Derrick grit his teeth. I could tell this decision was not going to come easy for him, as well it shouldn't. Here he was looking at gaining more than when he had started with, but on the other hand, fortune tends to take sharp turns for the worst. He looked up at Lara who smiled innocently back at him, waiting with abated breath for him to decide what to do.
"You know," he started, pushing the cards Lara had already dealt him back towards her. "My Uncle once brought me to Las Vegas, to celebrate me getting a basketball scholarship here. I was at a Black Jack table like this one only... money was the tinder we played for." Lara offered a giggle in response to the joke. "I remember I almost lost all my money, but then... then I started playing smart. I ended up recouping my losses and gained close to three thousand dollars. Everyone told me to keep playing, but my Uncle, her grabbed me by the shoulder and said, 'Son, it's fun to play the odds, but always remember to stop while you're ahead.'" He looked up at Lara who flashed the warmest smile I had ever seen. "So that's what I'm going to do," he announced, standing up and turning to leave.
"A wise decision, dear boy," she smiled, snapping her fingers. The card table vanished and the deck returned to her hand. "I fear had you continued, fortune would not have favored you." She flicked the deck open to reveal the next set of cards that would have been played. True enough, Derrick would have busted and started losing again. "Perhaps your not as stupid as I thought," Lara concluded.
"Hey, ma'am, I'd like to thank you for the chance you gave me to... to get back to normal," he stammered.
"Don't thank me," Lara grinned. "It was all you. You earned it back."
"Maybe, but you didn't have to give me the opportunity. You could have just sent me away, or rigged the game. But you were fair. I appreciate it."
"The pleasure was all mine. Games are a welcome distraction from a long life lived."
"Yeah, well maybe we can play again sometime, except without the magic, you know?" Derrick chuckled.
"I would be honored to play you anytime, Derrick. Try bringing a few girls with you next time. Then it could really become interesting."
"I just might, Lady Lara," he acknowledged before turning to leave.
"Oh, and Derrick, a word of advice before you leave." He stopped looking at Lara attentively. "Stay away from Charity. The curse I placed upon you is still active. You wouldn't want to give her another nine inches would you?"
"No ma'am, that bitch is tall enough," he admitted.
"Then just make sure you give her a wide birth. I don't do third chances," she noted gravely. Derrick nodded and turned to leave.
"Well that was fun," Lara giggled looking towards me.
"And tense," I admitted, having the unenviable experience of watching the man lose several times, and sometimes in streaks. "Do you think he's learned anything?"
"If he hasn't learned his lesson now, he never will," she concluded.