Winning Big
Thursday night at Jason's house, a welcome respite in the middle of a busy week. The usual crew was there - Jason, Dylan, Chad, Zeke, Troy and Luke. All enjoying the summer break, their weekly game was a ritual, the stacks of chips and the worn deck of cards had seen countless bluffs and bad bets over the years. As the night wore on, the pot grew larger, the cards flew faster, and the friendly banter around the table turned into strategic jabs as each friend tried to size up the other. Luke dealt their last hand and flipped the flop, a nine of clubs, jack of diamonds and eight of clubs showing.
"Alright, who wants in?" he said to open the round. All the players checked their cards, some keeping a better poker face than others.
"I'm in." Jason said first.
Chad let out an exasperated groan. "Fold."
Zeke echoed the sentiment and tossed his cards along with Chad.
"Call." Troy chimed in as he tossed his chips to the pot.
"I'll raise fifteen." Dylan said and tossed his chips into the centre. Luke smirked at the circumstances.
"Well, well, two callers and a raise. Let's see what the turn brings." He flipped the turn card revealing the king of clubs. Jason checked his cards again and knew he had this one. He tossed an extra thirty in the pot to raise the bet dramatically.
"Yep, too rich for me, I fold." Troy snickered as he took a swig of his beer.
"Just 'cause you seem to be riding a lucky star tonight doesn't mean it'll hold out forever, Jason. I'll call," Dylan bantered as he tossed his chips to match Jason's aggressive bet. "What's next there, Texan?"
"Don't rush the dealin', boy," Luke said nudging his Stetson up, he always wore that hat to poker night. He flipped the river card. "Ten of clubs, lookin' mighty good for a flush if someone's got the cards. Jason your bet."
"Small raise, bring it up by ten," he said and threw his chips in.
Dylan met his bet again. "Small price to pay, I'll call. What have you got, Cross?"
Jason flipped his cards and revealed the queen of clubs and jack of clubs with a cool grin. Dylan groaned, knowing he had lost. Luke still took the opportunity to narrate as the dealer.
"Straight flush in clubs, whatcha got, Dylan?"
"Damn, I though I had him with the high straight," and flipped over the queen of hearts and the seven of diamonds. Jason shrugged before pulling the pot towards himself in triumph.
Luke gathered up the cards. "Alright ya'll, looks like the man of the house cleaned up tonight, maybe he'll disclose a bit more about his lucky night tonight, or should I say last night."
Jason flushed, shooting Luke a look that was half-amusement, half-exasperation. "Come on, man," he muttered.
Luke shrugged, his eyes twinkling with mischief, and leaned back in his chair. "Gettin' lucky two nights in a row, huh, Cross?" he said, his voice heavy with innuendo.
A beat of silence hung in the air before everyone erupted.
"Wait, what?" Troy sputtered, followed by a cough as his beer went down the wrong way.
"You and Kelsi?!" Zeke exclaimed, slapping the table.
"You're kidding!" Chad exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.
Jason's face flushed, embarrassed that they'd called him so quickly. He chuckled, trying to deflect some of the attention. "Alright, alright, guys. Let's not make a big deal out of it."
"Not a big deal?!" Chad urged, leaning forward eagerly. "Dude, we're talking you and Kelsi here, you gotta give us something!"
Jason, gathering up empty bottles and snack bowls, headed towards the kitchen. "Okay, fine. She was… amazing"
The guys started stacking chips and tidying up the table, but their conversation kept drifting back to Jason's big reveal.
"Thats it? That's all we get?" Dylan called out from the table.
"Yeah, Jason," Zeke added, "We need at least a PG-13 version here!"
Over the clinking of glasses in the kitchen sink, Jason's voice floated back, laced with amusement. "Let's just say… she was definitely worth waiting for."
Luke winked at the others. "See? I told you. Our boy's a lucky man."
The banter and laughter continued as they finished cleaning up, the air thick with camaraderie over their own romances.
As they finally headed out the door, Luke clapped Jason on the shoulder. "I'll host next week. My place, same time?" A chorus of agreement met his suggestion.
With farewells and backslaps exchanged, the group dispersed, leaving Jason alone in his suddenly quiet house. Grabbing his phone, he flopped down on his couch to call Kelsi, and she picked up on the first ring.
"Hey, handsome, how was the game?" her voice buzzed through his phone.
"Hey gorgeous. It was great tonight, got lucky in more ways than most this week. How was your event?"
"It was awesome! I'm glad you had a good time too, did you win big?"
"That's great, I can't wait to hear all about it! And I guess so, at least at poker tonight, but not where it counts." He drew a long breath before he added, "I just wanted to say again… last night was amazing,"
A soft giggle echoed from the other end of the line. "It was, wasn't it?" A comfortable silence settled between them, both relishing the memory. "I've been replaying it in my head all day."
Jason chuckled, picturing her blushing on the other end of the line. "Every detail?" he teased.
"Maybe not every detail," she replied playfully, "But definitely the best parts."
Their easy banter felt natural, and Jason found himself drawn to her even more. "Tell me one thing that's been on your mind today."
He heard her breath change slightly, a raggedness creeping in like she was trying to catch her breath. "Well, I couldn't get how you whispered that you wanted me out of my head. Your voice was on repeat. What about you?"
Jason felt his heart pound, his own breath catching in his throat. "The look of your sparkling eyes, they were so beautiful," he said softly before a sneaky grin spread across his lips, "especially when we were so… close."
"Well you'll have me close in about 20 hours," she giggled.
A warmth spread through Jason's chest and he groaned playfully. "I think I'll survive."
"I hope I do too," Kelsi echoed. "Can't wait."
They chatted for a while longer, their conversation peppered with suggestive jokes and shared anticipation. The nervousness that had initially gripped Jason gradually faded, replaced by a sense of comfortable intimacy. As they said their goodbyes, a lingering excitement hung in the air.
Jason hung up the phone, a wide grin plastered on his face. He replayed the conversation in his head, savouring every word, every shared laugh. He knew he was falling for Kelsi, and fast. The thought both thrilled and terrified him, but tonight, he chose to focus on the thrill. Tomorrow night couldn't come soon enough.
