Page 48 of Royal Fling
We passed the London Dungeons and the Aquarium until we reached the last building along The Queen’s Walk and entered it.
There was a fast-food shop to the right, and further inside was a big yellow sign and a colorful assortment of machines making all kinds of noises.
Yannis and Erik were stationed at the entrance to stop anyone else from coming in and also to ensure our safety.
They nodded at me and handed us two tubs of coins—one each—and we stepped inside.
“Oh my God. An arcade?” Luke marveled, taking in the games around us. “O-M-G, a Zoltar Fortune Teller?” He gasped and pointed to a machine tucked at the side of the floor.
There was a creepy doll inside wearing a turban and holding a crystal ball. Tarot cards were spread out on the bottom of the glass display, and as soon as we approached, it started talking and moving.
“What's a Zoltar?” I asked.
Luke glared at me.
“Do you seriously not know? Have you never watched Big with Tom Hanks?”
I shook my head. “Should I have?”
He opened and closed his mouth several times, lost for words before he finally found the right thing to say.
“Next date is my turn, and let me tell you, we’re watching Big.”
With that, he dug a hand into his coin tub and put a coin in the Zoltar machine.
The creepy doll started talking again, welcoming us and rambling something about our fortune.
“Hello, my friend. Cheer up and listen to the Great Zoltar because he’s got a fortune for you. A great happiness awaits you if you follow your heart, and there’s nothing to fear as long as you take my advice. But it’s not the only advice the Great Zoltar has for you if you have a gift for me,” it said in a bad Eastern-European accent.
As soon as it finished its speech, it froze, the lights inside went down, and a ticket appeared on the lower part of the machine that had an illustration of Zoltar.
I ripped it from the slot and turned it over.
It had a whole paragraph of nonsense, then a bunch of lucky numbers.
When I looked up at Luke, however, he had the biggest smile on his face.
“I can’t believe there is a Zoltar machine in the middle of London. That was so cool,” he said.
“Here. You have that.” I handed him the fortune, and he put it in his pocket.
Luke glanced around us and spotted an escalator in the middle and aimed straight for it.
It took us down one floor. It was a huge space, sectioned off into different parts. There were a number of pool tables to the left, several bowling alleys ahead of us, and dozens upon dozens of machines flashing and singing behind us and to the right.
“Jesus, this place is huge! I love it!” Luke said, taking my hands and jumping on the spot, looking adorable. “It's like we've stepped back into the nineties.”
I was glad Fisayo’s suggestion had paid off. Although, to be fair, I had no idea how she would know about these places, and more importantly why I hadn’t heard of or been here before.
“I have a confession to make,” I said.
Luke raised an eyebrow and pierced me with his gaze.
“I've never been to an arcade. I don't know what this place is.”
“No shit, Sherlock. You don't say?” he replied.
“Wait, you knew that?” I asked.
