Switchblade

Chapter 3: Casino

"Weren't you supposed to be off today?" Ryan asked.
"Yea, and now I'm here." Tati replied as she filled the beer glass.
"Whose shift did you take?" he wondered.
"Nate's. He's hanging out with his girlfriend now."
"You know she's crazy. She probably thinks you did it to try to fuck him."
"The only person that wants to fuck Nate is her." Tati replied as she wiped down the glass.
"You're so mean." Ryan scoffed.

Tati filled it then moved to pass the glass to the man who sat at the bar waiting.
"Here you go." she stated.
"Thanks." the guy replied.
She went back to Ryan to clean off more glasses.
"Did you get bored at home or something?" Ryan asked as he dried one.
"No."
"You just decided working more days would be fun?"
"Why are you so upset that I'm here an extra day?" Tati scoffed.
"I'm not upset. I just know you weren't supposed to be here today and I'm a little nosy."
"Yea, you and Loren have that in common."
"That's fucking gross."
"What?"
"I don't wanna be like her."
"You call me mean but you're a dick to your sister." Tati snickered.
"That's my job. I'm not supposed to like her."
"You're a terrible brother."
"You think that because you're an only child. You get a little sister and see if you like her."
Tati rolled her eyes. "I know you love her."
"Love her. Don't like her."
She laughed.

A man approached the bar.

"Hey, what can I get you?" Tati asked.
"Dinner?" the guy smiled.
"You're at the wrong part of the restaurant, sir. Sit down over there and someone will take your order." She put down another clean glass.
"No, I mean dinner with you."
"We don't serve that here, sir. What else can I get you?" she replied and looked at him as she wiped another wet glass dry.
"Give it up, man. You could be a God himself and she'd say no." Ryan spoke up.
"Really? Tough one to crack, huh?"
"Unbreakable. You'd be better off teaching your dog English."
Tati rolled her eyes as she heard the men speak about her like she wasn't there. She placed another glass down.

"Alright. Then I'll just take a scotch on the rocks." the guy stated.
"That I can do." Tati agreed.

She grabbed a glass and filled it with two large ice cubes then went to the shelves to search for the bottle.

The guy gestured at her ass and he and Ryan looked as she grabbed the bottle.
She turned around and both of them averted their eyes.

She poured and placed the glass in front of him.

The man slapped a twenty on the counter and sipped with eyes on her.
"I'm Nick by the way." he said after swallowing.
"Okay, Nick."
He chuckled.
"Her name is Tatiana." Ryan admitted.
Tati looked at him in annoyance.
"I'm humored by this." Ryan snickered.
"Go to hell."
Ryan acted hurt.

"You see how she treats me? I'm the one that got her this job." Ryan told Nick.
Tati walked off to help a new customer at the bar.

"Is she one of those 'I hate men' types?" Nick asked.
"No, she just doesn't date. Says she has too much to do than to worry about a boyfriend."
"Hm. How long have you two known each other?"
"Since her and my sister were seven and I was ten. They went to the same elementary school and then just followed each other around and I had to supervise. Now she treats me like she's the older one and I'm just some guy she hates."
Nick laughed. "She's funny."
"Yea, she's a dick." Ryan added.

~•~

Denise held onto her jacket tightly, hoping she wouldn't be seen as she walked into the building.

She listened to the sounds of the screens and the money falling out of the machines. People cheering and the balls rolling around the tables.

It was her first time in a casino but it was her only hope.

She walked to the front counter.
"Um...Hello." she greeted.
"Hi, how can I help you?" the guy asked.
"I'd like to use your slot machine."
"Okay. In order to do that you just tell me your name and how much you want on your card." He took a card and pressed it against some scanner.
"Oh, Denise Waters..."
"Okay. That's D-e-n-i-s-e Waters, correct?"
"Yes."
"Alright and how much do you want on your card? The minimum amount is fifty."
"Fifty dollars?" she asked, shocked.
"Yes, ma'am."
She sighed. "Okay, I'll take that."
"Fifty it is. Cash or debit?"
"Debit." She started rummaging through her purse for her wallet.
"Okay."

She opened the wallet and grabbed her card then slid it over to the man behind the window.

He took it and slid it into the machine.

She looked around the casino at all of the people playing the games.

"Alright, here you go." He handed her both cards. "You just swipe that card into the machine. If you win anything you can decide on the machine whether or not you want it in tokens or transferred to your playing card. Once you're done you bring it over here and I can transfer it to cash for you."
"Thank you." Denise nodded.
"Not a problem. Let me know if you need anything else."

Denise walked off to the slot machines.

She took a seat and looked at the people beside her as they played.
One woman cheered after winning two hundred dollars. A man sneered and groaned as he didn't win anything.

She faced forward to look at the bright screen pulsing with a "PLAY NOW!" written in bold and brightly colored red and gold font on the screen.

She hit the button and read the directions that said for her to slide her card.

She did it and pulled down on the lever of the game.

She watched the three slots roll.

Her heart was beating rapidly. I'd she didn't win anything the first time then she decided she'd go home and try something else.

She got a cherry.

The other two were still rolling.

Another cherry.

She was getting eager.

A third cherry.

She gasped happily.
She'd won 250 dollars.

She stared at the screen with a happy smile.

She swore that the first time she loses she'd take the card and go home.

She clicked on the screen to have the money transferred to her playing card.

Then she swiped it again.

She listened to the man beside her finally win again. He told the machine thank you then took the receipt from it and stood up to leave.

She wondered how long all of these people had been here. She didn't want to grow an addiction. She'd never had an addiction of any sort and she didn't want to start now. She just wanted to do enough to help her get on track to pay back the money, that's all.

Cherry.

She stared with wide eyes.

Cherry.

Her hands held one another as she pleaded.

Cherry.

She smiled and panted in gratitude.

She'd just gotten $500 in less than five minutes.
She wondered if she should take it and just return tomorrow.

She figured a third time wouldn't hurt.
But if she lost, she'd head home.

She pressed the button for the money to transfer to her card and then she swiped it again.
Each swipe was worth $5 but that was nothing if you just kept on winning.

She stared at the bright screen with high hopes.