"I'll raise you 10 and take 2 cards." Tomas watched as Lazlo picked up his hand. The tiger tabby had arrived two weeks ago with reinforcements from New York.
Lazlo smiled and tossed three blues chips next to Tomas's. "Here's your two cards." Lazlo peeled two of the top of the face down deck next to him. "I'll raise you 30. You in or out Frank."
Tomas picked up his two cards. A full house. Second hand he'd bet too shallow on. Blast it. He turned to Frank. "What you calling or folding Frances?"
A hiss and growl followed as Frank tossed his cards on the table. "No one calls me Frances. Frank's my name. Always has and will be. I'm out. Too rich for my catnip."
Frank folded his paws tight against his chest. He glared at Tomas. Tomas shrugged and turned to the cat next to Frank. "Tisha, your call."
The carmel colored Persian looked at her cards and the pool of chips laying on the table. Licking one paw, she preened and purred. "I'm in and I raise you 100." She tossed a red chip on top of the ones laying center of the table. Picking up her glass of milk, she drank.
Tomas peeked at his cards. If he broke the full house up what were the odds Tisha held two pairs or some other minor trick that he could beat? Still, her take no prisoners attitude and kick ass persona said she'd go for the max regardless. How many other felines literally rode dogs out of the hood, all four paws and full claws in their hides?
Tomas glanced at Lazlo. His deadpan stare gazed ahead right at Tisha. Lord were they fighting again? When would they stop trying to be what they weren't? A couple. They fought well together and were lethal in hand to hand combat.
One last glance at Tisha showed she glared back at Lazlo. Tomas inhaled and counted. Okay, so much for playing poker and relaxing. They had to decide who stayed and who went. Until more showed up in Talbot's Peak, Tomas wasn't sure he wanted to send other's to infiltrate Kahn's territory.
"My turn," Tomas began. "I'm in." He tossed chips equal to Lazlo's and Tisha's on the pile. "I raise you 300." Three more red chips joined the pile.
"Too rich for my blood." Lazlo tossed he cards on the table. "Guess its up to you Tisha."
Tisha preened more, ignoring her cards and the others sitting around the table as she licked her paws. After several moments of cleaning, she looked up. "My call is it?" She turned her cards over one by one. "Flush, ace to nine all same suit.
"I'll be dammed. Tisha how do you trounce us is beyond me?" Tomas laid his card face up on the table. "Full house."
Tisha smiled and purred. "Darlin' you cheat when you need to and flash the vital parts when necessary."
Tomas grinned and shook his head. As he glanced around the table, movement next to him caught his eye. A voluptuous nude woman sat next to him. Tomas blinked and looked again. Tisha's knowing wink and feline body filled the chair next to him.
Flash the vital parts, eh? Tomas wondered if Tavia minded sharing with a mischievous Persian while they waited tor reinforcements and the next report from Talbot's Peak.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy weekend all! Hope you're keeping cool and reading a some great books!
Smiles,
SOLARA
