Chapter 7: A Dice Game

"Why is my heart racing?" Judith hadn't expected to get this flustered in front of Magnus. She couldn't even meet his eyes. "Judith, you knew this hottie? You really kept that under wraps!"  Her glamorous friends stared in shock, then traded suggestive glances at Magnus. Across the table, a man called Julius stiffened, his face darkening.  Magnus had more presence, was better looking, stronger, and wealthier than he was.  No wonder Judith had ignored all Julius' pursuits. Everyone assumed Magnus was the backup Judith called in to mess with her fiancé.  Judith wanted to crawl under a rock.  She had no idea how to explain, so she just looked away from Magnus. Magnus looked around the room. "It's too noisy here. Let's go to the luxury VIP lounge." The girlfriends perked up instantly.  At this place, the minimum spend for a luxury VIP lounge was $50,000.  Magnus's voice was magnetic, and he had that alpha CEO vibe.  Perhaps he was indeed the heir to a powerful family. Amid envious stares, Magnus led them into the private lounge. "Handsome, I'll toast you first. What's your name?"  One curvy woman downed her drink and gave Magnus a bright, expectant look. The other women started flirting and crowded around Magnus.  They were dressed daringly. Their perfume was strong. "I'm Magnus Kendall," he said with a mild smile, glancing deliberately at Judith.  "I'm the guy Judith asked you all to gang up on." "What?" The girlfriends and Julius froze, then all turned to Judith. "He's Magnus? The scumbag who wants to be your husband?" "Judith, is that true?" She flushed and gave a stiff nod. Her friends exchanged incredulous looks.  "You told us your fiancé was a country bumpkin, old and ugly, a total creep. That is not him at all." "Judith, if a tall, handsome man with this kind of presence is your husband, how are you not satisfied? Seriously!" They flipped sides instantly, teasing Judith one after another.  Judith couldn't get a word in, mortified. "This is all your fault." "Come with me. We need to talk." Without letting him object, Judith grabbed Magnus by the wrist and dragged him toward the bathroom.  "Didn't you come down from the mountains? Where did you get the luxury car and watch?" Magnus pulled out a gold credit card. "Your grandfather gave me this. He told me to spend as I pleased." Judith was fuming.  "Do you even know the minimum spend for that lounge is fifty thousand? One word from you, and that money's gone. You think the Hopkins family's money grows on trees?" Magnus didn't even blink. He gave a faintly contemptuous smile.  "Don't you act like a spoiled heiress? Why are you getting stingy over fifty grand? Besides, this place isn't exactly high-end. Next time, I'll pick somewhere pricier, or my friends will think I'm cheap." He turned and walked straight back to the lounge. Judith was about to explode. Back inside, she dropped into the seat opposite Magnus, glaring like she wanted to eat him alive. "Judith, why are you mad at the handsome guy?"  Her girlfriends noticed her furious expression and smiled harder in response. "If you're not into him, let us have a shot." They eyed Magnus hungrily.  A few bold ones crossed and uncrossed their long legs, hiking their skirts a little higher to show as much bare thigh as they could.  They wanted his attention. Surrounded by beauties, Magnus felt heat roar up from his Kirin Kidneys.  It was a surge of raw energy he could barely rein in.  He slung an arm around one woman, then another, and laughed. "Pervert," Judith muttered, grinding her teeth.  She blamed her friends for deserting her, even forgetting the plan to lure Magnus and make him squirm. Not everyone felt the same, though.  For Julius, this was a golden opportunity.  "Judith hates him," he thought.  "If I teach him a lesson, Judith will fall for me." A hard glint flashed in his eyes. He snatched up the dice and cup from the table.  "Judith, don't worry. Let me help you teach him a lesson." A spark of delight flickered in Judith's eyes.  Julius had spent years haunting nightclubs and was a master with dice.  Word was, a seasoned casino pro had coached him.  He could shake and listen, then call the numbers, and he never missed a call. Judith pictured Magnus getting played, a sly smile tugging at her lips.  "I'm counting on you." She bumped Julius's shoulder lightly with her own.  The intimate touch sent Julius's blood racing.  He strode over, dice cup in one hand, bottle of strong liquor in the other. "Magnus, just drinking is dull. Let's play dice."  He slammed the cup down in front of Magnus. He made it hard to say no. Magnus smiled. "Alright." "Since we're playing, let's raise the stakes," Julius added.  "Judith and I are one team. You pick another beauty for your team. Losers drink." The women hooted. "Julius, you're ruthless!" "Magnus, don't play him. He's skilled with dice." They fussed over Magnus, more worried about him than helping Judith take him down. Julius smirked. "What, afraid?" Magnus chuckled, unfazed. "A little. I'm only afraid you won't admit your mistake." "Me? Come on." Magnus didn't rush. He took the expensive liquor from the table and mixed it all, pouring ten full glasses. "Since you want to play, let's make it big. You shake. I call. Whoever loses drinks." A chorus of gasps went up.  Anyone who's ever been drinking knows mixing liquor hits hard and fast. This was playing with fire.  It seemed like a disadvantage for Magnus. Julius felt he had the upper hand.  He shook the dice in the cup and slammed it down on the table.  "All right. Call it." "Five sixes," Magnus said, not even glancing at the cup. Julius almost burst out laughing.  Judith stared at Magnus like he had lost his mind.  There were five dice under the cup, and he claimed they were all sixes.  Did he even know the odds?  Even a kid knew how tiny that chance was. Magnus kept his tone light.  "If it's not five sixes, I drink three shots. If you lose, you drink three." "Deal." Julius shot Judith a look.  He was sure the dice were three twos and two fours. Judith was just as keyed up, already savoring Magnus making a fool of himself. Julius lifted the cup. He and Judith froze. The dice were indeed five sixes.