“Yeah, I know. Everything may seem like it’s the hardest thing in the world, but when you actually fucking do it, you realize that dumber people than me and you have been killing it for years. Yet, dopes like you and the rest of social media have you under the impression that the odds are against you. But here’s the thing. You got, two arms, two legs, you ain’t that bad looking, you ain’t stupid, well that we don’t know yet, then what the fucks your excuse?”
The Casino floor wasn’t empty, yet he didn’t seem to mind one bit if the whole floor heard his manic ramblings. As if on cue, we were met with a rather nasty look and a loud shush from a woman playing the penny machines.
Jeremy leaned in and whispered in my ear, “You see that one, that big one there, giving us the nasty look. She’s just mad that the machines have been playing her for years. Remember this, whenever someone gives you a nasty look, it’s really because they’re pissed off at themselves, at the state in which they lay. And to that, you do this.”
He walked over to the woman, my heart raced, I felt like this maniac was about to lay that old crony out with a stiff right hand. And there was nothing I could do, who was I to stop this lunatic? I should have never given into him, I should have just finished up and gone back to my car and made my way home, even though that was the last place I wanted to be.
“Sorry, about that Mam, anything I can do for you to make it up,” Then he showed off the kind of smile you see in movies, the kind that carries politicians to seats of power, the kind that rules the world.
“Oh, well, it’s quite fine since you apologized and all, Dear”
“I wish you luck, even though I know a beautiful woman like yourself must have all the luck in the world in that nice little bag of hers.
She blushed, he turned, and we walked back down the casino floor.
“Rule number 1, kid: Flattery gets you everywhere in life. Bullshit and compliments are all anyone ever wants to hear, then why not let them hear it? You aren’t charged a fee for the number of words you speak in a day, then why not run the meter and make all the friends in all the highest places you can make.”
We kept walking at a brisk pace, taking sudden turns, until we went down a hallway and into a corner room that I hadn’t known existed. I don’t pride myself as being well versed with this dinky little establishment, but the air and feel of the room felt as if it was mocking me. As if, I wasn’t supposed to know. That I was like that woman on the penny machine, a drone that could be entertained with the simpler things in life, for I and she were of simple minds.
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And this crazed man, this lunatic, was allowed to see into places that only those who searched could be allowed entrance. Maybe, this chance encounter was everything that I needed. This man, raddled and crazy as he was, would be the key to a world that I would have missed. Not even missed, never even given the chance to miss these opportunities.
That part stung the most.
If it weren’t for him I would have most likely lost the remainder of my twenty dollars, then, upset with myself, I would have gotten into my car and driven home.
“The good shits always in the back, remember that, always check the back.”
“Is this rule number two?”
“Did I say it was rule number two?”
“No…”
“Well, I probably should have, but it’s too late now. Just remember to always check the back, it’s important even if it didn’t get labeled a rule. Hey, fuck it, Rule number two. Even if it’s not a rule, it’s probably important, so treat it with the same esteem you would a rule.” He flashed me a toothy grin and I tried my best to give him one in turn.
“Ehhh, remind me we gotta work on that smile..”
He began looking around the room as if he had lost something and was in a frantic hurry to find it. As if time itself was running out. I could picture the hourglass over his head, and the sand was slowly running out.
Then suddenly, he snapped his fingers, “Bingo!”
We stopped at a massive roulette table that had a horde of people around. They were yelling and hollering, the energy at this spot of the floor was unrivaled, it was as if the most exciting, the tensest thing imaginable was underway. Yet, it was only right here, in this little corner of the room, between those who were partaking in a game of chance, all on a spin of the wheel.
“Now, here, here’s where the real gamblers play. Where the money begins to lose its worth. Where winning is everything. Before we enter, remember this. Trust yourself, trust your feelings, don’t ever hesitate. The moment you do, Bang,” He made a hand gesture that mimicked a gun, “You’re dead,” He blew at the end of his finger gun.
“ I know this is most likely your first time, but here’s where Rule number 3 comes into play. Don’t ever act like you’ve never done anything before. Lie, walk in like you own the place, like this is all something you’ve seen before, like nothing will ever surprise you. It’s gonna be hard, I know, but try your best, and follow my lead.”
He straightened his back and cracked his neck, he was about to go to work.
I nodded, my palms had gotten sweating, I was nervous, but I decided not to be. I decided that this was just a game and I would treat it like one. These people were no better than me, and I could win just as easily as they could.
I knew the basics of roulette, the games were not hard to learn. You either bet on black, red, or green. You win if the ball lands on whatever you bet on. You lose if it doesn’t, easy enough. There is also the ability to place more specific bets, by number, even or odd, column or line. But the general principle lies in them all, the higher the risk, the higher the gain. If you bet on a single number, your odds of winning are drastically lowered, but the reward when you win is ever so sweet.
The problem is that knowing how to play isn’t the hard part, the hard part is everything else. It’s everything that I didn’t have, everything that I hoped Jeremey did.
We walked up to the exchange table area of the wheel. Jeremy cashed a hundred and I did the same. This hundred was supposed to last me for the rest of the month, but fuck it, I wasn’t planning on losing, hell, I don’t want to even imagine a world in which I lose. It seemed like the madness of the man next to me was beginning to rub off on me.