Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“Are you certain you aren’t Irish?” Leo asked.
She shot him a smile. “I don’t think so, but far back on the ancestral tree, I could be. I know that’s where you get all your charm.”
Leo nodded solemnly. “I am charming. And a true gentleman, which is a dying breed.”
“That’s the sad truth,” Art said. “But it’s the times. No one wants a gentleman anymore, Leo. Women smack you in the face now if you open a door or offer to carry something heavy. You’re somehow seeing a woman as less because you notice they’re struggling a bit and want to help.”
Vienna rolled her eyes. “You might be missing the point.”
Over the next two hours they discussed the merits of equality, and she found that all three men were actually very much progressive in their attitudes about women. She liked them the more she got to know them. They were sometimes a little old-fashioned in their views, but in a good way. They were protective of women and children, but she didn’t have the impression any of them thought women were less intelligent.
The cards were in play, and once again Art opened the bet with a hundred thousand. Once everyone was in, Leo pushed the bet to a half-million dollars. Jameson stayed. Vienna folded. Art folded. Vienna could see that the flop appeared to help both men. Queen, four and five of diamonds. Leo bet another half million, and Jameson stayed with him. The turn was the five of spades. The room went silent, tension increasing until it was stretched so tight it felt as if a wire had been pulled to the breaking point.
Leo doubled his bet. Jameson answered him. Leo didn’t hesitate, staying with him. The dealer turned over the last card to reveal the three of diamonds. Leo bet another million. Jameson went all in. Leo matched him, calling him.
Art studied the cards on the table and shook his head, raising an eyebrow at Vienna. Jameson had a straight flush, with the ace and two of diamonds in the pocket. Leo had a full house, with three queens and two fives, two queens in the pocket.
Leo stood, shaking his head. “Hell of a play, Jameson.” He held out his hand.
“Good cards,” Jameson replied.
Leo offered his hand to the other two and left the table to the respectful applause of the spectators.
The very next hand, Vienna kicked off the betting with a quarter of a million dollars. Art and Jameson stayed in. Vienna was dealt two aces in the pocket. She bet a half-million dollars. Both men stayed with her. The flop added the ace of diamonds, seven of clubs and jack of spades. Vienna pushed the bet to a million. Both Jameson and Art stayed with her.
The turn revealed the queen of clubs. Vienna bet another million. Jameson matched her million and raised another million. Art looked the cards over and folded. Vienna stayed in with Jameson. He already had his straight and was certain of the win.
She was pushing her luck depending on the river card, a dangerous thing to do. That calm place she had, the energy moving in her, gave her the ability to “see” the cards before they turned over. She knew the card coming up was the seven of spades. The dealer placed it face up. That gave her a full house, aces full of sevens. Jameson had a straight—a very good hand. She already had him beat. Still, when she went in with a million, he pushed it with an all-in bet.
With a straight? With the board pairs? She looked the cards over. She supposed it looked as if she didn’t have anything and was possibly bluffing. They had all tried to see how and when she bluffed. But this wasn’t the time to find out, or at least, she wouldn’t have chosen to test the waters at that precise time. She called him.
Jameson showed his straight, and she showed her full house. The spectators erupted into wild applause.
“It’s that river card,” Art said. “Never bet against her on the river card.”
Jameson stood up and extended his hand. “You’ve got some kind of luck when it comes to the river.”
She supposed she did. It was down to Art and Vienna. The next two hands were lousy and she folded. Then he folded. Art bet a quarter of a million and she went in with him to see her cards, already knowing both of them were going to get good cards. Hers looked good. Art’s looked great. He had a pair of aces. She had the queen and jack of hearts. The dealer turned over the flop. The ace of spades. The seven of spades. The ten of hearts.
Vienna studied the cards. Looked at Art’s face. He gave her his little grin that said nothing and everything. She bet a million dollars. He matched her bet and raised her a million. She felt the instant ratcheting up of the tension in the crowd as she pushed her chips in to answer him. The dealer burned a card and dealt the turn. Another heart, a nine.