Killing Time

S: I hate casinos.

J: I didn’t ask you to like being here. I just asked you to be here.

S: I would rather be ordering a peanut butter milkshake at that place we drove past on the way into this god forsaken shit hole.

J made gagging noises and pulled a face S, looking over her shoulder as she led the way through the clanging slot machines and the drone faced patrons shoving money into their machines. “That is gross, S.”

“No. That is gross. ” S pointed at the crack sticking out of a large man’s pants. He was slouched over a machine called ‘Wonderland’, and looked like he hadn’t moved in a very long time.

J looked over at the exposed white butt of the man in question, and shook her head. “Don’t forget why we are here.”

S touched her pocket as if in agreement. “You sure he is here?”

J had stopped walking and was looking towards the other side of the room, nodding. S followed her gaze towards a poker table, separated from the rest of the casino floor by waist height red rope, attached to moveable weighted poles.

There he was. His comb over slick against his scalp, and his pinched mouth pursed in concentration. He was in a grey suit and his sunglasses yellow, like his teeth. He sat up straight in his chair and S and J both instinctively looked down and away to avoid being spotted.

J: He wont see you, short ass. These machines are taller than you are.

S: You’re a comedian now?

J: Don’t shoot the messenger.

S: Funny. S looked sideways at the grey suited man with the yellow stained teeth and at the people that he was sat next to.

A tall wafer thin man with an asymmetrical mustache sat to his left nursing a shot glass. To his right was a large woman who looked like she was aiming at a Dolly Parton look when she got dressed that morning.

The dealer, in all black was a young man with slicked back hair and a pair of frameless glasses on that made him look older than he probably was. He had a badge on that said ‘Vernon D’.

S: So what is the plan?

J gave S a look of pure exhaustion. ” S, just do what you are supposed to. That is the plan.”

S sighed. “Wow. Your sense of humor disappeared fast huh?

J had decided not to listen to S, and was already making her way towards the poker table. S chose a different route and took position behind a group of seniors citizens engrossed in blackjack. With a clear line of sight to the poker table, S slid her hand in her pocket and gripped the handle of the knife she had tacked away.

“Drink?” A waiter appeared beside S, startling her. S jumped and cussed involuntarily.

“Sweet Fuck, man! You scared the shit out of me. Bugger off, I’m busy!”

The waiter looked at S just standing there and for a moment S could see him calculating how stupid it would be to even answer her. “My apologies.” He spluttered and shuffled off. S looked back over towards where she has last seen J.

J was standing right behind the grey suited man, staring at him in a way that made S furrow her brows in confusion. J looked over at S and smiled.

“No no no, stick to the plan, woman!” S mouthed towards J.

J sagged her shoulders and she rolled her eyes. With a sigh she popped the Alka-Seltzer she had on her hand into her mouth and very dramatically swung herself around to draw attention to herself. S grinned as J flopped to the floor, foaming at the mouth and doing a good job off twitching and spluttering.

Everyone at the poker table launched out of their chairs, including the grey suited man. People gathered and J very nearly kicked the Dolly Parton wannabe in the shin. Poeple were waving their hands looking about frantically. The dealer had waved over a security guard to call for assistance on his walkie talkie.

S headed up to the edge of all of the chaos and pulled her hoodie over her head being careful to keep her head down. She caught a glimpse of J and had to hold back a laugh when she saw that some concerned regular of the casino had been nice enough to throw his drink on J in an attempt to snap her out of whatever was happening to her.

The man in the grey suit was hovering so that he could watch the table and J at the same time. He craned his neck over to see who was on the ground and as he recognized J he lost all of the color in his face. S watched fumble for his chips and shove them in his pockets. He started to walk backwards, away from the crowd.

S kept her head down and followed the man in the grey suit through the casino and into the bathroom.

…

 

J, followed by two paramedics came marching out of the casino. She was laughing and apologizing. “I am so embarrassed. Thank you for being so incredible. Honestly. Thank you for making the call.”

“We would have taken you home.” One of the buff  lads was smiling broadly at J.

“Don’t be silly. You have been amazing.” J looked over at S who was walking through the parking lot towards them. “There is she is. She will see me home. Thank again.”

“I came as fast as I could, J. Are you alright?”

“I dont know what happened. But I am fine, S. These guys looked after me.”

“Ah, I see. Thank you lads.”

J was awkwardly gazing over at the shorter of the two men when a security guard came running out into the parking lot. “Help! There is a dead guy in the bathroom!”

The medics started for the door, and tried to calm the guard down as they headed in.J shouted her gratitude as they left.

There was an almost necessary silence, before J looked over at S. “He poured his beer on me.”

“I saw.” S said smiling. “You did a brilliant job by the way.”

J twitched for effect. “Thank you. I managed to kick the blonde.”

“I saw that too.”

S’s phone rang. She hummed along to the Pulp Fiction theme tune, ‘Misirlou’ which she fumbled fer it in her pockets.

“Hello?” S looked at J while she listened. “Yes, it’s done.”

J jiggled the car keys. “Who’s next?”

S lit a smoke. “I dont know. But it will have to wait until I have had my peanut butter milkshake.”