The Reign Of Vause

Drowning my sorrows

(Piper's POV)

Alex and I got to the club and she had to immediately rush behind the bar.
"This better be fucking worth it!" She growled at Nicky before letting go of my hand and serving customers.
Deflated, still upset and honestly feeling rejected by both my wife and what could've been my child, I skulked to our casino and sat at the blackjack table. Alex had reserved VIP tables for all the card games around the club but I chose a public blackjack table. I then ordered from mine and Alex's private bar so I wouldn't have to boss my friends around, plus, Alex wouldn't know I'd ordered alcohol.
I turned around to make sure Alex wasn't watching me and she wasn't, she was too busy mixing, shaking and serving all kinds of liquor so I snapped my fingers in the air and ordered myself a constant flow of tequila shots.
Poker was my best game when it came to gambling and often my favourite due to the thrill of bluffing and watching how other people gave their tell and thus, their hand away but blackjack was just as fun.
In blackjack, each denomination of cards, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades, are assigned a point value. 2 to 10 were worth their face value, kings, queens and jacks were worth 10 points while aces could either be used as 1 or 11 points. The aim as a player is to achieve a total of 21 with your cards, without going over that limit, if the cards go over, you have lost that game. The best hand a player could have in this game is a two card hand. This could mean an ace with a ten or any royal card with it. This was also called a blackjack, hence the name of the game.
I was at a table with 6 of mine and Alex's customers as we played, my tequila repeatedly coming as I snapped my hands in the air.
One of our blackjack dealers, John, was dealing at this table tonight. He handed us our cards and I peaked at mine. It was kinda like poker, don't give anything away. I wasn't happy with the cards I'd been dealt today, literally and metaphorically. I had a 7 of hearts and a 2 of spades. I had a total of 9 out of 21.
"Hit me." I told John so he handed me another card. I peaked at it, it was a king of clubs. I was now up to 19.
"Hit me." I told him again so he dealt me another card. It was a 4 of diamonds. Fuck, that made 23. I'd lost my bet and I sighed, snapping my fingers for more tequila.
We played another game, again, John dealt us our cards.
This time I had an ace of spades and a queen of hearts, Alex's favourite card. Jackpot. Literally. I had 21. The sign on this table said $5-$5,000 meaning the minimum bet was $5 and the maximum was $5,000.
"$5,000." I told John my bet as I laid down my cards and won.
In the next game, I had a promising hand of a 10 of clubs and a king of diamonds so I bet half of what I'd just won then asked John to hit me with another card so he did. He hit me alright. With a 7 of clubs. Fuck.
The table was littered with tequila shots as I was getting drunker by the second as I gambled away money to, well I guess, myself and my wife. Again, I snapped my fingers in the air.
"More... *hiccup* tequila shots... *hiccup* over here." I slurred when a gentle but vice like grip took hold of my wrist and a cold, deep voice spoke.
"Get those tequila shots, and you're fired. She's had quite enough."
Fuck.
Alex.

(Alex's POV)

While I was serving customers and keeping the influx of cash and drinks flowing, Piper was always on my mind and in the corner of my eye.
She was at a blackjack table, not the VIP one that I'd have preferred her to be at if she was going to gamble. And drink apparently. She had a continuous stream of her favourite tequila shots going as she continued to lose her blackjack games all except one. Every time she lost, she drank and every time she drank, she got drunker and sank more into her depression. I knew taking her here with me was a bad idea.
Right now I was willing the amount of customers to slow down so I could leave and bundle her home so when they did, that's exactly what I did.
I'd obviously picked my time to collect my drunk, upset wife perfectly because as soon as I got close enough behind her, I saw that she'd lost again. Thank fuck that we owned this place.
She raised her arm in the air and ordered herself another round of tequilas as she hiccupped. Piper hiccupped as she spoke when she was drunk.
"More... *hiccup* tequila shots... *hiccup* over here." She slurred and I took this opportunity to grasp her wrist and pull her out of her chair to take her home. Before I did that though, I threatened my bar staff who had been serving her.
"Get those tequila shots, and you're fired. She's had quite enough." I said in a cold voice, trying to get my point across.
"Oooooh! *hiccup* Heeeyy *hiccup* baby!" She drunkenly slurred at me.
"Hey Pipes. I think it's time you came home." I greeted then told her sternly, trying to bundle my stubborn and squirming wife back to our apartment. She wouldn't budge.
"Awww Al, *hiccup* why do you *hiccup* have to be *hiccup* such a buzzkill?" She whines as she almost falls over. I catch her.
"You're so strong. *hiccup* I love *hiccup* you." She drunkenly grins and breathes all over me as she laughed. I had to half squint half grimace at the stench of alcohol coming out of her.
"I love you too now let's go home." I told her and this time grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the club.
Thank fuck we'd driven my now old Porsche here since I could put the roof down to try and sober Piper up a bit. It was safe to say that she wouldn't be driving home even though she drove here since she insisted.

When we got home, she started on me. I guess she was venting.
"Alex! Why can't you just let me let loose for once?! Fine I was losing but the protective armour has to come off at some point!" She snapped. It took me by surprise. All I wanted was to protect her. Plus, she had a real naïve streak when it came to things like gambling and drinking. I stayed calm with her though.
"Because you're upset about the whole baby thing right now and you were shot 5 months ago, I love you Pipes, I don't want anything to hurt you." I tell her calmly.
"What was going to happen to me in our own club?! Aside from me getting wasted and gambling our money which was going straight back to us by the way since we own the goddamn place!" She asked.
My patience was now wearing down.
"Um let me think, you gambling away our money, the money we're going to use to try again! Thank fuck we own Viper Piper!" I snapped.
"What's the point in trying again?! I might as well gamble our money?! What's the difference in gambling with cards and gambling with my body?! Huh?!" She snapped.
My patience had now worn down.
"Then maybe we shouldn't have a baby at all!" I snapped.
As soon as it was out of my mouth I regretted it. I didn't mean it at all.
Piper just looked stunned then quickly grabbed her keys and coat and stormed out.