Page 1 of The Billion Dollar Bet

Chapter 1

The boisterous laughter of the four bachelors sitting at table seven in the usually quiet French restaurant caught the attention of the Maître D, Pierre. The eyes of Devin McCarthy followed Pierre as he made his way to their table. The waiter who had been serving them stepped aside as Pierre arrived and bowed.

“Pardon the interruption, gentlemen,” Pierre said in perfect English. “Would you be kind enough to lower your voices? You’re not the only guest in the restaurant.”

Carter, who was sitting across from Devin waved his hand dismissively. “Shoo. We don’t need some glorified waiter telling us what to do.”

“Don’t be rude, Carter,” Devin mock scolded his friend. “The man is just doing his job. What we need is to find another restaurant to dine.”

“Don’t do that Sir,” Pierre said with a slight bow. “We only ask that you lower your voices as to appease our other guests. I hope you understand.”

“Okay, since you ask so nicely, we will try and not have fun tonight. The place is a bore anyway.”

“Thank you Sir.”

“Where is that black guy who usually plays the piano?” Devin asked. “This new dude is putting us all to sleep.”

“Jacque has come down with a virus and will be unavailable until he is better.”

“Virus?” Devin cringed. “Why you have to say it like that? He has the flu.”

“Not the flu sir.”

“You’re not telling me he has that virus that shut down the entire world eighteen months ago. What was it Copid-something?”

“The Covid-19, Sir? I don’t think Jacque has that.”

Carter laughed. “There was no virus just a hoax cooked up by the left. How many people do you know who had it?”

Devin shook his head. “What world were you living in?”

“It was flu season. People were using the flu get out of work. The president said that people needn’t worry and that there was no threat to our country. Where is the so called deadly virus now?”

“What do you mean? Didn’t you read the news and see the devastation it caused?”

“Doesn’t matter. There was no virus. Look at the economy now. It’s booming.”

Devin shot his friend a deadly look. “You’re an idiot. Do you know how many people have died because of that shit? And when since did you start believing anything this president says? You’re a Lib.”

“He’s done more for this country than any other president,” Carter retorted. “Getting rid of all those gringos who are crossing our borders. So glad he won a second term. Wish we could make him president forever.”

Devin all but rolled his eyes. However he did give his dumb friend an incredulous stare. “You really are a racist idiot, drinking that fracking right wing cool-aid. You do know that you are the gringo, right? Everybody knows that. And before you start making plans to make him president forever, think of all the people suffering under dictators. Do you want to make America a dictatorship regime?”

“I’m not taking politics lessons from you and I’m no gringo.”

Troy and Barry who had sat silently listening to the exchange all along, scowled at both men. Pierre had walked away and returned to his post at the front and the waiter was on his way back with another pitcher of water.

“He’s right,” Barry said. “We are the gringos man, everyone knows that.”

“A college bud of mine says otherwise,” Carter insisted.

“What the hell did you learn in college for four years?” Barry asked. “To become a racist piece of shit?”

Troy shook his head. “His father paid for that diploma he likes to boast about.”

“Hey,” Devin said. “Your parents all paid for your diplomas, so shut it.”

He leaned back in his chair, his chin high as he was the only one who skipped out on college because his mother could not force him to attend and his grandfather had told him he could do whatever he wanted. His father died when he was entering junior high and he was raised by his grandfather who spoiled him rotten. His mother … well, she wasn’t much of a mother to him. It was when he was in high school that his mother finally started acting like a mother.

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