Dealing to a Stranger

CHAPTER 1

Wednesday the 31^st of October

Halloween

"Playing number two, changing a thousand," Kim said as she picked up the bills after counting them in front of her customer. She used the pusher and stuffed them in the currency hopper before turning back to count out his chips.

"I heard number 2 and changing a G Kim," the pit boss Missy said, standing a few steps away marking the entry in her ledger.

"Thank you Little Orphan Annie," Kim flung over her shoulder, smiling broadly as she started taking chips out of her tray. She deftly stacked the chips into a larger group before breaking them into smaller stacks of 5 chips each, letting the customer see the count also.

"I'm Wednesday. Wednesday from the Addam's Family. Don't make me come over there and kick you in the kneecap, let me borrow your step and I'll be able to reach higher," Kim retorted with mock indignation.

Kim finished counting and then showed the customer with a hand flourish. She restacked the smaller piles of chips, into two larger ones. Then she pushed them to her new customer.

"Isn't little 10 year old Wednesday a lot taller?" She started to offer 4 foot 11 inch tall Missy her dealer's platform, but even her hands stopped pushing his chips when she looked into his eyes. He had the bluest, blue eyes she had ever seen. They looked electric blue, it was like they glowed a bright blue. Kim didn't hear Missy's retort to her about getting another endless reference to her diminutive height. She was lost in his eyes, her heart stared pounding in her chest, she couldn't stop staring at them. Something grabbed her soul, it was like turning a light on in a pitch black room, she came alive. Each heartbeat the first, the smoked filled air of the main floor tasted as sweet as a flowered alpine pass. The noise from the machines and the people faded around her, nothing mattered but his smile and those gorgeous eyes. She was frozen in place, unable to move, she fell in love so fast it was like being hit by a truck. She jerked her hands away from his chips when his hands touched hers. It was like she had been mildly shocked.

"Sorry," he said, "these are mine, right?" He pulled the chips she had just released halfway across the table, towards him. Looking down, he broke eye contact.

Kim jerked out of her trance when he looked down. She almost fell off the box step she had to stand on to be able to reach across the table. She felt light headed. She took a deep breath, her hands visibly shook as she started to cut, then shuffling her deck, she looked back up at him. He was watching her. The half decks of cards she held in each hand sprayed across the table, instead of neatly joining together like they had thousands, tens of thousands of times before.

"You must be as new at this as I am, how do I play this game?"

"What?" Kim stammered as she tried to capture the escaped deck.

"I've never played this game, what's the objective?" He reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out a pair of sunglasses. Sliding them on, he covered up his extraordinary eyes.

Kim mentally slapped herself as he looked back at her. She seemed to almost still be able to make out his eyes behind the mirrored lens of the glasses. She wanted to reach over and take the sunglasses from him. To become lost in them again, she had to actually mentally will her body not to do just that. Her knees still felt weak, she managed to take another deep breath as she pushed the two deck halves together, neatly this time. She could almost feel the heat of passion from him, a warm glow of safety, mano perfectus, the perfect man sat just feet from her, smiling at her.

"Do you know how to play poker," she managed to stammer praying that he knew that much so he wouldn't leave her table?

"Yes Kim," he said, "pairs, straights, flushes, and so on," he smiled.

She inwardly sighed with relief, Kim wanted to crawl up on the table and kiss him. Rationality slowly came back, "Well, this is the same, sort of. You will get dealt three cards. High card wins, then a pair, three card straight, three card flush, three of a kind, 3 card straight flush, then a three card royal flush." Explaining the game helped her keep her mind and body from going around and dragging him from Sam's Town's Casino. Kim pointed at some printing in front of his spot on the table, "That is the table ante, 10 dollar bet minimum per hand up to the maximum of 1000 per deal." She pointed at the yellow circle with the word 'pair' printed inside the circle, "That is a side bet, if you play that you must have at least a pair to win. The payout is one to one for a pair. 3 to one for a straight, 5 to one for a flush, 40 to one for three of a kind, 100 to one for a straight flush, 500 to one for a royal, the payouts are printed next to your chips." He smiled at her again, her heart skipped a beat and started hammering again, "I have to have at least a queen high as one of my cards or you win automatically, so even if you have a really bad hand, you still might win the table bet if I can't get at least a queen."

"You do have the option," she continued with her explanation as her racing heart slowed, "to fold your hand. If you decide to play the hand, then you have to match the ante bet. If you're feeling froggy," she smiled a coy smile at him, "you can match the ante bet before I deal and do a blind hand, the payout doubles then, but not on the pair bet, it still pays the regular payout. Pretty simple, huh?"

He gave her a big smile, "I'm game, let's see how lucky I'll be tonight." He placed a 25 dollar ante bet, two 5 dollar chips on the pair bet and then picked up another 25 dollar chip and placed it in the play square. "Do you know what your name means?"

"My name?" she questioned as she pushed the deal button on the machine next to her. She loading the other deck into the its' hopper at the top of the machine as it started spitting out hands. The machine seemed to take a few seconds longer to start dropping the cards, she would tell Missy later and have the unit replaced or looked at.

"Kimberly," he said pointing at her name tag as she slid his cards under the play's chip.

"Now don't look at those till I have sorted my hand. No, what does my name mean?"

"It's old Scottish for 'King's Garden'."

She wished, girlishly, that he were a king and would come around and pick her so they could go somewhere, anywhere and he would spend the rest of the night tasting her fruits. Kim flipped her cards, looking in horror at the pair of aces and the 4 of spades in her hand. She reached out, her hand shook slightly again, she flipped up a 6 of diamonds, the next a two of diamonds, she prayed hard to the Casino Gods. They answered her prayers for once, the last card was a king of diamonds.

"You won," she squealed loudly! She looked triumphantly at his winning hand.

"Well Kim, pay the man his winnings, it's your break time," touted Missy, Wednesday Addams, Little Orphan Annie, Kim hadn't felt or heard them approach her table. 6 foot 5 inch Wayne towered next to Missy waiting to take Kim's place as the relief dealer for her 20 minute break. Kim paid out 10 reds for the pair bet, 2 greens each for the blind ante and the play. She reluctantly stepped off the step, pushed it with a foot under the table and gave Wayne her table after sweeping the deck across the dealer's position, cards face down.

"Don't you dare go anywhere, I have to take a break, I'll be back in 20 minutes," she said breathlessly with a smile.

He smiled back at her, "I'll be here Kim."

Missy touched her elbow as she stepped away from the table, letting Wayne take over, "Are you OK Kim?"

"No Missy," she whispered back to her, "I think I'm in love."

"Kim?"

"Relax Missy, I know policy." Both of the women looked over at Wayne's customer.

"He is a cutie." Missy said back to her, "A big cutie."

"Keep your hands off, you're a married woman, remember." Kim pointing at the 'Eye in the Sky' security cameras sprinkled across the ceiling's expanse, "And, you so much as wink at him and they're gonna record one hell of a cat fight. Please don't let him leave Missy, please? I'm begging you as a friend just this one time. If he loses then comp him 200 bucks, I'll hit the ATM and make it good, just this one time, Missy. Please keep him here. Please?"

"Kimberly?"

Both women looked back over at the person on the other side of Wayne, "Don't blame me Kim, I tried to warn you. If he does leave, I'll have Mike follow him, but just out into the parking lot Kim. And, just this one time."

Kim kissed the top of Missy's fake Wednesday Addams' black, polyester wig, she looked over her shoulder, he was smiling at her, "I love ya Little Orphan Annie." She floated off to the employee's break room.

Missy said to Kim's retreating back, "It's WEDNESDAY ADDAMS, dammit!" She turned back to the guy opposite of Wayne, she smiled and gave him a wink. He smiled a crooked smile back at her, before watching Wayne play his cards.

CHAPTER 2

It was the longest break she had ever had since she started working at the casino for the last 10 years. She had started here a few months after she had turned 21, each second now seemed like her entire lifetime was passing again. She couldn't stop thinking about him, he filled her. Every other break she had, had been a blessing, able to rest her feet, grab a bite to eat, take a much needed potty break. This one was pure hell on very slow, rusty wheels. She had been hungry before, now she couldn't take a bite of the power bar in her locker. Her stomach seemed filled with psychotic butterflies. Some of the other dealers had tried to speak to her about this or that. She finally had to escaped to a restroom stall just be alone with her thoughts. She tried so desperately to collect herself, strengthen her resolve, she would close her eyes and his would be there, glowing brightly back at her. She took her purse out of her locker, going to a sink, she washed her face with cold water, hoping that would help. The TV in the corner droned on about a quarter of a million people fleeing before a series of fires in California, she ignored their sufferings. After re-applying her make-up, she looked at herself in the mirror, assessing. It was over-kill, she washed her face again with the water turned to the coldest setting. She forced herself to put on as little as possible, to look as plain as possible, a whole 4 minutes sluggishly crept by. 2 of the last 8 minutes were spent pacing the balcony area to the hotel's buffet. Kim looked down onto the slots below her, watching to make sure he didn't walk by. She couldn't see the gaming tables from here. Kim went down early.

Kim moved quickly through the holiday crowded floor, flashing, blinking machines, hundreds of people, some even dressed up for the Halloween in costumes. Everything, and one, blocked her vision of the table she did all but run too. Her heart pounded in her chest, she reached a point where she could see Wayne standing at an empty table. A hundred tons of lead smashed her heart flat. The warm glow inside her seemed to wink out, replaced by the coldest cold she ever felt. She started looking for him, seeking him. She took as much time as she could, searching the crowded floor, dragging herself back into the hell of her old life, alone, being alone. She crossed between two semi-full Blackjack tables into the pit area. Missy looked up and smiled at her as she passed around the pit bosses' stand. Wayne's bulk had hidden the stack of chips still there and the chair's back leaning against her table. Her heart decided that this was a very good time to start racing and jump into her throat.

Missy poked her side, "Had Mike make sure he didn't get lost coming back from the restroom. Even had Mike show him the way there when he asked where it was."

Missy caught Kim's elbow before she could relieve Wayne, "Be careful girlfriend, I've seen that look you have on your silly face before. It was on mine before a goddamn bastard slapped it off me. If it's too good to be true, then it usually is."

"Thanks Missy, I owe ya, I owe you big time."

Missy grabbed her elbow again, "Big Brother is always watching, everything, everywhere. If you start something, you better damn well take it out of here, understand? I can only do so much." She turned and picked something off her stand, "He didn't have a player's card, shame on you." She looked at Kim again, "I copied down all his ID data. I'll just hold on to it till the next time I see you. Give these back to him when he gets back, I want all the dirt, OK?" Missy held his ID and the casino's player's comp card up in front of Kim.

"Done Missy," she took the two cards, "I usually don't kiss and tell, but I owe you this time."

Kim almost floated back to her table, she poked Wayne in the back, "Take a break Big Guy."

He chided her, "Your soon to be love toy went to the potty."

Kim looked over at Missy, saw her take one of the fake, black, pigtails of the Wednesday Addam's costume and use it to hide her eyes as she jotted another entry into her notebook.

"How did he do Wayne?"

"Lost maybe two or three, won on about five, must be 3 or 4 ahead. Plays damn funny, just keeps doing blind hands, seems to work for him though."

"I got it."

Wayne swept the deck across the table and started towards the next table down the line to relieve them for their break. "Have fun tonight Kim," he said over his shoulder, "I'll give you more hell in about an hour, " he laughed.

Kim glared back over at Missy, she still held up the pigtail blocking her eyes, but not the huge smile she wore.

CHAPTER 3

Kim glanced down at his picture ID/driver's license. Samuel Oscar Stranger, his eyes even seemed to glow in the ID's picture. Baltimore Maryland, the date of birth had to be in error, she did the math in her head, 59 years old. She would have bet her life he was maybe just into his mid 30s, maybe closer to her age of 31. She put both the ID and the casino's card next to his chips.

She looked up just in time to see him walk around the end of a bank of quarter slots. An older lady played an end machine there, he said something to her, the lady said something back. He stopped, talking to the lady, they both laughed, he stroked the lady's shoulder and then patted the slot machine twice. He went to the short steps leading down from the half floor. He had taken maybe three or four before looking back over his shoulder at the lady as she pulled the slot's handle. By the time he reached the floor two steps later, the lights went off on the machine the lady was playing. The clanging of a jackpot could be heard where Kim stood. He glanced again over his shoulder, smiling as the lady danced around the machine. His head turned to Kim from 50 feet away, his smile broadened, white teeth flashed in humor. 10 feet from her table he pulled his sunglasses back out, slipping them on as he took his seat after readjusting the leaning chair.

"You must be a mean dealer, no one wants to play with you," he said as he placed the same bet he had on their first and only hand together.

Kim fought fire with fire, "I only play with the best."

He pulled down his sunglasses with one hand as he lost miserably to her hand, his blue eyes looked at her over the top of the glasses. "Maybe I should go and find a kiddie table before you clean me out."

"Suit yourself, aahhh Mister....." Kim baited him.

He placed the same bet, then picked up the comp card and his ID. He slipped the comp card in his shirt pocket, pulled out a billfold and slid the ID into it before putting it back in his pocket. "Stranger. Please no stranger jokes, I think I have heard them all. How about calling me Sam? Sam I am."

She took a baby step out onto the branch, "Sam sounds wonderful to me," she had to wait on the machine again, it seemed to take longer before it dealt another hand.

"So 'Sam I Am', what do you do for a living besides losing at poker?" She flipped her hand, then she turned over his. In three years of dealing three card stud she had pushed maybe 50 times, but never like this. They had the same cards, only opposite.. He had the 2 of hearts and the 8 of hearts with the queen of clubs. She had the 2 of clubs and the 8 of clubs with the queen of hearts.

He smiled at her, "Think they'll notice if we switch cards? Looks like I need a Queen of Hearts."

She didn't take her eyes off herself mirrored in his lenses as she knocked the table twice as a sign of a push, picked up his pair bet and then raked his hand to hers. Kim looked down to collect the cards and shook, her hand now had the queen of clubs in it, she pushed his hand back open exposing the cards, but trying to hide them from the overhead cameras. The queen of hearts was safely tucked between the 2 and the eight. She quickly collected all the cards on the table.

"Well, looks like you helped me find her," he smiled that wonderful, mischievous smile like he had when he came down the stairs.

"Anybody need a drink here," a waitress asked?

He said, "I think we both could use one, unfortunately she can't have one, a double Bailey's Irish Cream, straight up, no ice please." He picked up two chips, turned, placing the 25 dollar green chips on the waitress' tray.

He turned back to the still stunned Kim as the waitress thanked him profusely and left, "I make people happy."

"What?"

"You asked me what I did for a living Kim. I make people happy, that's my job. It's a shitty job, but somebody's got to do it." He gave a small chuckle, "In actuality, it is a pretty fun job to have, some people are a little tougher than others, but... " He made the same blind bet, tapped the play chip twice with a finger, a jackpot alarm went off behind him.

He smiled at her as she looked over his shoulder, the same lady that had hit a jackpot a few minutes before was now dancing around the same flashing machine. The floor boss that had just paid her jackpot, a few feet away, looked at the machine in astonishment.

Screw climbing out on a limb, she flung herself off the tree, "You did that, didn't you."

He placed both hands to his chest, "Moi? Prove it, I didn't move an inch. If you'll notice, I haven't even touched a card hand since I sat down here, that includes the ones Wayne dealt too me."

Kim's hands shook slightly as she handed out the next hand. She turned hers over and had a pair of 4s with a king of diamonds. She tentatively turned over his first card, queen of spades, then the ace of spades, she already knew what the next one would be before turning it over. "Missy, paying a royal flush," she said before revealing the king of spades.

Missy came over to look at the hand and ensure the payout. "Why aren't you the lucky one tonight Mr. Stranger, congratulations."

"It's not me tonight Missy, Kim is being the lucky one for me."

"Well Kimberly, you just keep on being lucky for Mr. Stranger, he certainly seems to be enjoying himself tonight, wouldn't want his lucky streak to end now, would we?" Missy stayed till Kim paid out the 5 purple chips, then Missy went back to the books to mark her ledger. The waitress came up with his drink. He took the drink, the proffered napkin, picked up a purple chip and placed it on the waitress' tray.

"Sir..," she started to say.

"Yes, I know what it is Ma'am, and it's yours now."

"Bless you Sir," she started to walk away with her full tray till another table made some noise about her not giving them their drinks. The waitress did a graceful turn and quickly went over to the demanding table, passing out the rest of the drinks on her tray.

'Sam I Am' picked up one purple chip and dropped it into his shirt pocket, "At least I should break even huh," he said to Kim. He picked up the last three thousand dollars in purple chips and placed them in front of Kim.