With heartfelt thanks to my editor, who put up with me all this time, Kanga40. A real help to this struggling writer.
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Her voice still cuts through to my soul to this very day. Now that she's a singer with a string of top ten hits following her I can only wish her the very best. Remembering her kisses and the way she to moves her body when she's working her magic are a part of me.
It all started way back when of course, that's how most stories go and this one is no different. I had been hired out of college and was finding my place in the world. We met at a casino when I was out one night enjoying the town.
Having moved to Las Vegas from bo-hunk Montana to work had been a challenge for me. I was used to a very slow pace; even college hadn't prepped me for the pace I was to find here. Traffic going fifty miles an hour or more, all the accidents, the road reports, and all that comes with big city living. I was adapting, but it was taking time.
I found that by going to a casino every once in a while and just kicking back listening to the house band flavor of the month would fill a bit of time that I couldn't seem to fill any other way. I didn't gamble, well, much that is. I did however love to sit at a slot machine near the bars where the live bands played.
Music from a live band always, well almost always, would soothe my soul. There's something about live music that drives right to the heart of me. Needless to say, most Fridays or Saturdays would find me sitting at a quarter slot machine slowly playing off twenty dollars one quarter at a time as I listened to whatever music was being played.
This night happened to be a Friday, and I was early by quite a bit. I had gotten off work before the usual time, traffic had been smooth especially for a Friday, and I had managed to get ready about three hours earlier than usual.
Normally I would have found something to while away the time at home, but this night, for whatever reason, I felt a need to 'get there now' so I left. I ate at the casino's buffet, and then strolled down to the main floor. Early as it was I decided that tonight I would gamble a bit heavier than normal. What the heck, I had nothing else to spend the money on, so what?
I'd never played at the tables and I'd rarely play the poker machines, so since I was in such a mood I got my cash then went directly to a Roulette table.
"Hi. How's this game work?"
"You've never played Roulette before?"
"Nope."
Pointing to a table not too far away, the dealer smiled and offered his advice.
"That table right over there is for people who want to learn about Roulette. If you go there that dealer will walk you through the rules, the odds, and the proper etiquette. I know we're slow right now and I'd be willing to teach you, but the management wants people new to the game to learn it over there."
"Okay, thanks."
I was confident, but wary. I had watched the table games in action. The nights when things were going well for some I always saw others where things hadn't gone well at all. While I knew that I'd never get rich gambling I did want to learn more about it. I was just out to have fun after all.
Arriving at the learner's table the petite and very pretty Asian woman smiled and introduced me to 'Roulette'. Her tutelage was well received and in about an hour I was ahead sixty dollars.
Feeling brave and seeing the casino was beginning to fill up; I moved out and went to a 'real' table. I had a couple of hundred dollars in chips and a new found game to play.
I had about an hour and a half before I'd head to my favorite slot machine to listen to the flavor of the month. I was also feeling good. Way too good.
I sat at the table and placed bets here and there across the numbers. Right off the bat the dealer had to remind me that I was at a ten-dollar minimum bet table...so I doubled up on my dollar bets on those six squares.
Still slightly embarrassed, I didn't realize I had hit on the 27 and the line bet too. Suddenly I was almost hundred dollars ahead. That set the tone for the next hour for me too. It seemed I couldn't lose. When I heard the band coming on stage I knew it was time for me to get to my machine before it was in play.
I cashed in my chips and found that I was slightly over two thousand dollars ahead. I hadn't been certain on how much I was ahead until I cashed in. I was surprised at my good fortune to say the least. I wasn't rich, but I had lots of money to play with now.
I got my machine and put in a couple of twenties, feeling luckier than hell, and probably I was. I was going to find out in few minutes that my luck was on a streak.
I was still standing by the machine, and it was on the end of the aisle that led to the bar where the band stage was set up. I was moving the chair into a spot that I liked when I bumped into someone behind me.
"Oh I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention."
I turned to see who I had stepped into, ashamed of not paying more attention. What my eyes found was a woman with blonde hair and quite a figure.
"That's all right. I was going too fast anyway."
"Are you all right? I didn't hurt you did I?"
"No, no ... I'm fine. So are you here to play? Wait a second, you're here quite often. I've seen you right at this machine."
"Yeah. I like sitting here so I can see and hear the band. Passes my time well enough and I can hear some great music at times too. You've got the better of me though. I can't recall having seen you. I will say you do look familiar though."
She seemed to ignore my last statement, her question already in the air as I quit talking.
"You listen to the bands here?"
"Yeah. I really love the band that's playing here lately."
"So, you're a groupie then?"
"Groupie? No. I just like to hear the house band, well when there's a great band that is. Some nights, heh well some bands could use some practice at times. Know what I mean?"
"Hopefully we're practiced up enough for you tonight then."
"Practiced up? Oh, wait ... now I know you ... I mean ... I know who you are ... I mean ... you're the singer in the band."
Boy was I suddenly a smooth talker? I was embarrassed because I hadn't recognized her at all.
"I'm one of them. There's two of us gals, and then the three guys too."
"Oh wow. I'm so embarrassed. I didn't recognize you. You're usually in the jeans with the vest thingy, sunglasses and ..."
"Stage costume. Hey if you get bored out here later on, come on into the bar and I'll have a special seat saved just for you. I know some people that know some people."
Her wink and smile caused me to laugh. It also served to relieve my embarrassment at the same time. Up close she was far prettier than I had imagined. I suppose the distance I was away plus the costume and make-up she wore while singing caused me to not recognize her at first up close.
As she walked away, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at me. There was something in the sparkle in her eyes that had me at that moment. Turning, she slipped back beside me.
"You looked like you wanted to say something more."
"Well, I was thinking of how beautiful you are up close. I've never seen you. I mean like this up close and all ... out of ... um ... uniform?"
Her laugh was throaty and soothing at the same time.
"Oh baby, you're a man after my heart."
"Well, you are beautiful."
"Keep that up and you'll have a hard time getting rid of me."
"I can't imagine wanting to get rid of you. You have talent, you're beautiful, I know, I said that already, but the truth is...you are."
"Okay, now you HAVE to come into the bar."
"I just put forty into this machine ..."
