I first saw Stephanie in the foyer of the Torrequebrada Casino, Costa del Sol, as she walked elegantly down the staircase. She was about average height with short auburn hair, expertly cut. She wore a low cut dark green dress with a cleavage showing her ample breasts and a hem line cut three or four inches above her knee. It was enough to suggest that she had a long and shapely pair of legs. In fact, she was altogether an attractive young woman, probably, in her mid-twenties. And, even though she was beautifully suntanned, I sensed that she was English.
She walked past me to the gaming tables and I saw brown eyes and a pretty face, before a whiff of her expensive perfume assailed my nostrils. I turned, just in time, to see her hips sway back and forth inside her tight fitting dress. It mesmerised me, until she disappeared around a corner.
I was on my way to the bar, so, I carried on and had a whisky and soda, while I read a bit of the newspaper. Then, I couldn't help thinking about the lovely young woman I had just seen and wondered where she was.
I wandered into the gaming room and saw her standing at the roulette wheel. Her modest pile of chips seemed to be dwindling fast. I stood and watched her, until her last chip was gone. Every time she lost, she seemed to go a shade whiter in the face. I had seen that same look of desolation and loss in every Casino I had ever been to.
I followed her, as she walked, defeated, out of the room. She sat down heavily in the nearest chair and started to search frantically through the contents of her cocktail bag. I knew what she was looking for, a chip, or money, or any damn thing that would get her back to the table. I knew then that she was well and truly hooked on gambling.
She hung her head in defeat and closed her bag. The answer to her problems wasn't in there. It was a good moment to approach her.
"May I buy you a drink, love?" I asked. "You sure look as though you could use one."
She looked up at me and, for a second, I saw a flash of anger in her eyes. Then, she was about to politely give me the brush off, when she saw me toying with a few high value chips and changed her mind.
"Sure, why not," she sighed and accompanied me into the bar. I sat her in a corner booth and got the drinks. Then, I introduced myself and she told me her name was Stephanie.
"Gambling sucks," she said, bitterly, as she took a heavy swig of her gin and tonic.
"You've had a bad night, then," I probed gently, to see if she would open up.
She said nothing at first, but, after a second drink, it all came out. She had been gambling for weeks, and, after a few wins, was now into some heavy losses. Then, she had borrowed some cash and had tried to win it back, without success.
"How heavy is heavy?" I enquired.
"About £5,000" she sighed. Then, she told me a sad story, of how a sensible young married couple from Yorkshire had sold their house and given up their jobs to buy a restaurant out here on the Costa del Sol. Despite an expensive refurbishment and a re-launch, it had not gone well. They just never seemed to make enough to cover overheads, the interest on the bank loan and make anything of a profit.
She had started to gamble when a female friend had taken her to the Casino for a night out. Then it had become something of an obsession and a way to solve their financial problems.
She told me she lived in a small seaside resort, a few miles up the coast. I knew then, that she couldn't live too far away from the exclusive residential complex where I lived. But, although I rarely forgot a pretty face, I didn't think I had seen her before.
Apparently, none of her friends or relations knew of their financial plight, except for me, of course. It was amazing what a few gin and tonics would do to loosen the tongue. And, to be fair, she'd had such a poor night's gambling, that she just had to unload onto somebody. I had seen it all before.
"I don't suppose you could help me," she implored, thinking of the chips she knew I had in my pocket. "I'm rather desperate, I'm afraid."
Her dress had ridden up her thighs and her ample bosom was heaving with her anxiety. I could see she had assets in abundance. "Well, there is a way I could help you," I said hoarsely after taking a sneaky look at the lovely legs which were now being generously displayed for my benefit. I had remembered about the bedrooms upstairs in the Casino. They were reasonably priced for regular customers, such as me, to encourage them to stay and spend more time gambling.
I carefully weighed up an offer and said. "I'll give you six hundred euros (about £500) if you'll spend the night with me, upstairs."
I saw the anger flare up in her eyes and felt a painful slap on my face. "How dare you," she fumed and stomped off in anger. Luckily, there was no one around to witness the scene, so, I shrugged my shoulders and smiled. It was a take it or leave it offer and it was up to her. Let's see how desperate she is, I thought. I had no intention of chasing after her. She was old enough to know what she was or wasn't prepared to do. So, I got myself another drink and started to read the newspaper again.
