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I slunk lower in my Muskoka chair as the sun's murky edge touched down on the tree tops across the lake. The beer in my hand was cold. Down on the beach they were starting to get the fire going. The party behind us in the cottage was getting louder. "We could get used to this."
"We?" with a touch of incredulity.
"...I..." Grimace. I avoided looking at her. I'd played my hand too soon, let her see my cards: dog, house, car, kids and queen. Straight flush. There was a long pause as I continued to stare at the red globe shrivelling and bleeding behind the jagged peaks.
A creak beside me and the flash of movement. Her red hair fell into frame, set ablaze by the backlight, dangling there in the breeze. Her sideways head made her green eyes cross my line of sight. A half smile or maybe a grimace flashed in the crook of her lips. Her head moved excruciatingly slowly toward my own. My pucker faded as her lips met my cheek in a faint whisper of affection. Her hand laid on my shoulder and trailed away as she disappeared from view.
Sinking even lower in my chair, I flipped the cards over in my mind again. I was not surprised to see they had changed. Now I held only the suicide king.
