Girls Night Out [Part 3]

Lou's eyes shone. She loved having her friends around for company; even better when they were all having fun on a night like this. Elle had pulled out a deck of cards, shuffled them and given them to Gwen, who was apparently tonight's magic victim. Lou had to smile. Elle had a thousand and one interests, magic being one of them, all of which she never completed, and all of which she could talk about or demonstrate whenever she felt bored.

With Piper dancing to Jessica Simpson's Public Affair, and Mina finally taking a sip of the Cosmo she'd liked--instead of the Sex on the Beach Piper had tricked her with--Lou watched as Elle told Gwen to cut the deck into half, and half again from both decks, resulting in four smaller decks of cards.

'Right, now, you do exactly as I say, yeah?' Elle ordered in her British-accented voice. 'Now, you take the first deck, take the first three cards, and put them under the deck.' Gwen took the first three cards and slid them under the deck she was holding. 'Alright, now. You deal one card each on the other three decks, yeah?' Gwen dealt the cards. Elle was beaming. 'Right. Then, you do the same with the other decks. Go on. Do it.' She leaned back on her chair, and lifted her White Russian to her lips, catching Lou's eye as she gave a saucy wink.

'What now?' Gwen had finished dealing the cards. Elle made a show of licking the cream from her lips, and gave a smug smile. 'Now, you've noticed that I've not touched the deck in anyway whatsoever, hmm?'

Piper and Mina nodded in earnest. 'Yes.'

Elle continued. 'Ergo, I couldn't have tampered with the deck at all, can I?'

Lou couldn't resist a jibe. 'Unless someone's managed to learn telekinesis in the past 5 minutes...' she left the sentence hanging as Elle managed a mock glare at her good friend.

'Guess what?' Elle turned back to Gwen. 'If you open the first card on each of the deck, you'll find the Four Aces.'

Gwen snorted in disbelief. 'Let's find out.' She turned the first card of the first deck over slowly, creating suspense, before throwing it on the table. Smiling up at her was the Ace of Clubs.

'There's one,' Elle grinned delightedly. Shooting Elle a scowl, Gwen turned over the first card of the second deck. 'There's two,' Mina chimed in as the Ace of Hearts was revealed.

Piper reached in and flipped the first card of the third deck. 'Ace of diamonds, people,' she announced proudly. She proceeded to the last deck. Now everyone was certain they'd find the last ace waiting for them there. Gwen flipped the top card, and everyone found themselves looking at the Queen of Spades.

'Whoops!' Elle chuckled wickedly as she threw a card down. It was the Ace of Spades. 'So sorry,' she added cheekily.

Gwen and Piper proceeded to pummel her as Elle shielded herself with her forearms. 'Lou!' she cried, half laughing. 'Help!'

Lou tsk-tsked her. 'You brought it on yourself, baby,' she replied, unperturbed to her friend's pleas. Her cell phone buzzed, and Lou read the display. <Message from Kate> A smile lit her lips as Lou opened the message and started scrolling.

Hey peeps, sorry. Can't come for GNO, but will meet you at P's place 11.45?
xxx Kate :)

'Who's it from?' Mina asked curiously, trying to see the name on the message.

'It's Kate,' Lou informed them. Everyone cheered. 'Yo, Katie!' Piper yelled. Fortunately her scream went unnoticed as everyone was busy dancing to the loud music. Gwen shook her head wryly as Elle ordered another White Russian.

Kate Morris was one of the Six, and she just happened to be a famous supermodel. They were all anxious to hear from her as she'd just returned from Milan for the Fashion Week and said she had some news to tell them.

'What could her big news possibly be?' Elle wondered aloud. Gwen chuckled. 'Knowing her, it's probably a new man.' She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. 'You know, one month it's Horatio, the next is Fabrice, then two days later she meets Yurik.'

'Well,' Lou commented. 'You have to admit, she'd got good taste.'

'Even if she changes her mind like a girl changes clothes?'

Everyone turned to look at Piper. 'Aw, no,' Mina moaned. Piper grinned devilishly and played a new song. The familiar beats of Katy Perry's Hot N Cold started playing.

Lou shook her head in despair. 'Not punny, Piper.'

Her friend just smiled.