3-Linda

                    KEN’S POV:

          My first thought when I saw her was:

          „Holy shit, this chick is hot! Like, really really hot! Her face is just... perfect! Oh, don’t even get me started on that bomb of a body or that long, golden hair! And that make-up she’s wearing is just... Man, what I would give to be with a girl like her for only one night...“

          You would’ve thought the same (assuming you like females) if you’d seen her! But... what does a chick like her do in a place like this?

          While I was being distracted I hadn’t noticed that the dealer had already dealt the next hand. I already lost 500 dollars playing poker, but I have a feeling this next hand will be superio-oooh nevermind. „I’m out.“, I said frustrated by my lack of luck (no pun intended). This was the worst hand yet! 3 of heart, 10 of spades, 7 and 5 of clubs and jack of diamond. I couldn’t play anymore, not with this luck! I payed the 2 dollar ante and left. I’m now down to a bit over 2 500 dollars. I still had hope! If I bet everything on black again on roulette I may win...

          My thinking was interrupted by her. „Excuse me“, she said, „can you borrow me a hundred? I-I know how it sounds, but don’t worry, I’ll pay you back as soon as my dad’s employees arrive...“

          A chick like her asking for a HUNDRED DOLLARS??

          What.

          The.

          Fuck.

          „Why do you need a hundred?“, I asked before answering anything.

          „I got in some... trouble... Listen, I played blackjack with some guys and lost... a few times... 17...“

          „17 TIMES?? Like... in a row??“

          „Y-Yeah... B-But listen, I’m in a twenty-something thousand dollar debt right now, but I think I understand the game now, so if only someone could borrow me a hundred I may be able to make my debt smalle-“

          „Waitwaitwait, hold up, hold the fuck up! What do you mean by ’I think I understand the game now...’?“

          This chick can’t be serious... Is this... No, it can’t be...

          „Is this the first time you’re playing blackjack?? “, I just had to ask her! There’s no way an experienced player would-NO-there’s no way ANYONE who knows the basic rules can lose 17 times in a row!

          „..........maybe..........“

          „............................................................................................WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?!?!“, I screamed in anger. Not because she lost 20 grand, but because she lost it on such a dumb thing!

          „Don’t yell at me, Jesus Christ! So do you have a hundred or?“

          Chance.

          This is the perfect chance.

          „No... BUT! I do have 2.5 grand that I can borrow you...“

          „WHAT? That would be awesome! Ok, to be honest I thought you were just a gambling junkie who barely has enough to live, but looks like I was very, very wrong! So what’s the catch?“, she asked impressed by my offer.

          „200 percent return.“, I said. „You have to pay a 20 grand debt. If you bet all and win a few times your debt will be gone, and, who knows, if you play well you may even win some money! You say your dad’s employees are coming here, right?“

          „Yeah. They’ll be here with 25 000 dollars in cash to pay my debt.“

          „Well, if you use these 2 500 I just gave you well and you clear your 20 000 dollars debt, you’ll only need to pay me  5 000 dollars! I say this is a pretty good chance! I’ll be standing next to you while you’re playing. I am an experienced player afterall...“, that last thing was a lie.

          I did play blackjack before, but I was never good at it. Still, if she thinks I know to play well, she may agree on this stupid offer. She is full of cash, so I don’t feel bad for scamming her.

          „I don’t know, a 200 percent return sounds ridiculous!“

          Crap! She’s not falling for it! What should I do to make her agree before her ’cleaners’ come... I know!

          „Ok.“, I said as I started walking towards the exit.

          „W-Wait! You’re just going to leave? You won’t try to convince me?“, she asked confused.

          „No, I don’t think I will. I was leaving anyway, sooo... I just offered to help a beautiful lady such as yourself, madam.“

          Dear lord, I sounded like a gentleman. A rich gentleman...

          „Haha, ok, you convinced me! I will borrow your money, but only if you help me win!“

          Shit.

          I did not expect this. She really does think I am an experienced player!! Whatdoidowhatdoidowhatdoido?

          „Ok.“, whyyyy did I agree?? Now I have to help her win in a game I, myself, am bad at playing! Well, ok, whatever, I’ll menage somehow...

          The casino has two floors. On each floor different games were played:

·       1-st floor games: roulette, slot-machines, billiard.

·       2-nd floor games: poker, blackjack and some other card games.

          „I never asked what your name was...“, I said.

          „Oh, right, haha! It’d Linda. And you are?“

          „Kenneth. You can call me Ken.“

          We were on the second floor (obviously!) and the next round almost started... „W-Wait! We’re joining!“, Linda said.

          There were 4 other people playing when Linda sat at the table, 3 men and 1 woman. The woman looked older then Linda. She was dressed in a black suit and looked like a proffesional gambler. But the other 3 players looked even scarier... One man was wearing a blue suit, while the other two wore black suits, and all three of them were wearing golden-ish ties. I have a feeling they’re all in some mafia-shit or something...

          „Linda, you played with these people?“, I leaned and whispered in her ear.

          „Yeah, they work for my father, so they know I have money to throw around...“, she answered.

          That explains why they let her go into a 20-something grand debt...

          „Linda, aren’t you in a large enough debt already?“, asked the woman.

          „Oh, shut up, Rose... I’ll make up for it now!“, Linda said angrily.

          „But aren’t you out of cash? We already let you play without cash for a few rounds, soooo... How will you play?“, said one of the men in black suits.

          „Let’s just say I have 2.5 grand left of my spare change.“

          „Ohohoho, well then let’s get playing, shall we?“, said the man in the blue suit. And so, the game started...

          „PLACE YOUR BETS!“

          „How much should I put in the first round?“, whispered Linda. This was a good question... Unfortunately I had no idea what the right answer was... „I... Umm... 1 grand I guess?“

          Oh, man, I wish she played poker instead of blackjack. She listened to me and the dealer dealt 2 cards to everyone. 2 of hearts and the ace of diamonds. Not... that good... Not good at all actually... „Draw... 2 more.“, I whispered.

          „How many cards?“, asked the dealer, the man in blue. He had a ten and a face-down card. I hope it’s not an ace...

          „One.“

          „One.“

          „None.“

          „One.“

          The card Linda got was... eight of hearts! Great!

          „One more.“, Linda said.

          Please be a face card... The dealer dealt the second card to Linda aaaaand... nine of spades! Great! That totals it to 20-

          „Should I draw more?“, linda asked.

          „Wha-ARE YOU KIDDING!?“

          „I know it’s risky, but-“

          „HELL NO!! Why did you even think of tha-“

          „Hey, Linda, who’s that?“, asked Rose. „You have to play by yourself!“

          „I was just giving advice- “

          „BULLSHIT! Either join or get the fuck out of here!“, said Rose.

          „Calm down, Rose...“, said the dealer, „Chill a bit, will ya? You’re hot when you’re mad, you know that, honey?“

          „I told you not to call me like that, James...“

          So the dealer was called James... He was a middle-aged man with black hair and a pretty cool watch on his wrist...

          „Whatever you say, hon’!“, he said.

          „Ok, ok, I’ll leave-“, I started.

          „W-WAIT, YOU CAN’T JUST GO, WHAT ABOUT OUR DEAL-“, Linda began. But I stopped her: „Forget it! You’re on your own for this one! You knew that they wouldn’t let me help you, so-“

          „FINE then, leave! But forget your 200 percent return! I’ll give you back your money, but not even a cent more!“

          I fucked up... But maybe... just maybe there was still a chance I could get her to change her mind... I moved from the table, but I still watched the match...

          The dealer turned his face-down card and revealed a nine. Yes! Linda won this round! Everyone else, except for Rose, had an 18 or lower. Rose had a 19. So everyone except for Linda lost or tied with James. Linda now had 3.5 grand. Well... more like 2.5 grand, ’cause she didn’t take the 1 grand she won because she just reduced it from her debt, but you get the point!

          „Ok, now you owe us only 19 450... Good luck!“, said Rose. Curse that irritating woman!

          „Since it’s time we shuffle the cards, we might as well look at the next card...“, said James, as he looked Linda in the eyes and smiled. The next card was... an ace... AN ACE!? FUCK! If I hadn’t stopped Linda she could’ve won another 500! CRAP! We waited for Rose, the new dealer, to collect and shuffle the cards, but then-

          „Room for one more?“, someone asked behind me.

          I turned around and-

          „MIKE?“

          „KEN?“

          My boss was standing in front of me... crap... Out of all the people I hoped not to see here, he was the one person I hoped would never be in the same casino I was in... ever...

Mike, my boss, was not only a famous money-shark, but also a famous gambler... He always cheated, somehow, but nobody ever caught him! And when I say that I’m sure that he always cheated, trust me, I know first hand... I started losing drasticly as soon as I met him, a year ago... I met him at a casino, of course, not too far from the Canberra airport...

          I was already playing the third round when he joined the game of poker... As soon as he joined he just... kept on winning! Some quit only a round after he joined, others, such as myself, who only met him  for the first time, stayed there for four or five more rounds... He won all of them... and by won I mean really won, like, a lot! He drew impossible hands and took a few grand from all of us! After I was out of cash he approached me and asked if I had a job... When I said I didn’t, he asked me if I wanted one. I, obviously, said yes and we got marrie-I mean I started working for him.

          The first month I worked there for, basicly nothing, since I owed him a few grand. From that day on, every time I see him in a casino I leave that casino and I don’t gamble that day. That doesn’t happen very often, so I was surprised when he wanted to join the game...

          „L-Linda! That was enough, you won 1 grand, now leave, this man, he will-“, I tried to warn Linda, but...

          „Oh, shut up! I could’ve won 500 more if your stupid-ass didn’t ’advise’ me to stop! Why would I listen to you now?“

          „Please, Linda, you don’t know this ma-“

          „I’m not listening to you anymore, so just shut up!“

          Holy cow, she was mad. Aaaand she was about to become even more mad, ’cause she was about to lose it all!

          She was about to gamble with the best gambler!

  *   *   *

          4 rounds have passed... Linda lost all 2.5 grand. Just like I predicted... That’s what happens when you gamble with the best...