Matthew Kwasnicki
August 7, 2016
Murray was a compulsive gambler. Whenever he found an opportunity to make a wager he took it. He spent a few hours a week at the local casino. He played poker online at the office. He even tried once to bet his brother one-hundred dollars that their mother wouldn’t last longer than a month after her mastechtomy. Luckily for him, his brother refused to participate in the bet and she’s still alive years after the procedure.
One chilly Wednesday night in October, Murray was sitting in his usual spot at the blackjack table. An attractive woman sat next to him. She smelled like a combination of lilacs, mint and tabacco. She acknowledged him with a nod and placed a couple of chips down on the table. He couldn’t help but make an internal bet as to whether she would be his by the end of the night.
She glanced towards him and introduced herself. She had beautiful green eyes and short brown hair. Her name was Amanda.
He returned the introduction and told her it was a pleasure to meet. He hadn’t remembered the last time he saw such a beauty in the casino and he told her just that.
Then she did something that made his heart skip a beat. She whispered to him that she’d give him one-thousand dollars if he won the next hand, and if he didn’t he would have to leave the table. He smiled immediately and nodded his head with a little chuckle. How could he refuse?
Before he had a chance to play the next hand a couple of security guards walked towards the table and Amanda made a quick exit. He was stopped by the guards as he tried to follow her. He wanted a chance to collect the money she had promised and a chance to fulfill his sensual desires with her.
The guards asked him to describe how he knew the woman and what they had talked about. He said they were old aquaintances and that she was whispering sweet nothings into his ear but the guards knew that he was lying. They asked him to come with them as they escorted him to the back office.
Murray was surprised to see Amanda in the office sitting in a large chair with a couple of suits on either side. The stern look on her face made him nervous.
She asked him to repent for making private wagers in her casino and for spreading false rumors about her. He knew he hadn’t done anything wrong, but apologized anyway. He was truly sorry for any misunderstanding.
She wasn’t satisfied. She made him repeat the apology on his knees. Her staff all giggled at the spectacle as he complied with the request.
Amanda said she would accept the apology if he did something for her: he would have to shoot the man on her left. He was given a gun by one of the guards.
Murray was shaking. He said he didn’t want to shoot anyone and that he was truly sorry. His fear overcame him and his trousers started to develop a wet circle around the crotch area. Murray felt truly humiliated.
At this point, Amanda shook her head disappointedly and waved someone in from the door in the top right corner of the room. “You win,” she said and held out a big wad of cash.
Murray was shocked to see who it was. His brother walked towards Amanda and grabbed his winnings from her hand. “Thanks, Murray. I knew you would never be able to pull the trigger.”