She was dealing out aces like nobody’s business, but then when you needed one she just smiled unapologetically and gave you a damn four of hearts instead. Her eyes flickered up to you, peering beneath dark lashes. Her eyes were the same color as the shimmering emerald on the ring finger of the lady next to you. All miniscule facets and bouncing light. Reminded you of Ireland, really. She had the luck of the Irish with those eyes then.

Her hands, all quick silver like, started gathering the cards up again and you moved away from the table. Didn’t need to lose anymore money tonight. As her hands dealt out the cards once more, her eyes moved. They had the fever bright shine of someone ill, all slipping and sliding from one object to another, searching for something only in a delusion. From the cards to the other blackjack table then to—you. She gave you a secretive smile and then dealt out the cards.

Your boss may have called you idiotic or clueless but you could see things right in front of your face…sometimes. The cards were all hearts. And they were all in order too. She was just a regular Queen of Hearts, now wasn’t she? Everybody had to have seen that. But the players were too interested in their own cards to notice, but a beat, two, and then two hulking mountains of security came up, clasped at each elbow, and dethroned the Queen.

A mere slip of a girl showed up, a tiny Princess of Hearts with fake cubic zirconium eyes. Her hands weren’t as quick, as flashy as the Queen’s. The players seemed to accept her though, because they crowded around the table again. You looked back at the Queen and her mountains of security. Her head was high, her posture noble-like.

Following seemed easy enough. After all, it could be quite the curious trip.

---

They had gone into a little room. You really expected her to come staggering out of the room, doubled over, Technicolor bruises, maybe even a tooth or two missing. But no. It wasn’t even ten minutes when she strolled out of the room, looking a little pissed off but otherwise normal. One eyebrow rose when she saw you leaning against the wall.

“Got a cigarette?” she asked. And you pulled out a cigarette for her and your lighter to make it burn. She raised it to her lips, inhaled, and then let out a stream of blue-white smoke. “Thanks.” And she turned and started to walk away.

Curious, you called, “Wait!” and then turned a bit to look into that room. Both mountains of security were on the floor, out cold. How did a petite Queen do that? “How did you-?”

She let out a low chuckle and turned to you, coming close. The fingers not clasping the cigarette rubbed against her palm and—a card appeared between her fingers, pulled out of thin air. A simple Queen of Hearts. All straight lines and easy curves. She closed her hand around the card, opened it, and—gone. Straight back into air.

She leaned closer and you could smell the light scent clinging to her, something sweet and almost flowery. She stretched a bit, her lips brushing your ear, and whispered, “It’s all magic, Gamblin’ Man.” Her fingers trailed across your suit jacket and then she was walking away again.

It was probably best to just let it drop here, you decided, and then reached into your jacket to place your lighter in the inside pocket. Something was in its place so you pulled the something out to reveal—a Queen of Hearts. Probably the same Queen of Hearts she just held. The only difference between the two was that the one you held had small cursive on the bottom saying call me sometime and a phone number you knew you wouldn’t remember. So you just shoved it back into you pocket, the lighter alongside it. And when you looked up, the hall was empty with the exception of you.

---

You spent a week trying to decide whether or not to call her. It probably wouldn’t have taken that long usually, but you figured that the number was probably to some random company or payphone. And if you called either nobody would pick up or, if somebody did, they would say Hi and then ramble off that they’re from the so-and-so company and How may I help you? in a chipper voice. Then you’d feel extremely foolish because you had been expecting a Hi or Hello in a low, lilting voice.

Finally, you decided what the hell. And you called. A mechanical female voice greeted you and told you that you could leave a message after the tone but you hung up instead.

The hell with it.

---

Your buddies decided to drag you out, saying that you had become too much of a responsible adult and you needed to have some fun. That meant them dragging you to that one casino. Of course.

Once there, they handed you a wad of bills and nudged you over to the bar, declaring that you needed to find a girl. It was said quite loudly, complete with muffled snickers and waggling eyebrows. Rolling you eyes, you figured you could get yourself a beer and then go around the tables to try and find the elusive Queen of Hearts. If she wasn’t there, you could at least say you tried.

You had just sat down and opened your beer when somebody sat down next to you and murmured in an almost familiar low voice, “You never called.”

You turned. The Queen of Hearts was there, eyes fixated on the television above the bar and a martini glass at her lips. She was probably not working considering how you figured the slinky black dress she was wearing probably wasn’t the standard uniform for dealers. And her hair, instead of being pulled away from the face and up (like all dealers with long hair), it was loose, curling at her temples and flowing over her shoulders.

She emptied her glass and regarded you with a Look. Then she aimed a look at her glass and said, “Buy me another martini and I just might listen while you explain why you didn’t call.”

---

You couldn’t exactly recall how you got there. There were two things that stuck out in your mind and the first was just the fleeting thought of how your friends were going to bitch at you later for leaving them at the casino. That thought flew away however when the second thought got stuck in your head.

It was put there by the rather sneaky Queen of Hearts who was curling one hand in your hair and pulling you down for a kiss. Then one slim hand trailed up your side and you tugged her down to the bed with you.

---

When you woke up, you fully expected her to be gone and to be just a memory and a flowery scent on your sheets. Instead, you woke up to liquid emerald colored eyes and a sleepy grin. “Hey Gamblin’ Man,” she murmured and then leaned over to brush a kiss over your lips.

“Mornin’ Queen of Hearts,” you replied and tugged her close for a repeat of the night before.

---

When you woke up, you knew she would be gone. Unlike ten years before, you knew she’d be in the kitchen and not just a beautiful memory. A few minutes after you opened your eyes, she popped her head into the bedroom and smiled. “Get up. Breakfast is ready.” Then she was gone.

Two minutes later, you were in the kitchen leaning against the doorframe, just content to look on at your family.

The Queen of Hearts herself was at the stove, scrambling eggs. Your (our) kids were at the table, the daughter fiddling with a deck of bent cards, the son watching in amusement. She was trying to master the trick the Queen had showed her and he was trying to figure out the secret of it.

The Queen took the pan from the stove and moved to the table to dish up breakfast. “No cards at the table,” she scolded as she moved eggs from pan to dish. She (Princess of Hearts?) blushed and the cards moved from the table to her lap.

“Don’t I get a good morning?” you grumbled as the Queen of Hearts placed the pan back on the stove.

“Of course, Gamblin’ Man,” she teased and then came over to give you a particularly nice kiss.

“Yuck! Mom! Dad!” whined from your daughter.

“And I was just going to eat, too,” from your son.

The Queen of your Heart pulled away laughing, and then went to go get a plate for you.