This is going to suck.
The second Dex stepped into the casino, his face contorted into an expression of displeasure. The strong stench of beer and cigars filled the vast space while miscellaneous chatter harshly struck his ears. Emma stood next to him, her eyes wide with wonder as she observed her surroundings.
"Oh my God," she said, "look at this place!"
"Yeah…" the young man grumbled, toying with the ends of his suit sleeves. The group all wore an assortment of high-end formal garments: the men wore a mix of black, navy blue, and burgundy tuxedos and the women donned different sequined lavender and fuchsia dresses. Emma dusted herself off, running her hands over a few fuchsia sequins on her torso, adjusting her posture accordingly.
"Alright, crew," the advisor, blending in with a black suit, stepped in front of the student group, "there are currently five poker games occurring at the main tables. One of these tables holds our target," he showed off a photo of an older bald man, a small gray beard perfectly circled around his face, "This is Ulrich Sidwell. He not only operates this location, but he operates the greater gambling ring we're aiming to take down. If you're lucky enough to be at his table, keep an eye on any tricks he'll pull to guarantee a win at the expense of others. Are there any questions?"
The sound of the patrons chatting with one another fills the space.
"Okay, great. I want you all in pairs, so pick your partner and get to work. If you need to reach me, use your device," the advisor flashed a silver pager in his hand before walking off. The group disbursed, leaving Dex and Emma alone at the entrance.
"Well," Emma turned his way, "what's the plan?"
"What's the plan?" Dex scowled, "What do you mean? We're going to play some poker."
"We're going to do it sober?"
"Are you even old enough to drink?"
"In Italy, I am. Alcohol will help us blend in and ease our nerves," Emma winked, "Stay here."
Dex rolled his eyes as she walked off, approaching the big mahogany bar littered with patrons. He took a deep breath before walking into the crowd, dodging the people going the opposite direction. He did his best to ignore the coos and flirty gazes of the older women who eyed him down, taking a seat at a table in the far left corner. The moment he sat down in the firm leather seat, he locked eyes with the man of the hour.
"A newcomer, I see," Ulrich Sidwell's British accent was sleek as he noted the young man's presence, "What brings you to my table?"
"I…" Dex took a deep breath, glancing at Emma, who remained at the bar, "wanted to try my luck."
"Is that so?" Sidwell smirked, turning to the employee at the table, "Deal him in."
Dex turned to Emma once more, formally locking eyes this time around. She took a deep breath before sipping on a glass of scotch, waiting for the young man to join her. A mix of couples occupied other barstools, hanging all over each other, the chatter loud and crudely flirtatious. She was lucky the seat next to her was free…until it wasn't.
"Vodka on the rocks, please."
A scowl crossed her face as she turned to her left. A young man with lightly-tanned skin, a chiseled jawline and sharp brown eyes looked at the bartender with a smirk, his black suit fitting like a glove. Emma eyed him, unnerved at his confident posture.
"Like what you see?" he asked, keeping his smirk in place as he took in her expression.
"Excuse me?" she responded.
"You were staring at me. I was simply making an observation."
"...Really," Emma pursed her lips, "Well, if you must know, I don't."
"Well, that's unfortunate," the young man leaned in, "because I like what I see."
"I'm not interested."
"Are you sure?"
"I mean, it's hard for me to like a guy who steals seats."
"Oh, someone was sitting here?" the young man stood up, "My apologies."
"Mhm," Emma sipped on her scotch, shooting a glance at Dex, "He's currently wrapped up in a game, but that's his spot."
"Oh," the young man followed her gaze, "Is he with you?"
"Yes-" she stopped herself, "No. I mean, we're not a couple or anything, we just work together."
"Ah, okay, and what is it you do for work?"
"We're…cosmopolitans," Emma forced out an answer, "We travel the world and share our observations and experiences with the world."
"Really, because I could've sworn that you were undercover."
The young woman froze in her seat, dropping the sip of scotch back into the glass. The man sat back down, sliding his glass to the bartender for another pour.
"...Was it that obvious?" Emma sighed.
"A little bit."
"Great. We're barely going to get through this mission, then."
"Mission?"
Shut the hell up, idiot, Emma winced, opting to keep her mouth closed. The young man looked her way, figuring out his next steps.
"I don't mean to pry," he said, "and I don't mean to overstep."
"Well, you already snuffed me out, so there's not much I can keep secret anymore, is there?"
"You don't have to tell me, just knowing you're undercover is enough. That's definitely something you have to work on," the young man winked, "but you've talked enough. I think it's only fair that I share something about myself in return."
"What illustrious information are you going to share with me?"
"I work in the modeling industry. I'm here on a courtesy invite as part of a scheduled shoot."
"You're a model?" Emma scoffed, "Really?"
"Yep. A rising star, as they say."
"And what inspired you to be a model?"
"My mom. She was a pretty big model herself: a big hometown celebrity. Maybe you've heard of her?"
"What's her name?"
"Brenda Barrett."
Emma's eyes sparkled as a smirk crossed her face, and the young man mirrored her.
"You know her," he said.
"I absolutely do. If you can believe it, her mom and my mom are best friends."
The young man extended an open hand, and Emma indulged, "Alec Barrett."
"Emma Drake. Emma Scorpio-Drake."
"I definitely know that name," Alec laughed, "It's very nice to meet you, and I apologize for interfering in your work."
"...You're forgiven," Emma smiled, "but don't do it again. At least not tonight."
"I won't. Scout's honor."
Dex shot daggers at the bar, scowling as he watched Emma chatting away. He let out a sigh, turning back to the game, frowning at the scarce amount of chips in front of him.
"You're not very good at this," Sidwell chuckled.
"I'm just rusty," Dex quipped, "We're only a couple games in, after all."
"There's a lot of rust."
"It's coming off. Be patient," Dex threw a card, a red seven of diamonds, onto the green plush. Sidwell bared his teeth as he threw a black ten of spades on top.
Of course…just my luck… Dex thought, shaking his head. He turned to Emma again, who met his gaze and downed the rest of her drink.
"Damnit," she swore, getting to her feet. Alec mirrored her and they walked towards the table. Dex breathed a sigh of relief as she approached him, "What's going on here? Indulging in gambling again?"
"Gambling?" Sidwell asked.
"I apologize for my husband, sir. He can't help himself when it comes to poker. I certainly hope he hasn't lost all of our money."
"Well, sweetheart," Dex replied through gritted teeth, "luckily for us, I still have some cash on me. You caught me before I got too deep into it."
"Good. I think it's best if you stop yourself before you really do get in too deep."
"Good idea," Dex grumbled, standing up. Alec passed him by, settling into the seat. Sidwell eyed the young man, raising an intrigued eyebrow.
"A new challenger?" he questioned.
"You could say that," Alec nodded, "Deal me in."
"What are you doing?!" Emma whispered sharply while Dex shot daggers.
"Watch and learn," the young man replied. Dex and Emma exchanged glances as Sidwell passed a deck of cards. Alec lifted the stack, smirking at his selection as the game began.
"Who is this guy?" Dex asked, turning Emma's attending away from the young man's jawline.
"Alec Barrett," she answered.
"That doesn't really answer my question."
"What answer are you looking for?"
"Why were you spending so much time with him when we're on a mission?"
"I…got caught up!" she replied, her whispers flustered, "I was trying to ease into the mood and he sat in your spot-"
"My spot? When I told you I wasn't going to go along with your stupid idea?"
"It's not stupid-"
"You wasted time flirting with this dude," Dex pointed his thumb at Alec, who picked up a few poker chips, "while I was trying to weasel into Sidwell's circle."
"You were struggling, first of all, and I bailed you out before you made an even bigger fool of yourself."
"I was doing fine."
"Yeah, sure, okay."
"What the hell?!"
The student agents turned to the table, observing Sidwell's present anger. Alec donned yet another smirk, revealing his hand: a royal flush.
"How is that possible?!" Sidwell hissed as Alec pulled the chips and money left in the center of the table, "Your hand…!"
"The luck of the draw," the young man winked, getting to his feet. Sidwell did the same.
"This is not over," the man swore, stepping away. A few players joined him, heading off to the far left corner. Alec approached Dex and Emma, flaunting the cash.
"How much of this is yours?" he asked.
"...Just keep it," Dex huffed, marching towards the bar.
"What's his deal?"
"He's just butthurt because he's stubborn," Emma shrugged, "Don't worry about him."
"Is he undercover too?"
"Yep."
"Looks like you both have things to work on."
"Good thing we're students," Emma grinned, looking at Dex. She frowned as she watched him down shots of gin, "Oh no…"
"Hm?" Alec followed her gaze, walking with her to the bar.
"Dex," the young woman began, "you good?"
"Leave me alone," he sighed.
"What's the matter? Are you that upset that things went sideways?"
"Uh, yeah? We have a mission, a strict goal, and you decided to booze up and let a stranger embarrass us!"
"I didn't mean to cause you trouble," Alec frowned, "I was trying to help."
"We don't need your help."
"You don't need his help. I welcome it."
"Of course you do," Dex rolled his eyes, downing another shot.
"Hey, y'know, with Sidwell gone, you could look for someone," Emma nudged his shoulder.
"Pass."
"There's plenty of attractive women here," Alec looked around, "I'm sure they'd love to-"
"Pass!"
"Are you also mad about me and Alec?"
"Pfft, no. You do what you want."
"Really."
"You've been doing your own thing since we got here," Dex shrugged, "and who you get with is none of my business."
"As long as it's not you."
"Exactly."
"Are you really not interested in anyone?" Alec asked.
"I'm not thinking about that."
"Have you ever thought about it?"
Dex paused mid-sip, dropping the glass onto the counter. He wiped his face free of gin and cleared his throat.
"Dex? Can I call you that?" the young man asked gently.
"...You guys have a nice night," the student agent abruptly got up, swiftly exiting the casino. Alec and Emma exchanged looks, standing in complete silence.
"Did I say something wrong?" the young man asked.
"Dex is…an enigma," the young woman responded, "There's always something…interesting with him."
"Even if that interest is in the form of a lack of…?" Alec gestured with his hands, making a juggling motion.
"I guess? I don't know."
"Do you want to go after him?"
"Mm, I think if I did that, he'd kill me."
"...Okay," Alec nodded slowly, "well, is there anything else you need to do here?"
"I don't think so," a smirk crept onto Emma's face, "Do you have any ideas?"
"I may have one," the young man winked, grabbing her hand. He guided her through the floor, going towards the elevators in the right corner. His touch was warm and encompassing, and a fierce blush spread across her face. As they stood by the elevator doors, waiting for them to open, Alec's hands cupped Emma's face.
"May I?" he asked suavely.
"...You may," her response was soft, and his lips felt the same way. They gently moved in sync as the door opened, stumbling inside and heading up to the fifth floor. They continued to push against one another, Emma's hands running over Alec's body. He stepped back, holding her hand again as he rushed them through the hallway, stopping in front of Room 510.
"Last chance to back out," Alec smiled, and Emma mirrored him, shaking her head. Her laughter echoed off the walls as he pulled her into his hotel room, the door shutting behind them, locking them in for the rest of the night's events.