Page 295 of Double or Nothing

I let him look at me. Let him examine my suit and my posture. My careful smile.

I hold my paddle ready.

Not in the air.

Close enough that he knows I’m waiting.

Harrow sees it. His wife says something else.

This time, he ignores her completely.

His paddle rises.

“Seven hundred thousand on the left.”

Bryce looks towards me.

We’ve reached our ceiling.

The auctioneer turns in my direction, and I should stop. Lower my paddle and back out. Mission accomplished.

Harrow has reached the figure we agreed.

Only Mercer hasn’t entered yet.

One more bid means crossing the line Bryce spent eleven nights helping me draw.

All the figures say stop.

All the structure says stop.

But Harrow is done.

His paddle may still be in his hand, but he’s already left the table. The set of his mouth tells me. The glance towards his wife. The speed with which he looks away from me.

His seven hundred is a final challenge. Not the beginning of another round.

If I answer, he folds.

And if Mercer remains still, the triptych becomes mine.

I look at her.

Closed catalogue.

Hands resting calmly.

Eyes fixed on the yellow panel.

She isn’t waiting for the price.

She’s waiting for the room to narrow. For the wrong people to fold and fall away. She doesn’t want to compete with the telephone or some attention-hungry property developer.

She wants the duel. A serious one. Heart over head.

Fine.

I’ll give it to her.