--prompt from @flashfictionfridayofficial
"I don't think you know what I want," Mariam exclaimed, tossing her hands in the air. Her jewelry, all clashing with each other with its symbols as much as their color, brought alarm to the other gamblers, each with their own symbols of the wealth they sought.
"Calm down, miss," Kyriakos replied, holding down the woman's wrists. "The dealer was just asking about what game you want to play."
Mariam jostled, and almost ribbed her friend. Kyriakos replied with a swing of his own, and almost focused on her jittery form when the dealer asked him the same question, and then he replied with a few chips scattered on the table.
"You're not good at basic poker; what are you trying to suggest?" She interjected, as they received their cards. Despite the other players taking their final glances at each other before freezing their faces at whim, Mariam bit her lip as she gave a quick glance at the cards.
Kyriakos struggled to keep his laughter at Mariam's awkwardness. The previous night had a similar vibe, with both of them venturing towards different tables and playing only one game each. Whenever they would meet each other, it was only for the moment they would pass by, with only Mariam's spicy perfume guiding both of them. By the time they met under the chandelier tonight, only their love could connect them, but it was a fraying thread.
Mariam interrupted the moment. "I can try to win it back for you."
"Do you want to raise your bet?"
She dropped several hundred dollars in bets. Kyriakos snickered.
Any prayers on the felt table only manifested in glances towards the ceiling, so that the gods would not suggest the wrong move.