All in

All In
    Nancy was sitting at her computer sipping on some orange soda, and playing Texas Hold’em. She had become real good at the game, or really lucky. Quite the gambler she holds over $100,000 in chips. Although it isn’t real money she still gets excited by the idea of it. She found herself doing this more and more often these days, playing poker. But it’s what she enjoyed doing in her free time, and it shouldn’t bother anyone else. Well, Nancy was definitely wrong about that. Due to her new pastime she was neglecting her boyfriend James. They had been together for three years and enjoyed watching horror movies together, going out to eat, and anything else that involved just the two of them.  Both Nancy and James are full time students with jobs, and quality time together was harder and harder to find.  James was starting to feel his girlfriend enjoyed the company of the computer more than his. Nancy was caught up in the cyber world of high stakes poker and didn’t seem to realize she was losing her boyfriend. 
    Nancy’s disregard for other responsibilities was apparent her desk was a mess littered with empty soda cans, dirty paper towels, and junk mail. The floor around her desk was covered with newspapers, magazines, and school work which covered the beautiful area rug she had in her office. Her new flat screen computer monitor was covered with post it notes in bright orange and pink. The reminders on these notes had long expired she just didn’t take the time to discard them.  From the look of things her spending quality time with her boyfriend wasn’t the only thing she was neglecting due to her growing addiction to gambling. Her housekeeping was suffering and James was tired of cleaning up after her. He had reached his limit one evening, and decided to give Nancy a taste of how angry and fed up with he had become with her bull crap.
    Once again Nancy was at her computer caught up in her new love affair with poker. She was so intently focused on her hand that she hadn’t noticed James at her side. She had a royal flush working, and the pot was almost $250,000 which if she could get this last card she needed, would be hers! It was when the fourth river card flipped over a four of clubs!! She was on the edge of her chair. That’s when she noticed James she tried to shoo him away with “give me a minute” and he left, or so she thought.  She was dead focused on the computer monitor she wanted that $250,000 so bad. The bids were going around the cyber gambling table. People were raising bids and back raising making the pot of money even larger.  Nancy sat wide eyed and giggling as she placed her bet. Finally, the bidding was over and the last river card was about to be revealed. The monitor suddenly went black. Nancy sat there stunned for a moment clicking her mouse and tapping the space bar. Ultimately she realized that the computer had been shut off. She looked around the corner to where the outlet was, and there was James with the computer plug in his hand. Nancy jumped up yelling “WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!?” She stood there stunned for a moment “I was about to when a lot of money.” She said whiningly as she fell back into her seat.  James just stood there staring at her like she was insane. As if she had no reason at all to be pissed off.  They stared at each other for a couple of minutes the room thick with silence. Nancy started to think to herself how cute James was. His strong features and broad shoulders, and how she could ever be more interested in a poker game than this gorgeous man standing in front of her.  It was then that James turned around and walked out the door. He knew he had made his point and nothing else needed to be said. Nancy was left feeling like a poker player with empty pockets who had called “all in” and didn’t have the winning hand.

Written by
Takeysha Whitted