Chapter Ten: Gambling with Fate
Ty stood. Her eyes traversing the road ahead coolly, it was dark there. A comfortable unyielding darkness. The noise beating from Boomers was almost unbearable, a constant pounding in her ears and in her brain. A strange mix of techno, hip-hop, and rap. A brilliant array of lights shot out through the door dazzling her eyes. She sighed, rubbing her temples. Why was she doing this? Why was she here? 'Because yah need tah. Because yah want tah see him again.' Didn't she? 'Make a gamble.' Her mind whispered softly, 'Take a chance.' How long had it been? She laughed throatily, since she took any chances? "It's been a long tahme sugah." She whispered quietly to herself. Flicking her fingers, she sighed. 'Ah'm ready tah move on.' She walked into Boomers.
As the doors clicked, smells of dirt, sex, sweat, and booze assaulted her nose. Ty winced, partially blinded by the neon lights. An older man, his hair black as night, face pouched and seemed, with bright intelligent black eyes, thinning brown hair, a hanging belly, and a long scar cutting up from his jaw, lay an arm across her shoulders. "Hey darlin'." He mumbled, breathing across her face. Stale beer and brandy clogged Ty's nose. "Don't see you round these here parts."
"Hon, Ah'm way outta yer league." Ty snapped, pale purple eyes sparking violently. Shrugging off his arm, she strode away. Well, tried to.
The man laughed. "Ya got spunk darlin'. I like that in a woman." Catching her by the shoulders, he spun her around, jerking her towards him. Ramming her hips into his. "What ya say to a dance?"
Ty grimaced, sensing his arousal. "Not in this lafetahme sugah." She pulled away, not wanting to hurt him. Leaning in close to his ear, she whispered. "Ah hunt biggah game." Curling her upper lip, disgustedly she pushed against his flabby chest.
Still laughing, the man held her close. "What hun, not big enough for ya?" His fingers dung into her jacket. The dusty sweaty scent of him plugged her nose. It was a rancid stench. Shoving him harshly away from her, 'hsst' her claws extended.
"Now, now chere. Why is it, whenever Gambit see you, you got them silver pointers out." A melodious Cajun voice laughed from behind her. Merry as always.
Ty spun, eyes appraising. The demon-eyed mutant smiled benignly, his dark red hair spiking up, face still ruggedly handsome, dressed as he had in his days as an Acolyte. His broad chest, lean legs and arms, caught many a woman's attention. Long tan trench swirling around his feet, coolly shuffling his trademark deck of cards. "Gambit." Ty nodded. Withdrawing her claws, she smirked at the angry man.
Gambit stepped between Ty and the other man. "You better be leaving Gambit's chere alone." He said, pulling a joker from his deck. Flicking it back and forth between his fingers, a wide smile fixed on his face. "Unless, you want to know what happened to the last man." His smile widened. "Who harassed Gambit's girl."
"Ah don' need yah protection." Ty growled beneath her breath. "Ah can handle mahself Gambit."
The other man wasn't scaring. "She ain't yer property." He snapped. "Far as I see it, she's fair game." He slapped his stomach it jiggled up and down like a boy on a pogo stick. Ty grimaced.
"Have it your way. Gambit don't care." Gambit tossed the card to the other man.
He dropped it just as the card exploded in his face. "Fine! Have yer darlin'!" The man snarled, turning briskly and waddling away. "But darlin'." He called over his shoulder. "If you ever be lookin' fer a good time, you know where to find it." He made the motion of shooting a gun. "I'll be keepin' an eye out fer ya." With a jovial laugh, he disappeared into the crowd.
"Sure." Ty muttered.
Gambit loomed over her, imposing and warm. To Ty he felt safe, warm, and inviting. What she could never find in Mr. Military. Though Scott had made her feel very safe. Gambit...he was just damn sexy. But then he was an Acolyte. "Well now chere, look what Gambit had to pull you out of." Okay, maybe not that safe.
'Try egotistical jerk! Who tha hell does he thahnk he ahs!' Ty snarled. "Ah could've handled mahself!" She fumed. "Ah don' need yah steppin' in!"
Gambit shrugged, he never took her outbursts seriously. "It's been a long time Chere. Let Gambit buy ya a drink."
Ty stood. Her eyes traversing the road ahead coolly, it was dark there. A comfortable unyielding darkness. The noise beating from Boomers was almost unbearable, a constant pounding in her ears and in her brain. A strange mix of techno, hip-hop, and rap. A brilliant array of lights shot out through the door dazzling her eyes. She sighed, rubbing her temples. Why was she doing this? Why was she here? 'Because yah need tah. Because yah want tah see him again.' Didn't she? 'Make a gamble.' Her mind whispered softly, 'Take a chance.' How long had it been? She laughed throatily, since she took any chances? "It's been a long tahme sugah." She whispered quietly to herself. Flicking her fingers, she sighed. 'Ah'm ready tah move on.' She walked into Boomers.
As the doors clicked, smells of dirt, sex, sweat, and booze assaulted her nose. Ty winced, partially blinded by the neon lights. An older man, his hair black as night, face pouched and seemed, with bright intelligent black eyes, thinning brown hair, a hanging belly, and a long scar cutting up from his jaw, lay an arm across her shoulders. "Hey darlin'." He mumbled, breathing across her face. Stale beer and brandy clogged Ty's nose. "Don't see you round these here parts."
"Hon, Ah'm way outta yer league." Ty snapped, pale purple eyes sparking violently. Shrugging off his arm, she strode away. Well, tried to.
The man laughed. "Ya got spunk darlin'. I like that in a woman." Catching her by the shoulders, he spun her around, jerking her towards him. Ramming her hips into his. "What ya say to a dance?"
Ty grimaced, sensing his arousal. "Not in this lafetahme sugah." She pulled away, not wanting to hurt him. Leaning in close to his ear, she whispered. "Ah hunt biggah game." Curling her upper lip, disgustedly she pushed against his flabby chest.
Still laughing, the man held her close. "What hun, not big enough for ya?" His fingers dung into her jacket. The dusty sweaty scent of him plugged her nose. It was a rancid stench. Shoving him harshly away from her, 'hsst' her claws extended.
"Now, now chere. Why is it, whenever Gambit see you, you got them silver pointers out." A melodious Cajun voice laughed from behind her. Merry as always.
Ty spun, eyes appraising. The demon-eyed mutant smiled benignly, his dark red hair spiking up, face still ruggedly handsome, dressed as he had in his days as an Acolyte. His broad chest, lean legs and arms, caught many a woman's attention. Long tan trench swirling around his feet, coolly shuffling his trademark deck of cards. "Gambit." Ty nodded. Withdrawing her claws, she smirked at the angry man.
Gambit stepped between Ty and the other man. "You better be leaving Gambit's chere alone." He said, pulling a joker from his deck. Flicking it back and forth between his fingers, a wide smile fixed on his face. "Unless, you want to know what happened to the last man." His smile widened. "Who harassed Gambit's girl."
"Ah don' need yah protection." Ty growled beneath her breath. "Ah can handle mahself Gambit."
The other man wasn't scaring. "She ain't yer property." He snapped. "Far as I see it, she's fair game." He slapped his stomach it jiggled up and down like a boy on a pogo stick. Ty grimaced.
"Have it your way. Gambit don't care." Gambit tossed the card to the other man.
He dropped it just as the card exploded in his face. "Fine! Have yer darlin'!" The man snarled, turning briskly and waddling away. "But darlin'." He called over his shoulder. "If you ever be lookin' fer a good time, you know where to find it." He made the motion of shooting a gun. "I'll be keepin' an eye out fer ya." With a jovial laugh, he disappeared into the crowd.
"Sure." Ty muttered.
Gambit loomed over her, imposing and warm. To Ty he felt safe, warm, and inviting. What she could never find in Mr. Military. Though Scott had made her feel very safe. Gambit...he was just damn sexy. But then he was an Acolyte. "Well now chere, look what Gambit had to pull you out of." Okay, maybe not that safe.
'Try egotistical jerk! Who tha hell does he thahnk he ahs!' Ty snarled. "Ah could've handled mahself!" She fumed. "Ah don' need yah steppin' in!"
Gambit shrugged, he never took her outbursts seriously. "It's been a long time Chere. Let Gambit buy ya a drink."