Page 129 of The Grumpy Billionaire

God knows how you do that. The journey? This is a thing?

But I want to do better. Could I just try it?

I look at my hand, which is decent enough to win with, depending on what I get if I ask for more cards, which I really should, but I’m thinking about the journey thing. It comes to me that if I rearrange it, there’s an interesting pattern to it involving prime numbers. Well, why not?

“Stay,” I say with a queasy feeling.

“With what you’ve got facing up?”

“That’s right,” I say, feeling like I’m on a high wire.

Everybody’s staring at me now.

“What the hell do you have?” Ronan asks.

“It’ll cost you,” I say.

“Not on this hand.” Ronan folds. Fergus, Cooper, and Leon fold, too.

Only Luther is reckless enough to call. He lays down a mediocre hand involving two pair.

I show my cards.

“What the hell is that?” Leon demands.

“It’s a prime number pattern,” I say.

Fergus laughs. “Good god, the data model’s finally sent him round the bend.”

“Works for me.” Luther takes the chips.

“What have you done?” Ronan demands. “Why not take cards?”

“I’m enjoying the journey,” I say.

The guys all scowl. All except Luther, anyway.

“I’ve realized I have a problem with perfectionism, and one of the strategies I’ve decided on is to focus on the journey rather than the result.”

“The journey of poker? Instead of the result?” Leon barks. “Hugo. That is some bullshit right there.”

“I don’t know whether to kick you out of here or try to get in a few more hands before you come to your fucking senses,” Cooper says.

“Is this about a woman?” Fergus asks. “No, wait. Don’t answer. It’s a woman.”

“Well…” I pick up my drink and swirl the ice.

Everybody groans.

“Out with it,” Cooper says.

“We’re here to play poker,” I say.

“You’re not,” Luther says. “You’ve got an art project going on. Much as I enjoy taking your money, you can’t be playing by weird-ass rules.”

“So she thinks you’re too perfectionistic?” Cooper asks.

“Yes. And I bring impossible standards to everything.”

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