- Joined
- Dec 14, 2012
- Location
- Australia
[img=254x207]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lgAe3vjwnIA/VVurTJn75YI/AAAAAAAABpk/w65SVp87DIU/w944-h770-no/2012-01-06_11-35-20_288.jpg[/img]
Cameron Delaney was in deep shit.
Of that, there was no doubt, as he pulled up in the driveway of the Las Vegas residence he shared with his wife, Noli, and decided not to park the BMW 6 Series Coupe in the garage. With a little luck it would be stolen, and he could claim the insurance.
Luck. It wasn't as if he had any of that this evening. Not of the good variety.
One Hundred Thousand Dollars; all-in with an Ace-High Flush on the turn. Every last cent he and Noli had saved, and more, but it was a sure thing. One flip of a card, and he could surprise his wife with a Summer vacation to Hawaii. A second honeymoon.
It was just after midnight on a Thursday, and the neighbourhood was quiet as the man slammed the vehicle door shut, looked up to see the porch light had been left on, and pondered if it would be better if Noli were asleep or awake. The house would need be sold too. Cameron had never felt so out of control of a situation in his entire life, and didn't appreciate the sensation.
Born in Chicago, it had been smooth sailing for the twenty-eight year old Lawyer. A loving and privileged home environment, he'd been raised by a stay-at-home Mother who'd been happy to take on the traditional woman's role that Gordon Delaney demanded, then after he'd graduated High-School with honours, followed in his Father's footstep and attended Law-School. Harvard.
His All-American good looks; Six foot, two inches tall, head of wavy brown hair, piercing green eyes, strong jaw and chin, and a smile that lit up his face and caused people to either to trust or forgive depending on circumstance, combined with an athletic and slim runners body, meant Cameron had never had any trouble attracting the girls. College had just provided a further excuse to fool around, which the young man had taken full advantage of. Until he'd met Noli Callister.
Cam had thought himself the most fortunate man alive when three years after he'd obtained his Law degree, Noli accepted his bended knee proposal, and agreed to move to Las Vegas - where his Father's contacts had gained the rookie Defence Attorney a position at one of the most prestigious Criminal Law firms in Sin City - to be by his side. Smooth sailing, and a wife who was the envy of every man who laid eyes on her.
The wife he was now going to have to reveal to that an innate need for excitement and a thrill had led Cam to stake their future on the flip of a card. And lost.
An Ace-High Flush when the turn produced the nine of spades; chips all-in to scare the others off the pot, and that asshole, Declyn Murphy, had just smiled, taken a puff of his cigar, pushed his own chips in to match Cameron's, and called. Both men had watched a second consecutive nine fall on the river, and with it Cam's life went down the drain. Four spades on the board; nobody in their right mind would have made that fucking call. A Full House beats a Flush.
Cameron had wanted to wipe the smirk off the older man's face with a fist, however he could only sit there in stunned silence as the Irishman collected the pot, downed the last of his whiskey, then stood to pat Cam on the back, "Better luck next time, Son. You have a week.", and chuckled as he exited the room. The Irish brogue, previously so charming and easy on the ears, was now forever going to haunt Cameron's dreams.
He sighed and forced himself to move. Asking his Father to assist was out of the question as the Patriarch's cash was all tied up in long-term stocks, and after that incident in College - the only occasion on which child had given parent cause to be disappointed - he'd been told in no uncertain terms that he would not be bailed out again. Cameron Delaney would either need deal with the consequences, or find a way to retrieve the situation.
As he pushed open the front door and stepped into the foyer of the marital home, his demeanour brightened a touch with an idea that had begun to form in his mind. Although he trembled slightly in nervous anticipation of how Noli would react, the man's voice was steady when he pushed the door shut, removed his tie, and hung the jacket of his grey woolen suit on the wall hook. "Hey baby, I'm home. You still awake, we need to talk."
Best to get on the front foot, and assume control. Just as he did in the Courtroom.