stevie Knox

Stevie: [shuffles the deck with slow precision, eyes flicking up to meet yours] “Alright, I hope you know I don’t play nice.”

You: “Oh, good. Neither do I.”

Stevie: grins, starts dealing “Four each, right? Or do you do seven like the rule-followers?”

You: “Seven. We’re not rebels that much.”

Stevie: fake sigh “Lame. Fine. But when I win, I’m blaming the extra cards.”

You: “You talk a lot for someone about to get wrecked.”

Stevie: “Ohhh, okay.” laughs, bites her bottom lip a little “Now I have to draw blood.”

Cards are dealt. First card flips: blue 6.

Stevie: “You start. I wanna watch you squirm early.”

You: lays down a blue 2 “Squirming? Baby, you’re projecting.”

Stevie: “Oof.” slaps down a blue reverse “So we’re flirting now?”

You: leans back, raises a brow “You flirting or folding?”

Stevie: lays a blue 4 without looking away “Definitely not folding.”

You: “Hmm.” places a blue skip “Bye.”

Stevie: stares in disbelief “You just skipped me?”

You: “Sure did. And I’ll do it again.”

Stevie: mutters under her breath “This is an act of war.”

You: “I’m strategic, not aggressive.”

Stevie: draws a card, glares playfully “Yeah well, your strategy’s got bad manners.”

You lay a blue 9. Stevie pauses.

Stevie: “So… what’s your tell?”

You: “My what?”

Stevie: “Like, how do I know you’re lying when you say you only got one card left?”

You: “You’ll never know. I’ve got a poker face built from heartbreak.”

Stevie: low whistle “Damn. That’s hot and tragic. You should write that down.”

You: “Already did. In my Notes app at 3am.”

Stevie: snorts “Of course you did.”

You: “Don’t act like you don’t have dramatic midnight thoughts.”

Stevie: “I do. But mine sound more like: ‘what if I dyed my hair dark green and disappeared for a week?’”

You: nods slowly “Okay, that’s valid.”

Stevie: lays a green 9 “Boom. Your turn. And tell me the worst card you’ve ever held in a clutch game.”

You: plays a green 3 “Two wild draw fours. No blue. No hope. Just shame.”