Corbet's

37. | GRIFFIN

Matty flipped over three cards from the top of the deck. Another Jack came with them.

Still, Griffin checked. So did Lauren. Drew threw in a red chip. Matty folded.

"What's it gonna be, Griff? Fold or kiss the dealer?" Drew asked. The asshole.

Griffin looked over at Matty, just as Matty looked over at her.

He was probably thinking about the same thing she was: last summer's game of Truth or Dare, when Evan had dared the two of them to make out for thirty seconds. At the time, it'd been more fun than weird (in a weird-ish way) because Griffin and Matty were both single and the only ones who knew about Matty's sexuality. Evan never realized they'd played the joke back on him.

Now, as much as Griffin wanted to play, there was no way she was going to kiss Matty. Not with everything going on with his boss, and definitely not with whatever was going on with Charlie.

"I'd rather up the bet with Truth or Dare for a dollar," Griffin said. She didn't have much in her hand, but it wasn't like she was playing for real money anymore anyway.

Evan booed her. "You're already inflating the bank too much. I vote a rule that you can only raise bets with actual chips."

Drew tipped his head from side to side. "He kinda has a point there..."

"Y'all are just making up rules as you go now," Griffin argued.

"The more we fuck up the pot, the more math Drew's gonna have to do to pay everyone out," Evan argued back. "Just call the bet, Griff. It's not like you and Matty haven't—"

"Um, hello?" Mary Kyle cut in, folding her arms. "If she wants to up the bet, she has every right to."

Griffin did a double take. Did Mary Kyle just stick up for her?

Even after the tequila comment a minute ago?

"You're a real fuckin' delight, MK. You know that?" Evan snapped back.

"Can we not?" Lauren said. She sighed, like all of this was an inconvenience to her chip counting.

More fireworks went off in the distance.

"I'm the dealer," Matty said. "And we agreed it's all dealer's choice, right? So if Griff wants to call the bet—" He leaned toward Griffin and pointed to his cheek, puffing it out like a blowfish. "—smooch, please."

Griffin grinned and pecked it lightly.

"That's so bogus, dude!" Drew groaned. "That shit doesn't count."

Matty cocked an eyebrow at him. "Bogus? Have you ever lost your entire stash on the first hand with a Full House, Drew? No? Shut up."

"Drew's right," Evan said. "This is pretty lame."

"Well, then, you can French Drew later when you're the dealer, Ev," Matty shot back.

Griffin laughed, and both boys shuddered.

The fireworks display was in full swing now, but the only people aboard who seemed to be interested in it were Lauren, Mary Kyle, and Charlie. Particularly Charlie.

Drew finally decided to stop pouting and put his game face back on.

Matty flipped over a fourth card from the top of the deck—still nothing good—but at least Griffin was in the clear for at least another hand. She checked. So did Lauren.

But then Drew tossed a black chip in the middle of the table and threw a wink at Griffin. "Just to keep it interesting."

"Wow. Really?" Mary Kyle said.