Page 95 of Whatever Lola Wants

Grant laughed. “I’m packing two just in case she chews through the first one.”

Simon chuckled. “Since we’re both out of luck tonight, why don’t you grab a six-pack and come by for poker. We can get a head start on tomorrow night’s festivities. I’ll call Michael, see if he’s up for a game.”

“If I play poker without Anna, she’ll be pissed,” Grant said with an evil grin. “Perfect.”

Simon laughed. Anna was a cardsharp, and had more than once fleeced all of them of everything but the lint in their pockets.

“Eight o’clock,” he told Grant, and picked up the phone.

A cigar clamped between his teeth, a glass of whiskey at his elbow, Simon studied his cards. Utter crap.

But maybe he’d get lucky with the draw.

“I’m in,” he said and tossed in his chips. The bet went to Michael and Grant, with both of them staying in.

Michael was doing double duty as the dealer. “How many?” he asked Simon.

“Four.”

“Shit, son.” Michael shook his head and dealt four new cards. “You sure you don’t want five?”

“Blow me,” Simon suggested and, tossing aside his discards, picked up his new hand.

Michael grinned around his cigar and dealt two cards to both himself and Grant. “Hey, it’s fine by me. Without Anna around, I might actually have a chance at winning a hand or two.” He shot Grant a sorrowful look. “Your woman is a mean little thing with cards.”

“I know,” Grant said smugly. “She’s so fucking hot.”

Michael’s chuckle blended with Simon’s. “That, too.”

Grant tossed in his chips. “Fifty.”

Michael met the fifty. “Seeing you so happy with your sub gives a man ideas.”

Grant raised an eyebrow. “You thinking about settling down?”

Michael chuckled. “Not me. I was talking about Simon.”

“What about Simon?” Simon asked and, deciding to live dangerously, tossed in a handful of chips. “See your fifty, raise you fifty.”

Michael lifted his glass and swirled the whiskey before taking a savoring sip. “I was talking about your sub search.”

Simon frowned. “What about it?”

“Still going strong?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Michael gave a negligent shrug. “You and Lola have been together a while now. I thought it might be getting serious.”

Simon shook his head. “It’s only been…”

“A month,” Michael supplied.

Had it really been a month? Simon shook his head. “We’re not together, not like you mean. Just having fun.”

Grant’s eyebrows drew together in a frown. “You’re not exclusive?”

Simon set his jaw. “Not exclusive. Not together. She’s a switch.”

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