This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Korben stroked Vanessa’s stomach while they lay naked. They were both silent. The air was tinged with a wet smell that accompanied the couple’s best attempts at exchanging the feelings of love they thought they shared. Korben leaned in to kiss the side of Vanessa’s head as he traced the underline of her plump breasts and then dragged his finger down to the top of the stubble in between her legs.
“Stop it, you’re tickling me.”
Disregarding her request; he continued to retrace the path several more times. He figured if he did it enough she might succumb to his lackluster attempt at seduction.
“No seriously. That tickles.”
Korben pulled back and crossed his arms.
“Sorry.”
“It’s ok.”
“Did you enjoy that?”
“Enjoy What?”
“The sex.”
“Of course, didn’t you hear me screaming? I hope the neighbor’s didn’t.”
Korben unfolded his arms and turned on his side. He took his right arm and rested it across Vanessa’s mid-section, and hugged her.
“Damn, you have some sexy thighs, baby.”
Vanessa didn’t respond. She looked at the ceiling.
“Baby, you ok?”
“Of course, Korben, Why you askin’? You ok?”
“Just wonderin’. You seem distant.”
“I’m great. Just enjoying the moment.”
Korben kissed her right hip. He could still smell the scent of sex. He wasn’t sure if it was from the tip of his nose or if it was wafting from in between her legs, but it was comforting. This made him feel manly. He grabbed her tighter. Vanessa patted him on the head with her right hand as she held her left hand up and looked at it.
“K, we’ve been pretty down on our luck lately, huh?”
Korben flipped over on his back and grabbed Vanessa’s right hand with his left.
“K, don’t squeeze so hard. You sure you’re ok?”
Vanessa sat up with her back against the headboard. Korben caught a glimpse of her tits and this turned him on a little. He pulled himself up closer to the top of the bed. He turned and hugged her around her dimpled midsection. The skin felt softer than anything he could compare it to. His hand slowly made its way from her stomach back up to tracing the same w-shaped path underneath her tits. He wanted to open up and tell her what was on his mind, but his pride had put a gun in his mouth so he couldn’t speak. He mumbled under his breath.
“What’d you say?”
“Baby, do you still love me?”
As Korben looked up, he squeezed the bottom of her right breast and stroked it back and forth out to its pointy end.”
“What makes you think I don’t?” Vanessa asked.
“I don’t know.”
“What’s really the matter?” She asked again.
Korben let her body go and sat up. He scooted away from her towards the middle of the bed. He sat Indian style, as he still called it, and stared at her chin. He wanted to look her right in the eyes, but knew that if he did, she would see straight through him and any security he had left would be lost. He would lose this game of love.
“You sure are gorgeous,” He said. He focused on her slight cleft chin, which really drove him nuts. Her funny chin and the way she held her mouth open when she wasn’t saying anything were traits that he never wanted in any girl he dated.
His buddy, Curtis, reminded him of this the first time Korben introduced him to Vanessa.
“Well at least she’s always ready,” Curtis said.
Korben cringed.
“Can you not be a misogynist for once?” Korben said.
“Massage, my what?”
Korben laughed a little thinking back on his buddy’s retort. He looked up from Vanessa’s chin, but she was inspecting a handprint bruise on her leg.
“Baby, you have strong hands. Be careful. You know I have to wear skirts at work. I don’t want customers to think I’m a victim of domestic abuse.”
Korben took some pride in his strong hands and how they often left temporary tattoos on Vanessa’s thighs, breasts and arms for a few days after they made love. He hoped people would see his brand, and somehow understand she already was taken. He knew this wouldn’t keep most guys at bay.
That is how they met anyway. Korben had seen the prints on Vanessa one day at work. He could tell a sex handprint from a mile away. Often these types of bruises were not attended to as seriously as abuse bruises. If anything, those handprints made him want her more.
Legs were his favorite, then hair. Regardless of the features he despised most on a female, if a girl had great legs and nice long hair, he was sold. Vanessa had the legs, but she had short hair. Since Korben didn’t try that hard to get Vanessa, he could deal with the hair. She was super cool, street smart, smart-alecky, and very passionate about how she was going to change the world.
Korben usually neglected his list of necessary traits a female should have, especially when they pursued him. He was always too tired and often too drunk to put effort into anything but worrying, complaining, and more drinking.
Korben decided to open up a little.
“Baby, I’m just a little bummed, because I feel like such a loser. Here it is Saturday, we got paid yesterday, and I only have $40 to my name.”
“You’re no loser. Money is not a big deal to me. You know that. You know what’s mine is yours, right? When I get my first check we will be better.”
“Thanks, baby. But, I still feel like a loser. Fucking God, never looking out for us.”
Korben flipped a bird in the direction of the ceiling.
“Don’t cuss God like that, Korben. That’s bad luck. Anyway, you know you’re my sexy man. You make me smile a lot and that should be worth something.”
Korben inched closer and put his hands out palms up. Vanessa rested her soft thick fingers on top of his chubby ones. Korben looked up and their eyes met. She smiled and he did too.
“What’cha want to do now?”
“I’m hungry.”
“Me too. You know what? I’m feeling lucky. Let’s go to the casino? What’d ya say? We will use my last $40 dollars,”
“You sure that’s the best idea?”
“What do we have to lose?”
The passion in his eyes was contagious and within a few minutes, they grabbed the wrinkled clothes off the floor, and threw them back on. Korben went to the fridge, grabbed a beer and pounded it, while Vanessa put on some makeup and fixed her hair.
“Let’s go baby, you always look amazing. Hurry up.” Korben said.
Vanessa came out from around the corner as Korben pounded the empty beer can on the counter.
“Guess, I’m driving,” She said.
“I can drive. It’s one fucking beer. I’m a big boy. Take more than that to get me shitfaced.”
“Yes you are.” She patted him on the belly and grabbed her coat, purse and keys.
Korben rubbed his stomach. He made a mental note to start working out tomorrow, and maybe lay off the beers. The extra weight he had put on since they had met added to his insecurity too, but not enough to make him take any action.
They held hands tight as they walked out to get into Vanessa’s beat up car. It was a cold night for Southern California, enough to warrant that both Korben and Vanessa wear coats. That and Vanessa’s beat up car had a huge crack in the middle of the windshield. She had been driving behind a truck and a shovel flew out and smacked the window. The crack had spider-webbed from the size of a softball to practically engulf the whole window. There was only enough room above the shatter on the driver’s side to see anything.
“You sure you don’t want me to drive?” Korben said.
“Nah, I got it.” Vanessa was a tough girl who had plenty of what she called shitty days. Sometimes the thought of Vanessa’s previous struggles gave Korben hope that he could keep her by showing her a better life than before. He knew she didn’t need him, but he really wanted her to.
Vanessa’s car was a science experiment in progress. She blew on the keys to warm them up, and slipped them in to the ignition gently. After wiggling them three times she cranked the engine. The car sputtered.
“Fuck, this is not a good sign,” Korben said.
“Baby, you know this happens all the time,” Vanessa replied.
“Ya, I know, but tonight feels different.”
“Korben, please don’t stress me out.”
‘Sorry.”
Korben sat with his arms crossed again and looked out the side window. The creeping feeling from the first beer gave him some hope that the night would get better. He turned his head just as Vanessa turned the keys. The car jumped and then hiccupped. It finally came to, rattling idle. Vanessa looked over and smiled.
“Viva la wherever the fuck we’re going!” Korben said.
“Tonight is our night.” Vanessa said. She put the car in reverse and backed out carefully. Fortunately the back window was still fully intact. Grinding the jalopy into drive, Vanessa situated herself so that she could see the road ahead. She turned on the broken defroster in hopes that the cold air would keep the tiny bit of windshield she could see out of fog-free. Vanessa rolled down her side window to aid in keeping the window clear.
Korben felt nervous. He knew the car was on its last leg. He wanted to buy Vanessa a new one. If he only had the money, he thought. He dreamed a lot of having money and how he would take care of everyone. He slumped over a little and looked out the window at the dark sky as they merged onto the freeway towards the Indian casino. The cold air from the driver’s side window slapped him softly in the face. He could see an infinite amount of stars as they moved away from the city. Under his breath he said a prayer for a safe trip, asking God to do him just one favor. He felt Vanessa’s warm hand cup his. She removed it only long enough to turn up the radio to drown out the sound of the wind that penetrated the car’s insides. She reached her hand back over and began to sing at the top of her lungs.
Vanessa drove at a safe pace. She understood all the dangers that could happen as a result of her ailing car. She was most aware that at any moment the windshield could succumb to a foreign object or strong gust and implode. She told Korben she had no clue what would happened if this were to occur, but it wouldn’t be fun. Korben told her it would be like an explosion of ice. He joked that the car wouldn’t need an air conditioner in the summer. He knew inside he would rather not know what might happen.
“Fuck!”
Vanessa pounded her hand on the steering wheel.
“What? What?” Korben said. He quickly sat up straight. His eyes bulged a little not knowing what terror lay ahead.
“We need gas, baby. That’s all.” Vanessa dropped her shoulders a little.
“It’s all good. We can spare a few bucks for gas. Shit, we have to get there right?”
They pulled off into the well-lit station and drove up to the nearest pump. Vanessa stopped the car. Korben ran in and gave the cashier ten dollars. When he walked out he noticed a highway patrol car pulled up to an island kitty-corner from them. He picked up the pace and walked up behind Vanessa and gave her a hug. She had the nozzle already in the car ready to pump.
“Baby, see that HP over there? I have a bad feeling about this. He’s gonna see the windshield. I think it’s against the law to have a cracked windshield, especially that fucking big. Aren’t the tags expired too?” Korben felt agitated as his buzz wore off.
“Don’t remind me. Just don’t pay attention to them. We’ll be fine. I haven’t been pulled over yet. Remember, this is our lucky night?”
They climbed in and Vanessa began her ritual. After about ten tries, she banged on the dash. She crossed her arms on the steering wheel and rested her forehead on them. Korben could hear her crying.
He awkwardly reached over and patted her on the back.
“Shit, Baby, this is not good. The car won’t start now. We are fucked.”
Vanessa didn’t look up. Korben could hear her sniffle.
“Ness, sorry for freaking out. Ok. When the officer leaves I will go in and ask the cashier if he will jump us. Let’s just pray the cop leaves without noticing us.
Korben squinted through the broken glass on his side of the car. He could barely make out the figure of the patrolman coming out of the convenience store and getting into his car. He had to stop squinting for a second because his eyes hurt. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed the silhouette of the patrol car pass through Vanessa’s open window and turn out of the station.
“Shit! That was close, baby. Let’s get out of here,” Korben said.
Korben scooted over and kissed her. He exited the car and ran to talk to the cashier.
In a few minutes, they were on their way again.
“Baby, this is our night. Something is watching over us. I can feel it,” Korben said.
“I hope you’re right.”
Korben put his hand in Vanessa’s lap and massaged in between her legs. He thought he could help her relax. He scooted over and kissed her on the ear.
“What do we have to lose? Absolutely nothing,” He said.
When they parked at the casino an adrenaline rush started to fill Korben’s insides.
“This is it, Sexy. I can feel it. We are going to dance with lady luck tonight.”
They crawled out of the car and Vanessa hurried around to catch up with Korben who had gotten a head start and was weaving through the cars heading towards the big Marquee. She grabbed his hand and he pulled her along. He looked back and she smiled.
“Fucking Indians have it made. I bet they are making shitloads of money,” Korben said.
They entered the building and the casino sounds soothed them like the pied-piper leading people to the ocean of watered down hopes and dreams. They swam through the smoke, and snaked through aisles of patrons of all shapes, sizes and ethnicities, most of whom looked crazed, hypnotized, but mostly dejected. Korben led Vanessa by the hand like he knew where they were headed. He had no clue. He was moving mostly on what he felt was his sixth-sense. He sometimes believed he could feel good luck coming his way. A week earlier when he had an intuition to take what little money they had and buy scratchers, Vanessa joked that, lady luck being a female driver, must’ve swerved out of his way when she saw him coming. Korben didn’t think her comment was funny at all.
She often let him do his thing, even if she knew better.
They passed through a large arch into a section of the casino that connected the two bigger gaming sections. Korben stopped behind a crowd of people who lined up in front of an over-sized slot machine. People stood patiently and pulled at the three-foot long handle with a big red knob on it. It reminded Korben of an over-sized lollipop. One-by-one, disheartened individuals left the machine. A few of them were greeted by a spouse, partner or friend who would shrug their shoulders as if to express that it wasn’t meant to be. Korben felt pretty good. He had grabbed a beer from one of the cocktail waitresses who had passed by and ordered Vanessa one of the fruity drinks she liked.
“Ok, baby,” Korben Said. “I know you love this big slot machine. Here you go.”
Korben handed her two five-dollar bills. Enough to get her two pulls. He knew how much she loved the giant slot machine and after the anxious and stressful ride to the casino, he wanted to see her relax, even if it was for a few minutes.
Vanessa jumped in line and Korben walked the perimeter watching people and sipping his beer. He marveled at the Asians who stuffed bill after bill into the machines and didn’t bat an eyelash. And he didn’t understand how the old white people with oxygen tanks could sit in all the smoke, smoking their cigarettes as they plunked coin after coin into the machine slots with their bony, lifeless hands. He started to get sad. He took another swig of beer. That helped him forget about everyone else’s problems and focus on his own.
Korben surveyed the floor looking for loose change. Every since he was a child he always kept close tabs on the ground, especially after he found a hundred dollar bill in the gutter when he was six years old. He turned to see where Vanessa was in the line, when out of the corner of his eye he noticed something on the floor. At first, he thought he might be seeing things. His mind automatically recognized the object as a wad of cash. The way things were going though, he couldn’t really tell if it was a figment or real. He drew closer to the lump. He looked back and noticed that it was almost Vanessa’s turn.
Korben shuffled toward the mass, but halted about ten feet away when he noticed an attendant walking towards it. The attendant stepped right on top of it and stopped when she greeted a player who needed change. Korben’s heart sank. He just knew she had seen it and it would be just a few seconds and the lump, which looked like a wad of cash, would be gone. Then to his surprise, the lady turned and walked the other way. Korben thought quickly. He looked over to the slot machine and Vanessa was still waiting. The person in front of her must’ve been a big player, he thought.
He surveyed the room and noticed that the roof got lower as it neared the exit doors. He glanced around calmly to see if he could see any cameras. He felt like he was about to make a heist and the adrenaline blasted his senses. He deftly walked toward the wad and kicked it under the lower ceiling. He bent over to pretend tie his shoe and grabbed the bankroll. Standing up quickly he took the last swig of his beer and walked back over to Vanessa. She was still waiting her turn. He grabbed her by the arm.
“If we leave now we will have more money than you’re ever gonna win,” He said.
“What? “ She said. She couldn’t hear him whisper over the music and the noisy machine.
Korben spoke into her ear.
“Just trust me.”
Korben flashed the wad of money then tucked it into his pocket. He grabbed Vanessa by the hand and she followed without tension. They picked up the pace when they passed into the big noisy room where they had entered the casino. Korben told her to just keep walking and don’t look up. He was already thinking about getting caught.
They hit the door and took off sprinting. They laughed and held hands as they tried to remember where they parked so they could get to the car quicker. Korben thought about whether or not the car was going to start. The anxiety pushed him quicker. They jumped in and Vanessa started the car on the first try. It even seemed to idle better than it did before. As they drove off, Korben counted the money out loud. There was enough to pay the outstanding utilities and to give Vanessa all the money she needed to get her car fixed. He looked at Vanessa, and when she touched his hand and smiled, for the first time all day he felt loved.
Many Thanks to Seth Adam Wilder for putting up with the crap that I send him.
