Status: One and Done
Let You Win
Let You Win
“You got it.”
“Wait, what?” Luke got up from his chair at the card table, following the girl in the pink tank top and denim shorts outside. The party was raging on the deck too – people were everywhere.
Luke had been lucky, drawing three strong hands of poker in a row. Pretty soon it was just him and this girl, surrounded by those who’d folded and thrown in their cards. She was funny and wily, with a stellar poker face. His competitive nature kicked in; he really wanted to win because he really wanted to impress her. Someone had suggested a wager to make the final round more interesting.
“You won, I’m going in.”
Dark blond hair was cut to her chin and she constantly pushed it behind her ears. Her long, slender neck was tanned like her shoulders and arms – definitely earned from spending the summer outside. As Luke pretended to examine his cards, he really admired her dimpled smile and the way her forward lean highlighted her nicely filled out tank top. Now she was up, moving away from him and he saw long legs ending in cut-offs. Her bare feet were tipped with pink toenails.
“Whoever loses goes in the pool,” he had suggested.
As he snaked through the party he wondered if she would take anything off. He wondered what she was wearing underneath. It didn’t matter. She walked right to the edge and stepped in, fully clothed. The water was deep – she went under right away and came to the surface with her face turned up and her hair streaming back. She swam to the shallow end and when she stood, the water reached only to her waist. Instantly Luke’s mouth went dry at the way that pink tank top clung to her form.
She leaned onto her back and lifted her feet, floating free. The summer sun hung low in the sky, finally ready to set though the barbeque showed no signs of breaking up. It was September and the Indian Summer seemed endless. He stared at her as she backstroked toward the middle.
“Are you coming in?” she asked.
Luke had won the bet, so he didn’t need to. He hadn’t even thought of it. But suddenly her invitation was irresistible. He ditched his phone, keys, wallet and watch then pulled his shirt off over his head and used it to cover the pile.
Woah, she thought. He was definitely cute – with a quick smile and hair falling across his forehead. But he’d been hiding quite a physique under that striped polo shirt. He caught the way her eyes followed the hard muscles of his chest and smiled to himself. Luke hopped into the water the same way she had, dunking under. He swam over to where she was still floating.
“Water’s warm,” he said.
She murmured agreement, kicking her feet to stay afloat. Luke didn’t hesitate to place his hands under her back, holding her up. The last of the tension in her body released as he supported her slightly, weightless in the water.
“I’m Luke.”
“Christine,” she replied without opening her eyes. “Where’d you get so good at poker?”
“Just lucky,” he shrugged. The ribbing on her tank top was raised against his fingertips. He started moving left, turning her. “You’re pretty good too.”
The sun slipped below the horizon, taking the party from daytime to night. He’d been there for hours but only seen Christine when she sat down to be dealt in. Unfair, he’d thought. He would have preferred the opportunity to do some recon: ask the host what he knew about her, if she was local to Toronto, if she was into hockey. Luke liked to gather at least some information on a girl before he figured out what kind of play was most likely to work. Suddenly it seemed like she might be playing him. It was definitely working.
“I lost,” she pointed out.
“What would you have won? I’m in the pool anyway.”
She opened her eyes and gazed up at him. The sky was sinking from turquoise to navy behind his head. It suited him, she thought that dark blue was definitely Luke’s color. “The pool was your bet. Mine was something else.”
“Something better?” He flattened his hands, still floating her but gaining more contact with her body. He pressed more solidly, as if to claim her.
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
Luke continued to spin her. At the far end of the pool two people were making their way in, holding themselves on the ledge and lowering slowly into the water. Other people were watching them like they might join in the fun. Luke suddenly didn’t want them to, he wanted a few more moments alone with her first.
“What would you have wagered?”
“A kiss.” Her eyes were closed again, but her lips curled slightly. Luke wasn’t sure he’d heard her right until the smile confirmed it. Someone shouted and he turned to see a guy in full yellow clothing cannonball off the diving board. At least five more people were in the water now, with others gathering. Drinks were being set along the deck so the party could continue uninterrupted. They would soon lose their quiet spot.
Luke licked his lips quickly and, before his chance could escape, leaned over and pressed a kiss to Christine’s lips. She flinched in his hands, surprised because she hadn’t seen him coming. But she reacted quickly and lifted her mouth to his, sealing the kiss. When he lifted his head, Luke stayed close and told her, “I would have let you win.”
She put her feet down and stood before him. Tiny rivulets of water dripped from his shaggy hair and tracked the grooves of his chest. He looked European, but his accent was all Canada. His hands stayed at her sides, holding her gently with easy reach of another kiss.
A full smile beamed from her lips as she asked, “Want to make another bet?”
____
“Wait, what?” Luke got up from his chair at the card table, following the girl in the pink tank top and denim shorts outside. The party was raging on the deck too – people were everywhere.
Luke had been lucky, drawing three strong hands of poker in a row. Pretty soon it was just him and this girl, surrounded by those who’d folded and thrown in their cards. She was funny and wily, with a stellar poker face. His competitive nature kicked in; he really wanted to win because he really wanted to impress her. Someone had suggested a wager to make the final round more interesting.
“You won, I’m going in.”
Dark blond hair was cut to her chin and she constantly pushed it behind her ears. Her long, slender neck was tanned like her shoulders and arms – definitely earned from spending the summer outside. As Luke pretended to examine his cards, he really admired her dimpled smile and the way her forward lean highlighted her nicely filled out tank top. Now she was up, moving away from him and he saw long legs ending in cut-offs. Her bare feet were tipped with pink toenails.
“Whoever loses goes in the pool,” he had suggested.
As he snaked through the party he wondered if she would take anything off. He wondered what she was wearing underneath. It didn’t matter. She walked right to the edge and stepped in, fully clothed. The water was deep – she went under right away and came to the surface with her face turned up and her hair streaming back. She swam to the shallow end and when she stood, the water reached only to her waist. Instantly Luke’s mouth went dry at the way that pink tank top clung to her form.
She leaned onto her back and lifted her feet, floating free. The summer sun hung low in the sky, finally ready to set though the barbeque showed no signs of breaking up. It was September and the Indian Summer seemed endless. He stared at her as she backstroked toward the middle.
“Are you coming in?” she asked.
Luke had won the bet, so he didn’t need to. He hadn’t even thought of it. But suddenly her invitation was irresistible. He ditched his phone, keys, wallet and watch then pulled his shirt off over his head and used it to cover the pile.
Woah, she thought. He was definitely cute – with a quick smile and hair falling across his forehead. But he’d been hiding quite a physique under that striped polo shirt. He caught the way her eyes followed the hard muscles of his chest and smiled to himself. Luke hopped into the water the same way she had, dunking under. He swam over to where she was still floating.
“Water’s warm,” he said.
She murmured agreement, kicking her feet to stay afloat. Luke didn’t hesitate to place his hands under her back, holding her up. The last of the tension in her body released as he supported her slightly, weightless in the water.
“I’m Luke.”
“Christine,” she replied without opening her eyes. “Where’d you get so good at poker?”
“Just lucky,” he shrugged. The ribbing on her tank top was raised against his fingertips. He started moving left, turning her. “You’re pretty good too.”
The sun slipped below the horizon, taking the party from daytime to night. He’d been there for hours but only seen Christine when she sat down to be dealt in. Unfair, he’d thought. He would have preferred the opportunity to do some recon: ask the host what he knew about her, if she was local to Toronto, if she was into hockey. Luke liked to gather at least some information on a girl before he figured out what kind of play was most likely to work. Suddenly it seemed like she might be playing him. It was definitely working.
“I lost,” she pointed out.
“What would you have won? I’m in the pool anyway.”
She opened her eyes and gazed up at him. The sky was sinking from turquoise to navy behind his head. It suited him, she thought that dark blue was definitely Luke’s color. “The pool was your bet. Mine was something else.”
“Something better?” He flattened his hands, still floating her but gaining more contact with her body. He pressed more solidly, as if to claim her.
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
Luke continued to spin her. At the far end of the pool two people were making their way in, holding themselves on the ledge and lowering slowly into the water. Other people were watching them like they might join in the fun. Luke suddenly didn’t want them to, he wanted a few more moments alone with her first.
“What would you have wagered?”
“A kiss.” Her eyes were closed again, but her lips curled slightly. Luke wasn’t sure he’d heard her right until the smile confirmed it. Someone shouted and he turned to see a guy in full yellow clothing cannonball off the diving board. At least five more people were in the water now, with others gathering. Drinks were being set along the deck so the party could continue uninterrupted. They would soon lose their quiet spot.
Luke licked his lips quickly and, before his chance could escape, leaned over and pressed a kiss to Christine’s lips. She flinched in his hands, surprised because she hadn’t seen him coming. But she reacted quickly and lifted her mouth to his, sealing the kiss. When he lifted his head, Luke stayed close and told her, “I would have let you win.”
She put her feet down and stood before him. Tiny rivulets of water dripped from his shaggy hair and tracked the grooves of his chest. He looked European, but his accent was all Canada. His hands stayed at her sides, holding her gently with easy reach of another kiss.
A full smile beamed from her lips as she asked, “Want to make another bet?”
____