Of Kings and Aces

The Poker Club

As expected, I didn’t have a restful weekend starting with the movie marathon with my brother to the band practice and inevitable clubbing thereafter on Saturday night, to having Justin, Cara’s son, and his nanny stay over at the condo on Sunday. Justin was an active two-year-old and we ended up drawing a lot of things on a lot of paper, I think I could have created a fifty-page storybook already. I loved that little jackal but I was thankful that his bedtime was at nine-thirty. Getting some Z’s wasn’t impossible after all.

My alarm went off too soon, signifying the start of another hell week. Thankfully, I need not prepare my own breakfast and coffee today because nanny Elena did it for me. The small things I’m thankful for. Whenever Justin stayed over, I always get the single-parent feels – he snuggles next to me while I read him a bedtime story, I get the warmest smiles when I get back from work, and I get the sweetest cheek kisses and tightest hugs his tiny arms could give before heading to work. Despite everything that’s happened, I still believe Cara got the better half of the deal.

“Bye-bye, little jackal. See you later,” I said over my shoulder as I put on my shoes.

“Where’s uncle Ace’s hug and kiss?” I squatted and opened my arms for my hug. The little jackal came barging and jumped into my arms without warning. We both toppled over as I lost my balance. He laughed while I panicked, making sure he didn’t hurt himself.

“Justin, baby, are you all right? Don’t be so rough,” I said, half-scolding, half-laughing.

He planted a big wet kiss on my cheek before he got up and ran back to his nanny. “Bye!”

I chuckled as a thought popped in my head. One day, I’m going to make one myself and he will be spoiled rotten.

♤

My concentration was top-notch throughout the day. Not once did my mind wander off to the IT department and I was thoroughly pleased with myself. I deserved a pack on the back and a nice whiskey on the rocks. One more hour and I could call it a pleasant day at work. However, life had other plans.

“Ace, that Laura female has been bugging me, the engineers, and the programmers the whole day. Would it be wrong if we just retract and drop the project? She’s really a royal pain in the ass!” Jaxx complained as he entered the Green Room. He snatched the whiskey in my hand and took a large sip.

“Mooching lout,” I grumbled loud enough for him to hear.

“Selfish dolt,” he said as he pushed the glass back in my hand. “So, can we drop her?”

“No! Are you crazy? That project’s worth a lot, not just monetarily. If we could make that in-store shopping app, then imagine what a big deal that would be for our portfolio. How much more time do they need?”

“They need a lot of time away from her and her fiancé,” he argued.

“Jaxx, they can’t ditch her in a snap of a finger, I’m sorry. We’re bound by the contract. And I really would be one of the first developers for these applications,” I explained.

“Suit yourself. Try explaining that to IT. She breathed down their necks the entire afternoon, literally,” he said sardonically.

“What were they doing in IT? They’re not allowed there.”

“Our new engineer got pissed and left them there. They were on the way here to talk to you or me but he saw them as they exited the elevator. I gave him strict instructions to never let the blasted couple get anywhere close to either of us so he intercepted them and tried to work on their concern.”

“Unfortunately, he could only take so much of Laura, too, huh? Can’t you tell your mom to tell her friend to rein her in? Send another envoy? It’s really unprofessional what she’s doing. We’re doing this for their family’s business, right? Not her and her fiance’s.”

“I think so. God, I can’t believe this,” he shook his head and went around the bar to fix us another drink. 

“Hey, it’s still office hours. What happened to the stringent CEO?” he smirked.

“The CEO needs a break. He’s been working even through the weekend,” I groaned. “We should visit Milieu soon. I miss the beach.”

“Did someone say b***h? Because yes, there was a b***h down in IT because some smart boy thought it was okay to take her there,” Bart barged into the room. “Scotch, mi amigo. Double shot, on the rocks.”

I closed my eyes and massaged my temples. My pleasant day ended at four and this was only the beginning of another shitty week ahead. “Bart, close the damn door.”

“Jacob can do that,” he replied. I mentally cursed. Just my luck. I reclined on the couch and put my feet up to occupy the entire furniture.

“Hey, where am I supposed to sit? Move.” When I didn’t budge, he picked up my legs, sat on the couch, and rested them on his lap. I looked at him incredulously. I get that he’s half-heartedly respecting my space yet wanted to sit on the sofa at the same time, but it felt strange to have my legs resting on another man’s lap while he rested one of his hands on them. It was just weird! But then Bart always disregarded personal space and a lot of times he didn’t seem to understand physical boundaries either.

“Bart, too close.”

“What’s close? My hands are a good meter away from your crotch,” he stated matter-of-factly. Jaxx and Jacob sniggered.

“Personal space, Bart. I treasure that and you’re violating it,” I glared at him.

“Are you shitting me? You’re complaining because I’m touching your fully clothed legs? How bout this, huh? Does this bother you?” he pushed the hem of my pants and placed his hand around my ankles while looking me straight in the eye.

“Cut it out.” I kicked his hand away.

He pushed his hand further up which caused me to instantly sit up and retract my legs. I glowered at him and raised a leg for a fake kick. “I said stop it, d**k. Don’t make me kick you.”

He laughed wildly and put his hands up in surrender. Jaxx finished the drinks and he and Jacob brought them to the coffee table. He sat on the single sofa next to me while Jaxx settled on his Cajón box across the table. Just as I let my guard down, Bart immediately pounced and hugged both my legs with one arm and attacked my thigh using his elbow, wiggling and pressing hard, causing me to jump up and convulse like a monkey in heat.

“s**t! Stop! Fucker!” I said between breaths. I was howling in laughter and maybe in pain.

“Say it, Ace. Say my name! Who’s your daddy?”

“Stop! Asshole!” I screamed just before I fell off, almost hitting my head on the edge of the glass table. I shut my eyes and braced myself for the impact.

Oh boy, this might end up with another trip to the hospital, I thought sadly.

I hit my head on a hard surface all right, but it was against the back of Jacob’s hand. He was quick to place his hand over the sharp edge of the table to save me from another laceration on the other side of my forehead. I landed face down but I was able to break my fall.

“Oh s**t! Are you okay?” Bart hurriedly flipped me over and checked my head. “Thank God you’re okay!” He pressed my head against his chest and held it tightly for a while until I thought I was going to suffocate.

“Get off me,” nudging him forcefully but he didn’t budge. “For the love of God, let go of me!”

“You didn’t complain when Joe here cradled you like a drunk goat in distress in Camachile Sky,” Bart moved away. His voice feigned hurt though his eyes twinkled, taunting.

“Jacob,” he corrected but no one was listening.

“What’s wrong with me? I think I’m handsome enough. Is it because he speaks with an English accent? He’s blond and has got blue eyes?” he dared to ask.

“Don’t you like me? Or do you like him more?” He dared to ask!

“I was unconscious then! I don’t remember anyone encroaching on my space. I hardly even remember anything,” I defended, but the other half of my brain was desperately searching for answers to why I was feeling and acting very differently with Jacob. I went to an all-boys school for elementary and high school and s**t like this didn’t happen.

Between the shame in remembering how I imagined the gorgeous eyes belonging to a woman and the unexplainable thrill after learning Jacob did that to me even though we were total strangers, to the utter surprise that I even felt thrilled, I could not decide the reason why my face was suddenly very hot. One thing was certain: I wanted the earth to swallow me up right then and there.

“But thanks,” I mumbled to Jacob. He just nodded and offered a small awkward smile, so unlike the warm, confident grins he’d flash around the office.

“Bart, how old are you again?” Jaxx stirred the conversation away, picking on the old guy’s juvenile behavior.

“Old enough to have a drink. Now, gimme that,” he snatched the glass of scotch from Jaxx.

“Are they always like this?” Jacob asked. Jaxx just chuckled and tapped on his Cajón.

“Get used to it, Joe.”

“It’s Jake, or J, if that makes it even easier for you to remember,” he scoffed.

“As I said, get used to it,” he smirked and raised his glass, “Joe.”

Golden silence befell the room before I jumped from my seat, startling everyone. I almost forgot that Justin was waiting for me because he wanted to swim in the pool. It was the reason why I worked to finish at four, so the sun would still be up.

“Dammit. I got to go.” My attempt at leaving the couch was blocked by the oldest person in the room.

“Happy hour doesn’t start ‘til six. Why are you leaving?”

“Move, Bart. I have to go home,” each attempt at moving past him was efficiently blocked. Instead, he even inched closer while I backed away until I felt the back of my thigh hit the armrest of Jacob’s chair. I turned to see he already moved his legs aside to give me space to pass.

“Why?” Jaxx eyed me curiously as I placed my glass on the counter.

“You don’t want to know,” I looked at him pointedly and he immediately understood. He didn’t want to hear anything related to Cara or her son because he was still not over her. He pursed his lips and picked up the newspaper.

“But I want to know. Tell me. Is there someone waiting home for you?” this time he stood in front of the door, like a goalie tending the net.

“Yes, Bart. Now, move before I punch you!” His silly game was starting to annoy me.

“Who is she, have I seen her?” His eyes twinkled mischievously.

“Yes, you’ve seen the little rascal, and you love him too.”

“Justin’s at your place? Why didn’t you say so?” he immediately dropped his guard. “Why don’t we all go this little boy in Ace’s condo?” he suggested smiling widely. When Jaxx gave him a death glare, he obediently changed his mind. “Or not. Maybe some other time.”

“Have you guys read this? A mayor was fatally shot last night in a poker club,” Jaxx said reading the paper. “SOCO Lacson said an initial investigation of the witnesses yielded that there was a struggle between the mayor and professional poker player Carlo Saavedra, the gun went off hitting Mayor Gestuvo.”

“You believe that guy? That’s the nth time he’s involved in a controversial case. I don’t think he’s credible,” Bart scoffed. “What about the other players and the dealer, what did they say?”

“They didn’t say. They didn’t even name them.” He continued reading.

“Is that even allowed? Aren’t they supposed to name all present in the crime scene?” I frowned. “Bet the other players paid that guy to leave them out. Would not be the first time.”

“Is this Carlo whose sister…” Jaxx didn’t finish his question and looked at me with narrowed eyes.

“Yup, that’s the guy and that’s the girl,” I said. He was part of my college nightmare, a segment of my life I pushed so hard to forget. I have successfully blocked out most of the events but every now and then, there would be triggers. Then a small fragment would surface to my consciousness and the nightmares would start again.

“With that guy’s temper, I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled the trigger on the mayor without a struggle.”

“Yeah. The girl is a supermodel now. She used to work with Grace but I think she changed agencies after graduating,” Jaxx said nonchalantly as he continued to read the article.

“Okay? The significance of this information is?” He just shrugged while I waited for a more sensible answer. That information was unnecessary.

“What a waste of three seconds of my life,” I rolled my eyes when Jaxx remained silent.

“Did you date her?” Bart asked.

“I guess? I don’t know what we were,” I replied, trying to keep my cool as her face was slowly building up in my head, megapixel by megapixel.

“Aside from…”

“Aside from nothing. I’m leaving,” I said with finality. I shook my head to break down the image inside my head. I really did not want to see her again, not even in my head. Especially not in my head.

Jacob didn’t say anything but just shifted uncomfortably in his seat. When he gave me a questioning look, I just shrugged, not knowing what he wanted from me. He pursed his lips and looked away without speaking. 

♤♡♧♢