All In

“I don’t think your real name is Lucy,” Mr. Hugo said.

“Is that so?”

Most of the patrons (but only half the smoke) had cleared out from the back room at Lady Towne’s Speakeasy. Lucy finally could see her opponent clearly. His blonde hair, so oiled up, slicked back, and golden, she figured he charged his barber to let the man cut it. His smirk pulling up on the right side of his mouth. His blue eyes.

Lucy hated blue eyes.

Over his cards, those hated blue eyes peered at Lucy. No. Peered wasn’t the right word. Leered was more like it. But that was fine. A leer was exactly what she was hoping for. 

“I think it’s a nickname, or maybe your middle name.” Mr. Hugo said. 

“Mmmm,” she purred back. 

The truth was, Lucy had an absolutely atrocious poker face. But there are many ways to trip up a cardsharp like Mr. Hugo. 

Naturally, it had to look subtle. Accidental. 

“So, how does it start?” he said. “Does it start with a ‘p’, or an ‘l’?” 

“That would be telling.” She pulled a cigarette from her case, expertly placed it in her holder.

“Yeah, I am positive now. Lucy is your middle na–“ 

Lucy leaned forward, allowing Garett, the dealer, to light her proffered cigarette. Quite serendipitously, the strap of her dress slid down her arm.

“Oh, excuse me,” Lucy said, slowly adjusting her black sequin dress. “What were you saying?”

“It…um…is your middle name.”

She looked towards Garette, nodded. With deft fingers, the dealer laid out the final card: a Queen of Hearts. Lucy’s eyebrow raised. Hugo, for all his supposed card playing acumen, hardly noticed. 

“My dear Mr. Hugo. There is no way that my middle name is Lucy.”

“And why is that?” Mr. Hugo said, finally noticing the dealt Queen, a scowl drawing across his brow.

“Because…” With a plastic clatter that sounded like champaign and pearl necklaces, Lucy pushed all her chips into the center of the table.  “…my middle name is All In.”