A poker hand, a spade in a heart ( 1/2 )

“Should I assume that you are that kind of individual counting each single calorie?”

     While taking smoothly a deep spoonful of her vanilla ice cream, diving in the depths of her cup, Mei Mei Luxian anchored her golden eyes into Kiseki Idonosoko's abyssal glare.

“Sugary taste simply doesn't fit my palate.”

     In a slow gesture, she raised her spoon as far as at the corners of her mouth. A drop of her ice almost fell, though her lips softly caught it before. She closed her eyes just for a short while, savouring the creamy taste. As she opened them again, she resumed gazing at the inspector, her tongue shamelessly cuddling the top of her dessert.

“Let me say that you miss too many occasions to take pleasure in, Idonosoko.”

     It was disturbing to admit, but this woman had something fascinating. Something that impeded him from looking away. Since she joined the police, the first time he got on her way, she became step by step a source of curiosity.

“You think so? Then what would you suggest me to do?”

     To be fair he was aware of it, but abandoned the idea of entertaining himself long ago. Though tonight, it tickled him more than usual to discover what officer Luxian could have in mind.

“Hence you ask?” she replied as a smirk lingered on her face. “Then what about going to play billiards game? I know a place.”

     Another thing he wasn't accustomed to. He hardly remembered if he had ever played it once, nonetheless it didn't take him long before answering.

“Let's do this.”

     Whilst the black-haired woman was finishing her ice cream, the policeman received a notification on his phone. He glanced briefly, but ignored it as he noticed it was a mere message of his father.

***

They both arrived in a bar overflowing with electronic music. There weren't many people, and the beautiful lady headed in the outback of this place. All around, the walls were mainly dark purple and the ceiling black. Subdued lightning all along, Kiseki Idonosoko was more and more thinking that he truly didn't belong to such places.

“Come on, you're sluggish!”

     Luxian turned her head towards Idonosoko with a teasing smile. Ahead of them, a billiards table in a remote place of the bar. The inspector adjusted his glasses. Sometimes it was really confusing for him, as he remarked Luxian seemed able to find anything in this city.

     Well, no matter if he didn't belong there because at last he felt like he may enjoy the evening.

     They promptly initiated a game, and the inspector was sent for drinks.

     While Luxian took a sip of vodka, he scarcely reached for his glass preferring to concentrate on the game. Aiming for a ball, he was weighing and directing his cue stick towards it.

“Since yesterday, the police station became a true mess. In no time we won't even be able to focus on modest cases like today.”

“Don't even tell me. These Players barely showed once in public that they already caused enough trouble… Most of our elements are on the case, gathering as many information as they can.” he sighed. “The more promptly we'll apprehend them, the better it will be I guess.”

     Finally poking the ball, it rolled and rolled on the green surface getting closer to a hole in a corner, though unluckily it ricocheted against the wooden edge. However, Idonosoko didn't seem particularly disappointed.

“Sure thing. Listen, I have an informer that will be contacting me soon. I think I may support you establishing a plan.”

     Luxian didn't hesitate for long before hitting in turn a ball that easily fell in a hole. Then she locked her golden eyes on Idonosoko, straightening her cue stick as she sipped her fingers along.

“Are you serious?” he casually asked, taking a look at the young woman.

     Bringing nearer to Kiseki, she approached him from behind. Leaning to his left, Mei Mei grasped over his hand on the cue he was holding. Her breast pressed against his arm as she oriented the stick to direct it upon a red ball.

“I am. So… What about handling them together?”

     Kiseki's hands following her gestures, she made him shoot into the ball which ricocheted on two others. Each of them rolled straight to a hole.

“I… have no objections.”

     Unsettled by her attitude, he glanced at her by his side after witnessing the perfect shot. But she already moved aside. It was her turn to play. Reaching for his glass Kiseki swallowed the tanned liquid, a warm gin.

     The game kept on, the rounds succeeding. Luxian sat on the edge of the table, her short dress red as a ripe apple unveiling her silky thighs. She purposefully selected her spot as according to her estimates Idonosoko would have to target the remaining ball, the black one, beside her.

     So he did. And whilst he was putting back his rectangular glasses on his thin nose, Luxian took advantage of his position to grab him by his collar dragging him close to her.

“It must be arduous to bear such a weight on your shoulders.”

    Her words gently reached the man she was holding as she drew him even closer, her black lips tickling Kiseki's.

     He couldn't help but sink into the instant, placing a hand on the billiards table, just behind Mei Mei...

***

Only a few days were necessary for officer Luxian to prepare a plan together with Idonosoko. According to her mysterious informer, one of the Players occurred to be a regular customer of a city casino. It was planned to infiltrate the facility in order to ensnare him.

      Though the inspector didn't suspect it wasn't in around that person that the trap will close…

     Asperia's Casino was a highly visible building with its scarlet frontage complemented by golden columns. Above the entrance, a whopping roulette illuminated with twinkling lights.

     In front of this place, two persons elegantly dressed stopped for a while, observing the front of the glass door. Without long, the woman took a step towards the entrance.

“Wait. Be cautious, Mei Mei.”

     Mei Mei Luxian rotated her head to glance at him. Kiseki seemed as serious as expected from him, although for the first time a new glow slipped in his glare.

     A mere assured smile answered the young man after which she resumed her walk, both soon entering the casino.

     Stepping onto a red carpet, Mei Mei joined the main room filled with slot machines and gaming tables. That's in a mingled atmosphere of euphoria and delusion that she waited till the end of the current black jack game taking place at one of the gaming tables. The dealer was an android, quite resemblant to a human physically although it was unable of having reflections or undertaking decisions not preprogrammed in its processor. This was becoming more and more common to use them in facilities requiring repetitive tasks or, as for in a casino, a complete impartiality.

     When the current game ended, most of the players left the table, except one who waited for his upcoming opponents. A satisfied grin upon his face, he wore a cherry jacket and an untied black bow tie. It was no one else than Koff with a respectable amount of chips on his side. He took a glance at Mei Mei as she sat at the gaming table but did say nothing. Indeed, they were under listening as the black-haired woman wore a micro.