"I'll be there," I said. "If you need me, just call."
I headed back to Summerlin and realized my hands had been clenched white-knuckled for the entire drive. I sat in the driveway and rubbed the stiffness from them. Then, I noticed the flash of color in my window. Someone was inside the apartment.
The door was unlocked, and Anya was posed in the picture window, the bright sun illuminating her almost transparent sundress. "Your landlord let me in. Nice guy. I told him I wanted to surprise you."
"This is a surprise," I said. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be holed up in another luxury suite in Vegas."
"I thought it'd be more fun to visit an old friend," Anya said. She swept across the room and kissed my cheek. "You know, like old times. We used to have a great time practicing for tournaments, playing all night, snuggling up on the couch for a few hours of sleep."
Her smile was open to much more than snuggling. I peeled her hands off my shoulders and retreated to the kitchen for a beer. "Sorry, but I'm trying to take these things more seriously now."
Anya pouted and leaned across the kitchen island. "I get it. I won't distract you unless you want me
to."
"And who is this?" Jasper asked. He left the door open as he strode across the apartment to introduce himself to Anya. "I'm the roommate, Jasper. And you are?"
She tossed her silken black hair. "Anya. Nice to meet you. I didn't know Owen had a roommate. And here I was just begging for a place to crash for the night."
"Well, don't let me stand in your way," Jasper said. "Can I get you something to drink?"
He gave me a look as he came around the kitchen island and opened the refrigerator. I shrugged. If he wanted to make a pass at Anya, I was certainly not going to stand in his way. It would be a relief.
"So, enchanting Anya, what brings you to town?" Jasper asked as he handed her a beer.
"We're heading to a tournament in Vegas tomorrow morning," Anya said. She toasted Jasper but licked her lips at me.
It was going to be a long night.
#
I felt as if I had just shut my eyes when my alarm went off. I had set it early so I could spend what little time I had in the morning getting ready for my tournament appearances. When I locked myself in the bathroom, I saw Anya had left her black lace bra hanging provocatively over the shower curtain. I plucked it off and tossed it in the corner.
She and Jasper had flirted all night. In order to maintain my facade of amusement, I had drunk way too many beers. I was exhausted from fending off Anya's many advances. Finally, I had escaped to my room and actually locked the door. I wondered if she had ended up in Jasper's bed.
By the time I was showered and dressed, the blankets and pillow I had left on the couch were neatly folded. Anya was making breakfast and Jasper was nowhere to be seen.
"Sleep well?" I asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know. Poor man, drank a little too much?" Anya asked. "Here. I made you coffee."
Before I could sit down, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see Quinn and her father. "Good morning?" I asked.
"He's just dropping me off on his way to see a client," Quinn said. She said goodbye, but her father followed her inside.
"Oh, how cute! Is your dad driving you to the tournament?" Anya asked.
"Yes. I've been told I need to see her play," Mr. Thomas replied.
"You can meet me there," Quinn said. "I don't want to get in the way of your work."
Her father took out his phone and sent a quick message. "It’s rescheduled. Now, how about you introduce me to your friend?" he asked me.
"Mr. Thomas, this is Anya. She is another player on the gaming scene and one of my oldest friends in the business."
"Friends?" he asked.
Anya laughed. "I'm also one of your daughter's biggest rivals. At the tournament, I mean. I'm the obstacle she's going to have to defeat if she wants to be anything but a newbie the rest of her life."