“Hows your ankle?”

“Sore,” Evan answered folding her legs.

She couldnt seem to place her ankle at the right angle to relieve the pain. I set my cards down, lifting her ankle and setting it across my thighs. I picked up my cards.

“Ill take three,” Shane said sliding her previous cards across the middle.

“Wait… anty up,” Dana instructed.

We all threw five dollars in the pot.

“Uh… two. No, one… no two… for me,” Tina decided.

“Ill take one,” Bette said.

“Me, too,” I said picking up the card Alice dealt me.

I glanced at my cards then quickly resumed my watch of everyone else.

“What did you study?”

Bettes question broke my watch.

“Law.”

“Youre a lawyer?” Tina asked.

“Yeah.”

“Private practice?”

“I was a ADA.”

“ADA?”

“Was?”

“Assistant district attorney. I… was fired,” I revealed.

“What for?” Dana asked leaning forward.

She was looking for scandal. As were the rest of them.

“I thought it was because I was a *****…”

“Youre not a ***** anymore?” from Shane.

“Yes, I am a *****,” I smiled, ” but I was dismissed because as my boss told me I tend to feel for the defendant more than fight for the prosecution. Prosecuting is cold. No feeling… no remorse. I think was the way he put it. I really dont remember.”

“Can he do that?” Alice asked.

“He is the boss and I didnt fight it because I knew he was right. He told me I always advocated for the criminals. That I did.”

“So what are you going to do now?” Tina asked.

“Well unpack, take a little time for myself and then look for a job.”

“You still want to be a lawyer?”

That question came from Evan.

I turned in her direction, looking at her.

“Yeah. I like being a lawyer.”

“Its on you, Dane.”

“Im raising… five more.”

“Im out,” Alice said throwing her cards down.

“In,” Tina threw in a chip.

“Okay…okay… me, too.”

“Ten more,” I said throwing in the blue chip.

“To rich for me,” Tina said.

“Me, too.”

“Nope…Im out.”

Only me and Bette left. She eyed me trying to seep into my thoughts. If only she knew I was thinking about her daughters leg in my lap.

“Im in. And I raise you… twenty more.”

The sound of the chips falling on the others echoed in my head as Evan leaned in closer to see my hand. I shuddered when her arm touched mine. I tried to concentrate on Bette. Looking for a clue on what she held in her hand.

“Serena?”

My head snapped toward Alice.

“You in or out?”

I looked down at my hand and then at the table.

“Im in… Im in.”

I added the twenty dollars in chips to the pile.

“Queen high flush,” Bette announced laying her cards on the table.

“You got me,” I conceded folding my hand.

“What you got?” Shane asked.

“Ten high flush.”

“All right, Bette,” Alice shouted slapping a high five with her friend.

The cheers went around the table.

“Youll get her next time,” she whispered in my ear.

Next time? I was trying to survive her being this close to me. Let alone beating her mother in cards.

Dana stood up from the table and stretched.

“Anyone hungry?” she asked.

“Starving… pizza or Chinese?” Alice asked.

“Pizza.”

“Pizza.”

“Serena?” she asked me with her hand on shoulder.

“Pizza is fine with me,” my voice cracked.

“Okay then… Dana grab the phone,” Tina said.

I listened as Tina order three pies and felt Evans hand travel lower. I took a deep breath.

“Wheres the bathroom?” I jumped up.

“Around the corner, first door on your left,” Shane instructed.

“Thanks.”

I rushed into the bathroom locking the door. I leaned against the door trying to control my nerves. I walked over to the sink and ran the water, splashing some on my face.

“Shes to young. Shes to young,” I repeated to myself.

My thoughts turned to her hand on my back.

“Snap out of it. Shes your neighbors daughter. They would kill me for thinking these thoughts. Bette would surely kill me,” I muttered to my reflection.

“Cmon, Serena. Were starting another hand,” Alice knocked on the door.

I took a deep breath and pushed off the sink. I was the adult. I controlled me. I opened the door and stepped out for another hand of poker.