Gambling can have heavy consequences. Commissioned by foogo and written by http://mytransformations.weebly.com/ (great guy to work with)
Chapter One:
When Frank and Jenny got married in the summer of 2008, they believed their future couldn’t be brighter. Frank had a promising career as an electrician for a construction firm and Jenny was a Kindergarten teacher.
Sadly, in only a few months, that future lay in tatters. The housing bust meant nearly all new home construction had ceased and Frank was out of a job. Jenny’s salary wouldn’t quite pay the bills, but if they dipped into their savings, they would almost get by.
The financial crash led to a state budget crisis, and soon this meant cuts to everything from police to education. A larger class size in public schools meant fewer teachers, and since Jenny was the most recently hired, she was let go. Since every school in the state was undergoing the same problems, Jenny had few prospects. The stress on them both was so bad that they even stopped having sex, much to Frank’s frustration.
Frank and Jenny looked outside Roanoke, but in the surrounding areas had prospects that were just as bleak. When their money was almost all gone, they started to look out of state for prospects. Frank found a company in a rural West Virginia town that needed an electrician to retrofit and maintain a series of coal plants. It wasn’t the most glamorous work, and it represented a cut in pay compared to his previous work, but with the lower cost of living, they could get by. Neither of them wanted to go, and Frank called a dozen companies one last time to see if they had any openings before he accepted the position.
When they arrived in the small town of River Pines, they were in for a bit of a shock. The city skylines and scenic, historical buildings of Roanoke were absent. Most of the town consisted of trees blackened by the coal plants and a few dozen shabby, run down mobile homes and several small looking farm plots.
“I can’t believe this,” Frank complained, as he surveyed the soot saturated shantytown.
“We love each other, that’s all that matters,” Jenny said, trying to console her husband. “I’m sure in a year or two, we’ll be back in Roanoke. This will all be a memory before you know it.”
“I hope so,” Frank said. “I don’t want to spend enough time to adjust to a place like this!”
“What will you do during the day in a place like this?” Frank asked her.
“I’ll be online,” Jenny said. “I found a web site where I can do remote tutoring or helping ghost-write term papers for struggling students. It’s just a few bucks, but it’s something,” she said.
Frank’s job turned out to be no more glamorous than Jenny’s. Working at the coal plant was monotonous and frustrating. On the plus side, his fellow workers were fairly friendly, and quickly invited him to what was the most important social event of the town: poker night.
Frank, who wore thick glasses and was a bit of a science fiction aficionado, didn’t expect to fit in so quickly, so he relished the chance to play even though he had relatively little experience playing cards.
Three of his co-workers who were regular players worked part time, also running small, family farms. Bobby was a pig farmer along with his brother, Billy. The latter was fat and sported a big, hairy belly while the former was even larger than his brother. He was also quite slovenly, and had a fair about of bad gas. Cletus was a tall, thin man with a long face, and ran a family dairy farm.
Ed, the fourth member of the card game, worked at the plant as a security guard. Before that, he boasted he had worked as a bouncer for a great many seedy strip clubs. His eyes were perpetually squinty and his face was in a perpetual scowl from injuries he had received in a brawl years ago. He claimed he the injury was an asset – it gave him a better ‘poker face.’
All of them wore trucker hats, suspenders, stained plaid shirts, and other articles of clothing that Frank would have perceived as white trash or hillbilly gear a few months ago, and would likely have used that as a reason not to associate with these people. Now, on the eve of his first game, he was just happy to have something to do in this boring town. They had all gathered at Ed’s place, a mobile home very similar to the one that Frank and Jenny were currently renting – except Ed’s place was littered with upscale porn magazines laying around in the open.
“The buy in is $5,” Ed announced in his deep voice. Frank was surprised that the buy-in was so small, but didn’t mention it. If he was going to lose, perhaps it was best that he lose a small amount of money, he reasoned. “The game is Texas Hold ‘Em,” Bobby continued. “No limit to amount of chips per round. Winner takes the whole pot.”
Frank’s first hole cards were a pair of sixes. Feeling confident, he reached for a handful of chips and placed them onto the table, calling out his bet. To his surprise, all four of his opponents immediately and without hesitation folded.
Throughout the night his luck ebbed and flowed, but whenever he placed a big bet his opponents folded quickly. As soon as he recognized the pattern, he started to bluff, even on bad hands. In a short while, he won the pot, and with it, $25. He received a great many slaps on the back and congratulations for his great skill.
It wasn’t much money, but he when he told Jenny, it did lead to some good sex. Frank was eagerly anticipating the next poker night, which this time was held at Cletus’s farm. The place had a dank smell and was slightly dilapidated, but Frank didn’t man. The situation was bad, but endurable.
“Want to make it a bit more interesting?” Cletus asked the crowd. “Let’s up the buy in to $20,” he said. Once again, Frank prevailed over the other gamblers, who played their hands with remarkable timidity. This time, he took home $100, and this time the sex with Jenny was even better. After his recent dry spell, Frank appreciated ‘nookie’ on a whole new level.
The third game was at Billy and Bob’s pig farm, which stank to high heaven. At this point, though, Frank would have played the game in the pits of Hell if that’s where they wanted to hold it. He remembered and episode of ‘Fraiser’ from a few years back, in which Martin said how all poker players dream of playing with a group of the least skilled players on Earth. Perhaps this was going to be a goldmine, Frank thought.
“The buy in is $300,” Billy announced casually in his twangy voice as he reached under his shirt to scratch his hairy belly. Frank was a bit surprised, but he didn’t voice an objection. If he played his cards right, he’d be bringing home over a grand, and he’d probably get whatever sexual fantasy he could ever want from his wife. Besides, he thought, this was a table of amateurs.
“Three hundred? I’m in,” Frank said. He played aggressively and won the first few hands, but then Billy brought out a large tan jar with three black X’s written across it with a black marker.
“Anyone up for a drink?” he asked suggestively.
“What is it?” Frank asked.
“What do you think?” Bobby answered. “Home made moonshine. Me and Billy made it last week.”
“I don’t know,” Frank demurred.
“Come on, it’s not fair to play as the only one sober,” Ed countered. “Besides, you’re already winning,” he added.
“What the hell,” Frank conceded, and was poured a generous helping of yellow liquid into a cracked coffee mug.
As soon as his lips touched the stuff, Frank found his head spinning. Worse still, the other players stopped falling for his bluffs. He was the first person out of the game, which ended up going to Bobby.
When he staggered home, Jenny was waiting for him.
“How much did you win this time?” she asked eagerly.
“I didn’t win,” Frank said, his words slurred.
“Oh, well I guess you can’t win them all,” Jenny said. “How much did you lose?”
“Three hundred,” Frank admitted, not willing to look his wife in the eye.
“Are you serious? We can’t afford that!” Jenny said. “And why are you talking that way? Have you been drinking?”
“Yeah,” Frank said, “but everybody was.”
“They’re probably all alcoholics! You’re a lightweight. That’s why you lost. No more drinking,” she insisted. Then she turned around to the bedroom and slammed the door shut. Frank slept on the couch.
The next day at work, the guys taunted Frank for his loss, which made him only more eager to win the money back.
“Host the game at your place next time,” Bobby insisted. “It’s your turn.”
“I don’t know if the wife will go for it,” Frank hedged. “She was steamed at me for losing.”
“She’s the wife – you’re the breadwinner. What you say should go,” Ed barked. “Don’t let your wife pussy whip you.”
After some pleading, Jenny acquiesced and agreed to hold the game at their mobile home.
“The buy in is $400,” Frank boldly announced.
“Honey, isn’t that a lot?” Jenny asked.
“I’m going to win it all back, and then some,” Frank boasted. In his mind, his wife was right on – the moonshine was obviously to blame for his loss – somehow, it must have ruined his poker face. Without it, he felt sure he was going to emerge as a winner.
Frank got a pair of 3s for his hole cards on the first hand. He bet big, but to his surprise, Billy, Ed, and Cletus all called him, and Billy even raised. He stuck with the hand, and lost. The next few hands went no better – the playing skills of his opponents seemed to have shot up dramatically. In less than an hour, he was out chips, the first at the table to bow out.
“You said $400,” Ed said. “I don’t see your cash on the table.”
“I don’t have it,” Frank admitted, sweating profusely. “You have to give me until next payday.”
“Did we wait to give you your winnings?” Ed asked.
“No, but I didn’t win hundreds of dollars,” Frank countered.
“If you weren’t ready to lose four hundred, you shouldn’t have set the buy so high,” Bobby said. “Pay up.”
“Yeah. Or else,” Ed said threateningly as he clenched his fist.
“Wait,” Ed said. “Look, does he have to pay in money? Hes got something of value to offer.”
“Oh?” Billy asked.
“How about this?” he said, and pointed at Jenny.
“Frank, can I speak to you privately?” Jenny said in a pointed tone.
“Sure, excuse me fellas,” he said as he left the table.
“What do you think they want with me?” Jenny asked sounding horrified. “You said you’d win the money back!”
“I know, I know. But look, our only options are do what they say, or be out another $400,” Frank said. “I don’t want this any more than you do, but we have to think about the future.”
“What will I have to do?” Jenny asked, her face flushed.
“Just do a little sexy dance, you know,” Frank replied. “I’m sure they won’t ask for more.”
“You’re sure?” Jenny asked.
“Yes, they aren’t bad guys,” Frank said, and walked with her back to the table.
As she climbed on top of the poker table and slowly undid the buttons of her top. Jenny, with her flowing brown hair, her lithe frame, and her naturally tan skin, was a traditional knockout. Her striptease was greeted with enthusiastic hooting and applause.
“Alright, Frank, that buys you back into the game,” Billy said. “Here’s a few chips, make them count.” Jenny remained on the table during play, while the guys ogled her and glanced up her skirt. She was wearing a pink thong.
Frank went all in with those chips the first chance he got. He lost.
“Do you need more?” she asked in a sultry tone.
“Yeah, more,” Ed said, and she removed her bra, causing her smallish, pert breasts to bounce free. In spite of herself, she was enjoying the attention.
“Are we paid up?” Jenny asked.
“Sure,” Cletus said. “Frank, we’ll give you another second chance to get back into the game.”
This time, Frank held his chips cautiously, betting sparingly even with good hands. He couldn’t bear to see his wife lose more clothing if he busted out. But the blinds slowly ate away at his pile and before long, he was forced to go all in on a substandard hand, losing again.
“Guess I have to keep going,” Jenny said with a giggle and a shrug. She slowly undulated her frame as she removed her skirt.
“Honey, you don’t have to…” Frank began, but was interrupted by Ed’s hand on his shoulder.
“Yes, she does,” he said. She removed her thong, revealing her shaved pussy. She shook and shimmied her thin body at the hillbillies with a look of glee on her face.
“Alright, you’re good, Frank,” Bobby said, and Jenny hoped off the table and went to the bathroom to put on her clothes. “You’re out, but we’ll let the buy in slide this time.”
“But if that’s how you plan on paying your debts in the future, we’re going to have to make some changes,” he said, when he was sure she was out of earshot.
“Changes?” Frank asked. “What changes?”
“We’ll get into that – next game,” Cletus said with a wink.