"A flush. Do you have three or four aces?"

"Only three," Kathy said, downing another shot of absinthe. She stood up and took off her blouse, leaving her with a transparent bra on top. She started toward me for the penalty kiss. I asked Tanner to take it for me. Kathy pouted for a moment, but slapped a grin on her face when she realized my replacement was pretty fair game himself. Perhaps it was partly retaliation for my refusing to kiss, and partly the fourth drink of absinthe, but she plastered her body against him and kissed him open mouthed for the full minute. If the bulge in Tanner's...