Angelica tilted her heart-shaped face. Her dark lacquered nails brushed the face of the recently upturned card. “Jack of Spades.” Alongside a Queen of Hearts and a Three of Spades their combined value came to twenty-three. Two over twenty-one, which incidentally also was her age. Heavy makeup accentuated the woman’s full and glittering lips as she smiled apologetically. Scattered high denomination purple and red plastic markers left the losing gambler’s side. Her facial muscles still stiff from a series of recent botox micro-infusion helped Angelica keep a sympathetic wince under control. “Better luck tomorrow, sir.”
Her soft urging gently let the older gentleman know he should retire for the evening. Third straight day of whittling away the hours at her Blackjack table. It was better than aimlessly walking around the casino floor and the rows of noisy and flashing one-armed bandits, but not by much.
“Sir, can I make a reservation for you at our spa facilities. Around 9am. Then I can personally ensure you’re attended by me. Our Signature Massage treatment go for $145.” Spending an hour with his wrinkled skin didn’t exactly appeal to her. Nor had covering for her friend’s evening shifts while she recovered from her breast implant operation. Luckily, the Luxor management were generous with employees asking for sick leave for any cosmetic surgery. And Angel tried her best to live up to her obvious nickname.
Angelica suppressed an inappropriate and naughty giggle. She decided to pester Eevi for pictures the second she left work. So far, her Finnish immigrant friend were keeping her in the dark about her now matching and massive fake H-cups. Finally joining her and Ebony.
“That expensive? Oh, I don’t mean to be such a bother, little lady. I am still young you know and keeping my body in shape.” The man’s kneecaps audibly cracked as he rose.
“None at all, sir. Most of my clients are young whippersnappers like you and myself,” ugh, the word felt like Angelica added fifty years to her age by merely uttering it. “I promise you’ll be so relaxed that you won’t even remember your name.” Considering what the handful of plastic makers he recently lost added up too, this would be a far better investment. “Drop in after breakfast and let me take care of everything.”
Old and creaky bones didn’t hide the fact his mind remained agile. He knew. She knew he knew. But disrupting this aimless routine would do the old man good. She shook his offered hand.