He can't afford a room but...

Rick was disappointed by the size of the house rake on his winnings. He'd hoped to have enough to at least pay for one of the cheapest rooms but by the time he'd paid off the house, put aside enough for his buy-in for the tournament tomorrow, and figured the cost of dinner and of Kat's room, he was broke. If he didn't cash out in the tournament, he'd be worse off than where he'd started.

Kat gave him a strange look when he told the desk clerk he wanted one room but she didn't say anything. Considering how bloodthirsty she'd been with those two goons, maybe she was ready to follow up on her threats to rip off his balls. He went ahead and bought into the tournament for both of them, spending almost all of his money in the process. If he got held up now, he wouldn't have much to lose.

The casino had a number of dining options but the buffet was the cheapest and, according to Yelp, the best choice. Kat took his arm as they walked there and leaned on him a little when he paid for the two of them. Her body felt good next to his, and he enjoyed the sensation of a beautiful woman next to him.

He was hungry... perhaps not a huge surprise considering that he hadn't eaten all day... and loaded up his plate. Kat shook her head, dumped his plate, and refilled it with more protein and fewer carbs. "Gotta take care of yourself, Rick. She filled her own plate with the same selections but with smaller portions.

They found a table and she sat next to him, both of them with their backs toward a wall. Apparently Kat was about as convinced as he that scrawny and baldy were safely out of the picture. Not that he had anything left to rob but they didn't know that.

After a few minutes of serious eating, Kat pushed her plate away. "Okay, what's the deal with only one room?"

"I told you I got laid off. I don't have much money. I've spent the past couple of nights in my car so I don't figure it will hurt me to spend one more."

She nodded slowly. "Okay. Fine."

"So, you don't have to rip my balls off and stuff them down my throat."

"Oh, good. I was hoping I wouldn't."

They finished eating in silence, with Kat silently glaring at him when he suggested maybe trying out one of the desserts.

"Want to take in a show?" she asked when they'd scraped their plates clean. "On me."

He checked his watch and wasn't surprised to see it was already eleven. "Thanks, but no," he said. His sleep had been cut short the previous night and he'd worn himself out having sex with his ex, the long drive, then the strain of keeping focus on a group of strangers. "I'll walk you to your room then head out."

"Sure."

He sensed some sort of conflict in her and hoped it wasn't pity. He didn't want Kat to feel sorry for him, he wanted her hot for him and pity generally washed out desire.