Chasing Rainbows - Part Seven

Chapter Seven

Within an hour they were down to just four players, Jacob had a healthy pile of chips in front of him, and Emma was feeling a little more comfortable. Which was bizarre considering this man had been a complete stranger just a day earlier. She felt anxiety, concern, even fear for him. Ideally she wanted to walk away, come back at the end and see what had happened rather than experience every tense moment, but life wasn’t like that. Jacob needed her; she owed him this, if no other reason than the stunning shoes on her feet. She looked down and smiled, they were like wearing a glove, a perfect and comfortable fit, and they were the greatest thing she’d ever worn. She still couldn’t believe that he’d managed to ascertain the right shoe size. When did a man ever observe shit like that?

Glancing up her eyes met Jacob’s it was the first time his concentration had left the table, and she hoped it wasn’t a sign that he’d lost his focus. Then she realised he was laughing, with his eyes, had he seen her admiring her shoes? The shoes HE’D bought her? And then as quickly as it had arisen, the moment passed, and he was 110 percent focussed on the game. And he only went and won the hand! A HUGE hand!

They all took a break then as another one bit the dust, everyone refilled drinks and visited the bathroom. Emma was emerging from the bathroom when two arms encircled her from behind and she was pulled back into a large imposing body.

Turning she met Jacob’s eyes and smiled, “you’re doing good!” She couldn’t chastise him for his over familiarity this time, there was so much tension, so much pressure, and it did feel right to share a conspiratorial hug before he returned to the warzone.

                “You are my lucky star Emma, I know you don’t believe it, but I’ve never played this well!”

She shook her head placed her hands on his shoulders, “I can barely follow what you’re doing. But whatever it is, keep it up!”

He grinned, “I want a kiss if I win! THAT’S what I’m playing for! So be prepared!”

And with that he marched back to the table. As she knew so little about him, she didn’t know if this man was a hustler of if he really hadn’t played much poker, but she did know that he was doing well. Most of the other players looked nervous, and that was a sign of how confident he seemed.

A few small hands saw little change, but then Jacob was after a large hand, the bets were being raised, and the loser would really struggle. Everyone was on the edge of their seat, she’d never been so anxious in her life before. The pile of chips kept growing, the tension kept mounting, and Jacob actually looked up at her and smiled!  The man had nerves of steel!

And it was that smile, that lazy confident expression that undid his rivals.   

Down to two men, and Jacob lost the next hand, the remaining two men were equally matched scoring small points against each other for another two hands. But when they started to raise the stakes once again, everyone in the room collectively held their breath. This was it. The big one. Winner takes all!

Emma was still unsure of the order of winning hands, but as Jacob flipped over a pair of kings, that combined with the two kings face up on the table, the whole room gasped. Then the other player, a middle aged man from Texas, groaned. Four Kings beat his two pairs. Jacob had won!

But he didn’t celebrate, he just sat there, stunned as he was clapped on the back by everyone who could reach him. It was minutes before he looked up and found Emma’s eyes; she was sat across the room, tears of relief in her eyes. But that was replaced with wonder as she watched him storm single-mindedly across the room towards her.

And then came the theatrical kiss of her dreams. Jacob grabbed her, pulled her into his arms, then tipped her backwards before mashing his lips enthusiastically to hers. It was greeted with a few whoops and catcalls, but as he finished the kiss, and moved back into the hubbub of the room, as quickly and dramatically as he’d approached her, it left Emma in a state of acute confusion. He’d said he wanted a kiss, but she had NO idea he meant a kiss like that!

From the side of the room, she stood with her fingers still touching her bruised and tingling lips, watching Jacob court the media, the casino managers, and the sponsors of the game. He was definitely at home being the centre of it all and he was milking all the attention. And there was some attention. This was a commercial competition, according to the man who sat next to her, there were a lot of more discreet games, where large sums of money crossed hands and the last thing the patrons of those events wanted was publicity. But this competition had a huge publicity package, and Jacob was embroiled in a huge media circus.

Emma was glad for a few moments to herself. One of the casino hosts was only too pleased to refill her glass with white wine. But she’d barely taken a sip when that warm voice sounded from her left, “leave the chardonnay Emma, we have champagne!”

And with that he produced what could only be described as a Jeroboam of a rather distinguished champagne. “Drinks are on me darling, all on me!”

As they moved into the main casino, it didn’t take long for Eve and Angelina to sense the party and arrive in their ultra glamorous way. Jacob was glued to her side, and was greeting everyone who came to congratulate them as though they were a couple, or at least more than two people who’d only known each other for thirty hours.

                “He’s a real hunk!” eve whispered once the girls had managed to prise Emma away from the ever attentive Jacob.

Emma grinned, “he’s just won half a million, do you think that helps?”

Angelina smiled, “works for me! Pity though, he’s only got eyes for you lucky Emma!!!”

Blushing she shook her head, “not at all. I just brought him luck! That’s purely it!”

Both of the girls looked at her knowingly, she was SOOOO wrong!

                “Had enough of the party!”

The voice distracted her from hearing yet more about Michael Parsons, a solitary man who’d somehow deposited himself in front of her, and was more than happy to talk...a lot! He’d been a losing semi finalist the previous evening. She’d heard all about his mother, his cats, and the thirteen goldfish that lived in a four foot by two foot tank in his kitchen...he was THAT exact, and he was just about to start telling her about his work as a geology professor in a Pennsylvanian University when like a knight in shining armour, Jacob appeared beside her.

                “Let’s get out of here!”

She gave a barely apologetic smile to the middle aged man and spun around to face Jacob, “What did you have in mind?”

He shrugged, “I know this bar that may be a little bit quieter than here...and away from the melee...what  do you say?”

She grinned, “as tempting and enlightening as Mr Parsons here is, that sounds like the best idea anyone’s had in the last ten minutes!”

Taking her hand, he broke into a jog, dragging her at a stumble in her new heels out of the casino and across the reception.

The bar they were in was quieter than most she’d seen in town, and was only a short taxi ride from her hotel. As soon as they say at the bar, a tentative barman approached and Jacob smiled at him, “two mojitos please!”

Emma groaned, she’d drank a fair amount already, not that she felt drunk, the thought of mixing even more drinks made her stomach a little uneasy. That was until she tasted one.

                “Wow!”

He laughed, “I’ve stayed in this hotel at least a dozen times, and I have to say, I think these are the greatest mojito’s I have ever tasted.” He leaned across to her, “and definitely deserved after the evening we’ve had.”

                “You were amazing earlier. Have you really never played?”

He sighed, the tension was really starting to leave his body, “Not to this level, but I am a math freak...and it’s all about numbers...though it’s illegal to count cards in a casino, well not so much illegal as frowned upon. So of course I wouldn’t consider doing that!” His smile was infectious, “ but anyway, I always clean up when I play my friends...and I needed this money...”

                “Why?” It was a cheeky question that she’d not have imagined asking if it hadn’t been for the spirits, the wine, the champagne and now the cocktails. She was SO glad that she’d barely drank when Isobel was getting drunk hours earlier, otherwise now she’d be curled up in a corner snoring.

Jacob looked at her, “I don’t live the life my parents want for me...this helps me level the playing field. Settle money that I suddenly owe them, and allow me to keep living.”

Emma nodded in acknowledgement, “welcome to my world!”

                “Have yours slapped a ‘living’ bill on you too? I mean rent? I live in my grandmother’s house! Before she died she asked me to look after it...if it was in her will, that I’d keep it safe, instead Daddy dearest has control of it, and is now charging me six years back rent!” He gestured for another cocktail, then drained his glass. “This win clears that...but it’s not making me feel as good as I could be. You know?”

She nodded, more than a little shocked, she’d thought her parents’ desire for her to marry, have kids was controlling and demanding, it seemed that Mr and Mrs Coren took the biscuit in the domineering parent category, and whilst she felt pity for him, she also appreciated her own life and family a little bit more. “Aren’t we all disappointments to our parents in one way or another? I dread having kids, that responsibility, that anticipation of expecting the best for them.”

Jacob sighed and paid for the completed cocktails then grinned as he saw hers still half full, “I know that if I ever have children - though my mother assures me I have NOTHING to offer a woman, and so will never have the opportunity, that I’ll let them grow, develop. I’m not into spoiling them, letting them take advantage, but I don’t think I’ll measure their success in money, or Ivy League ways.”

                “You didn’t go to college?”

He laughed, “I aced my classes at Princeton, you’d think that would make them proud, but it wasn’t enough, in fact that probably makes them rue things even more.”

Emma had realised he was an intelligent man when she first met him, more than his secure ways or his poker prowess, he spoke well, he had a casual confidence that belied his clothing and demeanour. She knew that Princeton was a great school, and that it wouldn’t have been easy to do well there.  “Suppose your class mates have done great things!”

He laughed, “you’ve got it! Senators and lawyers, and they’re the under achievers!”

Emma placed a hand dramatically on her hand, “try being an actor...a not exceptionally successful actor who has to temp in a variety of shit jobs to pay bills!”

Jacob widened his eyes equally dramatically, “Ahh! I can only imagine that...”

\they both sipped at their drinks for a moment, before Jacob spoke again, “so have you done any big roles?”

Emma groaned, “this is not the way conversations should be going! I mean...” She snarled her mouth in a non aggressive way to bare her teeth, then mimicked a toothbrush in her right hand, then singing she added, “Keep your mouth Minty Fresh with FreshMinty toothpaste!”

When Jacob burst out laughing she grinned, “other than a bit of extra work, that’s about as good as it gets!” She went on to tell him about her theatre appearances, her three episodes of a well known British soap, and her regular Christmas festivals, where she played anything from a reindeer to Mother Christmas. He tried to stifle his laughter, but her helplessness and her comedic explanations of it all that when she finished he could do nothing more than pull her into a supportive hug!

                “For every Theo Samuel or George Clooney there’s a few hundred like you I imagine!”

She felt her jaw drop open for a moment at the mention of that man’s name, then grinned, “More like a few hundred thousand. But you have now highlighted my REAL low!” his ears pricked up at that, and she surmised her audition a few days earlier.

                “Let me get this straight...you have the audition for the greatest role of your life, with a Hollywood star...and you accuse him of molesting you?”

Emma couldn’t help but laugh, it was so easy to share her stories with this man who was a stranger until just over twenty four hours ago. “He full on kissed me! What teenage boy kisses like a Hollywood star?”

Jacob waggled his eyebrows, enjoying teasing her, “who says that was his NORMAL kiss...he might have been playing it down for you. That may have truly been his memories of teenage kisses.”

Emma wasn’t buying it, “Nope, I think he was trying to unbalance me!”

                “And it worked!”

Emma thought for a moment, she hadn’t heard anything since the audition, so that spoke volumes. If she’d smiled and walked away graciously would she now be heading to Hollywood for her breakthrough part?

Nodding she smiled at him, “I think that part would have got me a page on IMDb!”

                “But then you’d be too up your own ass to support me, a stranger, in my hour of need!”

It was a good point. Since meeting Jacob the previous day she’d barely thought about her life back home, he’d given her something exciting, something to look forward to, and definitely been a distraction. If she’d been in Vegas with the role in the proverbial bag, then she’d never have dropped her defences and had fun, she’d be so busy trying to plan her future, to work out the intricacies of the part. Nope, this man had her number, most clearly. He understood her more than her own family and friends ironically!