Page 26 of Dating Goals
When I push open the heavy wooden door of the pub, the scent of beer and wood polish greets me. The place isn’t packed, but there’s a comfortable buzz of conversation. My eyes immediately land on Lars, Colin, and Evan huddled around their usual table, cards in hand. They’re deep in another round of Jass, focused expressions on their faces.
The guys haven’t noticed me yet, so I stand there for a moment, watching their intense concentration. Lars has his “poker face” on, which isn’t much of a face at all, just a stoic expression. Colin keeps bouncing his leg under the table while Evan absently rubs his beard. He’s probably got a good hand.
“Room for one more?” I ask, pulling out the empty chair.
Their heads snap up in unison, expressions shifting from surprise to welcome.
Lars arches an eyebrow. “You sure about that, Canadian? Last time didn’t go so well.”
“I’m a slow learner, not a quitter,” I shoot back with more confidence than I feel. Truth is, this Swiss card game still confuses the hell out of me, but tonight I need the distraction. “I’ve been practicing.”
They all laugh at the obvious lie.
“Yeah, with who?” Lars snorts. “The mountain goats?”
I sit down, trying not to make it obvious I’m looking around for Anika.
“Maybe I’ve been watching YouTube tutorials,” I say, which only makes them laugh harder.
Evan starts dealing the cards. “All right, Griffin, if you’re serious about learning, we’ll go slow.”
The cards hit the table with a soft snap as he deals. I pick up my hand, studying the unfamiliar suits of bells, shields, acorns, and roses. Just as I’m trying to remember if the Under trumps the Ober, Anika appears beside our table.
“Oh no.” She crosses her arms, fixing me with a stern stare. “Don’t come crying to me when they clean you out. I won’t bail you out this time.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence,” I say dryly.
Lars chuckles. “She’s right. We’re not taking it easy on you, hockey star or not.”
“Wouldn’t expect you to.” I organize my cards, still not entirely sure what makes a good hand. “And to prove it, the next round is on me.”
Colin raises an eyebrow. “Feeling generous after winning against Basel, or softening us up before we take your money?”
“A little of both,” I admit, earning chuckles from around the table.
I reach for my wallet, pulling out my credit card to give to Anika. She looks at the card like it’s made of Anthrax. “Cash only.”
I pull out my wallet and hand Anika a hundred franc note. Her eyes narrow.
“What? Too much?” I flash her my most winning smile.
“I don’t have change for this.” She taps the bill against her palm.
“Keep the change then.”
“I don’t want your pity money.” She slaps the bill back on the table.
I fish out a few smaller notes. “Better?”
She snatches them with an eye roll that somehow makes me grin wider.
Colin drums his fingers on the table. “Twenty francs to play, hotshot.”
Right. I’d forgotten about the buy-in. I place another twenty on the table, trying to remember the rules Lars explained last time. Something about trump suits and not being allowed to play lower trumps unless…My head hurts already.
I arrange my cards carefully, pretending I know what I’m doing. The game moves faster than I can follow, cards flying onto the table in some pattern that makes sense to everyone but me. I’m pretty sure I’ve broken at least three rules.
Anika returns with our beers, and I catch myself watching her walk away instead of paying attention to my cards. Lars clears his throat meaningfully.
