Fling

Agnes went peacefully in her sleep. Her roommate at the Tate Senior Community Center, Rose called the front desk to inform the staff of Agnes’ passing. Even though Rose was not a close friend of Agnes since she had been admitted only three weeks before, the thought of having a deceased person in her room was distressing.

“Rose, why don’t you go to breakfast in the cafeteria while we take care of Agnes.” Nurse Wendy suggested as she rested her hand on Rose’s arm.

“Alright.” Rose closed her eyes and nodded compliantly.

Rose made her way down the hall toward the cafeteria. She felt as if Death was walking side by side with her.

“Rose.” Diane, her best friend waved to her when Rose entered the large cafeteria.

“Diane, may I sit with you?” She asked politely.

“Of course.” Diane smiled. When she saw the pained expression on her friend’s face, she asked. “Is there something wrong?”

“Agnes passed away this morning.” She answered.

“Oh, I am so sorry.” Diane patted Rose’s hand that was resting on the table.

“It’s alright. I barely knew her.” Rose sighed.

“Are you going to get some breakfast?”

“To tell you the truth, I’m not really very hungry.”

“I understand.” Diane said sympathetically.

“It’s just…I don’t know.” She shook her head, “Since Gilbert passed away, I feel so lost. My son Damon talked me into coming here, you know.”

“I know, you told me all about it.”

“He told me that I could not manage the house by myself, and I believed him.” She closed her eyes, “He was always such a selfish bastard, you know.”

“Yes, yes, that’s what you said.” Diane nodded.

“He is hoping I will die soon so he can have the rest of his late father’s money.” She dabbed a napkin at the corners of her hazel blue eyes. “Maybe I should oblige him, huh?”

“Oh Rose, don’t say that.” Diane shook her head in disagreement with the idea. Clearing her throat, Diane added, “When I lost my Sidney, I was lost. He was my rock and my strength.”

“I don’t get it.” Rose shrugged, “We are both capable women. Why are we so lost without our husbands?”

Diane sat there with her head tilted. Unable to respond, she wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin. She opened her mouth, but not a single word came out.

“I’ve got an idea.” Rose finally broke the awkward silence.

“What?” Diane said.

“It’s Saturday. What if we sign out and go somewhere?”

“Where?” Diane asked with her head still tilted.

“What if we go to Atlantic City and have a fling?”

“Oh Rose, you can’t be serious.” Diane looked around the nearly empty cafeteria.

“I still have about fifty grand of Gilbert’s pension in the bank.” Rose raised her eyebrows, “What if we hire a limousine and go to a casino?”

“Oh I couldn’t do that.” Diane shook her head furiously.

“Why not, dear?”

“Sidney warned me about gambling.” She exhaled, deflating like a balloon.

“Look, I don’t want to end my life like Agnes did this morning.” Rose gulped some more oxygen, “I want to have one last fling before the lights go out, don’t you?”

“I dunno. I’ve never been to a casino.” Diane bowed her head.

“Why not?”

“I dunno, Rose.”

“Let’s not waste the time we got left.” She held both of Diane’s hands. “Whadda say?”

“Do something new? At our age?” Diane grimaced.

“C’mon. What are you waiting for?” Rose shrugged one shoulder, “I’ll call a limo service to take us there.”

“That sounds expensive.”

“Yeah, and what am I saving the rest of Gilbert’s pension for?” She smiled, “So my greedy son, Damon can have what’s left? Not if we can spend it first. C’mon, Diane.”

Diane sat there for a moment. Rose could almost see the gears in Diane’s brain moving at lightning speed.

“Alright, but I’ll be honest I am scared.” Diane nodded.

“Great.” Rose responded gleefully. “Let’s get ready. We can sign out at one o’clock. Meet me in the lobby.”

Rose went back to her room. The bed Agnes once occupied had been stripped and sanitized as if she had never been. The completeness of her eradication startled Rose for a moment. Agnes’ closet was empty with just a few empty hangers left dangling.

“Rose, are you alright?” Nurse Wendy asked.

“She’s gone. There is nothing left of her.” Rose ran her hand over the bed Agnes occupied.

“Yes, we removed her like we were supposed to.” Nurse Wendy put her arm around Rose.

“As if she had never been here?” Rose felt tears running down her cheeks.

“It will be alright.”

“Will it? Will it be alright?” Rose could not help herself from this clumsy display of emotion.

“My name is Ricardo.” The man in the chauffeur’s uniform bowed his head as Rose and Diane emerged from Tate Senior Community Center both dressed in their finest dresses. Their makeup was skillfully applied.

“I am Rose Sutton.” She nodded, “And this is Diane Burrelson.”

Ricardo nodded, “A pleasure to meet both of you. There is a wet bar in the back which you are free to use.”

“Is it free?” Diane asked as Rose gave her a glaring glance.

“No, ma’am. It is not complimentary, I’m afraid.” He held the door open so Rose and Diane could enter.

“Oh my, this is as big as my room.” Diane marveled as Rose cast another disapproving glance.

Ricardo closed the door once they had been seated and then he got behind the steering wheel.

“Are you sure you can afford this?” Diane watched Rose take a small bottle of gin and a Coke from the bar’s small refrigerator.

“Sure.” Rose sipped her drink. “Ah, smooth.”

“I don’t drink.” Diane shrugged.

“It’s time you did. Cheers.” Rose handed her best friend a glass of gin and coke.

“Oh my.” Diane shook her head, “So this is what Sidney liked to drink when he had the boys over to play poker.”

“Keep drinking.” Rose urged.

They arrived at the Tropicana just as the sun began to set. Ricardo opened the door. Rose and Diane staggered a bit before he helped them both to the sidewalk.

“Are you ladies alright?” He asked as Diane held on to a lamp post to steady herself a bit.

“We are fine.” Rose declared as she raised one of her painted eyebrows.

“I usually go to a garage to wait.” Ricardo explained.

“No.” Rose shook her head, “No, Ricardo, you are our guest. You will escort us. Neither one of us have ever been to a casino.”

“Hmmm, I don’t usually accompany paying customers, but I can make an exception.” He shook his head. Holding out both arms, he smiled, “Ladies.”

Rose took one arm, and Diane took the other as they walked into the casino. Rose felt like a queen wearing her finest dress and the pearls Gilbert had given her on their fiftieth anniversary as Ricardo held the door. She ran her fingers across her pearls that she had not worn since Gilbert passed away two years ago.

Once inside the bells and noise was overwhelming at first, but she saw a blackjack table. It was Gilbert’s favorite card game. She sat on one of the stools around the table.

“C’mon Ricardo, I’ll treat you.” She pulled out some money and bought him some chips.

“Thank you, ma’am.” He said as he sat next to her, but luck was not with him and in less than twenty minutes, he was busted. “I’m gonna get something to eat at the buffet.”

“Sure.” Rose said. Ricardo could not help but notice the stack of chips accumulating next to Rose. “I seem to be doing quite well.”

“Indeed.” Ricardo smiled.

“Beginner’s luck.” Rose shook her head.

“I’ll say.” He smiled and walked off to the buffet.

“How are you doing, Rose.” Diane sat on the stool that Ricardo had just vacated.

“I think I’m doing well.” She ran her hand through the chips that kept piling up in front of her.

“I’m playing nickel slots.” Diane held a cupful of coins for Rose to see.

“Yeah, keep it up.”

“Ya know this is fun.” She nodded, “I’m sure glad you talked me into coming.”

“I’m glad you came. Dang, I won again.” She raised her fist in the air.

“You go, girl.” Diane did the same before going back to the slot machines.

When Diane sauntered back to the slot machines, she noticed a man sitting at one of the machines with his head bent against it. Such an odd sight, she was drawn to the man who seemed quite melancholy.

“Sir, are you alright?” Diane asked.

“Oh yes…” But the expression on his face suggested otherwise. “Wait, miss.”

Diane turned to him.

“I am here playing the slots with my wife’s coins.” He replied.

“And where is your wife?” Diane asked him.

“Ah, she passed away last week.”

“I am so sorry.” Diane sat on the empty stool next to him, “I lost my husband last year.”

“So, you know what I am going through.” His smile was filled with grief. “We were supposed to come here for our anniversary. Our kids paid for the hotel room, and she was all excited about being able to spend her coins on these slot machines. At her service, I promised her that I would still come and make sure to do it for her. So, here I am.”

Diane could feel his compassion. She asked him, “What was her name?”

“Miriam. Miriam Stokely.” He said her name with a strong sense of reverence, “I am John Stokely.”

“And I am Diane Burrelson.” She shook his hand, but then he raised her hand and kissed it.

“Thank you, Diane, for being here. No one seems to want to share my memories with me.” He bowed his head slightly. “So, let me ask you about Sidney.”

“Oh, he was a good man and a good father. We were married for over forty years.” Her eyes sparkled with her tears, “I miss him very much. I miss him puttering around the house after he retired. When he passed away, I did not want to stay in that big house all by myself. So, I sold it to one of my children.”

“Very nice.” John nodded.

“He would have wanted me to do that.” She chuckled, “And then I moved into Tate Senior Community Center.”

“I know where that place is.” He smiled.

“It’s nice and all, but I miss what I had before.” She said as her head bobbed.

“As do I.” He inhaled deeply, “I am not having the kind of luck I was hoping for. I’m afraid I am not doing right by her.”

“I have a feeling it’s not the winning or the losing that’s important.” Diane sighed.

“You are a wise woman, Diane.” He shrugged.

“Do you think so? Most of the people at the center think I’m not so wise.”

“What do you mean?”

“I get the sense they think I am losing it as I get older.”

“Sometimes people don’t understand some of the things we’ve been through.” He smiled, but once again there wasn’t much joy in it. Suddenly he sat up, “It’s Frank Sinatra. Do you like Frank? He was from a place not far from here. Do you like Ol’ Blue Eyes?”

“I love him.” Diane nodded.

“Would you care to dance with me, Mrs. Burrelson?” He asked with a twinkle in his pale eyes.

“I would love to.” Diane could not believe that she was about to dance with a man who a few moments ago was a complete stranger to her.

Ricardo sat next to Rose as her stack of chips had doubled since he had gone to dinner.

“Are we ready to go?” He asked.

“I want to stay in the hotel.” Rose told him.

“Oh, I was not aware you wished to spend the night.” He shrugged.

“I wasn’t either, but I have been on quite a roll. I think that’s what they call it.”

“It is, but I am due back in an hour.” He tilted his head.

“Call ‘em and let them know you are spending the night at the Tropicana.” She picked up her cards and let the dealer know, “Blackjack!”

“Lady wins again.” The dealer shook his head.

“I don’t have the money for this place.” Ricardo admitted.

“I’ll take care of it.” Rose nodded.

“Very generous of you.” He smiled.

“It’s the least I can do.” She sighed, “You have been a wonderful chauffeur and escort. I figure I have won over sixty thousand dollars. As Gilbert would say, I have doubled my winnings.”

“Hmm, seems like you have more than sixty in front of you.”

“You are probably right.” She raised an eyebrow.

“Are you sure you have never done this before?” He laughed.

“No, this is my first time.” She confessed, “I decided to do something I have never done before.”

An hour later, Rose left the table to cash in her chips when she saw Diane dancing with John Stokely. Seeing the two of them on the dance floor, Rose did a double take and then smiled ear to ear seeing her friend enjoying the company of a gentleman enraptured with spirit that she thought had long left her. Rose was exuberant watching Diane discover that wonderful feeling all over again.

“Oh, are we leaving?” Diane asked, seeing Rose standing there.

“No dear. We are going to spend the night.” Rose answered.

“I’m afraid, my dear, I must be going.” John whispered in her ear.

“Why?” Diane was disappointed.

“For reasons I cannot explain.” He shook his head and then he kissed her. “Here is my phone number. You may call me and we will get together again.”

Diane stuffed the paper into the pocket of her jacket and then blew him a kiss as he left.

“Seems like luck was on our side.” Rose shrugged.

“Oh…that?” Diane blushed.

“It’s alright. It’s what we came for, right?” Rose touched Diane's forehead. “Right.” Diane smiled.

“She won over ninety thousand.” Ricardo told Diane.

“Really?”

“Yup.”

“What are you going to do with the money?” Diane asked.

“Let my grandkids have it in a college fund.” Rose answered with a

wide smile.

“What about Damon?” Diane asked.

“Oh, that son of mine can kiss my ass.” She scoffed.

“Mother, where the hell have you been?” Damon asked as Rose and Diane walked into the Tate Senior Community Center late the next morning. Both of them appeared as though they were exhausted.

“Damon, Diane and I went on a fling.” Rose hugged her son.

“A fling?”

“In Atlantic City at the Tropicana.” Rose replied.

“What on earth were you doing there?” His cheeks were red.

“Winning.” She shook her head.

“Winning? What do you mean?”

“It means Damon, we had a good time.” Diane explained.

“This is just great. You two went traipsing around a casino?”

“Yes, that about sums it up. Now if you don’t mind, I need to catch up on my beauty sleep.” Rose yawned in Damon’s face.

“No BINGO this morning? It’s Bingo morning, remember?” Nurse Wendy reminded them.

“I think I will skip it this morning.” Rose yawned again and then turned to look at Diane, “You?”

“Yeah, I’m way too tired for Bingo.” Diane concurred.

“I cannot believe you did this.” Damon protested.

“Believe it.” She put her hand on his red cheek. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to say goodbye to someone.”

“Mother! Mother!” Damon called after her, but she continued until she was standing next to the limousine with Ricardo.

“So, how was your fling?” Ricardo smiled.

“Thank you so much for everything.” Rose stood there. When Ricardo held out his hand, she brushed it away and gave him a full-on hug with a kiss on his cheek leaving some of her lipstick on his cheek.

“Are you going to do it again?” He asked.

“Most likely.” She wrinkled her nose.

“Ask for me when you do.” He nodded.

“Of course. You helped bring a bit of excitement back into my life.” She watched him as he got into the limousine and drove away.