We played poker for almost two hours. Everyone was having a good time laughing, drinking, and picking on each other. Ryan and Cal were just two friends having a good time with the rest of us.

“Last round and then I think we need to take a break,” Pete announced as he dealt the cards.

I kicked Ryan back in the foot. He had kicked me too many times under the table when I wasn’t paying attention and I owed him one.

Gary looked at his cards and folded immediately. “Couldn’t you just deal me two good cards instead of that shit?” he ribbed Pete as he scratched his moustache.

I looked at my cards. Pete dealt me a ten and an ace – both hearts. “I raise four dollars,” I said as I tossed in chips. I had two high cards in the same suit… not bad to start with.

Ryan peeked at his cards. “Call,” he muttered. I felt his foot tap mine.

“Call,” Cal said, tossing in his chips.

Pete was taking his good old time looking at his cards. While we waited, I stretched back in my chair and tapped Ryan in the back of his calf with the top of my foot, causing his leg to fly forward and his foot to slap on the floor. He peered at me through the corner of his eye and gave me a dirty look. His evil eye didn’t last too long before the sultry grin appeared on his face.

Finally Pete counted off four dollars in chips and threw them into the pile in the center of the table.

“Fold,” Tammy said, tossing her cards to the center of the table.

“Me too,” Marie huffed. “I’m keeping my chips.”

Pete laid out the Flop cards - another ten and two aces.

I had a beautiful Full House - Aces over Tens. I noticed Pete frowned slightly and he sat back a bit in his chair. Pete always sat forward when he had a good hand. I could tell he had two lousy cards.

“I raise four,” I said nonchalantly, casually tossing my chips to the center of the table. I didn’t want to give away that I had an awesome hand.

Ryan was mangling a drink swizzle straw in his teeth. He glanced at me as he slid the straw around in his mouth. He played with his chips for a moment, and then scratched his eyebrow with his thumb. He was stalling.

“I see your four and raise you four,” he replied.

“Fold,” Cal announced sadly. He tossed his cards and pressed back in his chair.

“Ah, I fold too,” Pete grumbled. I snickered to myself… I knew that was coming.

It was my turn again. I counted my chips; I had sixty dollars left and a strong Full House. I was thinking about how Ryan scratched his eyebrow –

was he nervous or bluffing?

“I’m all in.” I pushed all my chips towards the middle of the table.

Ryan’s eyes narrowed on me and he had a serious expression on his face. His lips pursed and twitched a bit around the straw that wiggled in his mouth.

“How much was that?” he asked, nodding at my chips.

“Sixty,” I replied.

He picked fifty-six dollars off his pile of chips and tossed them into the center. He still had chips left.

“Let’s see what you got, sweetheart.” He grinned, raising his eyebrows at me.

I flipped my Ten and Ace over. Ryan had two Tens. We both had Full Houses, but my hand was higher. We looked at each other and smiled. It wasn’t over yet.

Pete laid out the turn card. It was a useless Nine of spades. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was still winning.

The last card, the river card, was a Four of diamonds.

“Yes!” I said quietly.

Ryan chuckled, knowing that he just lost. He stretched back in his seat, and then ever so casually patted and rubbed my back as I pulled the chip pile to my chest. The sensation of his touch sent a tinge of electricity through my body.

Ryan squeezed my shoulders when we stood up to walk away from the table. His grip felt amazing on my achy muscles. It had been a long time since I let any man get close enough to touch me that way. I was starting to turn to putty under his fingers.

“Good play!” he whispered his private compliment in my ear. I felt the warmth that emanated from his lips caress my skin. His chest pressed lightly into my back. A million tiny impulses fired through my body.

“I’m impressed. Remind me to take you to the casinos sometime,” Ryan joked with me.

Cal and Gary walked over to the pool table and everyone else followed them. We all needed a short break and a stretch from sitting.

I quickly stepped behind the bar and grabbed a metal mixing cup, which I spun across my palm. I hadn’t been in this good of a mood in a long time.

I just started pouring the vodka when Ryan joined me at the bar.