GAMBLE FOR IT

AMELIA

Broken. That's what I felt when my life turned upside down. I was raised to know better, to be a good girl, and always be the picture of perfect. In the world I was raised in, impressions were everything. Perfection was expected of me, but the facade is bound to break at some point. It's only inevitable.

In the world I was raised in, I was known as Kiara Amelia Brown-Vidal, daughter of Alexander Brown and Sonia Vidal. My mother was born into the world of Spanish royalty. Her family was friends with those who wore big gowns and tiaras. My father was a powerful senator in California. He wanted a wife with connections, and my mother wanted a power partner with whom she could impress her social circle. It was the perfect arrangement until they had me—the little brown-haired girl with the big emerald eyes and dimples that decorated her big smile. A smile that didn't last long when I had to run away from my friends and family.

Present time...

I was standing in my little two-bedroom apartment in Washington, D.C., getting dressed and waiting for my son to finish eating breakfast so we could leave for his appointment with the pediatrician. I rushed to the kitchen, saw he was about done, grabbed his plate, and put it in the sink. I turned around and looked at Theo, looking back at me with those beautiful green eyes and an upside-down smile. He thinks I will fall for his puppy eyes, but that does not work for me. We were already late and needed to take the bus to the hospital.

"Don't give me that look. We are late, and you need to brush your teeth. Come on! Chop chop!"- I said, rounding the kitchen table and ushering him to the bathroom.

My son is seven and has yet to learn what punctuality means. I stand at the bathroom door, looking at my son brushing his teeth, and all I can think is how grateful I am that I decided to have him; I don't know what I would have done if my parents had succeeded in their plans of making me abort him when they first found out I was pregnant at 22.

He is so beautiful. His olive skin, big green eyes, long lashes, dark brown wavy hair, and little freckles all over his face. The glasses make him even more adorable. He is like a copy of me, even with my blond hair.

"All done, Mama."- said my son, turning his head towards me and giving me a big smile.

"Good job, let's go."- I said, taking my son's hand and rushing toward the front door.

I grabbed my bag with my phone, keys, and wallet, and Theo grabbed his backpack. I locked the door, and we bolted down the stairs towards the exit of the building.

We reached the hospital seven minutes after our appointment. As I walk towards the reception and I can already see I fucked up.

"Hi, Grace. I know we are late, but please make an exception and call to notify the doctor that we are here."- I said, trying to make the best sad face I could. I see where my son gets it now.

"You are late. I already told you that Doctor Hill has a busy schedule. We value punctuality, Miss Wolf."- Grace said, giving me the" I told you" look.

I was about to beg her to let me into the doctor's office when I saw Doctor Hill walking towards us. I must admit that Doctor Lincoln Hill is not challenging on the eyes; he has brown eyes and thick eyebrows, short black hair styled backward, and a nice body. He is muscular enough that you know he takes care of his physique. Also, he is tall compared to the five-foot-four person looking at him from head to toe like an idiot. He must be at least six feet.

"Doctor Hill!"- Theo screamed as he ran towards the doctor. The doctor hugged him and brushed a hand through his wavy hair, shuffling it into his face.

"Hey bud, glad to see you two made it. I was about to call your mom and ask her about you."- said Doctor Hill, walking with Theo toward me and the receptionist.

"I'm sorry we are late, Doctor Hill, but I had trouble getting Theo out of bed this morning."- I said, hoping he would understand and let us into his office.

"I already told Miss Wolf that you have a full schedule and..."-Grace stopped when Doctor Hill put his hand out, waving it in the air like he was asking her to stop.

"It's fine, Grace. I'll take it from here."- said Doctor Hill, turning to his side and allowing us to pass him through the hallway. We reached the door to his office; Theo opened it and held it open for me to come inside.

We sat at his desk, waiting for him to open his laptop and review Theo's case file. Once he looked at it, he started discussing the latest findings in my son's exams.

Theo was born with an abnormality in his heart, a small hole, to be precise; because of that, he has certain restrictions that prevent his heart from going under significant stress. He has lived "normally" without going under extreme measures.

"Overall, he looks good, but I'd like you to visit more often."- Dr. Hill said with a serious look.

"Why? Is there something wrong?."- I said on the edge of my seat, waiting for the worst.

"I'd like to monitor him more closely; he is developing faster than expected. That's all."- Dr. Hill returned to his screen while I turned and looked at Theo playing on the floor of his office.

"Doctor, would you mind if we spoke outside for a moment?"- I said, looking at him and pointing at Theo, making it evident that I didn't want him to listen to us. Thankfully, he understood and walked me to the door.

"What is it?"- he said, shutting the door behind us.

"Does monitoring him more closely mean that you might need to put a patch on his heart?"- I said, trying for my voice not to quiver too much.

"Look, Amelia. Theo looks really good. This is just a precaution, okay?"- he said, trying to make me feel better.

"Doctor Hill, I-"

"Lincon, please. We have known each other long enough."-he said.

"I'm having trouble keeping up with all the bills from the hospital; I don't know if my bank account can take it if we do these tests more often,"- I confessed, looking down at my feet and crossing my arms over my chest.

"I thought your last job was working out,"- he said; I could tell the slight disappointment in his eyes.

"It did until they started laying off people, starting with the newbies,"- I said, rolling my eyes.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Let me see if I can arrange something for you."- he said.

"Oh no, please. That is not necessary."- I said. He tries to be nice, but I know he can't help me. I never finished college. I had to run away before I could get my degree.

My parents never let me work; they wanted me to focus on dance lessons, piano lessons, speech and movement coaching, and so much more that I had no time to learn how to cook, clean, pay bills, or drive. So I had to learn many things when I came to the United States.

"Please, it's not trouble at all. I'll let you know if I find anything."- Lincon said, opening the door for me.

LINCOLN

I feel bad for Amelia. She is an excellent mother to Theo. She tries her best for that kid. I wished my mother would've been like that for me and my brother.

I was about to enter the elevator when I saw the brown-haired son of a bitch walking towards me.

"What do you think you're doing here? I thought the chief told you to take the day off for your birthday."- I said. He just gave me the side eye, waiting next to me for the elevator to arrive.

"Come on. it's your birthday, Heath. It's something everyone celebrates, you know?"- I said, trying to get his answer.

"Not everyone."-he said. Just two words. That's all I got.

The elevator opens, and we both hop on in. I wait for the door to close so he has no escape root.

"I'm taking you out tonight. I'm not taking no for an answer."- I turned to see him, and he just kept staring at the elevator doors.

"Come on, man! It's your birthday. It'll be on me. We can go to the casino, gamble a little, have a few drinks, you know you'll have a good time."- I said. I turn to see if he will go for it, but he does not move.

The doors of the elevator open, and he gets out. I assumed he ignored me and he would walk away. But then he turns around and smirks before saying, "Fine. I'll gamble with your money."

"You son of a bitch."- I said as the elevator doors started closing, and I saw his smirk growing wider; I could almost hear the chuckle slipping from his lips before the doors closed and the elevator started moving.

AMELIA

After leaving the hospital, I asked my neighbor and friend to care for Theo while I went out to look for a job.

I wore black trousers, a green emerald silk top with a v-cut neck and long sleeves, and black heels to go with it. My curly hair was tied in a loose bun, and two strands loose in the front of my face.

I started at the coffee shop down the street, then a small company looking for an assistant, but they wanted someone with a degree for that, so I needed something else. I went to the state library to ask if any openings were available, but no luck so far. So I kept looking.

It was almost eight o'clock when I started to get hungry. I overheard some college kids passing by saying that the casino has good enough, cheap food. So I thought, why not?. Maybe I'll do some gambling and double my money.

I entered the casino and went straight to the bar where a blue-haired girl was attending. She was a darling; she had hazel-yellow eyes and tan skin, and her long, dark blue hair glowed a little under the lights. She wore a tight black dress and looked elegant, but something tells me that elegance is not her style.

"Good evening, what's your poison?- she said, leaning against the bar, waiting for my answer.

"I don't drink, but I wouldn't say no to food."- I said, smiling at her.

"I'll get you the menu."- she said, walking away from the bar to what I suppose is the kitchen.

"Thank you!" I told her before she shut the door.

Waiting at the bar, I turned around and examined the casino. The energy of the people here is unique; I can feel the thrill of the players and the tables. The thrill of all or nothing, it's pretty exciting.

The last time I stepped into a casino was with my ex-boyfriend, and it wasn't an actual casino. It was a private party since I couldn't be seen gambling. He invited me to the secret high-stakes games. Seeing these "powerful" rich men lose their money was fun.

I was about to turn around when something caught my eye. Well, more like someone. The most handsome man I have ever seen in my life walked through the entrance of the casino. He is very tall. His eyes remind me of a hunter's cold and calculated eyes. They are a beautiful shade of dark blue. His jawline would probably cut me; his pink lips have just the right amount of plum. It makes me want to take a little bite of them. I look at his body, and my, oh my, he is built to perfection; he is very well-built, and his muscles outline his white shirt. I follow the path down his abs and past his waist, and suddenly, I feel a little flutter.

It's been a long time since I felt that flutter, especially for a complete stranger. However, my body does not seem to care.

Suddenly, I lift my gaze to see his eyes again when I realize this stranger is already looking at me like I'm the perfect prey.