Poker Night by Dusty Miller Page A

made him buy a magnum. She was totally
prepared, serene in her mission’s purpose and outcome.
    “ How was work?”
    “ Uh, it was
okay.”
    “ I laid around in the back
yard all day. Tanning. I got a bit of colour, I guess.”
    “ Well, good for you! Some
of us have to work for a living.”
    She laughed at that. She started a
summer job on Monday, although she hadn’t been accepted at school
yet.
    She was just softening him up a
little. She wondered what was going through his mind as the mental
picture of her in a bikini registered on his face with a far-off
look and a flurry of blinks.
    He gave her a funny little grin, and
his eyes dropped quickly away.
    “ There’s not much on
tonight.” He’d checked the listings, but Bethany liked Nature on
PBS and he’d always had an interest in wildlife and the outdoors.
“I suppose it really doesn’t matter.”
    Her show came on in a couple of hours.
He had promised to watch it and not to laugh or make fun it. She
loved that show. That was fine, as long as she watched it with him,
he was happy. Austin felt the lure of distant lands. He had dropped
out of biology at university, so he could make enough money to go
on. It was all big dreams at this point. The pair of them had such
great conversations, just the two of them, laughing and giggling,
with all of life ahead and just waiting out there. When he called
as promised, Bethany suggested a quiet night at his
place.
    “ That’s okay. We can
always play cards.”
    Austin grinned, shaking his head at
the notion.
    He rolled up a joint. The lighter was
almost gone and he flicked it and flicked it. Austin had his own
place, up on the second floor of an old two-story
brownstone.
    They sat and passed it back and
forth.
    “ I want to try something.
Do you trust me?” She patted his leg. “Come on, just say
yes.”
    He looked over, with eyebrows
raised.
    “ Absolutely!” He laughed
and she chuckled along.
    What the heck, she thought.
    “ Exhale, and try and hold
it out as long as possible.”
    Austin complied as Bethany sucked in
the biggest lungful of pot she’d ever had.
    Beckoning Austin forward, his eyes
bugging out with the need for air, she stuck her mouth on his and
clamped her free hand behind his head.
    His mouth turned up in an incredulous
grin, but as he stared at her, he didn’t try and pull away.
Committing to it, it made a much better seal. It turned into a real
kiss.
    She blew out hard, as Austin’s lungs
expanded and his eyebrows rose. She pushed and pushed on her
diaphragm until she could blow no more. He gave an aggressive
intake of breath and she almost collapsed in his arms, seeing
little black and white curlicues in the edges of her vision.
Austin’s lungs were at lot bigger than hers.
    He broke off and topped up with fresh,
cool air, not letting her get away just yet.
    Austin had some aggression in
him.
    Her body was warm and heavy in his
arms. Her hair smelled fresh and clean.
    She’d seen that aggression when he was
driving. He was very fast and very good in that little yellow car.
Austin tried to control it, but when someone pushed too hard, oh,
well…too bad for them.
    Austin brought his mouth up to
hers.
    She sucked in as much air and smoke as
she could and then they both gasped and fell back at the same time,
eyes locked in discovery. She licked her lips and he swallowed,
fearful of his own strength sometimes. She was warm and cuddly
again, half in his lap after that little episode.
    “ Hey.”
    “ Hey.”
    With a long look into Austin’s eyes,
Bethany casually reached for a glass.
    “ Care for a drink?’ She
took in a good mouthful and sat up straight, daring him.
    He came right in for it, clasping on
to her mouth with care.
    She shared the wine with him, the look
on his face intent and serious.
    Finally they broke off and swallowed,
Austin struggling for air. She smiled and nodded.
    They reached for each other as of one
mind.
    They cuddled face to face, inches
apart. Her mouth was set