The Returning EX (John and Sophia) novel Chapter 1697

Chapter 1697 Birds of a Kind

Logan drew in a sharp breath and warned, “Watch it, young lady.” He traded cards and went on to say, “You don’t even know what you’re saying. I’m just holding back my trump card here. Just you wait, I’ll show my hand and have you all bawling in no time!”

Cindy shrugged. She more than understood that talking big was his way of coping with imminent defeat.

After two more rounds, the odds were outright against his favor and even Lola laughed at his sore fate. “I ought to get this down on camera and treat it like a good sitcom every once in a while.”

Logan made a face. “You’re heartless, that’s what you are. I was only letting you win; I didn’t bother trading cards even though I could have.” He was telling the truth, for he had in fact held back during the past few rounds.

However, Lola was less than grateful. “Kinship won’t help your odds in gambling. You should know that better than anyone else.”

He incredulously gaped at her with wide eyes. “Oh, well then, guess I won’t have to show you any mercy after this! Don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

She ignored Logan. There was still plenty of time and even after fresh cards were dealt, he was still down on his luck.

The attendant couldn’t keep himself from chuckling. “Why don’t you just hope for a high card the next round, Young Master Jefferson? Surely that would increase your odds. At this rate, I'm beginning to feel sorry for you.”

Those words had sufficiently stoked Logan’s pride. “No, there’s no need for me to do that! None of you should hold back; raise the stakes or trade cards all you want. I refuse to believe that I’m on a losing streak!”

His confidence was admirable, but it proved futile in keeping his pride afloat, for he continued losing. In the end, he was so incensed by his inexplicably foul luck that he threw his cards on the table and seethed, “Forget it! It’s just a bad day for me to play poker. I should have worn my lucky shirt or something. If I did, you guys would have folded hours ago!”

Everyone else allowed his little tantrum as they kept the cards and tokens, after which they moved away from the table.

Cindy felt an ache shooting up her back, but she hadn’t thought that playing poker would take such a toll on her body.

At that moment, she was seized by a twinge of admiration for Hazel, who played poker for a better part of the day and still went home looking invigorated.

Cindy moved her shoulders to ease her joints and walked over to one of the chairs propped on one side of the room.

Logan was still grumbling about his losses, but that did little to distract him from Lola’s condition. In a flurry, he walked up to her and began to gently massage her shoulders.

This reminded Cindy of the dynamics between John and Sophia; she wondered how two couples could mirror each other to such an extent.

As it turned out, birds of a feather really did flock together. It’s no surprise that good men like Logan and John hang out together, Cindy thought.

At this moment, Ian sauntered over and took the seat next to her. With a quick glance at his watch, he asked, “Should we head home? It’s getting late and I don’t want to return to my mom’s incessant nagging.”

She checked the time and gasped. “You’re right. We should be getting back. I didn’t realize how much time had passed!” She had been so invested in poker that she hardly paid attention to the time.

With that, the both of them stood up from their seats and ready to leave the clubhouse. Logan was insistent on seeing them out, but when Lola rose from the sofa to do the same, he clapped a hand on her shoulder and kept her in her seat, saying, “I can see them out. What are you thinking, walking around with that belly of yours? Just stay put and get some rest. You must be worn out from laughing at me all throughout poker.”

Cindy sputtered at this. Ian, on the other hand, wrapped an arm around her shoulders with an easy grace as he addressed Logan, “I don’t need you to see me out. This place is like a second home to me and I know where the door is. Stay here and take care of Lola.”

After having said that, he squeezed Cindy’s shoulder and gently guided her to the door.

Surprisingly, Logan did not follow them. They went downstairs and the attendants who were familiar with Ian immediately raised their hands in greeting. He nodded and bid them goodbye.

When Ian and Cindy came to a stop next to the car, he released her from his grip. She shrugged as if to brush off the strange sensation of having his arm on her shoulders before she said, “I saw on the news that you and Logan go way back.”

“That much is true,” Ian answered with a hum. “We’ve known each other since we were adolescents.”

He wasn’t sure of the exact number of years they had been friends, but Logan was a constant figure in his memories.