have the chip lead. Call and lose, and he and Smith would reverse positions.

He'd be the target.

"Tell you what," the Canadian chirped, not giving Daniel's mind time to settle. "Why don't we forget the cards? You call, and the first one to complete a hundred press-ups takes the hand. What d'you think?"

It was impossible not to join in with Smith's laughter. The tubby Canadian looked as if he couldn't do five press-ups, let alone a hundred.

"Don't let this exterior fool ya," Smith continued. "Inside, there's the body of an athlete, just raring to go."

Daniel grinned back at his smiling opponent. It was as impossible to dislike the Canadian as it was to focus in the face of such banter. That may have been why he called, he didn't know. All he did know was that the sensible move would have been to lay the hand down, but Smith's banter and the tiredness that was creeping all over his mind saw him make an uneducated gamble.

The resigned flicker in the Canadian's eyes told Daniel the gamble had worked, even before the professional had turned over his Jack-Ten.

That was even better than Daniel hoped. He'd been lucky…

The flop put a different complexion on his luck. Queen-Jack-Two.

"Told ya, ya shudda folded," the Canadian said with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

Daniel's reaction was nothing more than a sigh. What did he expect, making such a call when it was impossible to put the Canadian on a hand. Yes, he'd sucked out, but Smith could just as easily have had him dominated preflop. Pushing up from his seat, he headed towards the rail. Holly was there with Rosie.

"You're back," he smiled.

"I haven't been away," Holly lied.

She was taking a risk having Big Eddie transfer his money to Rosie's account, especially having carried out the hit, though it was unlikely that Daniel and the redhead would put two and two together. All the same, let's make sure they thought she hadn't left the hotel.

"I just had some business to attend to at the back of the hall," she continued, lowering her voice as if disclosing some sort of secret. "Keep it to yourself, but a consortium wanted me to be their face of poker. Having discussed it with them, the small print says I need to invest a lot of money in the idea, so I've turned them down."

Daniel whistled. "Who was it?"

"Can't say, sorry," Holly replied, pulling a face. "Confidential and all that. But I've been keeping an eye on play, that was a bad flop.

"Yeah," Daniel shrugged, resting his arms on Rosie's slim shoulders.

"We have a few outs," the ever-optimistic Rosie muttered. "Ace, King or a Nine will do."

"We?" Daniel grinned, kissing her forehead.

"Yes, you me and Holly," the redhead replied, returning the grin. "The Three Musketeers. One for all, all for one…"

"And you're spot on about what we need," Holly told her. "I can see you were paying attention to your lessons yesterday."

"I had a good teacher," Rosie winked.

The turn instantly killed their conversation. The Ten gave Daniel a pair, but not the one he needed.

Holly punched through the sombre cloak that suddenly enveloped the 'Musketeers'. "Where's your crystal, Daniel?"

"On the table," he replied. Surely Holly didn't believe in—

"Get it," she interrupted.

His puzzled frown disappeared when her eyes told him to hurry. With four long strides, he'd reached the table and then retraced his steps to the two women.

"Give it to Rosie," the blonde insisted.

The redhead took the crystal from him and clasped it in both hands, closing her eyes as if in prayer.

What the hell was this? The sight of the concentration on Rosie's face made Daniel smile. God, she looked so delectable. The Englishman couldn't help himself, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. Those wide, green eyes opened to smile up at him.

Two lovers in love.

The river brought gasps, groans and cheers. It took a few seconds to pick up on what had happened. It was a whooping Holly who first got it into his brain. "A nine," she told the two lovers. "We hit a straight."

"You amaze me," he grunted to the blonde, referring to the crystal. "Didn't realise you were superstitious."

"I'm not," she laughed, giving him a high five. "It's unlucky to be superstitious!"

Daniel laughed as he turned to hug Rosie. "Keep the crystal for luck," he whispered as he turned to commiserate with his Canadian opponent.

"I'm so sorry," Daniel simply said, his rueful look a confession of how lucky he'd been. "I sucked out."

"Yes," responded the stunned Canadian. "But you know what, kid? You played great. Now concentrate on winning the damn thing…"

***

Lauren's heart began to palpitate. It was the call she'd been waiting for but not expecting. When she'd eventually dragged herself away from Kay's home yesterday, the Agency Head had said she'd be in touch, but the dismissive smile suggested her relationship with Kay had ended. It wasn't the start of a new chapter.

Now, she was on the phone.

"How are you, darling?"

Lauren needed the deep breath she took before replying. The call reminded her of that time, three months ago, when she'd waited for Kay's confirmation that her modelling audition had been successful. The churning in her stomach told her that she was just as anxious.

"I'm good, Kay, thanks," she answered, swallowing hard in an attempt to rid herself of the knot in her throat.

"You sound surprised, darling. I told you I'd call, didn't I?" The older woman smiled at how easily the line came from her glossy lips. Had it not been for the condition attached to the sex tapes, it was unlikely the blonde would ever have heard from her again.

"Yes… yes, of course."

"Good, darling. The contract's drawn up and ready for signing, together with your flight tickets. You can sign the paperwork during the flight."

Lauren felt the knot in her throat return. OH… MY… GOD! She was being offered the movies!! A wave of happy dizziness invaded her head, her mind. It was difficult to think. She'd have her dream after all!

"What do you think?" Kay's purring voice asked.

What did she think? Just the thought of appearing with the finest men and women the adult film industry had to offer created a buzz that ran all the way through her body and settled on her wet sex. More days like yesterday, sessions like yesterday, but on camera?

If she touched herself right now, she'd explode…

But wait a moment. "The flight? Sure. But when is it? It'll take a couple of days to—"

"Tonight." Kay's unequivocal voice brooked no argument. "I'm taking a gamble on you, darling, I'm dumping Rachal because of you. I have faith in you, Lauren, you see. I promised I'd take care of you, even when you turned me down I've been looking after your best interests. You're not telling me there's another problem?"

"NO!" Lauren almost shouted her answer. "No… it's just all so sudden…"

Kay's dismissive chuckle sent a shiver through the blonde model. "Sudden?" the Agency Head repeated. "Of course it's sudden. Until yesterday, I had no idea you'd be begging for your chance again."

"Yes, yes of course."

Kay smiled to herself. These young women were so easy to manipulate. "This is your life now, darling," she explained. "You do what I say, when I say. Is that understood?"

"Yes… I understand. Of course, Kay."

The Agency Head grinned to herself, the submissive tone in Lauren's voice was exactly what she needed to hear. "Good! My car will be at your apartment in one hour. Don't keep me waiting."

The blonde nodded at herself in the mirror. So much to do! "Yes, I'll be ready. No problem, Kay. See you soon."

Lauren collapsed into the chunky chair when she ended the call. An hour? She'd need a shower, change of clothes. And pack! She'd could call Grace from the airport, her sister would understand.

But before then she had some immediate business to take care of. If she didn't get relief she'd go crazy. A porn star! She was going to be a porn star…

Her fumbling fingers unfastened the button on her jeans and dragged the zip down. Raising her hips, she didn't even bother dragging the denims down her legs. It wasn't necessary. Her hand snaked down inside her lacy panties.

"Aaaah! Geeeez…"

The feel of her middle finger across her smooth mound sent her imagination off like fireworks. Soon, the world would see her sex. They'd see her tits. They'd see her fuck. And this time, on her terms! Her fingers fired up and down her wet labia. Her nostrils flared as she bounced her head back against the top of the chair. Arching backwards, her hips lifted. It took only one flick across her clit and the deep growwwwl came from the back of her throat.

Even yesterday, she hadn't cum as hard as this…

***

Congratulations," Holly quietly said into her mobile phone. The break in play gave her the opportunity to make the call that Samuel Smith was expecting, even though they were less than fifty feet from one another. "You've had a good day."

"Thank you. You were unlucky to go out so early," he sarcastically responded, "though our side arrangement was for you to transfer your chips my way, was it not?"

The blonde smiled to herself, turning away from some interested bystanders who appeared to be waiting for her autograph. "Sorry, in a moment," she smiled at them. The last thing she wanted was anyone to listen into her conversation.

"What?" the businessman growled.

"Nothing," she told him, just making sure we aren't overheard. "Yes, it was, it was unfortunate that your Big Slick didn't stand up. But after that I needed to just lose them and get out of there. Time was getting on—"

"Indeed," Smith responded. "So tell me, the rest of your day has been more productive than your time at the poker table?"

"Very," she answered, hating the sarcasm in her voice. She could have won this tournament had it not been for Smith calling in his contract.

The club owner's face creased into a smile. "That's good. Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to mentally prepare. I have a feeling this day will end perfectly. Want to wish me luck?"

"You'll only need luck if you ever forget what I told you. Goodbye Mr. Smith."

***

Daniel was shocked. After everything that had happened over the last four months, it took a lot to shock him. But the sight of Grace did.

"Hello." Her voice sounded nervous. "Look, I know this probably isn't the most appropriate time," she confessed. "But there might not be another opportunity to speak."

Daniel nodded, recovering from the surprise of coming face to face with his ex-girlfriend. His gaze went over her shoulder, looking for Rosie.

"It's okay," Grace smiled. "I asked Rosie if she was okay with us having a chat. She was."

"That was considerate," he smiled at her, speaking for the first time. "Look…" he said, glancing around and then taking her arm. The television room would be empty. It took only a few seconds to reach it and close the door behind them. "Is everything okay," he asked, his face full of concern.

Grace laughed, running a hand through her brown hair and nervously pulling it onto the top of her head. She flopped down on one of the chairs, waiting until he did the same before speaking. "Hardly, okay, Daniel," she sighed. "I guess you've heard about everything…"

He nodded, trying to contain the blush he knew was appearing on his face. "I'm so sorry, Grace. Is… is that why you want to see me?"

"Hell, no," she laughed. "At least, not directly. But I've been doing a lot of thinking."

"About your future? I'd thought you were destined for big things, Grace. Always have. I knew that even back in London. And your performances at Samuel Smith's, from what I hear you've been fabulous."

She flashed a rueful smile at him. "Thank you, we've both come a long way since our days in London, eh? But I'm fine, Daniel. I'm staying on at Samuel's club until all this blows over, then we'll see whether as album is still realistic. But it's still not a bad deal, is it? I mean, from Bobby's Champagne Lounge in the east end of London to Samuel Smith's in Vegas!"

Daniel laughed along with her.

"I can't really complain, can I?" she said, more of a statement than a question.

"That's true," Daniel responded. He paused for a few moments. "You all right, Grace? I mean, are you really okay?"

The proud look in her eyes gave her answer. But then, she wasn't going to confess to anything else, was she?

"Yes, I'm very good, Daniel, thanks. I could have done without all this publicity of course, but I've no one else to blame." For a few seconds, her eyes flickered in bashful embarrassment, but then she was through the moment, back to the confident Grace he knew so well. "But I love the lifestyle here. And I adore the chance to do what I love best…"

The crinkly haired young man smiled affectionately. He assumed she meant singing, rather than the sex, but even making a jocular reference didn't seem appropriate. "You've always had a brilliant voice, Grace," he settled for saying. "You just needed a break, I've always said that."

"Yes," she sighed. "I guess you have. You were always real supportive… but it was never going to work between us, you know? I mean, it did for a while, and we had some wonderful times, Daniel. But we wanted different things."

"I know," he agreed, suddenly realising that he was the lucky one. Not with poker, but in finding Rosie. Wasn't it strange how life worked itself out? A knock on the door interrupted his reverie. When it opened, Norman Chad's gnome like head appeared. "Play's about to restart, Daniel."