Instantly, an answer swirled in my mind. Fortunately, I kept myself from letting it leap from my lips. Why was he pushing this conversation? Given I had mentioned the surveillance, Matt would normally end the conversation and let me continue scoping out the location before walking into anything. What happened to him not carrying a grudge?
“Marcus!”
“Sorry, did I miss something?”
“Why have you been ducking me?”
I rested my feet on the bed and covered the sticky notes with my free hand. “I’ve been busy.”
“Did you find out who’s orchestrating this little tourney?”
A hint of scorn laced Matt’s words, and I knew the only reason he wove that into his question was to remind me of his frustration that I came here. It also made me realize I should’ve known better than to answer the phone. I should have stuck to my guns and ignored the incoming calls. If I had, I would have owed him a small favor, though the size was rapidly increasing with every question. I pulled my hand off the suitcase, revealing a deck of cards.
Of course, this was the one question I didn’t want to answer. And with the directness of his inquiry, my mind raced. Frantically, it searched for partial truths Matt might believe. Matt had been wary of the need to have an invitation or a recommendation to come to this tournament. Despite getting my hands on an invite, though secondhand, Matt considered this to be nothing more than an unnecessary risk. Ultimately, I had overruled his objection, citing my need to test my skills in the tournament.
It didn’t matter to me who was pulling all the strings. The access I had to the invitation presented me with an opportunity to test my skills with an array of highly skilled players. Unfortunately, I’d stopped taking Matt’s calls when I figured out who was orchestrating this tournament. While I didn’t care about this individual’s involvement, I knew how Matt would react upon hearing the organizer’s name. Or rather, I suspected. He’d either try guilting me out of the tournament, or he’d catch a redeye flight down to New Orleans and drag me back to the airport.
Given the long waiting list for this game, I could walk away without insulting anyone. But I wanted to remain, despite the man in charge. And it wasn’t because of the prize. While that amount of money was enticing, I didn’t need it, considering my ability to make more. No, the real reason I stayed was simply the allure of the challenge. I needed to confirm my skills, and going to local casinos didn’t present me with ample opportunities to flex my skills, especially since it was getting harder to find games back home.
“You know, I haven’t quite been able to track—”
“Not a chance Marcus! Who’s running this tournament of yours? I also know that’s why you’ve been ignoring my calls. So spill. Who are you going to annoy on this trip?”
That was quite a mental leap for Matt to make. There was no way he could know what I knew. “Excuse me—”
“Don’t play games with me, Marcus!”
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