A Dangerous Affair

A Dangerous Affair Chapter 74

Brick led Stephanie over to the table that Tom had claimed for their poker game. Most of the other reporters were now also showing an interest in the poker challenge and they had gathered around the table. Tom was in the middle of transferring the drinks from the bar to the table when Brick reached him and handed Stephanie’s arm over to him.

“I feel like I’m giving her away. Here, she’s your responsibility now,” he grinned.

Tom looked proud of the fact and took her arm possessively.

“Hey, wait a minute, I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself thank you very much!” Stephanie said, keeping her arm in Tom’s nonetheless.

Simon chuckled by her side and she glared at him. “Hey! Stop laughing, you’d better be careful or my partner here will be onto you, he’s my protector!” she warned, holding onto his arm more tightly.

At that point Bob suddenly appeared from nowhere and stood up on a chair to see them through the crowd.

“I’ll challenge Tom to a duel for Stephanie!” he shouted out. All the other reporters laughed but Bob looked pleased with all the attention until Barker spotted him from the other side of the bar.

“Bob!” he yelled. “I want a word with you!”

“Oops,” Bob said, ducking off the chair and running for cover with a whiskey bottle sticking out from under his denim jacket.

“Come on partner, you’ve got to help me win this poker game,” Tom said, moving over to the bench sofa at the other side of the table and taking a seat opposite Brick. Stephanie amazed herself and everyone else by walking around the table unaided and Tom held out his hand to her, helping her pick her way across the feet of the reporters who had swiftly taken up seats around the table. When she eventually reached him he tapped his lap with his other hand and she looked at it with surprise.

“Oh, okay,” she said as he pulled her onto his lap.

He looked like the cat who’d got the cream and put his arm around her waist, announcing, “Stephie’s my lady luck, aren’t you partner?”

“Definitely,” she said, whispering something into his ear. All the other officers’ mouths dropped open as they watched them. Tom chuckled and she whispered to him again. He chuckled again; he was enjoying this. Then he noticed everyone’s eyes on them.

“Just discussing strategy,” he grinned.

Stephanie looked up. “Oh yes, strategy,” she said nodding.

Tom spotted Simon and Pippa then from behind the crowd and he gestured them over.

“Make way, make way,” he said, pushing the other reporters aside. Simon sat down and held out his arms for Pippa. She shrugged and sat on his lap, taking her cue from Stephanie.

“Right boss, what’s the ante?” Tom asked.

Brick reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of pound coins. “Two pounds?”

Tom nodded. “Sounds fair to me. I’ll throw in the keys to my Lamborghini later eh,” he winked at Stephanie. She giggled.

The cards were dealt and Tom and Brick picked up their hands.

“Oh before we start, pass Stephie’s drink over from the bar will you?” Tom said to one of the reporters opposite him. All the reporters grimaced and the reporter he’d spoken to looked at him as if he was making a big mistake but Tom glared at him so he got up and reached for the wine, placing it in front of Stephanie. She picked it up and took a sip. Everyone watched but she shooed their attention away with her hand and looked at Tom’s cards.