...know when to run

The Gambler

You've got to know when to hold 'em,
know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away,
know when to run.
You never count your money
when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin'
when the dealin's done.

Every gambler knows
that the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away
and knowin' what to keep.
'Cause every hand's a winner
and every hand's a loser
And the best that you can hope for
is to die in your sleep.

“Zac, there is no way in hell that she is cheating…” Isaac said shaking his head at his younger brother. “YOU dealt that hand… Unless she has powers over you that makes you stack the cards.”

“She has some kind of evil powers.” Zac said glaring at Anne as she gathered the cards up. It was her turn to shuffle again.

“Evil powers or no,” Emory said laughing. “You have a shirt to take off.”

“I’m not taking my shirt off, cause I’m sure she’s cheating.” Zac said crossing his arms across his chest.

“Zac, take your shirt off.” Isaac said. I looked around at the five of us playing strip poker. Isaac still had on everything below his waist, opting to take off his bowling shirt, t-shirt and wifebeater, Emory was in a t-shirt, socks and panties, I was mostly dressed, having only lost my shoes, socks and the ridiculous bowling shirt, Loveboat still had every article of clothing on, but Zac was down to his boxers and a t-shirt.

“Fine,” Zac said as he pulled off his t-shirt. “Cleo, you’re sitting next to her, is she pulling cards out of her sleeves or something?”

“No, for the millionth time, she is not.” I said stretching. As I set my arm down on the bed behind me, I placed my hand on Taylor's tummy. I turned and smiled at my very surly fiancé. When I caught his eye, his bottom lip came even farther out. "Tay, honey, can you see over that lip?"

"I would, but I think you're in enough pain as it is." I said rubbing his tummy gently. "Can I get you anything? A drink? Fresh ice?"

"Dude, what if it's like in that one episode of Drew Carey?" Zac asked all excited. "What if you've sprained your dick?”

“It’s not sprained, it’s just tender.” Taylor said, his voice sounded angry, but his fingertips were moving gently over the inside of my elbow. Suddenly, he hit a sweet spot. I sucked in a sharp breath and goosebumps peppered my flesh.

“Dude, do you think you’ll have a list to the left or the right after this?” Zac asked as he shuffled

“Keep it up, dumb ass!” Taylor said. “Soon, we’ll ALL get to see just which way you bend…”

“No way, I’m not losing another hand.” Zac said gathering up the 5 cards in front of him. “You are all going down.”

I gathered my cards and had a pretty decent hand for 5-card stud. I had 2 pairs, Jacks high. But with the way Anne’s luck was running, I just closed my hand and set the cards face down. “You’re going to fold with that?” Taylor asked quietly behind me.

“I think so.” I said turning and looking at him again. I stretched my arm out again and moved my hand over his chest. “Anyway, if I fold and Zac loses again… The game is over.”

“I’m not going to lose again.” Zac said watching as Ike, Emory and I all placed our cards face down. “Cause I have a full house. Beat that!!”

“Fine.” Anne said laying her hand down on the floor. She had five spades, a flush.

“Okay, now I know you’re cheating! There is NO way that you dealt yourself a flush.” Zac yelled.

“I did, sorry.” Anne said leaning back on her elbows, stretching her long legs towards Zac. “And really, I’m sure I’ll enjoy the show… Get stripping young man.”

“I’m afraid not.” Zac said crossing his arms across his chest. “In fact, I’m going to get redressed in protest! In Vegas, someone this lucky would be watched very, very carefully…”

“Zac don’t be such a pussy.” Taylor said from the bed, his calloused fingers moving up my arm tickling little circles in the supersensitive flesh of my inner arm. “You bet, so now you HAVE to follow through.”

“No.” Zac said standing and violently pulling on his jeans. I looked at his body, skinny still, but filling out. The thing that really stood out though were all of the scars from surgeries and drains punched through infected skin. The scars would probably fade with time, but for this moment only 6 months after he was so sick, they were still an angry red and raised. I was sure if I reached out and felt his chest and belly, I would be able to read the story of his illness there in Braille. “I’m done with this game… If you want to play another game, I’ll play, but I’m done with poker.”

“Okay spoilsport.” Taylor said his fingers still moving slowly across my arm. “Truth or dare?”

“Are you a virgin?” Taylor asked as we all pulled ourselves off the floor. I climbed over Taylor and settled onto the bed next to him, settling into his arms. I snuffled into his neck and loved what I smelled there. He smelled so warm and boylike with just a touch of beer and cigarettes.

“Now who’s cheating?” Anne asked as she sat in the chair across the table from Zac. “You’re just all sorts of upset cause I am better at everything…”

“Whatever.” Zac said rolling his eyes. “Why don’t you answer that question…”

“Fine, yes, I’m a virgin.” Anne said smiling sweetly. “And, I’ve never had a sip of beer or any other alcohol. I’ve never smoked anything. I’m a good girl.”

“Thanks for playing, but that question was for Zac.” Isaac said as he and Emory lay in the other bed.

“Fine!” Zac said. I noticed that his eyes suddenly were glued to the carpet, a definite red tinge climbing up his neck and into his cheeks. “Yes, I’m a virgin.”

“How is that possible?” Anne asked a look of amazement crossing her face. “I mean, the girls out in front of the hotel… You could have any of them! Although, I suspect that most of them need some sort of psychological help.”

“Well, I am not a dog or a pig.” Zac said watching as Anne dealt herself a hand of solitaire. “I would never take advantage of those poor girls. They don’t like me, they like the image of me they’ve created. And sex with any of them would be empty.”

Anne lifted her eyes and met Zac’s. “Wow Hanson, that is actually really noble.”

“Well, it’s not that hard to live a moral life.” Zac said sticking out his chest. “Some people can resist the urge to take advantage of emotionally distressed girls.”

“Zac, be nice.” I said snuggling into Taylor. His hand had now pulled my t-shirt out of my jeans and was gently swirling his fingers over my back, my side, my belly. As his hands moved slowly, back and forth over my skin, I found myself responding. He knew his gentle feather light touches would effect me, he knew I loved to be touched and rubbed softly. “What Taylor and I did the day of Thad’s funeral and what would happen if you took advantage of one of the girls in front of the hotel are so totally different… They can’t even be compared.”

“Truth.” I answered wiggling down closer to Taylor. He was really turning me on. It was actually quite disturbing to be so turned on in a room full of people.

“Who is the best kisser out of me, Tay and Ike?” Zac asked a smug smirk on his face.

“What?” I asked as Taylor gentle ministrations suddenly got a lot more pressure behind them.

“Oh please, don’t act all innocent…” Zac said rolling his eyes. “I know that you’ve been very intimate with all three of us…”

“You knew that.” I said lifting myself up so I could look Taylor directly in the eye. “You can’t act like you didn’t know.”

“Umm, of course, it’s Taylor.” I said smiling shyly. I leaned in and planted my lips firmly on Taylor’s. His lips parted gently pulling my tongue through his teeth. His hand moved from the outside of my t-shirt to the inside, his rough fingers now moving softly over my back. The goosebumps made a reappearance, I could feel my nipples pulling into tight peaks. I moaned quietly into his mouth.

Behind me, Zac cleared his throat. But I chose to ignore him. Taylor and I began to suck on each others lips, my hand now sliding up under Taylor’s shirt, my fingers finding his nipples. Taylor pulled my bottom lip between his teeth, his hand expertly unhooking my bra. “Okay, I believe you. Taylor is the best kisser.” Zac said.

“Don’t let him lie to you.” I said sitting up. “I spent a lot of time on the road with them. If they could figure out how to bypass the scrambler, they’d watch porn, even without sound.”

“Of course, they are boys.” I said as Taylor reached up under my shirt and rehooked my bra.

“I’m kind of jealous that you got to kiss all three of them to see which one is the best kisser.” Emory said.

“She is a lucky girl.” Zac said. “She got the pick of the litter… Although, why she picked the runt is beyond me…”

“Okay, I really, really don’t want to have this conversation.” Anne said. “I have 3 brothers, I have lived through more than enough conversations regarding penis size.”

“Yeah, you wish I had expertise in that area.” I said laying back against the pillows settling in the hollow of Taylor’s shoulder. “But you know, now that I think about it, all three of you have very distinctive and undeniable kissing styles…”

“Truthfully, Zac is the most masterful kisser.” I said, noticing how each of the guys all seemed to be not paying attention and yet, they weren’t missing a single word. “I mean, God wouldn’t give him those amazing lips and then not give him the knowledge to use them.”

“I am the master.” Zac said leaning way back in his chair, hooking his hands behind his head, elbows sticking out at odd angles.

“Oh Lord, look what we’ve started… Anyway, Ike, well, with Ike every kiss is like the definition of the perfect moment.” I said noticing how all three of the boys had gone quiet and still. “It’s like the first moment you realize that you’re in love every time.”

“It truly is.” Emory said leaning over and planting a soft, sensual kiss on Isaac’s lips. “I fall in love with him all over again each and every time we kiss.”

“Well, that is all well and good, but what about Taylor?” Anne asked, her game of Solitaire forgotten as she leaned on her elbow. Her eyes had taken on a dreamy far away look.

“Oh please, she’s only with Tay cause she feels sorry for him…” Zac began.

“Whatever,” Taylor said stretching, pulling my face back towards him. He gently planted a kiss on my lips, his tongue snaking out and moving softly over my bottom lip. “I think you’re just jealous.”

“My Tay…” I sighed snuffling my nose into his neck, loving the smell, taste, feel of him. “For me, the thing I love most is the complete and undeniable passion behind his kisses. It’s as though he is stealing my breath, making it impossible to breathe. But with him, I don’t need to breathe. Every one of my senses moves into hyper drive, but nothing matters but Taylor and his lips. Just the touch of his lips is enough to make me weak…”

“Not saying I would.” Emory said. “Anyway, it wouldn’t matter if Zac were the master and Taylor the most passionate, I would love the way you kiss best.”

“Why is that?” Isaac asked. His bottom lip was jutting out, that was definitely a Hanson family trait.

“This is not some sort of twisted competition.” Taylor said his fingers moving slowly over my arm again. I closed my eyes falling into the moment with him. I loved his hands on me.

“Tay, if you’ve learned nothing in your 20 years on Earth, I thought you would have learned by now that EVERYTHING is a competition…” Isaac said massaging Emory’s shoulders. She was sitting on the floor leaning against the bed and his hands were kneading the knots real or imagined out of her shoulders. “When you come from a family of 7, everything is a competition. Maybe we don’t compete for food or clothing or love, but we definitely compete for everything else.”

“Cleo said I was the master.” Zac said his voice taking on a bit of an irritated edge.

“Zac, are you the master of your domain?” Isaac asked dissolving into giggles.

“Fuck both of you!” Zac said crossing his arms across his chest. “You are both such smug pricks…”

“Well, I think the only way to settle this is for Cleo to kiss all of us again and settle it once and for all.” Taylor said. And he was smug. Sure in the fact if I kissed all three of them again, I would pick him. Which I would, but I hated that he knew it.

“True.” Taylor said. “I can’t help that Cleo is so intelligent. But that eliminates Emory as well, cause she would definitely pick Isaac. Ooh, I know! Cleo can go down and grab one of the teenies out in front of the hotel to come up and be an unbiased judge…”

“Yeah!” Zac said getting excited at the prospect. “Cleo could blindfold her and we could each kiss her…”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not going back into that hive of vipers.” I said shaking my head. “Especially not after the performance Taylor and I gave them on our way into the building.”

“Well, then…” Zac said falling back into the chair. “I guess we’ll never know cause how are we going to find an impartial judge?”

“Well, I’ve never kissed any of you and I don’t have a particular bias one way or the other.” Loveboat said hurriedly gathering up the cards spread out in front of her. “But I’m not sure I could stomach a kiss from… Well, from you Hanson.”

“Whatever,” he said shrugging. “But one kiss from me and you’d be begging for more.”

“Hey, I’ll do it.” Taylor said eagerly, sitting up and wincing the tiniest bit. When I shot him a look of death, he backtracked a little, settling back against the pillows. “Only, of course, if Cleo doesn’t mind. I mean, it is purely for scientific reasons...”

“No, I don’t care.” I shrugged. I had kissed his brother, who was I to begrudge this purely scientific undertaking. “What do you think Emory?”

“I won’t do it if you don’t want me to.” Isaac said putting his arm around Emory. “I would never do anything that would make you unhappy.”

“Oh hey!” I said jumping off the bed and grabbing my backpack. “If she has to kiss all three of you, you should all at least have decent breath for the poor girl.”

“First off, there is no way she can be an impartial judge.” Zac said. “She hates me.”

“Hate may be a tad strong of a word.” Loveboat answered. “I hate that you act like a spoiled rotten little boy, but I don’t hate you. I think you probably have lots of redeeming qualities… And kissing just may be one of them.”

“Okay, now the rules of this little experiment are this…” I said as I handed each guy a Listerine breath strip. “No talking before or after the kiss. You are going to be number 1, 2 and 3. This has to be a blind study, I think I have a bandana in my suitcase. No touching while kissing. This is about the kiss, not the rest of the stuff that comes with kissing.”

“Umm… why do I feel like a tramp?” Loveboat asked as she rummaged through my open suitcase.

“Just think of it as Seven Minutes in Heaven without the heavy breathing and heavy petting.” I said as I tied the bandana around her head.

"Exactly.” I said reaching down and grabbing Taylor’s hand. “Are you ready for entrant number one?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” She said. I watched as Taylor leaned forward and placed his lips very gently against Loveboats lips. He tilted his head slightly and deepened the kiss. As I watched the man I loved kissing this girl, I felt my heart drop to my toes. When Tay pulled back, his eyes were still closed and I felt the familiar burn of unshed tears. “Wow! That was incredible…”

“Thank you number one.” I said grabbing Isaac’s hand. “Now, entrant two, please step up to the judge. Now, begin kissing!” Isaac leaned in and his lips connected solidly with Loveboat. His hand unconsciously moved up and cupped her chin. I watched Emory closely. Her eyes narrowed as Isaac’s mouth opened. When he finally pulled back, Emory looked so thoroughly annoyed I almost started to laugh.

Zac smirked at me as he stood up. He sauntered over and winked at me. He then leaned forward and planted a deep, serious soul kiss onto Anne’s upturned lips. The depth of the kiss seemed to catch her off guard. Her hands automatically reached out to catch her balance. Her hands on his shoulders seemed to be clinging on for dear life, as her knees seemed to buckle. When he pulled away, she reached out and grabbed at him, pulling him back into a kiss. His arms snaked around her waist and the kiss became a full body hug as well. When she finally pulled away, she was breathing heavily. “Wow, I hope that wasn’t Isaac or Taylor…” She said as she pulled the bandana off.

“Naw, that was just me.” Zac said smiling wickedly. “I think we know who the best kisser is now.”