Lady Luck Loves Lawyers

by Donald W. Desaulniers

  That figures, Joyce thought to herself. This guy wasn’t flamboyant enough to succeed in criminal court. He’d put the judge to sleep before his client even got a chance to plead not guilty.

  Joyce tried her best to turn Scott on. Each time he hit a pathetic jackpot of a couple of bucks or more, she grabbed on to his arm and tried to appear excited.

  Most men started to get horny ideas when a lady showed obvious romantic interest through casual touching, but not Scott Baxter.

  After an hour of sitting together, Baxter’s machine began a game on a positive note.

  Five of his lucky numbers were chosen early on in the game which caused Baxter to urge his machine to select more numbers. He whispered, “Come on” over and over again.

  Joyce pretended to be thrilled with the possibilities and she grabbed the guy’s thigh and held her hand there while the machine continued to choose the remaining numbers.

  When the last number selected was the sixth of Baxter’s numbers, Joyce whooped with feigned delight and moved her hand up and down Baxter’s thigh.

  Her come-on was futile. Baxter was so fixated on the stupid keno game that he didn’t even appear to notice that his thigh was being stroked.

  Joyce wondered if whipping off her blouse and bra would even be enough to divert Baxter’s attention away from his slot machine.

  She finally removed her hand from his leg and congratulated Baxter on his jackpot.

  “How much did you win?” she asked expectantly.

  “Six numbers without any eggs is worth $26,” he replied. “I’m now up five dollars on the day so far.”

  Joyce was flabbergasted.

  The half-line of coke she had snorted in the can cost more than twenty-six bucks.

  Baxter continued to test his luck on the slot machine. It was almost four-thirty and Joyce considered how best to entice Baxter to invite her to join him for dinner.

  Mentioning that she was hungry seemed like the best approach to raise the subject.

  “Look at the time,” Joyce remarked. “I’m beginning to get peckish. It’s almost time for dinner.”

  “You’re right. The afternoon passed by so quickly. It’s been very nice to talk with you, Ellen. I hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday.”

  Joyce’s jaw gaped open. Baxter hit the cash-out button on his machine and a ticket spit out for the credits he had accumulated.

  Before she even had an opportunity to suggest that they dine together, Baxter had left.

  Her blatant attempts at flirtation had failed miserably. Joyce couldn’t recall the last time she had struck out with a guy.

  She had no idea what to do.

  At that moment her smart phone vibrated. It was Willy.

  “What happened? Baxter is at the cashier’s wicket. Are you having dinner with him?”

  “I flamed out, Willy. The guy is completely obtuse. Nothing seemed to arouse him. Maybe he’s gay.”

  “That’s not the information we’ve collected on him. Maybe you were too subtle.”

  “That’s preposterous. I had my hand all over the guy’s thigh pretending to be excited about a tiny jackpot he hit. That didn’t work and when I mentioned that it was almost time for dinner, instead of asking me to join him, Elvis left the building.”

  “I’m following him right now. Hang tight in the Nugget. You might have a second chance once I figure out where he’s going to go for supper.”

  CHAPTER 22 (Lost Chance at Romance)

  I cashed in my ticket with the Golden Nugget cashier, pleased that I was doing so well on the slots today.

  As I walked out of the casino I was amazed at how quickly the time had passed while I was talking with Ellen. She was so attractive and seemed like a very nice young woman. It amazed me that Ellen was so fascinated with my jackpot recording system. In Belleville I always felt that I looked strange sitting at my slot machine jotting down my results.

  By the time I reached the El Cortez, it struck me that perhaps Ellen would have joined me for dinner. When she mentioned the time and that she was hungry, it never dawned on me to inquire whether I could treat her to a nice meal.

  In retrospect perhaps I’d missed a golden opportunity to get to know her better.

  I brushed my teeth and quickly changed in to my suit.

  If Lady Luck was riding with me, then perhaps Ellen would still be in the Golden Nugget and I could rectify my oversight in not asking her to join me for supper.

  I normally wasn’t so naïve but having avoided dating for the past two years had made my romantic skills somewhat rusty. The more I reminisced about our time together, the more I realized that Ellen was probably hoping for an invite when she mentioned being hungry.

  She was so gorgeous. If I hadn’t been so socially inept then perhaps I might have been treated to a delicious goodnight kiss after we’d shared dinner and a bottle of champagne.

  A porter had somehow managed to overturn a portable cot right at the top of the small staircase leading from my third floor down to the casino.

  Since I was in a bit of a hurry, I backtracked and walked down a long hallway to the elevator for the tower portion of the hotel. I rode the cab down to the casino level and left the El Cortez at the exit near the registration desk.

  Then I walked briskly back to the Golden Nugget in the hope of encountering Ellen again. I began thinking about my past romantic gaffes.

  I couldn’t recall a single time other than at university when I had actually picked up a girl at a dance or at a bar.

  It seemed that every girl that I’d dated since becoming a lawyer had been forced to initiate conversation with me.

  Vivian approached me at a house party and began to chat me up. She was a stunning knockout and I think that I already had a huge crush on her by the time I drove her home from the party. At her suggestion we arranged to see each other the following weekend and within six weeks of dating, she moved in to my rented condo apartment because her own apartment lease was ending and the owner had previously given Vivian notice that his daughter needed the apartment for her own use.

  My initial meeting with Jennifer was quite similar. I had been invited to a Christmas party at a real estate office near my office.

  Jennifer was a receptionist there and she came over to chat with me when I was standing by myself. Since by then we had both downed two or three alcoholic drinks, our conversation was light-hearted and very enjoyable. After the party we walked together to the nearest subway station.

  In gentlemanly fashion I waited with her to ensure that she got safely on the subway. I was heading in a different direction.

  Just as her tram pulled into the station, Jennifer asked if I’d like to go out with her sometime. I was thrilled with the offer and we arranged to get together for dinner the following evening.

  That date led to five full years of happiness for me. We saw each other at least three times each week and had a quite wonderful relationship. We went on three vacation trips together, the last one being the fantastic Caribbean cruise just before we split up shortly after her creepy son intruded in to our loving relationship.

  I arrived at the entrance to the Golden Nugget. If Lady Luck was with me tonight, then perhaps I’d run in to Ellen again. It would be a crying shame to have lost my chance to savor a bit of vacation romance.

  CHAPTER 23 (We Lost Him)

  Willy followed the lawyer out of the Golden Nugget and back to the El Cortez.

  Baxter was becoming a tough nut to crack. It appeared to Willy that Joyce had played her cards astutely. She made initial contact, kept up a lengthy conversation with Baxter and gave him clear signals that she was interested in spending more time with him.

  Willy had surreptitiously watched the two from a vantage point a couple of rows behind them. He was quite sure that Joyce had hooked Baxter and that the remainder of the plan would progress as choreographed.

  Now Willy waited at the well-placed slot machine for Baxter to come back down the stairs.

  Will
y was still waiting an hour later.

  Thinking that something must be amiss, Willy called the hotel’s front desk and asked to speak with Scott Baxter. His call was put through to Baxter’s room but no one picked up.

  Willy went up the stairs to investigate what was up there. He found that the hallway wrapped around and continued all the way to a bank of elevators at the far end.

  Willy called Joyce.

  “I think I’ve lost him. He’s not answering his phone and I just discovered that there’s a second way to exit the old section of this hotel.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Stay at the Golden Nugget just in case he goes back there. I’ll look for him in the restaurants in this hotel and also check to see if he’s gambling here. If I see him, then I’ll let you know and you can come over to the El Cortez. Maybe it would be best if you wander around the Nugget in case he’s gone back there for supper.”

  Willy looked in every restaurant in the El Cortez but there was no sign of Baxter. The lawyer wasn’t sitting at any of the slot machines in the casino.

  Willy decided to sit back down at the slot machine with the good vantage point and hope to spot Baxter when he returned to his hotel.

  Joyce walked around the Golden Nugget looking for the lawyer. It was a huge hotel and casino complex with many shops and entrances. In some ways it was like looking for a needle in a haystack but at least she was getting paid something. Snagging the $1,000 bonus for eating supper with Baxter would have been nice.

  Although hitting the bonanza of the $10,000 extra bonus for drugging him would have been both lucrative and badly needed, in some ways Joyce hoped that it wouldn’t come to that.

  For one thing, what she was expected to do was a crime. On another level, Scott Baxter seemed like a harmless and boring older gentleman and Joyce would feel a slight twinge of remorse drugging and robbing the poor chap.

  She wondered what the attorney could possibly have done to earn the wrath of Guenther Schenteck.

  Joyce continued to walk around and around the Golden Nugget, glancing in the windows of each restaurant in search of the elusive lawyer.

  Time was elapsing and her watch indicated that it was already seven o’clock.

  Finally her patience was rewarded.

  Joyce saw Baxter being seated at a small table for two in the Chart House, an expensive seafood restaurant situated in the south end of the west wing of the hotel beside a separate entrance near the covered parking garage. Joyce almost didn’t recognize the attorney because he was now wearing a black pinstripe suit.

  She checked her lipstick and quickly fluffed up her blonde wig. Then she asked the hostess to seat her in the same section where Baxter had been taken.

  Her timing was immaculate.

  Just as the hostess led Joyce toward another empty table, she feigned surprise as she approached Baxter’s table.

  “Scott, is that you? We must have the same taste in food.”

  CHAPTER 24 (Lady Luck and Lovely Lady)

  As soon as I entered the Golden Nugget I went to the bank of slot machines where Ellen and I had been playing.

  My heart sank when I realized that she wasn’t there.

  The only thing I could do now was wander around the hotel looking for Ellen.

  There were at least half a dozen upscale restaurants in the Golden Nugget plus a huge buffet room upstairs.

  I went up to the buffet area first and stood for a few minutes scanning the portion of the room that I could see. There was no sign of Ellen.

  Feeling hugely disappointed, I went back to the main level and began walking through the hotel and casino. Whenever I passed a restaurant, I looked inside for Ellen but to no avail.

  After I’d made at least four trips around the entire establishment, I dejectedly realized that I wasn’t going to run in to that lovely lady after all.

  Since I was all dressed up, I decided to have dinner in the Chart House seafood restaurant. One of the walls was made up of a giant fish tank in which colorful species of fish swam around.

  I indicated to the hostess that I was alone and she led me to a small table for two.

  A waiter appeared immediately and I ordered a dark Sam Adams beer.

  Before my beverage even arrived, Lady Luck blessed me with the jackpot of my dreams.

  Ellen herself suddenly appeared, spotted me and stopped at my table.

  “Scott, is that you? We must have the same taste in food.”

  “Ellen, it’s so nice to see you again. Would you care to join me? I’d love the company.”

  “Yes, that’s so kind of you. I wasn’t looking forward to dining alone in Las Vegas again tonight.”

  I stood up and pulled out the chair for Ellen. The hostess said that she would have the server bring another place setting.

  “Please forgive my unthinking behavior earlier, Ellen. It didn’t dawn on me until I was back at my hotel that it was rude not to ask you to share dinner with me. I threw on this suit and rushed back here in the hope that you’d still be playing the slots, but of course you had already left the machine. I walked all around the hotel and casino looking for you but finally gave up and came in to have supper alone. I’m absolutely thrilled to have found you.”

  “That’s so nice of you to say, Scott and so chivalrous. With just those few kind words you’ve put to rest any concern that I might have harbored that I was imposing on you by joining you for dinner.”

  What a relief, Joyce thought to herself. I guess I’ve still got what it takes to attract old men. For a while I was beginning to doubt myself.

  The server arrived with a place setting for Ellen and two menus.

  “In case you opted to change your drink order, sir, I haven’t brought your Sam Adams. Here is our wine list.”

  “That’s very thoughtful of you. Ellen, would you like to share a bottle of wine or champagne?”

  “Champagne would be lovely, Scott.”

  I scanned the selection but couldn’t bring myself to spring for the Dom Pérignon Brut which was an outrageous price. Instead I ordered a California champagne which was only a fraction of the cost.

  Joyce now needed to inform Willy that she had located Baxter and in fact was now having dinner with him at the Chart House.

  “I’d better make a quick run to the ladies room, Scott. I wasn’t expecting to be dining with a dashing gentleman. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

  When Ellen located the restroom, she went into a stall and called Willy with the good news.

  “That’s perfect, Joyce. I’m going to leave the El Cortez so that I don’t look conspicuous. Call me when Baxter is comatose and let me know his room number. You can let me in and then you can go home.”

  “When will I collect my bonuses?”

  “I’ll have them both ready for you in cash when you let me in Baxter’s room. I look forward to your next phone call.”

  Joyce was so pleased with this turn of events that she indulged herself in another half-line of cocaine before she exited the toilet stall.

  The drug immediately sent her into a fantastic mood. She made sure that she looked as fetching as possible and then returned to the table.

  The champagne had arrived and Scott proposed a toast as soon as Joyce sat down.

  “Here’s to a timely friendship, Ellen. Holidays are so much more enjoyable when shared with others.”

  They touched glasses and Joyce could tell already that Scott was smitten with her.

  Joyce knew that the quickest way to a man’s heart was to get him talking about himself so she pretended to be anxious to hear about some of the experiences that Scott had encountered during his legal career. The combination of cocaine and champagne would enable Joyce to appear animated and fascinated with whatever boring crap Scott spewed out.

  One glass of the bubbly followed another. By the time they were ready to place their food order, the first bottle had been emptied. Scott quickly ordered another.

  Joyce was certain from th
e way Scott drank her in that to him her eyes appeared filled with interest. In reality they were glazed over with acute boredom.

  It seemed from the never-ending monotonous stories spewing out of his lips that the most exciting events in his legal career involved a few real estate deals that developed complications and didn’t close on time.

  Joyce helped pass the monotony by trying to recall as many words as possible that were synonyms of “boring.”

  After the appetizers and main courses had been consumed, the second bottle of champagne was getting low.

  Both Scott and Joyce were too stuffed to order desert but they did agree that a third bottle of the bubbly would be most welcome.

  By then Joyce was regularly leaning forward and putting her hand on Scott’s arm or hand for effect. She wanted the guy to believe that he was making a lasting impression on this girl who seemed so intrigued by his legal experiences.

  When Scott ended one particularly long and tedious story, he asked Joyce where she grew up. The champagne was making her thoughts a bit fuzzy as she answered that she had lived in a small town in Iowa until she went off to university at age nineteen. She chose Iowa because it sounded the closest to idiocy which was the attribute about Scott that was most vivid in her mind at that precise moment after being made to endure his latest wearisome story.

  Joyce hoped that Scott would use his credit card to pay for their dinner. She wanted as much cash as possible left in his wallet. Willy and Mr. Schenteck had agreed that any cash in Scott’s wallet or in his hotel room could be confiscated by Joyce as an extra perk for a job well done.

  The champagne was really going to Joyce’s head. It took her a moment to realize that Scott had asked her a question about what sort of work she did in the office.

  “The firm of accountants I work for handle a lot of bankruptcy and insolvency files,” Joyce responded. “I’m mostly kept busy negotiating with creditors. Not everyone is thriving in California. A lot of folks are deeply in debt.”

  Joyce thought to herself that a lot of people were wallowing in debt right here in Las Vegas. In fact Joyce was one of them. That’s why this assignment had been so welcome. The private escort business was saturated with too many girls and not enough paying tricks. Even without the burden of a pimp, Joyce was struggling to earn enough money to keep from being evicted.