“We don’t have that on the menu here. We do at Exodus and they probably will at Numbers. What about I try to whip you up one? I’m a dab hand.”
“That’s okay. How about Moscato. Rosé, if you have it.”
“Any nibbles with that? Would you like a menu? Oh, shoot. I didn’t even bring you a menu.” She slaps her forehead a little roughly. “Ow.”
“No, no thank you,” I say. “I’m not hungry and I don’t need a menu.”
“I’m totally gonna get myself canned.” She smacks her forehead again before she hurries off, cheeks red with embarrassment.
A young man, maybe thirty and dressed in a suit with a burgundy tie comes by a moment later with a tablet on a tray and presents it.
“Good evening. I’m Guy.”
“Hi Guy. Violet.” I hold my hand out.
He looks surprised and takes it and shakes my hand.
“Welcome, Violet. Here. Some fun while you wait for Mr. Coulter.” He winks and sets the tablet down.
He touches the screen to bring it to life.
I see a poker app, a slot machine app, a menu, and a few other icons.
“Oh, I don’t know how to gamble.”
“I can help you.”
“Oh, well, I don’t gamble either. By choice.”
“Play money. Just play money,” he assures. “Some games we play here are just for play money because we’re not legally allowed to play for real. Just have fun. If you have questions, hit the help button and I’ll be right over, though Heidi might come, too. If she gets here first, know I’m comin’ up the rear, soon.” He winks.
I bristle at the obvious inuendo.
“If you change your mind and want to bet on any races or events, this icon will take you there.” He gestures to a logo styled like the G in Genesis outside on the building. “Let me just hit the g-spot here… Let me know and I can walk you through it.”
He winks again.
“You smell good, by the way, Violet.” He moves inappropriately close.
Guy is a very good-looking guy. He’s really muscled and has piercing blue eyes. His eyes traverse me like he likes what he sees.
My own eyes go back to the screen of the tablet so I can avoid his eyes. Red creeps up my cheeks at how inappropriate he’s being.
“Thanks,” I say and study the screen like my life depends on it.
“I’ll be back to check you out soon,” he says, and it has an almost sinister sound to it.
Before I can guard my reaction, my eyebrows knit, and I laugh nervously, still not looking at him.
He leaves, but I feel his eyes on me.
Wow. Unprofessional.
A moment later, Heidi returns with a tray holding a small platter filled with cheese, crackers, and grapes as well as a decanter of white wine and a tall glass.
I asked for rosé wine and no food.
“Oh, I didn’t want any food,” I say.
“You might change your mind,” she says.
“No rosé wine?” I ask.
“Oh shoot. I goofed. I’ll take it back. Shoot.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind white,” I tell her. “Thank you,” I say, and she opens her mouth to speak, but Alana, the blonde lady I was first introduced to is back and giving her a sharp glare. Heidi winces before hurrying away.
I see by taking in the room that every table has one or more of the burgundy tablets on them. A man at the next table taps a credit card to one. Another hands a wad of cash to a server, who taps on her handheld tablet and then hands him a card she’s swiped on the side. I’m guessing the man loaded some credit onto a card to place some bets.
I see a soccer game on one wall-mounted television, horse racing on another.
Guy is back and swapping out my white wine for a glass of rosé with another wink.
“Oh, thank you.”
“My pleasure. I overheard the order and saw the mistake. I’d take away the food you didn’t want, but you should really at least try that cheese. It’s better than sex. Well, almost.”
“Thank you.”
From my periphery, I spot a well-dressed and attractive couple come in and a hostess leads them through frosted doors where I can see several poker tables set up, though only one seems to have a game going.
Guy heads into that room, so I turn my attention to the tablet in front of me and tap into the slot machine icon.
It starts me off with a big and dramatic spin to determine my free coins and the screen lights up with streamers and fireworks as I get awarded five hundred coins.
I take my time playing and the numbers go up at first and then plummet. Right before I get to nothing, I’m back up at five hundred. I take my time playing and nibbling on food from the fancy charcuterie board until I get down to six coins and look up and see that the place is busier. I glance at my phone. It’s seven o’clock.
“Winning?” Killian asks, sliding in beside me and leaning over to look at the screen.
“Not exactly,” I reply, my voice wobbling nervously. My face goes hot; he’s super-close to me, looking down at the screen and I catch a whiff of whatever cologne or bodywash he uses. He smells good.
“One more bet?” he asks.
“Yeah, why not?” I touch the button and suddenly the tablet turns all glittery with fireworks and balloons rising up the screen announcing my win. “Seven thousand? I won seven thousand coins?” I ask.
He smiles a wide grin at me.
“Did you make it win?” I ask.
He holds both hands up in the air. “How could I have done that?”
He shows me his hands and jiggles the cuffs of his shirt as if to prove there’s nothing up his sleeves.
I bite my lip to stifle a laugh.
He smiles brightly at me.
“Maybe you do that so people will stay longer and order more food and drinks even if they don’t want to bet on your betting games.”
Killian reaches over, grabs a grape from the platter and pops it into his mouth while giving me an absolutely boyish grin.
I’ve hit the nail on the head.
I’ve eaten half the platter of food and had fun while playing and people-watching.
I take a big sip of my second glass of wine. “Do you want to go?” I ask.
Heidi approaches. “Something for you, sir?”
“Take your time, Violet. We can sit a minute. Heidi? An espresso for me, please.”
“Sure thing,” she replies. “A top-up for you, Violet?”
“No thanks, I’m good.”
Heidi heads to the bar and Killian’s voice brings my attention to his face.
He’s smiling. “You gonna up your game now and start betting double?”
I shake my head. “I’m not a gambler. This is just play money, right?”
“Of course. If it weren’t, you’d be seventeen fifty richer. If you had the smarts to walk away, that is.”
“And I probably would. Actually, I might play until I got to 1500 just to see if I was on a winning streak.”
“But that’s the trap,” he says, leaning closer. “That’s how the house wants you to think. Then your blood starts pumping, the adrenalin courses through your veins and you ride the rush of it. Before long, you’re below fifteen hundred. Before long, you’re down to zero and putting your hand in your pocket to pull out more cash. If you were playing for real cash, that is.”