Page 111 of Dating Goals
The dealer shuffles the cards. “Gentlemen, shall we continue?”
The line to my poker coach has gone silent. My hand instinctively reaches for my ear, finding nothing. The earpiece. It’s gone.
Wait. I took it out of my ear when I went outside.
I pat my pocket. But it’s not there either.
My stomach plummets through the floor. I frantically check my other pockets, pretending to get comfortable. Nothing.
“Problem?” Malcolm asks with a wolfish grin.
“Not at all.” I force a relaxed expression while internally screaming. The earpiece must have fallen out somewhere between the terrace and here.
Elodie floats over.
“Everything all right, darling?” she whispers, her hand brushing my shoulder.
“Lost my…good luck charm,” I mutter.
“A word in private please,” she says to the table. “It’s a personal matter.”
“We ain’t waitin’ much longer,” says the Texan.
“Excuse me, gentlemen.” I rise, following her to a corner of the room.
When she’s convinced we’re out of earshot, she glances around, whispers, “When?”
“I don’t know…it must have fallen out on the terrace during the break.”
Her voice drops to a deadly whisper. “Do you understand what’s at stake?”
“I’m perfectly aware of that, thank you,” I hiss.
Elodie’s face turns to granite. “We need to stall, retrace your steps. Look everywhere. I’ll go visit those bozos upstairs to inquire about a replacement.”
“Gentlemen, I’ll be dealing the next hand if everyone is ready,” the dealer announces. “If all players would please take their seats.”
Malcolm swivels in his chair, eyebrow arched. “Either take your seat or forfeit, McGregor. We don’t have all night.”
His smug face makes me want to punch something. Preferably him.
“I’ll wing it while you go get another earpiece,” I whisper to Elodie.
Elodie’s eyes widen to anime proportions. “Wing it? Are you insane? You’ll lose everything!”
“What choice do we have?” I whisper urgently. “Unless you want to feed me answers through interpretive dance, I need that earpiece.”
“This is the third one you’ve lost,” she reminds me harshly. “They don’t just sell those at the corner market.”
“I’m sorry. No one told me not to wear it in the shower. And the second one wasn’t entirely my fault.”
I suppose I can’t exactly hold it against housekeeping for wiping down my nightstand when I forgot to put the “do not disturb” sign on my door while I went out for lunch. They werejust doing their job, after all. And those earpieces are so tiny. I blame Agent Showalter for not giving me something to store it in. Like a ring box or something.
Elodie’s face hardens. “Without guidance, you’ll lose everything in thirty minutes.”
“Your pep talks need work.” I glance at the table. “Look, the sooner you go upstairs, the sooner you’ll be back.”
Elodie glances toward the table where three pairs of eyes watch us with varying degrees of suspicion. “Fine. Play conservatively. Fold early. Understand?”
