The casino, as it had been the night before, was crowded. The young blonde sat patiently in her chair at the Blackjack table, her chin resting in the palm of her hand. A few men sitting around her flashed constant glances, although she pretended not to notice.

It wasn't such an usual thing. Most places she went, she didn't fail to turn a few heads.

The dealer reached over and extracted cards for the next round, delivering them smoothly. Julia sighed and turned her head a little in each direction. She was waiting, and the longer she had too, the more bored and impatient she felt.

Through the next round she did all she could to make her cheating more obvious than the night before. Cameras were everywhere. Cheating wasn't tolerated. How was it that no one had approached her yet?

Reaching down, Julia flipped over her last card and smiled. The men sighed and sat back, rubbing either their necks or their faces in disappointment of the loss.

"Sorry, gentlemen," she said softly as a tower of chips was pushed her way. "But I have lady luck on my side tonight."

Session 2: Lady Luck.

From behind, someone lightly tapped her shoulder. Julia turned without hesitance, hoping it to be a server walking around to take orders. Her mouth was a bit dry and she would love a few innocent vodka tonics to lighten a boring evening.

But the moment she saw who stood behind her, the corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile.

"You're not the server I was hoping for."

His smirk, admittedly, was attractive.

"But you're every bit of what I like to run into. If you don't mind, I'd like it if you joined me at the bar."

Julia raised her eyebrows. His confidence was impressive, and he had made an offer she couldn't refuse. Especially when it fit so nicely into the plan.

"Just one moment. My winnings-"

"Will be safe. Thomas, make sure the lady's winnings are ready for her when she leaves tonight."

The dealer, having never been asked to do such a thing, merely nodded and acted as if he knew what to do. If there was anything Spike loved about his staff, it was the fact that they simply did as he wished, and didn't question him. Only with the exception, however, of his execs.

Gesturing for Julia to follow him, he started his way through the crowd. She obeyed, but purposely strayed a few paces behind.

When they reached the bar, Spike slid coolly onto his stool at the end of the counter. He realized, for a moment, that this was the first time in a while he had actually visited the main area. Normally when he wanted to avoid a conference, he rode the main elevator up and down a few times once he was actually in the building. The security cameras there were checked far less often.

Julia sat down on a stool adjacent to him, her features calm and demeanor sophisticated. Everything was flowing well, and would continue to do so if she kept his mind off her card counting. For a moment she peered down at a menu of drinks.

"What's your name?"

She looked up.

"Julia Von Felt."

Spike nodded, despite the fact that her last name had come as a bit of a surprise. It wasn't the one listed on her personal profile, which he had researched thoroughly.

He smiled a little.

It must be a fake, naturally. And at the same time, she might as well have made it exotic.

"Yours?"

"Spike Spiegel."

Julia crossed her arms on the bar, her hair cascading down the front of her shoulders. What she had assumed before was now confirmed. The handsome stranger was indeed Spike Spiegel, the owner of the Red Card Casino strips.

Vicious had been right after all. Her obvious cheating, beauty and employment at his casinos would make him curious enough to take matters into his own hands.

The bartender approached them then, and they gave him their orders. Julia settled her gaze on Spike afterward.

"You own this casino, and many others along the west coast," she said casually. "After you said your name, I remembered an article I had read about you in the paper."

Spike raised his eyebrows and took a drink of his liquor mix.

"I'm in the paper, huh? I bet you saved that article."

Julia smiled, falling a little for his skill at being charming-even when he didn't mean to be, or perhaps, did. She reached for her drink and took a sip, reminding herself he had to be interested in her, not the other way around.

"Actually it was raining that day. I used the paper to cover my head as I walked home. I'm sorry, but I threw it away since it was all wet."

He smiled, knowing she had purposely meant to chide him behind her sincerity.

"Listen, you're a beautiful woman Julia. However there's another reason why I invited you to have a drink with me." He paused to finish the contents of his small glass. "Maybe you already know what it is."

She brought her eyes away from him and stared at her half-empty glass.

"My lady luck concerns you."

"If by that you mean your skill at card counting, yes, it does. I know you work for another casino, one that belongs to my once friend, Vicious. And by the way he punishes cheaters… surely you know it's strictly against the rules."

Julia's eyes widened. Looking into his gaze, she forgot her assignment and started to lose her calm composure. Vicious had supplied her with no back up, no other sorry pawns ready to defend her if she was indeed found out.

It seemed that his confidence in Spike's attitude toward beautiful women had been under-estimated, and now, he was free to have her dealt with.

"What are you going to do, Mr. Spiegel?"

Julia watched as he stood from his stool and put his hands in the pockets. The nice suit he wore he looked incredible in, yet somehow, it still seemed out of character.

"Nothing. So long as you call me Spike."

He turned to leave her, believing the quick shot of fear he had instilled would be enough to make his point. Walking away, he felt it was a shame that he hadn't gotten her number. However he hadn't moved more than a few feet before her voice caused him to stop.

"Wait."

Spike looked over his shoulder. Julia was still sitting at the bar, but she was writing something down on the back of what appeared to be a small business card. When she finished and slid off her stood, she walked over to him, standing no more than a few inches away.

The loud voices around them seemed to fade, and Spike couldn't understand why her eyes, then her mouth, then her neck had such a silencing effect on world.

Julia held out her hand and he accepted the business card. Just as he read over what she had jotted down, she kissed him lightly on the cheek and whispered, "Thank you."

Note: Albino. Cream. Puff., you saved this story! Thanks for the review.