Lead Player - Alex Grayson Page 0,61
her behind.
Chapter Sixteen
ENZO
“I’ll see your fifty,” Alaina sets down a blue fifty-dollar bill, “and raise you a hundred.” She plops down a tan one-hundred-dollar bill on top of the growing pile of money.
All eyes move to me. Looking at my cards, I debate if I should fold or match the pot. I have a damn good hand with four queens and a spare king. I look up and eye each of my opponents. Hudson, the poor sap, isn’t even looking at his cards. His focus is on Nikki, who’s trying her best to ignore him. She folded, so I don’t need to worry about her with this round. I can tell by Juliet’s face she’s nervous, which means her cards aren’t great. She tries to play it cool, but she’s bouncing her leg. James is harder to get a read on. He’s got a poker face that would rival even the most devoted professional player.
I turn my attention to Alaina, and for a moment, my thoughts are side-tracked. She looks utterly fucking delicious in her tight black t-shirt. If the others weren’t here, I’d lay her out on the table in front of me and feast on her body.
As if sensing my thoughts, she gives me a knowing smile. I may not be able to devour her amazing body right at this moment, but I’ll be damn sure to do it later.
“Dude, stop eye-fucking Alaina and get back to the game,” James says, kicking my foot under the table.
I flip him off with my free hand as I look back down at my cards. Grabbing a fifty and a hundred-dollar bill, I toss them on top of the pile. “Call.”
It goes around the rest of the table. Everyone calls, except for Juliet, who folds. It’s the moment of truth. Hudson puts his cards down first. He’s got three of a kind with tens. Decent, but not good enough. It’s James’ turn. His eyes dance as he puts down a dud hand. The king of hearts, four and nine of clubs, six of hearts, and a jack of spades.
“Why in the world would you bet on a hand like that?” Juliet asks, eyeing the cards with a wrinkled nose.
“Because I like living dangerously,” he answers with a smirk and a wink.
I flip my cards and toss them on the table in front of me, confident this round is mine. “Read ’em and weep,” I crow proudly, reaching for the pile of Monopoly money.
“Nuh-uh. Not so fast, buddy,” Alaina announces and drops her own cards on top of mine.
A royal fucking flush. Well I’ll be damned. I glance at her, my grin big.
“You’re getting better.”
She smiles back at me proudly. “I’m quite impressed with myself.”
“For someone who claims to suck at poker,” Hudson says, grabbing all of the cards to shuffle, “your pile of money seems to be growing fast.”
Gathering her money, Alaina shrugs. “Luck, I guess.”
“Me thinks someone is cheating. Enzo, check her lap to see if she has any cards down her pants.”
She snorts. “Had you been paying attention to the game and not watching Nikki the whole time, you’d know I’ve kept my hands on the table.” There’s a thump under the table and Alaina yells, “Ow!” She looks to Nikki. “That hurt, you hoe!”
Nikki glares at Alaina before snatching up her phone and tapping on the screen.
Hudson grunts then begins dealing the cards, wisely not saying a word because we’ve all witnessed his puppy dog eyes on Nikki most of the night. He grumbles under his breath as he deals.
“How are you handling not being part of the band, Enzo?” Juliet asks.
“It’s going better than I thought. It’s a whole different experience being on the other side of the glass when they’re in the sound booth. A good kind of different.”
“Do you miss it at all?”
“I think I’ll always miss it to a degree. It’s been a big part of my life for so long. I’ll miss the camaraderie I had with the guys the most. But having the weight of performing off my shoulders feels really fucking good.”
“How’s the new guy doing?” Hudson asks, throwing down a couple of cards and taking two more.
Snagging my beer, I finish off the last of it. “He’s damn good. I think he makes a great addition to the band.”
Alaina grabs my empty bottle and gets up. “Want another?”
“Thanks, baby.”
“I’m grabbing more pizza. Anyone want another slice? Or another beer?”
“Only thing that’s left is your anchovy pizza. Hard pass for me,”