Part 38 (1/2)

I've tried to keep the bets reasonable, but the problem with winning is, once you've got a bigger bankroll, you want to make bigger bets. Got a whopper riding this week. Enough to let me skip a couple of ”dates,”

if my luck holds. I have been smart enough to pay my car insurance for six months, help Mom with the power and phone. She thinks I'm working at a temp service too.

Since they place you in jobs temporarily, according to different businesses' need, it provides the perfect excuse for sometimes having money, sometimes not.

For being away from home odd hours. And, since those jobs tend to be manual labor, Mom doesn't ask why I so often plunge straight into the shower after coming through the door.

On a Positive Note I've managed to make small credit card payments. Not enough to pay down the princ.i.p.al, but enough to cover the interest, anyway. Only one problem. As had to happen, I couldn't keep intercepting the bills.

Mom called me into the kitchen. Cody, what are all these charges to Int-Gam, Inc.? She stood there, hands on hips, waiting for my confession. How could I tell her ”Int-Gam, Inc.”

was Internet Gaming Incorporated, and that I had been using the cards for months, losing money hand over fist? ”I'm not sure, Mom,” I lied, looking her straight in the eye.

”But just so you know, I found those credit cards in Cory's things.”

I can't believe what a liar I've become, and lying about Cory was a way low blow. But she bought it. Why not?

Her youngest son is a criminal.

Not much of a stretch to think that he might also be a thief.

Credit Cards No longer being an option, sports bets will have to be laid down through local bookies. Vince knows one or two. And there's always poker.

Hey, I've got a stake-a few hun saved up. Anyway, I've got spending cash, thanks to Lydia. Mostly it's from men. Thank G.o.d, I haven't had too many experiences similar to the one with crew-cut Dan. I can't seem to excise that night completely from my head.

I've questioned a lot of things about myself before. The gambling. Booze.

Drugs. Lying. But, despite sleeping with men for money, I've never questioned my s.e.xuality. That's the core of any man, any person.

How can I be unsure of that, especially considering the pain and humiliation?

Maybe Lydia was right, and we all swing both ways to some degree. It's all according to necessity, she said.

Does that mean if every woman disappeared, I'd actively crave men?

Not Craving Any Of the guys at Vince's tonight.

I glance from face to face, chest to chest. Nope. Not a single twitch.

Maybe there's hope for me after all.

Now if Lady Luck will just decide to climb into my lap, hang out.

Hey, says Vince. Anyone bring smoke? He looks straight at me, not expecting me to say yes. It's been weeks since I had enough cash to score. My connection had almost given up on me too.

I surprised him, and I surprise Vince now. ”Actually, yeah, I do.”

I hand over a couple of big blunts, light another, pa.s.s it on. Only way to convince Vince to introduce me to his bookie friends is with generosity.

Meanwhile, it's poker. The key to winning this game is properly a.s.sessing the compet.i.tion. I know most of the guys at the table-Vince, best player here, a regular bluff master, not afraid to lay down a major bet.

Justin is an elementary school janitor.

Can't afford to bet big. Never ups the ante.

Sitting down is Shaun, UNR freshman, innocent-looking, but knows how to bet.

Finally, there's Misty's boyfriend, Chris. He's a total jerk, and wasted.

A fair bit of c.o.ke has been pa.s.sed around, but I'm guessing he's been smoking ice. Maybe even cras.h.i.+ng, despite the cola. His mood is mean.

f.u.c.king deal already, would you? Haven't got all night.

Vince stares him down, trying to decide, no doubt, if he's going to have to deal with Chris some way other than nicely. He starts with nice. Take it easy, man.

Where you have to be, anyway?

Chris grabs the cards, now in a pile in front of him. He sorts them one way, then another, shoots eyeball arrows around the table as if we're all just waiting to give our hands away. Got a date with Misty.

Fact Is I've got a date with Misty. Well, not with her, exactly. We both have a date with some s.e.xually confused out-of-towner. Three-ways aren't quite so bad. Misty isn't the brightest girl. But she's got a killer bod to focus on. It's okay to be turned on by that.

The evening's little snort party will help me out too. In fact, we might even have fun. But, far as I know, Chris isn't coming along. ”You sure you're hooking up with Misty tonight?”

The table falls silent. Not even a minimal buzz as Chris gives me an odd look. That's what I said.

Why? You know something I don't? He throws three cards on the table. Waits for more.

And also for my answer. ”Uh.

It's just I thought she had to work tonight. You know. For Lydia.”

I draw two cards. Dig way down for composure. Lady Luck is definitely rock 'n' rolling with me. Full house.

Chris doesn't respond. For some reason, that bothers me a lot. I look over at him and he's staring at me, head tipped as if listening to some- thing no one else can hear. Little voices in his head? Schizo, too?

It's all lost on Vince, who draws last. One card .... C'mon, Lady, don't trade partners now! His face gives nothing away. But when he bets, we all gulp in breaths.

He tosses some chips. A hundred.

Justin folds. Shaun considers quite a while, finally calls. Chris swears softly, breaks out in a sweat, trying to figure out if Vince is bluffing, decides he must be. He calls. I call.

We show our cards. My full house wins the pot! Six-fifty! Oh, yeah.

Lady and I are doing a full-on mosh now. One thing I've managed to learn, ”Thanks so much, gentlemen, but it's time for me to go.” It is time, in fact. My date is in twenty minutes.

Hot d.a.m.n I am feeling good. I stop at the bank, make two deposits. Into my account.

Into Mom's account. Not much, but enough to help out a little. I'd cancel my three-way, but I promised I'd do it. Lydia is expecting me to. And so is Misty. Who I really want to see right now is Ronnie. First time in a long time I'm feeling the need for a long, healthy roll in the hay.