*Sparkly Snap*

Wow, that fire is big tonight, it's just roaring!  Love it!  And it keeps the brain flying.

In case I haven't mentioned this, I have a TOTAL thing for Redheads.  Like the Irish red head thing, pale skin, red hair, big bright eyes, buxom.  Oh that's another good word!  So I had my little memory trip there and suddenly another popped into my head.

So this one is funny.  It's funny for a couple reasons.  I'll let you pick them out.

So time-wise, this is about 12 or so years ago, and I'm working at the casino.  I loved dealing, it was so fun.  So I'm dealing blackjack one night, and it's a pretty quiet table.  I'm buzzing through the decks, making little chatter with the customers, having an ok time, mostly cuz the table is just being quiet, gambling zombies shuffling forward with their wallets open. 

And she walks up.  She, because I never got her name.  She because I'm quite certain that I would define her as the most shining example of beauty I've ever laid eyes on.  She because everything else around me closed down and I stopped mid-deal to stare at her with the unabashed directness of a 12 year old boy staring at a desperately wanted item. 

I'm not sure how long I stared.  Everyone else at the table was watching and it was like a bad movie moment.  Y'know, Garth and 'Dreamweaver' without the rock t-shirt.  And without preamble, without any more tact than an addict going through DTs given their drug of choice, I half moan out in pre-orgasmic tones, "You're gorgeous."

No one laughed.  Everyone just kind of stared.  And she smiled.  Like an angel bestowing grace it made me tingle everywhere.  She sat, and I dropped my worshipful gaze back to the task at hand, dealt it out, then took her money and changed it in for chips. 

I had no idea where to start.  No one at the table was talking and I knew I had to say something to prove I wasn't hired under some special  'Teach a Tard to Deal' program at the casino, or else the only memory this goddess would have of me was the kind of moan a puberty burdened teenager might have seeing their first porno. 

And yet, the goddess was a forgiving, and giving deity.  "You're a really good dealer.  You know any chip tricks?" 

"A couple."  Next blackjack, I spun the 50 cent piece spin on top of the stacked chips. 

My skills with cards and chips then decided to fully shine.  I sliped cards into my hand, riffled them back and forth, spun chips, and chatted with this gorgeous woman.  We joked, we laughed.  And my hour on the table slid by way too fast.  With regret, I logged out of the table, went on break, and shakily downed a number of cigarettes. 

I came back down, logged into the next table, looked up, and my goddess had followed me.  She came to me.  I continued my impressive display of skill and wit.  We laughed and enjoyed.  After a while, in which I'm sure she told me her name but memory fails me now, she hinted at not knowing anyone like me.  I must be just a fantastic person.  "Naw, I'm just a guy with a kid, workin' a strange job." 

"Oh, you're married?"  Disappointment.

"Naw.  I don't think I'm capable of that.  Single dad."

"Really?  A single dad, my you are impressive."

"I just love my kid you know?"  But not myself.

I never caught the hints.  I never figured out it was an opportunity, not until many years later when I had a head slapping moment of pure disgust.