Pokerface - 8. Implied Odds

Though he would have been content to get a burger from the food court, Seth wanted to show Chip - he still had no idea what the boy's real name was - a night out where he could indulge without worrying about the expense. Chip looked stunning, of course, when Seth escorted him to the top tier of the atrium and told him to pick any restaurant he wanted. He was both proud and surprised when the young man chose a Japanese restaurant for the evening.

It pleased him to see the wonder and impressed shyness - Chip tried to hide it behind his cool arrogance, but Seth was no fool - as they sat behind a teppanyaki grill, watching the chefs turn their orders into performance art. Chip, of course, ordered the most expensive dishes on the menu to see Seth's reaction, playfully testing the bounds of his freedom. Seth didn't mind at all - the fugu dish was worth the four hundred dollars. Chip was completely awed by the admittedly magnificent spiral presentation of the fugu sashimi, but when Seth explained what fugu was, the look of alarm that crossed the pretty face was worth every penny.

"They're very skilled," Chip mused as he watched the chefs at work, running a finger gently around the rim of his glass. "Imagine how easy it would be for them to dismember and hide a body. We might be eating the last of Winston Fry's victims right now."

"That's a little macabre, don't you think?" Seth grimaced, uncomfortable by the thought of the old man he was cuckolding in recent times.

"I'm just saying, you better keep little ken doll Glenn happy, or I might be feasting on you next time some rich daddy treats me to a night out at a fancy restaurant," Chip continued to push him.

"Then I suppose you're lucky I've introduced you to Japanese cuisine," Seth shot back with a wry grin, and Chip laughed out loud. "Did you enjoy your teppanyaki?"

Chip pursed his pretty pink lips around, and his eyes twinkled. "Not as flavourful as the Japanese sausage I enjoyed earlier."

Seth chuckled quietly. "You filthy bitch."

The men, one twice the age of the other, watched the two Japanese chefs cooking on the teppanyaki grill in front of them. Seth took an extra moment to appreciate how beautiful his companion was. Dressed up in his cheap waistcoat and snug-fitting shirt, with skinny jeans and scuffed shoes. He had dimples when he smiled, and he often smiled as the chefs impressed him with the creative and dynamic ways they diced the shiitake mushrooms. Chip eventually looked back at Seth and caught him staring.

"What?" Chip grinned, placing his lips around the straw in his tall glass of iced awamori.

"Play some cards with me."

"Oooh. No, sir, I couldn't possibly do that," Chip purred. "You're far superior to me, don't you think?"

"You're lucky facetious is a good look on you," Seth replied coolly. "You told me last night, in no uncertain terms, that you can beat me. I want to see if you have any substance or if it's all smoke and mirrors."

"No."

Seth had so been expecting Chip to agree to his proposal that he actually flinched when the boy declined. The response did not go unnoticed by his companion, who tittered to himself and finished his drink.

"I see," Seth replied curtly, slightly offended. "May I ask why?"

"You had my attention when you offered to play cards. I love cards! But then you turned it into another way for me to prove myself to you, and I have to admit, Mr Nakamura, I went flaccid very quickly," Chip explained in a frosty tone, all the mirth and cheekiness gone from his eyes.

Seth paused. That wasn't how he intended to come across, but this was an exciting development. He'd been suspicious of Chip hiding an inferiority complex, but now it was a certainty. What caused that? Was he abused as a child? He certainly didn't receive discipline from a parental figure. That much was obvious. He didn't have expendable income, relying on the "kindness" of his friends - and now Seth - to enjoy the things the cruise had to offer. He was keen enough to escape from his situation that he would put himself at the mercy of two rich boys who clearly didn't care about him. Then his very dim view of prostitution. Seth couldn't be sure, but it suggested that the young man had to do some grim things that he was ashamed of.

"No proving yourself. Just cards," Seth promised, reaching over and touching Chip on his hip. "I was just being competitive. I'm not ready for you to go yet."

The brunette's lips shifted back to where they usually rested. Half a smirk, higher on the left side. "That was a nice diplomatic save, Asian Dad. Alright. I'll play cards if you promise to take something off when I win a hand."

Seth laughed and beckoned to the server that he was ready to pay their bill. "Strip poker? Well, if it means I'm allowed to enjoy your company for a while longer, then I'm all for it."

The wealthy man used his card to pay the bill, and the two walked through the gorgeous court of beautiful restaurants and through the top atrium underneath the impressive crystal chandelier that hung from the roof. Seth had to admit that as much as he was missing his less extravagant homes in Ponta Vedra Beach and Osaka, the ship was breathtaking. It occurred to him that Chip must have been entirely out of his depth in a place like this.

"Where would you like to play?" Seth asked.

"Poolside," Chip decided quickly. "I like the stars above me."

"You don't want to go somewhere private?"

"What's the point? We're actively avoiding sex because you're so much more interested in making a point."

Seth turned away so Chip couldn't see him briefly screw his eyes shut, annoyed that he'd been snookered. The kid was right, of course. Seth was cutting off his nose to spite his face, but he was already in too deep. To go back on his word now would hand far too much power over to Chip, who was still looking to tighten his own brand of power. While Seth liked to be in control the old fashioned way, Chip played a cunning, manipulative game of giving Seth enough rope to hang himself. While it drove him mad, it was also refreshing and intoxicating! He'd even begun to forget that he was here to win a tournament and not enjoy a vacation running around with some boy half his age.

"Your place or mine?" Seth asked him as the two reached their cabins.

"Alright, then. Yours. Feel free to strip naked as soon as we get in because I'm going to win every hand," Chip decided, turning to his own room. "I just need to duck in here for a moment, but I expect a glass of wine all ready for me."

"Sounds good to me," Seth's gaze fluttered down to the boy's pert backside as he slipped away. What he wouldn't do to get a piece of that.

In his room, he discarded his jacket, then put it right back on with a smile. If they were to play strip poker, he would prefer to play a little hard to get.

What are you doing? You're not getting down and dirty tonight. Have some fucking strength and pride.

He pulled up the tray that room service had brought earlier, then decided he'd like two more clean glasses to drink from. He was a little tipsy, he realised. Drinking wine from one in the afternoon and then several beverages during dinner had a more significant impact on him than he'd realised. Chip beat the room service guy back in, and when Seth opened the door, he stumbled a little. The young man wasn't wearing his dinner clothes anymore. He was in a dressing gown, and he'd let his hair down.

"You're not afraid of being... underdressed?" Seth asked him, amused as the boy waited for his invitation to come in.

"Oh, Asian Dad. You do say the darnedest things," Chip flirted, slurring his words slightly as the older man welcomed him in and shut the door.

The minute they were locked in together, Chip cast off his dressing gown and Seth did a double-take. There was a LOT of skin showing! Aside from a skimpy black jockstrap, the boy was completely naked! Seth immediately grew hard in his pants as let his eyes take everything in. Chip furthered his sudden seduction by feigning a stretch, raising his arms high above his head and then turning around. Seth didn't have to use his imagination anymore. That ass was perfect. A little paler than the rest of him, an olive shade of white, and it had some shape to it. It looked like those globes would fit perfectly in Seth's hands, and he took a mental snapshot.

"Okay, maybe you were on to something because I do feel a little underdressed. Is it no shirt, no shoes, no service in here, or do you make exceptions?"

Chip nonchalantly stepped back into man's front, and Seth absolutely could not help himself from resting his chin on the bare shoulder and using his hands to touch the naked torso. Whether he was drunk or simply too attracted, Seth planted a kiss on that neck, hugging the hot body close, and then Chip pulled away with a cruel titter.

"Nuh-uh-uh, Asian Dad. None of that. You're proving how in control you are, remember? Hands off," Chip tutted, a triumphant grin on his face as he sat down on one of the chairs around the small circular table. "Your rules, not mine."

"Oh, you're never going to let me forget this, are you?" Seth replied, unable to keep all the bitterness from his voice. "So, was this all a ruse to make a fool out of me? Coming to dinner? Agreeing to play cards?"

"Not at all. I had an amazing time with you today. I mean that. And I'm very interested in you, but if you want some vapid pretty boy with no interest beyond pampering your cock and your ego, then you can find somebody else. Maybe Glenn. He's certainly keen enough," Chip told him harshly, making Seth pull a face. "I like you, okay? But this is getting boring. If you win, I plan for the next round, but when I win, you go and sulk about it. It turns me off. If that's how it's going to be, I don't want to play anymore."

Seth's nose twitched. He tossed the pack of cards onto the table and began to unbutton his shirt. "I think you better go back to your cabin."

Chip eyed him off coolly. "As you wish."

A part of Seth was hoping that the young man would argue or have something witty to say. To smile or do that undressing thing with his eyes. But Chip didn't so much as look at him once he turned away. He slipped his white dressing gown back over the beautiful body he possessed and felt in the pocket for his room key. He spoke once, harshly.

"When you apologise, make it a good one."

Then he left the room without so much as a backwards glance, shutting the door infuriatingly gently behind him. At that moment, Seth hated him. Chip knew precisely what the older man wanted and craved, and the little asshole kept dangling it in front of him to intentionally make a fool of him. Well, he could stick his apology, because he wouldn't be getting one. Seth gave him a night out, and Chip's response was to make a mockery of everything. Typical of someone with so much baggage, he thought.

Maybe I'm finally growing up, Seth thought to himself as he discarded his clothes, ready to have an early night. I'm tired. I don't think I can keep up with the younger generation anymore and I don't know if I even want to. Maybe I can find a submissive thirty-year-old after this floating nightmare with their head screwed on right. I just have to win this tournament.

Though, as much as he tried to drift off to sleep, it wasn't so easy. His thoughts drifted to places he'd prefer not to think about. And it wasn't even Chip. He thought about his parents, and how much he still missed them - being on the other side of forty seemed to make him yearn for the days where he could fish with his quirky, incompetent father and pull weeds from the vegetable garden with his mother. Then he thought about Reiji again, and he cursed aloud. He didn't need this shit. The tournament was to begin in the morning, and he was going to win. Maybe Chip was better at the game between them. Fair enough. But in Poker, Seth had the home-field advantage.