Gary decided that honesty was overrated and confidence was king.

“It’s nothing,” he said breezily. “Old rugby injury.”

She blinked. “Your tooth?”

“Yeah,” Gary said. “Very aggressive sport.”

She stared at him for a second longer than was comfortable.

Then she smiled.

“Oh,” she said. “You’re lying.”

Gary laughed nervously. “Am I?”

“Yes,” she replied. “Badly.”

The tooth pulsed again, as if applauding her observational skills.

She leaned back slightly, arms crossed now. “You know I’m a dentist, right?”

“Yes,” Gary said. “That’s… come up.”

“And you thought lying about a dental injury was the play.”

“In hindsight,” Gary said, “not my strongest move.”

She shook her head, amused but unimpressed. “You should probably stop digging.”

Gary opened his mouth to reply and immediately winced.

She sighed. “Sit down before you hurt yourself.”

Gary hesitated. This was a turning point.

Bottle it and leave embarrassed → Page 32

Bottle it and leave angry → Page 33

Double down and keep bluffing → Page 39