Gella’s Gamble

This is soooo not like her.  She feels like a stalker for crying out loud!  She’s also not the kind of person who takes selfies either.  Yet, here she is, poised to pretend to be doing just that, and hoping to go unnoticed.

However, she has the camera lens actually pointing outwards, so she can secretly snap a pic of one particular person: the achingly handsome and seemingly kind man who was here the last two times she visited.

And, so, that is how Gella came to be seated in this casino’s restaurant, which just so happens to be adjacent to the gaming floor and is affording her a particularly good view of a particular blackjack table, where that particular man sits.

The first time Gella came, he’d been seated at that table’s “first base” position — she was seated next to him at its “second base” position.  They seemed to hit it off, bantering away.  He even complimented her on her knowledge of blackjack strategy.

Mr. First Base knows how to play blackjack as well, yet at the same time — and she REALLY liked this about him — isn’t one of those annoying individuals who get angry at people who clearly don’t know how to play, but just pop in to “try their luck” for a few hands.  He wasn’t even agitated when one of them hit on a 19 and his companion WOULDN’T hit on an 8!  They both appeared pretty wasted, so clearly didn’t know what the heck they were doing.

Casinos LOVE that kind of player — the other players, not so much. This is because that kind of sloppy play can really mess up the cards that SHOULD have gone to the other players.  And whenever that happens, it sure seems like the dealer ends up with the better hand and the other players lose as a result.

At any rate, the table where Mr. First Base is presently seated has been packed for a while now, and Gella can’t secure a spot.  So, just in case that continues, she’ll at least have a snapshot of him this time (a sort of souvenir) to stir those amorous embers again, which are by no means dead in her.  In fact, they’re very much alive.  It’s just that those glowing coals haven’t been stoked in a VERY long time.

But now, she’s starting to feel pretty stupid, head down, pretending NOT to be looking up — a sort of front “side-eye” kind of thing.  She’s also beginning to fear that she looks — well, nuts.  Thankfully, nobody is seated nearby (except for a couple), but they’re far enough away a few booths behind her.  However, the server is suddenly attending to them, and Gella fears that at any moment she’ll come to HER table and wonder just what on earth she’s doing, because Gella’s already paid her bill, yet she’s still just sitting there.

Her heart’s pounding and she’s pondering just how long she can keep this up.  More and more people are swarming around, and Gella’s getting pretty irritated because she’s been struggling to stealthily snap a shot of Mr. First Base for quite some time now, but doggonit, people keep passing by and getting in the way!  And since his table is still full, she’s currently concerned that maybe she won’t even get any further contact with him.  So, here she sits, frozen in place, fantasizing about Mr. First Base and TRYING to take that damn picture OR get a seat at that table!

Being new to the area, Gella hasn’t yet connected with anyone.  BUT a blackjack table - with its community aspect - tends to bring such incredible interactions.  There’s usually a charming collection of characters who root for one another, and against their mutual “enemy” — the evil HOUSE!  

On Gella’s last visit, she especially felt they’d all been a team, cheering for each other, joshing with the dealer, and even belting out in unison “DAH, DAH, DAH”, when the casino’s live band played “Sweet Caroline”.  It was all soooo fabulous!  It reminded her of how she used to see herself — witty and joyful.  And, what’s more, Mr. First Base made her feel desirable. Thus, Gella finds herself thirsting for romance again.

Furthermore — and she can’t believe she’s even thinking this — she wishes Mr. First Base would actually GO to first base with HER! She’s mortified for even HAVING such a thought!  Seriously, she doesn’t even know his NAME!

Yet, from what she’s seen these last 2 visits, Gella somehow feels she knows him — with or without his name.  He’s not only been kind to their fellow tablemates, but also to the servers who brought over their drinks.  And he isn’t one of those high-roller types who sit at the $100-a-hand tables.  Nope!  He seems responsible regarding money and plays at the $3-a-hand table.

Last time, he mentioned that he comes once a week to supplement his income, just like she herself is trying to do (though she isn’t quite up to the frequency of play that he is).  That’s because the bulk of Gella’s money went towards her recent move and on the house she just bought (all on her own) which, unfortunately, has turned into a cavernous money pit.  But at least it’s far, far away from her sadistic ex-husband.  She likes to think of him as her ‘wasband’ — you know, a has-been.  But that’s another story…  

Anyhow, Gella adores blackjack because it brings up one of the few happy childhood memories she has of her dad when he taught it to her, back when they used to hang out together, back before he abandoned his family and went off to acquire an entirely new one.

At any rate, and despite all her setbacks, Gella has managed to craft a pretty peachy life for herself, it's just been missing male companionship.  And, consequently, she very much hungers for the inviting touch of a man.  But a KIND man this time!

Oh, wait a minute! What’s this?  A seat has finally opened up at that table?!!  Gella rises…and BOLTS over to it (though as ladylike as possible).  When she reaches the table, she playfully asks everyone, “Have we met before?”  To which Mr. First Base excitedly exclaims, “We were just talking about you and hoping you’d be back this week!”  

Dang! Yippee! Hallelujah! She’s soooo happy to hear that!  And when Mr. First Base pulls out Gella’s chair and whispers, “Good luck”, she silently says, “Good luck indeed!”