Release Blitz + Excerpt: Poker Face by Cybill Cain

Poker Face by Cybill Cain

Release Date: August 21, 2017

“I’m sorry,” she said, so low I could barely hear her over the buzz of voices around us. “I’m never like this. You’ve met me on a very strange day.”

​“What are you usually like?” I asked, trying to find the rhythm of conversation with her again, instead of the rhythm I wanted to have. She shrugged, drawing invisible circles on the table with her finger.

​“I think I’m usually contained and restrained.”

​“Sounds like something that you might need to have checked.” I was teasing her, but it bothered me that she kept herself closed off.  She seemed brave and insightful.  Like the kind friend most people would love to have in their lives.  Like the kind I would love to have in mine. Her brow slightly furrowed from my teasing, and I wanted smooth it away with my finger.

​“Maybe so.  I grew up believing that I needed to keep my emotions safe and tucked away to protect myself.  That if I let people see how I’m feeling it would come to no good.” She stopped drawing and looked at me.  “Truth is, I have a helluva temper.”

​“Really?”

​“Oh, yeah. At least a dozen times a day I want to punch something or someone, but I never show it.”

​“Why?”

​“If they know how much they bother you they never stop.” I thought that over for a minute.

​“It might be a good thing to not punch things or people, but always being contained and restrained, doesn’t that deny you other emotions as well? Good ones?”

​“I really couldn’t say.” I thought I heard regret in her tone, but maybe I just imagined it.  “What about you?”

​“Oh, I wore my heart on my sleeve until it was so damaged I didn’t think it would recover.”

​“Where do you keep it now?”

​“I’m really not sure. It’s been awhile since I even looked for it.” That was more honesty than I was expecting, but she was as disarming as she was beautiful.

​“You should find it.  You might need it someday.”