It took the better part of five hours before Jo returned to Mal.
She had lost all fifty credits worth of his chips.
Then forty-eight credits worth of her own money.
Then twenty-four of the thirty credits of guy who staked her, miraculously, from her left side (who was either amused at her spectacularly obstinate tenacity in the face of epic failure or her fanning her chest with her cards) before she won a hand.
She didn't manage to card shark a table. It wouldn't be possible that day.
Or any other day remotely near it. That would take time and a Milliways deck.
The game went slow and steady, fast and heated, and she learned player tics even faster.
She managed to win back Mal's amount.
Then half of her own.
By this time, growing bored with the table and slightly worried about her possibly outstanding debt to her staker (whose debt still wasn't as important compared to the captain who controlled her ride home), she had joked to Uriel (her staker) that she could either continue playing to pay him back or he could have her company for dinner.
He took her up on the latter.
Dinner was a strange assortment of dishes which looked almost familiar and dishes that didn't look edible. Jo didn't let either show, just went for it after telling him it was her first time on Santo.
He was an entrepreneur from Persephone, who did something with knocking down and renovating houses. That part hadn’t been all that interesting. Even if she’d nodded and smiled a lot.
He was the kind of guy who laughed a bit too loud, drank a bit too much, wore just a tad too much in the way of ostentatious accessories.
He mentioned a name enough time she pegged it for a girl friend, and asked bluntly. It gave him cause to sweat until she pointed out she really could care less. Apparently she was pretty and they got on well, but she wasn’t vacation material.
Jo managed to escape after one very sloppy kiss and having her shoulder grubbily manhandled.
After reminding him she had said her ship was leaving not to long after the meal. Three times.
Five hours later, from when Mal left her, found Jo strolling out of the seedy casino.
Credits in her pockets after the chips had been switched out.
Grinning quietly and pulling down sunglasses she hadn't previously had.
no subject
She had lost all fifty credits worth of his chips.
Then forty-eight credits worth of her own money.
Then twenty-four of the thirty credits of guy who staked her, miraculously, from her left side (who was either amused at her spectacularly obstinate tenacity in the face of epic failure or her fanning her chest with her cards) before she won a hand.
She didn't manage to card shark a table. It wouldn't be possible that day.
Or any other day remotely near it. That would take time and a Milliways deck.
The game went slow and steady, fast and heated, and she learned player tics even faster.
She managed to win back Mal's amount.
Then half of her own.
By this time, growing bored with the table and slightly worried about her possibly outstanding debt to her staker (whose debt still wasn't as important compared to the captain who controlled her ride home), she had joked to Uriel (her staker) that she could either continue playing to pay him back or he could have her company for dinner.
He took her up on the latter.
Dinner was a strange assortment of dishes which looked almost familiar and dishes that didn't look edible. Jo didn't let either show, just went for it after telling him it was her first time on Santo.
He was an entrepreneur from Persephone, who did something with knocking down and renovating houses. That part hadn’t been all that interesting. Even if she’d nodded and smiled a lot.
He was the kind of guy who laughed a bit too loud, drank a bit too much, wore just a tad too much in the way of ostentatious accessories.
He mentioned a name enough time she pegged it for a girl friend, and asked bluntly. It gave him cause to sweat until she pointed out she really could care less. Apparently she was pretty and they got on well, but she wasn’t vacation material.
Jo managed to escape after one very sloppy kiss and having her shoulder grubbily manhandled.
After reminding him she had said her ship was leaving not to long after the meal. Three times.
Five hours later, from when Mal left her, found Jo strolling out of the seedy casino.
Credits in her pockets after the chips had been switched out.
Grinning quietly and pulling down sunglasses she hadn't previously had.