Page 13 of Lady Luck’s Kiss

CHARLIE

The game had started simply enough—just a friendly round of spades to pass the time in the customer lounge of her small garage.

Charlotte hadn’t expected much beyond laughter and a few lighthearted arguments.

And that’s exactly what she got—though she hadn’t anticipated just how much mischief Beth and her roommate Jodie would stir up.

They sat crowded around the battered wooden table, the hum of the overhead lights and the faint smell of motor oil and rubber filling the air. Cards slapped against the tabletop, chairs squeaked against the concrete floor, and laughter echoed far louder than the shuffle of any deck.

The first time Charlie caught sight of a card disappearing beneath the table, she almost fell out of her chair in outrage.

Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped open, and for a brief, indignant second, she felt like she was watching a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat.

Except there was nothing magical about it.

Beth, ever shameless, only grinned at her, stuck out her tongue with a sparkle in her eyes, and casually claimed the hand as though she’d won fair and square. Charlie couldn’t help but laugh even while her jaw tightened.

And so it went on.

Shuffle, deal, play, laugh, cheat, repeat.

By the time she and Jack finally pulled ahead, Charlie felt a rare thrill of victory bubbling in her chest—only to see Jodie slide a card across the table right in front of her, bold as brass.

Jodie’s smirk stretched from ear to ear, sly and taunting, like some mischievous Cheshire Cat straight out of a storybook.

“What the heck, Beth?” Charlie asked, unable to contain her laughter as she turned toward Jack.

He only shrugged, meeting her gaze with that quiet, steady look of his, then flicked his eyes down to their hands. The message was clear without a word spoken: ignore them.

And he was right. Beth would do anything to win—rules were optional.

So Charlie shifted her focus. Instead of fuming over the blatant cheating across the table, she studied Jack.

She began to notice the smallest of things—things she’d never realized about him before.

The way he tapped a card against the tabletop absentmindedly, only to glance her way in a subtle cue.

It wasn’t obvious, not the kind of exaggerated signal a cheater would use, but soft and natural, like a rhythm he didn’t even know he kept.

The more she watched, the more she realized he was helping her. Not cheating—just… teaming up with her, reading the game and letting her in on his quiet strategy. For the first time all afternoon, she felt like they had the upper hand, not because of luck, but because of him.

Beth and Jodie’s tricks grew more outlandish, and yet Charlie and Jack still won hand after hand.

By five o’clock, Charlie finally rose, flipping the “OPEN” sign around to “CLOSED” and locking up the garage for the night.

The metallic clink of the lock echoed in the quiet evening, and for a moment she let the peace of it wash over her.

She hadn’t had a day this easy, this lighthearted, in what felt like forever.

When she sat back down for the last few rounds, she found herself smiling—really smiling, not the forced kind she usually wore when the stress of the garage weighed her down.

As they finished the final hand, Beth slung her purse over her shoulder and stood with dramatic flair.

“I think it’s time we head out. Jodie said she was buying dinner tonight and I’m not letting her get out of it. I bought the last three times.” Beth gave a cheeky little salute. “Bye, lovebirds!”

Charlie rolled her eyes, heat rising faintly in her cheeks, but couldn’t suppress her grin as the two women left. She turned back to Jack, amusement sparkling in her gaze.

“She’s quite the cheater, isn’t she?”

“I didn’t want to say it, but yes,” Jack admitted, leaning back in his chair, his smile soft and genuine. “Did you see them giving each other high fives and exchanging cards?”

“No! They did?”

“Why do you think they did it two times in a row? One gave a card, then they slapped hands and the other gave a card. They are really bad cheaters, but really good people.”

Charlie laughed, shaking her head. “Yeah, they are. I had fun today.”

“And it’s not over yet.”

Her pulse skipped at the easy promise in his tone. She met his eyes, a little surprised by how glad she was to hear it.

“I’m glad.”

“Me, too.” Jack grabbed the basket and pulled out a bottle of wine. He then reached in and grabbed two small votives, as well as a lighter. “I thought we’d have a candlelight dinner, just you and I?”

“That’s so sweet, but I didn’t cook anything.”

“I didn’t ask you to.” His hand dove in the basket again and brought up a cheese tray as well as a box of crackers.

“Maybe we should go upstairs so we can set the table?”

“I don’t want you to be nervous or uncomfortable.”

Smiling, Charlie picked up the candles and lighter. “C’mon, Jack. It’s a bit cozier up there. And if a customer pulls up and sees us inside, they might interrupt our dinner.”

“Dinner at your place tonight, then maybe dinner at mine tomorrow?”

“Sounds excellent.”

“Fair warning. I can’t cook,” he admitted shyly.

He followed her up the stairs and Charlie was infinitely aware that she was leading him into her personal space.

No one ever came up, much less saw how feminine her inner sanctum was.

It was so different from the rest of her image but suited her to a ’T’.

Opening the door, she glanced over her shoulder, suddenly curious.

If he couldn’t cook, then what was in the basket?

“What did you bring then?”

“Cheese plate, wine and Spaghetti-Os.”

Charlie burst out laughing at his candid expression. “You had me until Chef Boyardee came along. Set the table, light the candles and let me see what I have.”

“You can cook? Dang, I knew you were perfect.”

“Not the greatest, but I get by.” She grabbed some butter, frozen shrimp and spaghetti, sautéing it in a skillet.

A touch of heavy cream and she put it to simmer for ten minutes.

That would be enough time to open the wine and have a seat with the most gorgeous man she’d had the fortune to meet.

Turning around, she saw that he had already poured two glasses for them and set the cheese tray on the table.

There was also a small bouquet of flowers.

“Where’d those come from?”

“Kroger.”

“Silly, I meant ‘where did you have those hidden?’ Were they in the basket this whole time?”

“I had it crammed full of goodies. There is one left, too.”

“Your closer?” Her voice was wry as she glanced over her shoulder at him.

“Exactly. The closer.”

“Well, keep your ‘closer’ with you. Dinner will be ready in a few. I hope you are ready for something simple, yet edible.”

“Sounds great,” he said with a grin and handed her a glass of wine. He raised his glass towards her. “To chance encounters and the happiness that they bring.”

“To chance encounters,” she repeated softly and took a sip. She was surprised when he invited her to sit down and offered to serve up the meal. “You don’t know where the plates are.”

“But you are here and could tell me,” he countered with a smile. “Let me sweep you off your feet, little one. I can’t cook, but I can dish it up and play the romantic for my lady.” Holding out the chair for her, he smiled tenderly. “Have a seat, love.”

Charlie sat down for two reasons. One, he asked her to. And two, he called her love . Her knees went weak at hearing the word come out of his mouth. Yes, it was a term of endearment. But not one thrown around lightly in her book.

She watched him move about her tiny, feminine kitchen and realized she liked seeing him in her little sanctuary, her home. Jack grabbed two plates and filled them, setting one down in front of her and then pulling a chair out beside her.

The dim lights in her apartment, the candle votives and the sunset all gave off a warm glow that seemed to make their dinner even more intimate. Jack pulled out his iPhone and put on some music. Adjusting the volume, he smiled at her. “How am I doing?”

“Well, I’m impressed.”

“Have I swept you off your feet?”

“Sure,” she said laughing. “I’m sitting, so that is a win in your book.”

“Hear, hear!” he said with a smile and clinked his glass with hers again. “Charlie, this is really wonderful.”

“Yes, it is. Eat while it’s hot,” she urged, starting to feel a bit antsy at being so alone.

She couldn’t help imagining things changing between them when her bed was not ten feet from where they were sitting in her studio apartment.

His dark, tanned skin against her white eyelet coverlet and pink sheets?

Oh maann…

Don’t think about that!

Don’t even consider it - Ten Speed!

Village bike - remember?

Grabbing her wine and looking away, she felt her face heating up.

They finished their meal in a peaceful silence. Jack emptied the wine bottle between their glasses and set it on the counter. Swirling the white wine in her glass, she felt herself feeling languid. This truly was wonderful. No pressure, no stress and that was what she liked the most about him.

“You think it’s time for the closer?” he teased.

“Are you ready for the night to be over?” she responded pertly, making him chuckle in awareness.

“I have something special that I’d like to show you.”

“Is that what you call it?” she quipped and then slapped a hand over her mouth, laughing. “Oh my gosh, I swear I would have never said that. It’s the wine talking.”

“Little one, when we’re about to cross that line, it will need no intro,” he bragged, making her giggle. She loved that he called her “little one” as a term of affection. “Besides, I can’t show you here.”

“Why not?”

“It’s all about location, or haven’t you heard that?”

“That’s houses, silly.”