Female Novel
Chapter 1697
Logan drew in a sharp breath and warned, “Watch it, young lady.” He traded cards and went on to say,“You don’t even know what you’re saying. I’m just holding back my trump card here. Just you wait, I’llshow my hand and have you all bawling in no time!”
Cindy shrugged. She more than understood that talking big was his way of coping with imminentdefeat.
After two more rounds, the odds were outright against his favor and even Lola laughed at his sore fate.“I ought to get this down on camera and treat it like a good sitcom every once in a while.”
Logan made a face. “You’re heartless, that’s what you are. I was only letting you win; I didn’t bothertrading cards even though I could have.” He was telling the truth, for he had in fact held back during thepast few rounds.
However, Lola was less than grateful. “Kinship won’t help your odds in gambling. You should know thatbetter than anyone else.”
He incredulously gaped at her with wide eyes. “Oh, well then, guess I won’t have to show you anymercy after this! Don’t blame me for being ruthless!” novelbin
She ignored Logan. There was still plenty of time and even after fresh cards were dealt, he was stilldown on his luck.
The attendant couldn’t keep himself from chuckling. “Why don’t you just hope for a high card the nextround, Young Master Jefferson? Surely that would increase your odds. At this rate, I'm beginning to feel
sorry for you.”
Those words had sufficiently stoked Logan’s pride. “No, there’s no need for me to do that! None of youshould hold back; raise the stakes or trade cards all you want. I refuse to believe that I’m on a losingstreak!”
His confidence was admirable, but it proved futile in keeping his pride afloat, for he continued losing. Inthe end, he was so incensed by his inexplicably foul luck that he threw his cards on the table andseethed, “Forget it! It’s just a bad day for me to play poker. I should have worn my lucky shirt orsomething. If I did, you guys would have folded hours ago!”
Everyone else allowed his little tantrum as they kept the cards and tokens, after which they movedaway from the table.
Cindy felt an ache shooting up her back, but she hadn’t thought that playing poker would take such atoll on her body.
At that moment, she was seized by a twinge of admiration for Hazel, who played poker for a better partof the day and still went home looking invigorated.
Cindy moved her shoulders to ease her joints and walked over to one of the chairs propped on oneside of the room.
Logan was still grumbling about his losses, but that did little to distract him from Lola’s condition. In aflurry, he walked up to her and began to gently massage her shoulders.
This reminded Cindy of the dynamics between John and Sophia; she wondered how two couples could
mirror each other to such an extent.
As it turned out, birds of a feather really did flock together. It’s no surprise that good men like Loganand John hang out together, Cindy thought.
At this moment, Ian sauntered over and took the seat next to her. With a quick glance at his watch, heasked, “Should we head home? It’s getting late and I don’t want to return to my mom’s incessantnagging.”
She checked the time and gasped. “You’re right. We should be getting back. I didn’t realize how muchtime had passed!” She had been so invested in poker that she hardly paid attention to the time.
With that, the both of them stood up from their seats and ready to leave the clubhouse. Logan wasinsistent on seeing them out, but when Lola rose from the sofa to do the same, he clapped a hand onher shoulder and kept her in her seat, saying, “I can see them out. What are you thinking, walkingaround with that belly of yours? Just stay put and get some rest. You must be worn out from laughing atme all throughout poker.”
Cindy sputtered at this. Ian, on the other hand, wrapped an arm around her shoulders with an easygrace as he addressed Logan, “I don’t need you to see me out. This place is like a second home to meand I know where the door is. Stay here and take care of Lola.”
After having said that, he squeezed Cindy’s shoulder and gently guided her to the door.
Surprisingly, Logan did not follow them. They went downstairs and the attendants who were familiarwith Ian immediately raised their hands in greeting. He nodded and bid them goodbye.
When Ian and Cindy came to a stop next to the car, he released her from his grip. She shrugged as ifto brush off the strange sensation of having his arm on her shoulders before she said, “I saw on thenews that you and Logan go way back.”
“That much is true,” Ian answered with a hum. “We’ve known each other since we were adolescents.”
He wasn’t sure of the exact number of years they had been friends, but Logan was a constant figure inhis memories.