Tara tapped on the manager's door with the rent envelope in her other hand. Her irresponsible roommate had finally written a check for her half on the last day of the grace period. Normally her roomie delivered the payment but she was on a plane to New York to hire an agent. She was moving out at the end of the month and Tara had advanced her half of the deposit to cover her expenses. Tara liked Cheyenne, everyone did, but she was looking forward to having the townhouse to herself.
She could hear male voices and laughter from the open windows as she waited. She smiled pleasantly as the door opened and Mr. Anderson, the manager appeared. . He was a tall man of indeterminate age. She thought he might be an ex-athlete or a veteran. Often they ran at the same time in the morning. He was always polite but reserved. In truth she liked living here very much. The rent was reasonable for the area and the complex orderly and well maintained. The manager was a big reason that was true. He calmed down neighbor disputes, evicted the unruly and enforced the property rules even handedly.
Tara stepped into the foyer and handed over the envelope. Always before he would check the contents and write her a receipt. After a bit of casual small talk she would be on her way.
"Tara, we have a problem."
"Excuse me?" She asked.
"In April, Cheyenne brought a check for the rent and it bounced. OK, no biggie, accidents happen. I sent several notices but no one responded until the next rent was due. She brought a double check plus late fees and swore it was good. It wasn't. I told her no more checks. I can tell from your expression this is news to you but this is the third month. I have to file for an eviction tomorrow unless you can pay me the whole amount tonight."
Tara stared at him in horror. This could crush her credit. She'd just been promoted at work. Her employer was a very image conscious financial company. She could be demoted or fired. Realization hit her that Cheyenne wasn't coming back and she was left holding the bag.
"I always pay in cash." She spoke faintly.
"Then she's been stealing from us both."
A voice shouted from the living.
" Anderson. Who's your friend? Do we all get one? Are you playing or what?"
"Shut up, this is work. Drink another beer. I'll be there in a minute."
"Is that our delinquent? We're partners. Invite her in so we can join the negotiations." Another voice with a slight accent called back.
Tara got her first look at the men as she walked across the room. They were sitting at a felt covered card table eyeing her with interest. She was dressed casually in a simple white shirt with a short vintage denim skirt that emphasized her long legs. The buttons of her shirt were open to the knot she'd tied just below her breasts. She wasn't wearing a bra.
One of the men actually whistled. He was in his thirties and looked like the product of prep to business school education. In other words he looked like an entitled douche. Next to him was a man in his fifties wearing the ghost of a smile. He was neatly dressed and nodded politely at her but her creep-o-meter maxed out in response to his examination. His admiration of her body was undisguised and predatory. The third man sat with his back to her and twisted to see her. His shoulders and back filled his shirt to the point of bursting the seams. He took a long swallow of his beer as he looked her over. His shoulders and back filled his shirt to the point of bursting the seams. He radiated physical presence but he struck her as more of a follower than an instigator.
"OK, gentlemen, this is Tara. Tara, these are Jason, Rene, and Karl. They are minor partners in the complex. Don't turn your back on them."
The last was said with a smile but she could hear the real warning beneath the joke. Anderson explained the situation to the others. Rene stood and walked up to her. She tried her best not to flinch away. Rene was the first to speak.
"But the solution is so simple. She will join our friendly game and win the necessary funds. And she will be amused while doing so as will we."
"She may not know how to play poker and besides, she doesn't have the thousand to buy in."
"How much do you have,
mon petit
?"
Before she could answer Anderson gripped her arm and moved her back from the table. He leaned into her space and whispered emphatically.
"This is a bad idea. These guys are serious players and completely untrustworthy. Isn't there any other way to get the money?"
Tara was starting to get pissed. First, at Cheyenne for scamming her and now at Mr. Anderson for not letting her know earlier about the rent and trying to tell her what to do. And also at the three dicks at the table for assuming she was some brainless bit of meat. Plus, she'd played the game professionally for a couple of years after college. They might be surprised at that, she thought. A slight smile twitched her lips.
"I think I can decide for myself." She hissed to the man next to her and jerked her arm free.
"Thanks for the invitation, guys. I haven't played for a while but I'll do my best to keep up."
"Then there is only the small problem of the buy-in which I will solve by paying you the needed funds if that suits our punctilious friend, Anderson. So,
mon cher
, how much do you require?" Rene offered.
"Two hundred, please"
"
Oui
, so much fuss for such a nothing."
He counted out two bills from a well filled wallet and handed them over. Tara moved to take the open seat but Rene gently stopped her.
"No, no." he said softly "I am not giving or loaning these monies. You are being paid and I require an exchange with you. You must give me something."
Tara was confused at first then worried. She looked around but Karl and Jason were studying her intently. Anderson was ignoring her and sipping his whiskey.
"What do you want?"
"I will have your lingerie, your panties." He clarified. "You may even step from the room to remove them. What could be more fair?"
Her impulse was to throw the cash in his face and bolt but the chance to solve her problem stopped her. She walked on stiff legs to the foyer. Their eyes pressed on her the entire time. Turning the corner she heard Karl speak for the first time.
"Jesus, decadent Frenchman much, Rene?"
"You're not even French. You're Canadian." Jason said.
"I am Quebecois. It is enough."
Tara was careful to keep covered when she slipped her panties down and stepped out of them. Cameras seemed a real worrisome possibility. She folded them in a discrete bundle and returned to the table. She tried to slip the item to Rene nonchalantly but he immediately unfurled them and displayed them dangling between his hands.
"Are they not charming?" he asked the table in mock gallantry. Jason and Karl laughed and Anderson looked grim. Tara blushed to the roots of her hair.
Tara dodged an attempt to grab her hand and slipped into her place. Thankfully, it was not next to Rene. The game started slowly as the players felt each other out. Tara was down a large portion of Rene's money before she started to play seriously.
The loss of her panties created additional strain on Tara's concentration. The naughty feeling of going commando had always been a turn on for her. She could feel herself getting moist. She tried to keep her thighs clamped together to contain the scent of her arousal. The thought of a wet spot on the back of her skirt horrified her yet crinkled her nipples at the same time.
Anderson played a careful game. He won a little then lost some but the trend was up. If no one caught him in a big pot then he'd end up owning them all. Karl played like he'd just memorized the order of hands but was smart enough to stay out of the big plays. She thought he'd last a while but eventually lose.
