The Bridge Partner

"Six spades."

The ladies both passed and Joseph Kamau looked like a leopard pouncing on an unsuspecting prey. "Double." Gabriel smiled very wide.

(So his big strength is in spades after all... OK Anni, can you dump them all?)

"Anni, do we have balls?" The effect of that call to action was almost comical... he was sure she lost a couple of breaths and heartbeats.

"Aaaas a matter of fact, we dooo." She was whispering, embarrassed, but Gabriel made his final call before Mr. Kamau could object to this non-regulatory exchange.

"Seven no trump."

"Are you mad, Jensen?"

"Quite the contrary, sir... I do not believe you will have a chance to play your two kings or your strength in spades, and now you have nowhere else to go and you must lead to a worthless hand." That last remark made Annitah realize that she was the declarant in no trump, so she would play and Gabriel's hand would be the dummy; she shivered at the thought.

Mr. Kamau looked upset, but Belinda looked positively furious at this heretical display. Still, she could do nothing but pass. He doubled... and Gabriel redoubled.

"If you please, Sir." Now was the time to play cards. Not surprisingly, he led with the king of spades so Annitah had dummy take the hand with the ace. Looking at Gabriel's cards on the table, she pondered on how to proceed, terrified by the five worthless spades and seeking assurance in Gabriel's confident gaze... and soon enough, an excited smile gradually took form on her beautiful face. She took a deep breath and then cashed dummy's king of hearts and played dummy's two clubs, winning with dummy's ten and then her ace. She then cashed in her ace and queen of hearts and her three club honors, all major. That left her with her three diamonds and a spade: she finessed her queen and jack of diamond and led to dummy's ace, trapping her father. After taking his king with dummy's ace, she claimed with dummy's 10 of diamonds and jumped out of her seat, cheering.

"All right, all right, settle down Annitah dear... it's only a contract, by God!"

"Only a contract! Ha! Poor daddy! That was THE BIGGEST contract in bridge! Tell him, sweetie... how much is this worth?"

"Well... since we were vulnerable and it was redoubled... 880 points below the line and 1600 points above the line... plus the 700 points for the rubber, of course. The only way we could have made more points is if you had held all four aces in your hand." Gabriel was so elated to see her in such childish joy, he was quite willing to help her rub it in. "Of course, you have to thank your father a little: if he had passed at six spades, we were down at least one, probably more."

"Yes, of course! Thank you daddy! Ha haaaa!!!" She was kissing him on the cheek, to his very obvious dislike, and was clapping and jumping in place.

"Annitah, will you please sit down!"

"Pipe down and live with it, Joseph! You were outplayed by a young man who uses his head to count cards and not his ego! You better all be ready to play again when I return from the loo! And congratulations, you two."

"Thank you mummy... it's very gracious of you."

The rest of the afternoon returned to normal, with the elder couple showcasing their extra experience at playing together. Thankfully for everyone's nerves, no more mayonnaise was dealt that day. Diner with the Kamaus was a delightful experience and, afterwards, Joseph Kamau brought shot glasses to honor Gabriel's gift and they indeed toasted the Queen. Despite being a mid-priced 20 year old vintage, the Porto was very good, to Gabriel's relief. When he wanted to help with clearing the table and the dishes, he was chased out of the kitchen and left to be entertained by Mr. Kamau.

"Please tell me, young man, what are your intentions regarding my daughter."

"DADDYYY!" was heard in objection from the kitchen.

"I assure you, Sir, that I have long admired your lovely daughter from afar and that my one request for a courtship was very politely rebuffed. I have no romantic ambush planned and will remain content to be her friend and bridge partner. And to have the pleasure of your continued company, if you wish, of course."

"That goes without saying, young man! How else are we to drink all this wonderful Porto!"

"Enough scheming, you two!" Annitah had returned clad in a light sweater and her walking shoes, obviously intent on stepping outside. "Gabe, will you accompany me in walking Winnie, or do you need to return home right away?"

"Nonsense, Anni! You are the sleep-depraved one in this house! I will gladly walk with you..."

"Then come on, before daddy starts talking about betrothals and dowries!"

They both walked, hand-in-hand, and it felt natural and soothing. Winnie was so experienced with her walking circuit that she was barely making her presence felt. The evening was very comfortable, with the few stars capable of being seen in the Downtown Vegas illumination all accounted for.

"Thank you very much, Gabe. I know it does not show, but you have made them happy as clams."

"You're very welcome, and we ought to make this a weekly tradition, depending on your duty roster of course. I had a wonderful time, and you have an amazing family."

"I'm glad we look that way to you. In truth, at times we behave more like three adults sharing accommodations."

"Well, I do get, from their caustic appraisal of the city, that you did not move here on a whim. So what did bring you to Las Vegas? Cardiology work at the Heart Hospital?"

"Ah! So you also call Desert Springs by that name... yes, it was part of the reason. The other is the weather here."

"Your folks have a health issue? They both seemed healthy as rocks to me."

"Mummy has Meniere's disease... and not a mild case."

"What is it?"

"An inner ear disorder. The attacks are only vertigo, so it's not too debilitating, but the condition has no cure and daddy is not getting any younger."

"Aaaah... so you were seeking a locale with few barometric pressure changes?"

"Yes, so of course we left the UK. But I believe my parents were secretly hoping for a return to Kenya; or maybe I'm wrong and they are just bored in a new city where they know no one; of course, it doesn't help that neither is very outgoing by nature."

"Well, I will do my best to make their days here more homely... and please promise you will call me if Belinda has vertigo while you are on duty."

"Thank you Gabe. I will... promise."

"Don't mention it; that's what friends are for." It was at that touching moment that Winnie chose to relieve herself. Annitah was visibly annoyed at concluding this heart-to-heart with the scooping of dog poop.

"So, it seems you have a thing for Jensens?" Gabriel prodded her good-naturedly.

"Right, that... my parents once treated the Hospital CEO for diner, soon after I started my practice. They tend to be... involved."

"Yes, I sure got that same vibe today!"

"I apologize..."

"Don't be ridiculous! I found it both nerve-racking and adorable!"

"All right... change of subject: Gabe, how did you know?"

"Know whaaat?"

"Well... that I... had balls."

"Well I didn't, that's why I asked... that was our thing, Mike and I: if he was about to make a ridiculous bid that had nothing to do with conventions or the strength in his hand, he would trumpet it to the world as such. Of course, we did not play bridge as ceremoniously as you Kamaus do."

This was the second weird moment to escape his grasp today. Annitah had an expression that made no sense: she seemed so relieved that she almost visibly shrunk from her relaxing, and yet, her face could not hide a hint of disappointment. She was lost for words for some time, on the way back to the house. Gabriel chose not to intrude her thoughts.

"I thought you played bridge with your mother and girlfriend."

"When I played with my ex, the friends of hers we played with were so competitive that, to save our couples, we played boys against girls... beer against wine. And it worked... for them!" He was obviously on the verge of choking up.

"Are you still pining for her, Gabe?"

"God no! I don't think I would even be inclined to remain civil in her presence. But the wound she caused, I choose to keep open."

"Why would you do that? Are you a masochist?"

"Quite the contrary, I am a romantic, and the last thing I wish is for my heart to become scar tissue. I want to love again, someday, and still have all my heart to invest in it."

"Wow! That's... something!"

"And you? What about your heart?" He felt her grip tighten on his hand.

"I'm afraid that being a cardiologist and sole supporting offspring leaves little use for my heart except pumping blood."

"I understand." Karma was not with him that night, as they were in sight of the Kamau residence. That issue would have to be explored later. For now, it was time for goodbyes. He walked up to Flamingo road, to catch an eastbound bus home; she went in to catch up on much needed sleep, with troubled dreams he would never know about.

3. the stroke

The following five months were both a blur and the friendship stuff of bromance legends. Gabriel became a welcome fixture in the Kamau household; he tried his hand at yoga with Annitah and lifted weights with her in the small gym she had built in her home. They also swam together at the Buchanan Natatorium and Annitah pushed Gabriel to once again regularly swim the 30 long laps of a 1500 meters race under the 15 minutes bar. They now always sat together in the bus, if possible, and shared lively discussions about matters of importance or trivia, squeezing every second out of their cherished minutes together.

That stable order of things unraveled quickly, however, starting one evening when Gabriel and Winnie were the sole welcoming committee to greet Annitah home. "Good evening, Anni; both your parents are asleep and your mother seems better. How was your day?"

"Exhauuusting, Gabe... I feel like a walking corpse. Frankly, I'm amazed I didn't kill anyone today."

"Do you need a drink... or a foot massage maybe?"

"You... are a sweet and caring friend. No thank you... it wasn't THAT kind of a shift. If you don't mind, I will just eat and go to bed."

"Sure thing... just give me a minute and I will warm your diner before finishing the laundry."

"Why on Earth are you doing laundry?"

"It was what Belinda was in the middle of, when she called you for help... and it was obvious that Joseph had tried taking over her chores to avoid making a fuss. Anyway, I'm almost done... I doubt my manly folding will be to her approval but that's a cross for me to bear. Now eat." He had just served her a reheated plate of homemade fish and chips and left for the closet.

He returned to her shortly afterwards. She was still eating quietly. "Well, I believe that wraps it up for me. Your parents are still asleep and they are up-to-date on their medication regimen. Winnie has been walked. The leftovers are in the fridge and the dishwasher is loaded. Do you need me for something else before you crawl to bed?"

Annitah had a thankful gaze but an exhausted smile. Her natural guard was down, so much so that she gently grabbed his hand and tenderly patted his fingers. "Gabe... what would I do without you? You know, your former girlfriend was a complete moron to let you go... if you were mine, I would stop at absolutely nothing to keep you near me... anyway, her loss is my gain... and I thank you one more time. It seems I always do, these days."

Gabriel was not expecting this... and much less the very literal wake-up call in his loins. His heart screamed bloody murder in his soul and took over his reason. "Then why don't you put your money where your mouth is?"

Annitah had perfectly understood, but she was so terrified that she could only stall. "What... are you talking about, Gabe?"

(Shit! Gabe you stupid fuck! Go on, now! No turning back now, I guess!)

"Make me yours, Anni... ask me out on a date. Tell me to bring red roses instead of yellow ones. Tell me you love me, while you're at it!" He chuckled, trying to look amused at his own foolishness, but he was not fooling anyone.

"Gabe... I'm so sorry, I..."

"... don't think it's a good idea, huh... is it the height thing? Because you should know that, before swimming to pay for college, I was a choir boy and I am still quite adept at dancing... ballroom or disco..." he was rambling in a more and more desperate voice, grasping at straws to avoid hearing the answer he knew was coming. Annitah felt so sorry for him.

"No, Gabe, it's not the height thing..."

"Then please, please... one date. We won't kill ourselves over one date! Where do you hang out?" Annitah felt miserable, but she only had the energy to utter the bare truth.

"I hang around at Flair; when I hang, which is not often, as you of all people can infer." It was one of those moments with her; the ones in which Gabriel understood nothing and yet, to Annitah, all was crystal clear.

"Forgive my ignorance of the Las Vegas nightlife, Anni... I don't get your tone of finality."

"It's an LGBT club, Gabe. It opened at New year's; it's located on Flamingo, not far from Desert Springs Hospital. I can walk to it from there, in fact... or take the bus."

Gabriel being a member of the NTSH Foundation, he had seen plenty of times the recreation of atmospheric nuclear tests. Those blasts he saw were whoopee cushion farts compared to how he felt about this. This topic had never even remotely been discussed before.

"Oh... huh... all right... huh... wow! Gee... you really got me with that one!" His voice was shaky and his smile was a mixture between a chuckle and a sob. "Dooo... you have a girlfriend?"

Annitah was on autopilot and responded with mechanical efficiency. "No..."

"Then it does not matter, now, does it?" He was completely desperate, she was annihilated and mute. "I guess it does, huh?"

He rose so swiftly, one would think he was responding to an evacuation order. "Anni, I'm horribly sorry for this fiasco of mine. You need rest and not this melodrama. Try to have a good night's sleep anyway and we'll see each other on Sunday for bridge, all right? No worries, we're as good we ever were. And will always be. Good night."

As she was still sitting down, stunned, Gabriel gave her a soft kiss on her forehead before walking towards the door, dutifully escorted by Winnie. It was his first time ever kissing her, if one discounts welcoming pecks on cheeks. That fact was not lost on Annitah, who felt she had just received the kiss of death and cried herself to sleep, with no one but Winnie to witness her pain.

---

According to the second Law of thermodynamics, the increase in entropy accounts for the irreversibility of natural processes, and the asymmetry between future and past. That law was also an axiom of Gabriel and Annitah's relationship, particularly during the following week.

Except in this case, the transfer of entropy was all in Gabriel's soul, and it devolved into chaos without any equilibrium in sight.

Outwardly, he did manage to convey the appearance of a complete erasure of his second advance. Bridge day, bus rides and the occasional chance meeting at the Hospital, when he volunteers at the same time that she is on evening duty, all took place with all the heartfelt friendship his heart could muster.

But he was all by himself at night. He traded sleep hours for Internet searches about Flair, lesbianism and, of course, porn videos. Plus, as she alluded, he indeed started to "infer" just how often she did hang out; that pet project even required some phone calls during office hours. If anyone had said that this quest was consuming him, Gabriel would not deny it but rather argue it was normal behavior for a worried friend. But, in fact, no one challenged his behavior or tried to reign him in... and the road to hell is always paved with good intentions.

On the following Saturday night, around 9h00 PM, Gabriel nervously stepped out of the 202 and stocked up on courage before entering the Flair club.

(Stay cool... she might be there, and then again maybe you won't even see her; at worst, it's advertised as karaoke night... how bad can it be?)

For the first five minutes, all seemed to go according to plan. The club was indeed very nice, and he congratulated himself, under the black lights, for wearing white. Acceptance was no issue and Gabriel acted with calm detachment in front of the male waiters clad in g-strings, with money bills hanging on the waistband. He was successfully creating an exploration facade for himself.

He ordered a bloody Caesar - one of the very few alcoholic drinks he had ever consumed - and enquired to the hostess, whom Gabriel suspected was a very nice and motherly crossdresser, about Annitah. Her answer came alongside the not-so-distant sound of her laughter.

Annitah was lying on a table, clad in a canary yellow apparel that could best be described as a string bikini with a fabric design that linked breasts and groin along the navel. According to the waitress, she was having a body shot. What his eyes saw was a very shapely woman and a man, completely depilated and full of muscles, both licking her all over. Her ebony skin was shiny with the reflection of the drink and, probably, saliva.

Gabriel was completely astonished and what little wits he still had, he kept to advise him on a means to approach them without looking like a peeping tom to be expelled. He walked casually in their broad vicinity, drink in hand. He was holding his breath and tuning out the amateur singer on stage.

"It had been too long, Anni, really... and when are you going to let the black mamba out of its cage?"

"If you keep that up, Keith, it just might escape on its own! Now come on, Gisele, try to make me milk!"

"Yea, Yea... I'm working on it, Miss diva! Any chance I could get your forbidden ass as a reward for my hard work?"

"No... you all know about my unbreakable rule and, just for asking, I might choose to punish you for your impertinence later..."

"That's good enough for me!"

At that point, Gabriel's walk-by was successful in avoiding detection, but it also took him out of hearing range. He took a last glance at the man sifting something through Annitah's panties while the woman was rubbing her mouth all over her top and bosoms. Then Gabriel had a flash of insight.

(Wait a minute... black mamba?)

He turned his head around for a last glance and then, he saw it: a huge bulge on Annitah's panties, with maybe even a black tip peeking out. Appearances be damned, he just stood there, petrified. Not only did Annitah have a penis, but it was visibly an absolutely massive endowment, a monster that would qualify for all the big black cock porn cliches and even some of the adult cartoons. He could not even fathom as to how she could have spent all those months by his side, plus work daily at a health establishment, without himself or anyone else noticing.

Some survival instinct ordered him to walk away and he strolled back towards the bar. But now he was so torn up inside, his heart might as well be blown to smithereens, with a fragment for each emotion. He was outraged at her duplicity and felt duped. He was excited and could barely conceal his almost painful erection. He felt ridiculous for never figuring anything out in the first place. He felt a voyeur, ashamed and out of place. He stumbled back to briefly chat with the hostess.

A man has to be very young, very tired, very angry and very foolish to do what he was about to, and at that moment Gabriel was all four.

Minutes later, Annitah had settled down on a bench close to the stage and sipping a Negroni in the more traditional manner, alongside her club mates.

"Good evening, people, this is Eric, your host for Karaoke night at Flair and we have a new addition for our entertainment tonight. Tell me, young man, what's your name?"