The ball rolled into a slot, bouncing twice and settling in the one labeled seventeen.
“Black Seventeen.” He placed the crystal-topped dolly on top of the stack of blue tickets on that spot.
A woman wearing a bedazzled pink sweater and fringy boots jumped into the air.
The dealer swept away all the other tickets and then paid her out, exchanging her blue tickets for greens to use in the Winner’s Store full of prizes in all price ranges. There were even trips and jewelry.
“You ready?” Matthew tore off a few of his tickets.
She took ten. “My birthday is July 29th, so I’m going to play five on number seven and five tickets on twenty-nine.”
“Sounds like a good plan. I’ll do the same with my birthdate.”
They both placed their tickets in the blocks.
“No more bets.”
Whitney noticed he’d played the five and six. “June 5 or May 6?”
“My birthday? I don’t really celebrate it anymore, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Red Five.” The dealer planted the dolly on top of Matthew’s stack of tickets.
“Yes! I like the sound of that!” Matthew said.
She wasn’t sure if he meant he liked the sound of celebrating or winning, but either way, it was exciting. She grabbed his arm and clapped wildly.
They played a few more rounds, but people were beginning to push to get a place at the table and get in on the action, and she didn’t like feeling crushed.
She tapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s step outside. It’s too loud now.”
He looked thankful for the suggestion and let her lead him away from the table.
“My ears are ringing,” he said.
“Mine too. It’s wild in there. We’ll take our picture under the big balloon thing, then I’m fine if you’re ready to call it a night,” she said.
“I’m not ready to call it a night, just ready for maybe a quiet walk, or we could go back to my place and sit outside on the rooftop deck. The view is beautiful.”
“I’d like that.” She took a sip of water, and then they went inside for the obligatory picture.
“I'm not much of a gambler,” he admitted as they walked out.
“Me neither, but it’s for scholarships and that makes it feel worth taking the chance.”
“I guess you have to do a lot of stuff like this with the law firm sponsoring events and all.”
“I do my share. We have a lot of people at the firm, but because my father is the senior partner, William, Carina, and I have to attend so many. The obligation can make it lose some appeal.”
He drove them back to his apartment. When they walked into the lobby of his building, the old desk clerk beamed.
“Good night, Mr. McMahon.”
“He never calls me that,” he whispered to Whitney. “Good night, Jack.”
When they got in the elevator, Matthew whispered into her neck, his breath tickling her. “Wave at the camera,” he said,pointing to the corner of the elevator. “I guarantee Jack is watching.”
Whitney flashed her best smile and waved.
