Revved Up Hearts (15 page)

“Yeah.”

“No way. I just got into town. You want to go do
something?”

“Sure.”

“Great. Can you be ready in twenty
minutes?”

“That depends. What do you wear for a night out in
Vegas?”

It was just over an hour later when Jeremiah arrived at Dawn’s hotel room. Jeremiah let out a whistle when she answered the door wearing a black leather mini and red halter top. “You look
hot.”

“I did some shopping when I found out I was coming to Vegas. It’s not too much, is it? I can’t dress like this in
Arkansas.”

“You know what they say: ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,’” Jeremiah said with a
wink.

“You’re a nut,” Dawn said when she stopped laughing. “Let’s
go.”

“What do you want to do first?” Jeremiah asked as they rode down the strip in a taxi. Dawn didn’t hear him. She was looking at all the lights of the city. He got her attention by touching her elbow. “First time in
Vegas?”

“Uh-huh,” she answered without turning away from the window. “It’s amazing. So many colors. I’ve always liked rainbows, and this is like a rainbow.” Everywhere she looked there was a different color or a different set of lights, a moving sign in front of this hotel or another outlandish display in front of that casino. It was more than she could take
in.

“So what do you want to do first?” he asked
again.

“I don’t know. What do you
suggest?”

“Let’s gamble, baby!”

“I love to play blackjack,” Jeremiah said a few minutes later as they entered the
casino.

“I can’t believe I’m here. My brother Shane is gonna go crazy when he hears about this,” Dawn said as a man dressed like a soldier walked by. “So cool. I can’t believe I let my camera battery
die.”

“You can’t take pictures in the gaming area of the
casino.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. They just have signs that say no flash photography.” He saw one and pointed it out to her. “Anyway, do you
gamble?”

“I’ve played slots, but that’s
it.”

“What’s the most that you have ever
won?”

“About a hundred bucks,” she said as they passed the roulette
table.

“Wait a minute. Do they have casinos in
Arkansas?”

“No. But you can either drive to Tunica, Mississippi, or across the border to casinos on an Indian reservation in
Oklahoma.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, or to one of the riverboats on the Mississippi
River.”

“Do you play Texas Hold-Em?”

“No. Both my brothers do and they tried to teach me, but I can’t understand checks, calls, and that
stuff.”

“What was difficult about
that?”

“I just couldn’t understand when to check or call. I didn’t get it.” They had been talking while standing in line to get
chips.

“Do you have money to play slots
with?”

“A few
dollars.”

“I’ll give you some money,” he said as he reached for his
wallet.

“I couldn’t ask you to do
that.”

“You’re not asking. I’m
offering.”

“Maybe
later.”

“Just let me
know.”

Three hours later, Dawn was bored. She had been sitting all that time watching Jeremiah play blackjack. She would watch people for a while but would stop when she felt like she was staring. “You look bored,” Jeremiah said between
hands.

“A
little.”

“Do you want to go do something
else?”

“I’m getting
hungry.”

“Then we’ll go get something to
eat.”

“No, that’s okay. I don’t want to interrupt your
game.”

“It’s okay. I’m losing, and my back is
hurting.”

“Are you
sure?”

“Yeah,” Jeremiah said as he got up from his seat, said good-bye to the dealer, and the other players. “What are you in the mood
for?”

“I don’t want a lot. I had a big meal with the guys before you called. I just want to keep my stomach from
growling.”

“I wasn’t hungry before you mentioned food, but now I realize that I’m starving. Funny how that happens, huh? I want a
hamburger.”

“Sounds
good.”

“There’s this really good mom-and-pop style place a couple of blocks
away.”

“That sounds
great!”

They were passing the slot machines when Jeremiah suddenly stopped. “I just realized that you watched me play all that time and you didn’t get to gamble at
all.”

“It’s
okay.”

“I’m not letting you leave without gambling at least a little bit. You’ll regret it, and I’ll regret letting you miss this
opportunity.”

“Okay.”

“I’ve got a five-dollar token right here,” he said as he fished the coin out of his pocket. “Take this and pick a
machine.”

Dawn took the shiny coin from Jeremiah’s hand and looked around. About four slot machines away, a middle-aged bald man put his last coin in the machine. He pulled the handle and waited. He watched until the wheels stopped spinning. He glared at the machine for a few seconds and then walked away. Dawn waited until the man was out of sight to approach the machine. Jeremiah followed close behind. “I can’t believe you’re going to play machine that that guy just gave up
on.”

“It’s something that my best friend from college taught me. She has this theory about a machine being due. We would walk around the casino watching for people to give up on a machine. Then we would play one pull on that
machine.”

“What was a good Christian girl like you doing in a casino?” he
asked.

“I shouldn’t have been there then, and I shouldn’t be here now. But those were my wild college days, and this is my first trip to Vegas. I hope the Lord will forgive
me.”

“I want to know how wild your college days
were.”

“Not that wild. I drank a little and smoked on occasion. That was about
it.”

“That’s disappointing.” Jeremiah sighed. “Anyway, about this theory. Did you ever
win?”

“Sometimes. Not enough to call it a legitimate theory. Just something to do.” Dawn put the coin in the slot machine and put her hand on the lever. “Ready?”

“Yes,” Jeremiah answered as he leaned in close. “Go for
it!”

Dawn pulled the handle and watched the three wheels spin. She could see Jeremiah’s reflection in the glass. He was glued to the scene. They watched in silence as the first wheel stopped and then the second. They were the same. They both held their breath. The third wheel stopped, but it was different from the first two. Dawn was a little disappointed until she noticed the chart on the top of the slot machine. It wasn’t the jackpot, but it was enough to win twenty dollars. Both Jeremiah and Dawn let out a cheer. He put a hand on Dawn’s shoulder and gave her a small squeeze. “You have the option to keep playing or taking the money. What are you going to
do?”

“I’m taking the money,” Dawn said as she hit the button to release the coins. She smiled as she heard the tokens hit the tray in the bottom of the machine with a
clunk,
clink
,
clank
. “I love that sound. Looks like the burgers are on
me.”

Later, with hamburgers and sodas in hand, Dawn and Jeremiah strolled down the strip. She couldn’t stop looking at all the lights. It was
amazing.

“You’re gonna go blind,” he
said.

“I can’t help it. They wouldn’t have all these lights if they didn’t want people to
look.”

“True, I
guess.”

“I wonder if this is how a mosquito feels just before he flies into the bug zapper,” Dawn said. Jeremiah laughed so hard he couldn’t keep walking. He threw his head back and crossed his hands over his stomach, almost spilling his drink. Dawn turned and watched him laugh. “I’m sorry. Sometimes the country girl in me says stupid things like
that.”

Jeremiah laughed for a few more seconds before he could answer. “That’s great. I love it. It actually sounds like something my dad would
say.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really,” he said as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “Do you know how long it’s been since I laughed like
that?”

“I’m glad I was the one who made you
laugh.”

“Me too. That’s one of the reasons that I like you so much,” he said as he stepped closer to her. “You are so real and genuine. The last girl I went out with was so
fake.”