Jill Smolinski - The Next Thing on My List

Kitty, Gran, and I stood for a while, watching the scene. ‘ You gamble?’ Kitty asked me.

‘ A bit. Roulette’ s my game. I plan to win big tonight.’

‘ You sound confident. You must be feeling lucky,’ Gran said.

And there it was again: the elephant. Yes, I planned to win money& to donate to charity. Another item from the list. The list I was busy pretending didn’ t exist, even though it was the sole reason we were here.

After Troy returned with the drinks, Kitty and Gran went to find nickel slots. I figured those weren’ t exactly going to win me the big bucks, so I was glad when Troy turned to me and said, ‘ You up for hitting the tables?’

‘ Love to.’

It was prime time in the casino. We could find only one seat open at any of the roulette tables, and that was at a twenty-five-dollar minimum bet table. Although I’ m usually more of a five-dollar-bet kind of gal, I grabbed the one available stool. ‘ You have to bet big to win big,’ I said with bravado.

Troy rifled through his wallet and held out a hundred-dollar bill. ‘ Here, you bet for me.’

I waved it away. I have a few basic rules for Vegas that I live by, which are as follows: Dress slutty, accept any free drink that comes your way, and always, always bet your own cash.

‘ Watch& ,’ I boasted, turning to the table and setting down five twenty-dollar bills, ‘ and learn.’

Also at the table were an elderly couple, a drunk guy who at first glance I thought was asleep, and four girls who were clearly at a bachelorette party since one of them wore a bridal veil.

The dealer-an Asian man whose name tag said José-gave me twenty-five green chips. ‘ To match your eyes,’ he said, smiling.

Troy leaned close. ‘ I never noticed that you had fluorescent green eyes.’

‘ I was hoping he’ d give me purple,’ I whispered, ‘ to go with my skin.’

Five spins of the roulette wheel later, I was broke.

‘ Hard to believe you didn’ t even get a corner of a number,’ Troy remarked, quite unnecessarily. The drunk guy had a wall of chips in front of him. My only consolation was that the bridal party hadn’ t fared much better than I had.

I set down another hundred dollars and said to José, ‘ Hit me again.’

This time I got an edge of number 27, which gave me a six-to-one payout. That was enough to keep me alive for another five minutes before I busted again.

‘ There’ s no love at this table,’ I said with a frown, getting up. ‘ Maybe the slot machines will be luckier.’ I scanned the casino, which was really bustling now with gamblers and crowds of people passing through to head to dinner or shows.

‘ Quarter or dollar machines?’ Troy asked.

‘ Quarters. You witnessed both the beginning and the end of my high-roller days.’

‘ If you’ re not feeling up to it, we don’ t have to gamble.’

‘ Yes, we do,’ I said grimly. ‘ I intend to win a big pot of cash so I can donate it to charity. Cross one off the list.’

‘ Ah, I remember that one. Well, I’ ll pitch in anything I win tonight-and no matter how late it gets, we won’ t give up until we’ re flush.’ We walked up to two unattended machines sitting side by side. ‘ How about these?’ he asked.

‘ They’ re great& especially since I’ ll get to sit directly under that sign that says, ‘ Loose Slots.’ What woman wouldn’ t love that?’

‘ Oh, how you tease.’

Lord knows I would have liked to, if I hadn’ t been so worried about everything going right.

‘ So, Troy,’ I said, aiming for nonchalance as I perched on the edge of the stool and fed a twenty into the machine, ‘ how’ s your mom doing, anyway? She certainly seems okay, but I don’ t know her so I can’ t tell.’

‘ She’ s doing fine.’

‘ Should I give her a copy of the list? Or talk about it more? I mean, I haven’ t been-’

‘ June, don’ t worry. It’ s going perfectly. She and Gran are touched that you’ re doing this.’

‘ Because I could make a photocopy of it. I’ m sure the hotel has a copier.’

He grabbed the scruff of my neck in a massage. Warmth shot through me. ‘ I swear you can relax.’

As if with his hand on me like that!

A waitress came up then to take our drinks order. Troy ordered a beer. Sensing a long night ahead, I asked for a coffee with whipped cream. ‘ Lots of whipped cream,’ I said.

‘ Do you want a parasol with that?’ she asked sarcastically.

‘ Ooh, yes! Please!’

After she left, I hoped that Troy would resume massaging my neck, but instead he said, ‘ So how’ s work? Avert any crises lately?’

‘ Yes, as a matter of fact. I have a big presentation with the boss next week. If I do well, I could get promoted to management,’ I said. ‘ That’ s why I was so happy on the phone the other day when you helped me come up with an idea.’

‘ A promotion? I must’ ve missed something. Last time we spoke, you were about to get fired.’

I pulled the handle on the slot machine and won twelve quarters. ‘ That’ s the sort of roller coaster my life’ s been on.’

‘ No kidding. So what’ s this big idea?’

I suddenly became self-conscious as I was about to say it out loud. What if it was stupid? Better to find out now than with Lou Bigwood, I supposed, but I didn’ t want to appear foolish in front of Troy, either. Hesitantly I said, ‘ A street race. Well, a highway race, to be accurate. What I’ d do is set up two cars to race in rush-hour traffic. One would be a guy driving alone, and the other would be carpoolers.’

‘ I’ m not sure I follow. It wouldn’ t be much of a race at rush hour. What would they be able to do-twenty miles per hour?’

‘ That’ s the point. The guy driving by himself would have to deal with traffic. The carpoolers could use the carpool lane. They’ re almost guaranteed to win. It’ ll be a live demonstration of how the carpool lanes are faster.’

‘ I came up with that idea? I am a genius.’

‘ Do you really think it’ s good?’

‘ You’ ll have media all over that. Believe me, you’ ve got nothing to worry about. That manager position is yours.’

‘ Well, I have to be realistic. You’ re into racing. I’ m not so sure our CEO is. He may not get it.’

‘ If he’ s a man, he’ ll get it. We can’ t help ourselves-we have some sort of imperative to drive vehicles fast. Drink beer. Wage wars. But if you’ re concerned, how about I come to your presentation and help you out? We could give your boss a live demonstration.’

‘ Are you serious?’

‘ Sure, why not? I’ ll drive my car in a regular lane, and you and your boss can take the carpool lane. I’ ll even wear racing gear so it’ s obvious you’ re not going up against a little old lady. I’ ll look pro.’

This felt too good to be true. I waited for the other shoe to drop. ‘ It’ s next Friday at three o’ clock,’ I said cautiously, expecting him to tell me it wouldn’ t work.

‘ I’ ll be there. Count on it.’

Giddy, I gave the slot machine’ s arm another pull. I’ ll be there. Count on it. Aside from, ‘ No, no, I insist, you take the last piece of chocolate,’ are there any words that tug more at a woman’ s heart?

I was pondering this happy thought when Kitty and Gran walked up.

‘ There you two are!’ Gran said. ‘ We’ ve been over at the nickel slots. I’ m up fifteen big ones. You should’ ve seen it.’

‘ Way to go, Gran,’ Troy said. ‘ Although you might want to donate that to the fund we’ re starting. June is trying to win money for charity. In fact,’ he said, easy as pie, ‘ it’ s one of the items for the list. Marissa wanted to make a big donation.’