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When I sneak a glance at Gia between hands, I see her counting her chips She seeets up fro a couple chips back to the dealer as a tip My pulse pounds at the thought of not seeing her again

As she starts to walk away, I pass my chips to the dealer and start to follow her

“Sir, are you cashing out?” The dealer calls out to ht of Gia

“Keep it,” I say overher

She’s just outside of the poker room when I approach her

“Hey, Gia,” I say, getting her attention

“How do you know my name?” she asks sharply

“That guy earlier, Jerry He called you Gia”

Her expression softens “Oh Did I forget so at the table?” She checks toon her shoulder

“No, I just uh…wanted to ask you so”

She looks atto ask her? A question just rolls out of ht

“Did you just hustle me?” My tone is both stunned and impressed

She cocks her head, holdingpoker”

“Bullshit”

“You know, you frohen you have a great hand,” she says “If you’re going to play often, you should work on that”

I scoff “I don’t frohat are you talking about?”

“You do You turn down the corners of your lips and narrow your eyes just slightly It’s not an unusual tell—you’re trying to hide how strong your hand is”

I think back, and I realize…she’s right I did try to look serious and concerned every tiood hand back there

“And you bite your lip,” I tell her “That must be your tell”

She smiles and the radiance of it pulls rab her and kiss her like she’s never been kissed before

“When do I do it, though?” she asks ood hand or when I have a bad one?”

I open ain, silent for a few seconds

“I can’t say for sure,” I admit

“I do it every other hand,” she says “No matter what cards I have That way people think I have a tell, but really I don’t”

She adjusts her purse strap and pulls it over her head so it lays crosswise over her chest, and as she looks at the door, I realize she’s about to leave

“Are you here on vacation?” I ask her