Chapter 5: Playing Cards
1352 Words
Everyone at the playing table was someone he knew. Jack kicked the chair of the person sitting to Benjamin's right. “Get up after this round, let Emma join in too.”
Jack had noticed her sitting alone in the corner, bored, so he'd insisted on pulling her over.
The man whose chair had been kicked glanced at Emma and started to stand up. All of them were older than her, and none would refuse to make room for her.
“Brother Ethan,” Emma began to speak.
Benjamin pulled the empty chair next to him closer. “Let her sit here.”
Ethan paused, then pointed at the seat. “Sure, Emma. Sit next to your brother. He just won a round against all of us. Hurry up and make him lose it all.”
Jack laughed and kicked him playfully. “Make Benjamin lose so you can all win his money, huh?”
Ethan nodded triumphantly, arranging his chips. “Exactly.”
Jack stepped aside, and Emma walked over to sit in the chair next to Benjamin.
The two chairs were pressed together, their armrests touching.
Benjamin still had his left arm draped over the back of his chair. The lighting was dim, and his expression was hard to read in the shifting shadows.
Emma didn't look at him, though.
They sat like that, she drew and discarded cards, while he just watched, neither interfering nor joining in.
Only when she made a glaring mistake would he take the card she was about to discard from her hand, tap one of the cards in front of her with his fingertip, and signal her to discard that one instead.
Emma said nothing. If he gave guidance, she discarded whichever card he indicated; if not, she played randomly as she liked.
Everyone else at the table knew how to play and played seriously.
Her skills were poor, and her luck was worse. After a few rounds, she lived up to expectations, she'd lost nearly all the chips Benjamin had won.
She heard Benjamin let out a very quiet laugh.
Hesitating for a second, she leaned back, tossed the cards in her right hand aside, and said, “I'm done playing.”
Her voice was so soft that only Benjamin, sitting close by, could hear it.
And it was indeed only meant for him.
Benjamin didn't respond, he just moved the cards that she had tossed aside.
The others were too busy counting their chips and joking around to notice the tension between the two. When they finally did, they only thought Benjamin and Emma were being unusually quiet.
But Benjamin had never been much of a talker anyway.
Ethan secretly took back the two chips of his that were in front of Benjamin. Before he could tease Benjamin about it, Benjamin stood up and pushed all the chips in front of him toward Ethan. “You guys keep playing. I'm leaving first.”
Jack hadn't joined the game, he'd been sitting next to the person across from Benjamin, watching. Hearing this, he looked up to stop him. “We're throwing this welcome-back dinner for you. How can you leave so soon?”
Benjamin scoffed, seeing through him. “You just wanted an excuse to go out and play, stop using me as a cover.”
He bent down to pick up his car keys from the tray on the side table. “She's had alcohol. I'll take her home first.”
Emma had been sitting quietly, barely speaking since Jack had dragged her to the table.
She looked up at Benjamin now.
Benjamin seemed not to notice her gaze. He just tapped the keys in his right hand lightly, then glanced at Ethan's phone, which Ethan had held out to him.
It was probably something work-related. Benjamin scanned it for a moment and said, “I won't invest.”
When Ethan took his phone back, he noticed Emma looking at him. Assuming she was in a hurry, he turned off the phone and set it on the table. “Alright, go on then, Emma's waiting.”
“No, you guys keep drinking. I can go back alone,” Emma said.
Jack laughed. “If you go alone, we'll still have to find you a designated driver. Just go with your brother, he doesn't want to stay here anyway.”
In the time it took to say those two sentences, Benjamin had already picked up his jacket from the back of his chair and stepped out from behind the table.
Seeing him walk away, Emma stood up and followed.
They left the club and walked all the way to the parking lot. Just as they were about to reach the car, Benjamin suddenly stopped.
Emma, walking behind him, was forced to stop too.
Then he turned around.
He'd been carrying his suit jacket in his right hand. His shirt collar and cuffs were unbuttoned, even more disheveled than when he'd left the office after work.
Emma took a step back. She saw his gaze fall on her chest. “Are you still wearing that brooch?”
It was the brooch David had given her. She'd worn this jacket when she'd gone out with David earlier and had forgotten to take it off. She'd remembered it that morning when she'd left the house, but had just kept it on anyway.
The brooch was small and unobtrusive, she hadn't paid much attention to it herself.
Before she could speak, Benjamin suddenly stuffed his jacket into her arms, then lifted his hand to take off the annoying brooch for her.
His movements were rough. He couldn't figure out the clasp on the back and pulled it hard, his expression growing impatient.
Emma furrowed her brows. Without thinking, she raised her hand to grab his wrist and said sharply, “Benjamin!”
Benjamin chuckled, a hint of mockery in his tone. “Not calling me 'brother' anymore?”
Emma replied, “You never wanted to hear it anyway, did you?”
Benjamin's voice was casual. “Guess not.”
He finally got the brooch off and tossed it carelessly into the trash can next to the car. The brooch clattered against the metal bin.
Emma's eyes widened. She glanced at the trash can, then stepped forward instinctively.
Seeing the brooch had really been thrown in, she turned back to Benjamin. “What are you doing?”
She was still holding his jacket. She tossed it back into his arms. The moment Benjamin caught it, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward him.
Emma stumbled, falling forward into his chest.
His car was parked in the first row of the parking lot. Behind Emma was the path, and beyond that was the club's main entrance, brightly lit.
Emma froze. She tried to yank her hand back hard, but the harder she pulled, the tighter Benjamin held on. She looked up, her voice low but sharp with anger. “What are you doing? Jack and the others will come out soon...”
He trapped her in front of him and leaned down slightly. “So what if they do?”
His voice carried the coolness of the evening breeze, giving away no emotion.
“Them seeing us together?” His face was calm, his tone indifferent. “Aren't you my sister? What's wrong with me holding you?”
Benjamin looked at her. “I'm not even kissing you.”
Their eyes met, and she saw her own reflection in his.
After a few seconds, she pulled her hand free, walked around him toward the car, opened the door, and got into the passenger seat.
The door slammed shut with a “bang.”
Benjamin rubbed his fingers, his fingertips still seemed to hold the warmth of her skin. After a moment, he stood straight, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and reached for a cigarette.
He patted his pockets twice, then remembered, he'd left his cigarettes and lighter in the car.
He stood outside the car for a while, then saw Jack come out to take a call.
- Writer
