Play poker with Alaina and John

Tonight feels like a good night for cards, no matter how wild things are here at the party. You remember seeing Alaina and John sitting at a poker table on the first floor and make your way back there. It's slow going, fighting your way through the drunks and the walls of people, but you allow yourself to go with the flow of the crowd until you end up in the living room.

There's a harsh light hanging over the poker table, making it look like a real table in a seedy gambling den or casino or something. It illuminates the faces of the people gathered around, who are just about to have their hands dealt in. Aside from Alaina and John, there's also another guy. You don't recognize him, either from your floor or from around campus. It's possible that he's an upper year or even just someone who lives in town.

You take a seat next to Alaina. "Can I get dealt in?" you ask.

"Sure," the guy says. He throws you a pair of cards. You don't know much about poker, and you can't quite tell what the buy-in is. Regardless, it looks like things will be fine, since the guy hasn't asked you for anything.

Alaina slides her chair closer to yours, and you can see John glaring across the table at you. If looks could kill, you'd be dead by now. Although if John's looks could kill, every girl on the floor would be dead a dozen times over.

Alaina is wearing a backless white halter top and a plain red skirt. Under the skirt, she's wearing a pair of tights. She leans over, looking like she's going to whisper something in your ear, and you lean in to hear. "I need you to help me," she says under her breath.

You glance around the table. Is someone threatening her? Aside from John, of course, but he's only really threatening in an abstract, uncomfortable way.

"It's strip poker," she explains. "I thought it would be hot, but then John showed up. He keeps looking at me, and I know he's going to try something. "

"What's the big deal?" you whisper. "I mean, yeah, I wouldn't want John looking at me, either, but it's not like he can do anything about it."

Alaina grimaces. "He can! If I get down to one piece of clothing, I have to play every hand. And if I lose, he can dare me to do anything. We need to knock him out before he can get to that point. Please, Andrew? Can you help me?"

Trying not to make it obvious, your eyes slide from Alaina to John. He's wearing way more clothes than she is. She has on three pieces of outerwear-- top, skirt, and tights-- and then her underwear. John has a sweater, his t-shirt, jeans. Not to mention his boxers. Maybe even an undershirt. It's the middle of winter, after all, he may have dressed warm.

Shit, you think. On one hand, strip poker means you could get a good look at Alaina's gorgeous body. On the other, you really don't want John to be able to dare her to do whatever he wants. That could get gruesome fast.

"Are you guys done," the dealer says, clearly a bit irritated.

"Yeah," you say. "Sorry. Ready."

He deals out the first hand. You bet. You've got a pair in your hand, so you feel confident in betting. Alaina does the same, while John folds. The stranger calls your bet. When he deals out the board, you don't find anything to help your pair, and the dealer reveals two pairs.

"Shit," you say. You pull off your sweater and throw it across the side of the room. Counting in your head, that leaves you with your shirt, your pants, and your underwear: still three items. That's plenty if you play your cards right.

It looks like Alaina is stuck with a pair, too. The look on her face is far from happy. She stands and reaches under her skirt to pull down her tights. John is riveted to the sight, never blinking as she throws the black nylons onto the table. You think his mouth might actually be watering, as if he's never seen a woman's legs before. "There," she says. "Next hand."

The dealer deals out again. Your hand is alright, and you bet again. John, Alaina, and the dealer all call, bringing it down to the flop. This time, Alaina wins, and the guys are all **** to take off an item of clothing. You're down one shirt, leaving your chest bare, and you catch Alaina checking you out. She doesn't try to hide it.

John is practically fuming. He sees the way that Alaina is looking at you and he clearly doesn't like it.