Chapter 29
295 Words
Chapter 29
RYAN WAS SITTING PATIENTLY at the bar, scoping the crowd. The Live! Casino and Hotel in Maryland wasn’t exactly pumping with action at one in the morning on a Tuesday. Ryan was looking for the hard-core gambling addicts, the ones who couldn’t stay away. His observations soon focused on an old lady with blue hair who had been playing the slot machines for two hours straight, without a break. The bartender said she had been there for two hours before Ryan had arrived and she hadn’t moved in that entire time. He said she was in just about every night and was a real sad story. Apparently, she used to have plenty of money but had gone through almost her entire life savings gambling it away.
The bartender referred to her as an “ornery old cow”, who was apparently a real piece of work, always ordering the staff around and being nasty to the other customers. All she cared about was her favourite slot machines.
Ryan walked over to the old woman, gestured at the chair next to her and said, ‘Excuse me, is this seat taken?’ in the politest voice he could muster.
‘Does it look taken, you retard?’ she snapped in a venomous tone. ‘Is there a sign on it? Don’t interrupt me, I’m on a roll. Take some other seat, there are hundreds in here. I don’t need you bringing your bad luck onto my machine, you loser.’ She turned back to her machine, completely ignoring Ryan.
This toxic response immediately got Ryan’s rage burning, but he was conscious of the extensive camera coverage on the casino floor, so just shrugged his shoulders, turned around and muttered under his breath, ‘You’ll get yours, you crotchety old b***h,’ and walked away from his next target.
The Gambler.
- Writer
