“And that’s it?”

Two men were in a room, having a discussion that they didn’t want anyone else to hear.

“It’s a bit more complicated than that. But…you’ll be doing everyone a favor if this goes well…”

“I understand…”

“Ah…it’s great to be back in the U.S.…” Tina murmured as she and Meliza got off the jetway.

It had been Meliza’s suggestion that Tina learned in a safer environment. So Tina had selected Atlantic City. Which Meliza didn’t mind at all.

She had left home about a year ago, to explore herself, learn about life, seeking adventure. Using some of her savings, she had accumulated a large amount of money while gambling, a hundred times more than what she started with. So she was never short on cash.

“Now what?” Tina suggested as they headed towards the outside arrival terminal.

“We go to a hotel.”

“Which one?” Tina asked as she hitched her carry-on over her shoulder.

“I have a couple friends in this town…They can help us out…” Meliza declared.

Tina smiled. “Great!” She frowned slightly as the Asian woman stepped off the curb. “Meliza? What are you doing?”

Meliza stuck two fingers in her mouth, releasing an ear-piercing whistle. A single cab driver screeched to a halt three feet in front of her. The gambler shot her companion a grin.

“Let’s go!”

Tina grinned back and walked towards the cab. The driver took her bag with a smile.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Meliza and Tina piled themselves in the back, buckling up as the driver slid into the front seat.

“Where to, ladies?” he asked, glancing at them through the rearview mirror.

“The Flagship at the Atlantic City Boardwalk…” Meliza’s eyes flicked to his badge displayed on the dashboard, “…Fred.”

He grinned. “You got it.”

During the short ride, Meliza pointed several things out to Tina. She hadn’t been in Atlantic City in years, but she remembered most of it.

“How do you know so much?” Tina asked curiously.

“My family used to vacation here,” Meliza stated.

“Where is your family now?”

“Las Vegas.”

Tina nodded in understanding. “So that’s where you learned to gamble…”

“Pretty much.”

“You ladies are here to gamble?” the driver piped up.

Meliza smiled. “I’m actually going to teach her the fine art of gambling…”

“That’s great…Just be careful out there…I wouldn’t want you ladies getting into trouble…”

“Thanks for the warning,” Tina said.

Tina stared around in awe as they walked towards the front desk of The Flagship hotel. Marble floors and walls were polished and shiny. Bright green plants gave the lobby a colorful look.

“Welcome to The Flagship,” the front desk clerk greeted.

“Hi,” Meliza greeted. “Is Emily Nicholson here?”

“I can call her office,” the clerk responded. “May I have your name please?”

“Meliza Rinaldo,” she responded.

The clerk’s eyes widened. “As in…?” she trailed off. At Meliza’s nod, she immediately picked up the phone and pushed a button. “Hello, Ms. Nicholson? Ms. Meliza Rinaldo here to see you…” She hung up after the hotel’s general manager gave her several instructions. She then offered Meliza a wide smile. “Ms. Nicholson suggested I give you the penthouse suite…She’ll be out here in a few minutes to greet you personally…”

Tina gazed at Meliza wide-eyed. “Wow…How did you manage to…?”

Meliza grinned. “The GM and I were schoolmates in high school.”

“You got connections…”

Meliza grinned as a willowy blonde walked up to them.

“Meliza Rinaldo,” the blonde greeted her with a light hug. “I haven’t heard from you in ages. How are you?”

“Doing fine, thanks, Emily,” Meliza responded.

Emily looked at Tina with curious blue eyes. “Who’s this?”

“Tina,” the brunette responded, offering her hand. “Meliza is willing to teach me all she knows about gambling…”

Emily laughed. “Watch and learn. We grew up in Vegas, so we know the business quite well.” She shook her hand. “Emily Nicholson, general manager.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Emily got four penthouse cardkeys from the front desk clerk. “Let me escort you two to your room.”

“You’ve got a wonderful hotel here,” Tina raved.

“Thank you. I started working in a hotel since I was fourteen. I became general manager at a young age…twenty-two.”

“How old are you now, if you don’t mind me asking?” Tina piped up.

“Twenty-three.”

“Wow. Moving up in the world,” Tina commented as Meliza smiled.

“I like to think so,” Emily laughed.

They got into the elevators. Emily inserted the key into the slot next to the penthouse button, then pushed the button to indicate penthouse floor.

“You need to insert the key to press the penthouse button. It’s an extra measure of privacy,” Emily explained as she held up two keys. “One key goes into here, and the outer door of the penthouse suite. The other goes into your door.”

“Oh, I see…” Tina said.

Within a few moments, the door to the penthouse level opened. A thin corridor leading to cream-colored French doors greeted them. Emily unlocked those doors before leading them to another set of doors, unlocking those as well.

Tina stared in awe at the brocade chairs, kitchen, bar, velvet sofas, marble coffee tables and crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. “Wow…”

Meliza laughed softly. “Check out the bedrooms.”

Tina dashed to one and squealed in surprise. The beds were shaped like circles, covered with satin sheets and pillows. Marble nightstands stood on each side. Each bedroom had an adjoining bathroom consisting of a large tub/jacuzzi and shower stall. Both had shiny brass for faucets.

“Wow! This is great!”

Emily handed Meliza the keys. “Do you two need anything else? I’ll send a complimentary meal up. Just call room service with your order, and I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you,” Tina and Meliza said simultaneously.

Tina opened her carry-on as Emily left. “So which casino are we going to hit first?”

“There’s one about two blocks away…called Gold Digger. You might like that one,” Meliza suggested.

“Sounds good…”

“Do I look okay?” Tina asked, adjusting the spaghetti straps on her black dress.

Meliza, dressed in a dark blue collared button-down blouse and black miniskirt, was more sensibly dressed. “What are you trying to do? Catch a man?”

Tina grinned sheepishly. “Does dressing this way distract the male gamblers?”

Meliza shook her head. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

They walked into the Gold Digger casino. It had over fifty card tables, with different games being played. The two walked around, trying to see which games were being played.

The room was brightly lit, filled with slot machines and a bar. Meliza would point out different types of players to Tina.

“There are tourists, decent card players, and professional gamblers. Once you get used to reading people…you can easily identify who falls under what category,” Meliza declared.

“When can I do that?”

“With practice,” Meliza said simply.

Tina abruptly stopped facing a blackjack table four feet away. Meliza nearly stumbled into her.

“Hey!” she exclaimed.

But Tina ignored her. Meliza followed Tina’s gaze, which was trained onto a man with a golden tan. The lights above shined on his dark brown hair. His lean frame, poised for action, was clad in a red, long-sleeved, silk collared shirt and black trousers. A black necktie hung clipped to his shirt with a silver pin. Black suspenders stretched from his waistband to taper over broad shoulders, forming a V at his back. It was his chiseled features that had caught Tina’s attention. He had a strong jaw and high cheekbones. Just by studying his features, Meliza could tell he was a man of intensity, and he played to win.

“I’m so in love…” Tina asked, her voice breathless as she stared at the man in awe.

“Take a guess on what level he is at,” Meliza said quietly.

“I’d think he’s a pro, but that’s because everyone’s a pro compared to me…” Tina joked.

Meliza laughed quietly. “Well, you’re right. He’s a professional.”

“Wow…” Tina continued to gawk.

The women watched as he revealed his hand to the other players and the dealer. The other players sighed in defeat and his expression remained neutral as the dealer pushed twenty thousand USD in chips towards him.

Meliza smiled wryly. “Hmm…I think I’m in the mood for blackjack…”

Tina’s eyes widened. “Meliza…Wait!” she snatched her arm.“Why?”

“Why not?” Meliza countered. “You do want to meet him, right?”

“Yeah, but…what if he doesn’t like me? What if he thinks I’m a total goofball?”

“Then let me do the talking,” Meliza replied.

“But what if he likes you?”

“He won’t,” Meliza said wryly. “I have bad luck with men. I always tend to attract the scrubs or ones with severe emotional problems…”

“What if he’s married?” Tina hissed.

“I don’t see a wedding ring.”

“What if he’s engaged?”

“Then she’d be with him right now.”

Tina took a deep breath. Okay. Not that she should complain. She’d get a chance to get a closer look at the gambler.

The Asian women slid into the stool next to the young man and handed the dealer one thousand USD in chips.

He lifted one brow and bet one thousand. She knew it was a bold move. Especially since seeing a female at the tables was rare. The dealer passed out the cards. Meliza studied hers carefully before signaling another card. Tina observed her six and two of hearts with no emotion. The dealer threw down a king of hearts. After signaling that she was satisfied with her hand, the dealer moved onto the man beside her. He decided to stand.

Dealer revealed his hand, and five and a ten of spades. One player, an elderly man with glasses, went bust, a young college student had sixteen, a woman in her thirties had seventeen. Meliza revealed her hand. The young man then revealed his – king and a queen. The dealer passed the chips to him as the other players left.

“Winner, with three thousand…”

He accepted his winnings then handed Meliza one thousand. “Here…figured you might want this back…”

Meliza’s lips parted in surprise as Tina’s jaw dropped. “You won it fair and square.”

“Use it at poker table number twelve. You’ll win a lot over there…” he advised.

“But…” she protested.

“Keep it,” he instructed, closing her hands over the chips. “Besides…I wouldn’t know what to do with it…” He glanced at his watch before plucking his blazer from his chair. “I’ll see you around,” he told her with a wink.

Meliza followed him with her eyes as he headed to the bar.

“My goodness…” Tina breathed. “Did you see his eyes?”

Meliza nodded. “Nice…” His eyes were hazel, with just a hint of green.