Page 90 of Double or Nothing
A big, red and gold vintage sleigh pulled by eight snorting reindeer is charging through the main aisle of the casino. Seven is dressed in a full Santa Claus costume and beard, while Kit, in all his massive Viking glory, is cheerfully sitting beside him, looking ridiculously out of place masquerading as an oversized green elf.
What the actual fuck is going on?
Kit tugs back hard on the leather reins, his massive arms flexing under the strain. The reindeer slow to a stop, their hot breaths puffing out into the air, their eyes wide and wild.
Why am I surprised Kit rescues reindeer too? Where on earth did he get them from?
As the sleigh comes to a stop, Seven moves into action. He rises, throwing his arms wide like Santa on a Christmas parade float, drawing a roar of applause from the enchanted audience. He reaches behind him, pulling out a velvety red sack filled to the brim with red and white striped candy canes.
He springs from the sleigh with the agility of a seasoned acrobat, a jolly twinkle in his eyes that sparkles with mischief. His hand disappears into the velvet sack and reemerges clutching handfuls of candy canes. Slinging the heavy red sack over his shoulder, he begins working the room.
“Merry Christmas!” he calls out to the smiling tourists as he hands out candy canes. “Did you mail me your Christmas list? Were you good this year?” He moves around the room, charming the ladies and drawing smiles from the men.
Even dressed in a Santa suit, the man is oozing hot, sexual charisma.
Eventually, he makes his way over to me.
“Merry Christmas, young lady! Have you been a good or naughty girl this year?”
He shakes a candy cane at me and gives me a wink, his blue eyes twinkling merrily behind the fake white beard. Leaning down closer, he whispers in my ear, his voice rumbling with barely suppressed laughter, “A verynaughtygirl, I bet. You’ve got three minutes starting right now to finish it up. Hurry! Watch the clock.”
I gape at him, speechless.
Three minutes?
I’m afraid to even think about what might come next. With a deep breath, I turn back to the machine, my fingers flying over the buttons in a frenzied dance of desperation. The glowing symbols spin on the screen while I memorize everything I see.
Thankfully, all eyes are on him, not me.
Giving me the opportunity to end this and get out.
He moves away and walks over to Eva. “You look lovely this evening,” Seven says to her, holding out a candy cane. Her responding smile is polite, tinged with a hint of amusement. She’s careful not to show recognition.
As she reaches for the candy cane, Giovanni steps closer, his presence a palpable wall of protectiveness. He watches with a thunderous scowl. His eyes darkening dangerously as Seven flirts openly with Eva.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he grits out furiously, his voice dangerously low. “Get those barnyard animals out of my casino! Do you know how many violations I’ll be hit with?”
Seven laughs off his rage. “Oh, stop! Don’t be a grumpy elf!” Seven teases, sticking a candy cane up near the man’s nose for him to take. “Don’t you know it’s Christmas Eve? The crowd loves it. Keep watching.”
The tension crackles between them for a moment, Giovanni’s glower locked on Seven before he roughly snatches the candy cane out of his hand.
“That’s the spirit! Merry Christmas! Ho! Ho! Ho!” Seven’s booming laugh fills the air once again. He claps Giovanni on the back with a hearty slap before moving along to the next group of giggling women.
When his bag of candy is empty, he climbs back into the sleigh. Grabbing onto Kit’s shoulder for support, he stands up on the sleigh’s red velvet seat.
“Is everyone having a good time tonight?” he shouts. The crowd responds with enthusiasm, the loud cheers and shouts bounding off the ornate walls. “Don’t miss my brand-new illusionist show beginning right here at the Imperial Hotel and Casino on New Year’s Day. Merry Christmas everyone! And to all a good night!”
He holds his gloved hands up high toward the ceiling. At that moment, snowflakes, delicate and frosty cold, start falling. Around me, the fellow gamblers, their faces glowing with gleeful astonishment, look up in delight. They extend their hands upwards, palms open, hoping to catch the falling snow as it increases rapidly. The atmosphere is filled with excitement as the flakes intensify into a snowstorm.
Suddenly, a strange, almost surreal wind begins to circulate, its invisible tendrils wrapping around the sleigh and the reindeer. It grows in strength and speed, forming a cyclonic vortex around Seven and Kit. The falling snow increases to a blizzard, obscuring the scene. I strain my eyes, squinting through the blinding snow. I can barely make out the outline of the sleigh.
Or can I?
I blink in disbelief. The spot where the sleigh was parked is now only a swirling blur of peppermint red and white color. The reindeer and sleigh have vanished without a trace, leaving only a melting snowman wearing Seven’s Santa hat in their place.
This is insane.
The line between reality and fantasy blurs. It’s as if I’ve stumbled into an enchanting snow globe, the magic of the moment both entertaining and unsettling in its surrealism.
