run of bad luck,” Buzini purred, “but Sabre Bay would like to extend you the courtesy of one of our priority suites. Everything that’s here, dinner, the shows, all of the resort amenities, will be complimentary.”
“How’s my credit check coming? Need more cash,” Duffy wheezed.
“I’ve checked that, sir, and your credit has been approved to two hundred thousand dollars.” He smiled, hoping the old leaker didn’t croak before he had a chance to lose it all.
“Harry, can we get out of this casino for a while? You’ve lost enough for one sitting,” Beano moaned. “Let’s go before you lose the whole car business.”
“Goddamned whining and complaining. All you do is groan an’ moan an’ ruin everybody else’s fun.”
“Sir, would both you gentlemen honor us by being our complimentary guests for as long as you’d like to stay?” the Buzzard said, exposing his carrion smile.
“Damn right I’ll stay, bet yer ass I’ll stay. I gotta get even here. Luck’s bound ta’ change. Bound ta’ change.”
“Can we at least get something to eat?” Beano whined.
“Our Pelican Room is excellent; the dinner menu is exquisite. I’ll bring your room key over to your table. Allow me to make the reservation,” Buzini said, wringing his hands and reminding Beano of the manager who ran Rings ‘n’ Things in Atlantic City.
Tommy finally agreed with his brother, Joe, that Calliope Love was a head-splitting pain in the ass. They were sitting in the bar at the Sabre Bay Club. Tommy had the gunfighter seat, with his back to the wall so he could scope out the hot-looking talent coming up from the pool. His eye had locked onto a brunette in a yellow silk dress the minute she arrived. … He could barely pull his gaze away. The dress was little more than a nightgown and his sexual imagination was filling his loins with lust while Calliope’s flat Boston vowels were filling his ears with complaints.
“All them little kids down by the pool, screamin’, throwin’ their Frisbees,” she complained, while Tommy was studying the beauty sitting alone at the bar. Several men offered to buy her drinks or to dance to the music of the small calypso band that was set up next to the dance floor. The brunette spurned them all. “You should make it an adults-only hotel, Tommy, I swear,” Calliope continued. “It’s a casino. Them little brats can’t gamble. Why they gotta be here? You just know them little shits is pissing in the pool.”
“This was your idea, comin’ down here,” Tommy growled. “Why don’t ya shut yer yap for a while? All you fuckin’ do is gimme a fuckin’ list a’things that piss you off; I ain’t the fuckin’ complaint department, okay?” His gaze was focused past Calliope as the brunette at the bar crossed her legs and the slit dress fell away, almost exposing her. Tommy’s expert eye had already determined she wasn’t wearing anything under the silk dress … no outline of underwear, nothing. She was naked as an egg under there. The only thing keeping his pecker down was Calliope’s constant braying.
“The hamburger was absolutely ruined,” she observed. “You should talk to the guys that cook at the grill. Tell ‘em we don’t need our meat burned to charcoal, for Christ sake.”
“Why don’t you give it a rest?” Tommy sighed, hoping to shut her up.
“I’m only trying to help improve this joint. They overcook everything,” she said, pouting slightly, “but maybe the only meat you give a shit about is that tube steak between your legs.”
“Stop talkin’ like a whore. Joe says you talk like a street hooker and he’s right.” Tommy moved slightly to his right, so he could see better over Calliope’s shoulder. A red-haired man came into the bar, walked up, and started talking to Tommy’s almost-naked fantasy Goddess. She made no move to pull her dress back over her legs or to cover her exposed thighs. She also didn’t wave the guy off like she had the others. He was too handsome and too tall and Tommy hated him on sight. Then the redheaded man committed the ultimate sin: He put his hand on the Goddess’s shoulder and leaned down and whispered in her ear. Tommy dug into his pocket and put five hundred dollars on the table.
“Why don’t you go play this?” he said, and Calliope snapped up the money like a hungry tree lizard, tongue-zapping an insect.
She got up and faced him. “Y’know, Tommy, you don’t always have to treat me like I’m