Blood Red

“The guy from the bar.”

“And then?” Lauren persisted.

“We chatted, he said he’d hoped we’d run into each other again tonight, he left, I found Heidi, and then we found you. And the hunk-next-door.”

“The scary hunk-next-door,” Lauren said.

Deanna let out a laugh. “You know what’s scary about him?”

“What?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. Your reaction. You’re afraid to get close to anyone. You’re afraid to so much as have lunch with someone. And you need to get over it. Here’s what I think. You’re actually attracted to this guy, sexually, attracted, so you’re trying to push him away. You don’t want to be hurt, to lose someone again.”

“Thank you, Dr. Deanna.”

“Give the guy a chance, why don’t you?”

“I was perfectly nice to him at lunch.”

“He’s looking for more than lunch. And I think you are, too.”

Lauren felt her own cheeks redden. She was paler than her friend. Deanna didn’t have to blink to realize she’d struck a chord.

“You feel it, don’t you?”

“I feel what?”

“The desire to…well, I was going to say jump his bones, but it’s you, so I’ll just say the desire.”

Lauren groaned and rose, stretching.

“Where do you think you’re going? We just ordered drinks from a hard working waitress. At least wait for her to come back so we can get our drinks and give her a tip, huh?”

“Oh, all right,” Lauren said. To kill time, she hit the button on the slot machine, then watched as five Creatures from the Black Lagoon appeared neatly in a row across the screen.

Bells started ringing.

“Fifty-thousand pennies!” Deanna said delightedly. “You just won five hundred dollars.”

“Now that’s cool,” Lauren had to agree.

The bells were still ringing, and people around them were coming to check out her winnings. There were much larger jackpots to be had, she was certain, but fifty thousand cents was definitely fun, and most people seemed cheerful, apparently happy to see someone get the better of the house.

There was one cranky old fellow, though, who walked by them muttering, “That was my jackpot. That thing cleaned out my pockets”

At least the rest of the place seemed happy. The attendant was happy signing their sheet, and once they got their drinks and duly tipped the waitress, the cashier was pleased to give them their money. It really wasn’t that much. The man in front of them was cashing in five thousand in poker chips.

“It isn’t the amount; it’s the excitement of the win,” Deanna told her.

“I’ll bet you the excitement of a five-thousand-dollar win must feel pretty good, too,” Lauren said, but she was laughing. It really had been fun.

And they’d all but forgotten Heidi.

“Craps tables,” they said at the same time.

Their timing was great. They got there just as Heidi, who had apparently been on a roll, crapped out. The table cheered her when she got up, looking flushed and happy.

“Hey, you can’t go now, lady luck!” a nicely dressed middle-aged woman called to her.

“Don’t worry. The dice will come around again,” a handsome young guy in a Harley Davidson jacket assured her.

“We should leave now, while we’re all ahead,” Deanna said.

“Why didn’t you make me leave earlier, when I’d won even more?” Heidi demanded as they waited while she cashed in her chips. “How did you two do with your pennies?” she asked, her tone patronizing.

“Lauren won five hundred dollars,” Deanna said.

Heidi frowned. “Five hundred dollars?”

“Yep,” Deanna said proudly.

“I think I have three hundred and thirty five,” Heidi said, then grinned. “That means you pay for dinner.”

“Bathing suits, sun and the pool first, right?” Lauren asked.

“You bet,” Heidi agreed.