Rick called in sick the next morning. The day after he decided he was feeling good enough to drive up to Pechanga to play poker for a couple of hours. Rick was a once in awhile player and had never been at a table where there was a jackpot. In most card rooms four of a kind or better had to beat Aces full of tens or better to qualify for a jackpot. Pechanga had this type of jackpot but also had one that required four jacks or better to be beaten. This, of course, was harder to do and so the jackpot size tended to be a lot bigger.
After an hour of non-playable hands Rick got pocket kings and the flop – king of spades, and the 9 and 10 of hearts - gave him three kings. The turn card was a rag and Rick bet his three kings and got two callers. The last card was the king of hearts giving Rick four kings but also making a straight flush for a player who held the queen, and jack or hearts. Rick lost $357, all his chips, in the hand, and didn’t realize he’d won the jackpot until the guy next to him said, “you just won 30% of $229,189.”
“I guess I shouldn’t feel quite so bad about a $357 loss then.”
“No. I’d say you should feel extremely good about it and lucky as hell.”
Rick played a few more hands then cashed out and went down to the bar and sat at the same table where he’d met Gloria and given her the $500. He called her up and told her he’d just had 4 kings beat by a straight flush and his share of the jackpot was $68,756. He asked her if she’d like to go out and celebrate and she said she had planned to cook at home, how about if they celebrated there. That sounded good to Rick.
It took him just under an hour to get the tow truck to Gloria’s house. On the way he thought about how Salucci was responsible for his big win. If Frank hadn’t hired Earl the actor to work him over he’d have been driving a tow truck instead of playing poker at Pechanga and wouldn’t have won the jackpot. So without Frank he wouldn’t have won almost $70,000 and would have never met Gloria. Right before turning onto Gloria’s street Rick pumped his fist and said, “Frank, you’re the man!”
Rick parked, walked to the door, and rang the bell. Fran opened the door and Rick walked in. She gave him a hug. “Congratulations,” she said, ”Gloria told me you won a bad beat jackpot of almost $70,000.”
“Yeah, $68,756.”
“Well good for you, I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, I’m happy too I must admit. It makes the near future look a little brighter.”
“Come in,” said Fran and led him into the living room. Gloria was in the kitchen working on something. Rick walked in, put his arms around her from behind, and kissed her neck.
“That feels nice,” she said as her hands kept busy at the stove. “Go in and have a seat, I’ll be in soon.”
Rick walked back into the living room and took a seat on the other end of the couch from Fran. “How long have you and Gloria been roommates Fran?”
“Housemates actually, we each have our own room.”
Rick gave her a slight smile and said, “Right. How long have you been housemates? That’s what I meant to say.”
“A little over a year.”
“Gloria’s told me a bit about you and it’s all been good.”
“It’s probably true then.”
“It sounded true when she told me and you haven’t given me any reason to disbelieve her, at least not yet.”
Fran raised her eyebrows slightly. She noticed Rick was still wearing the same understated smile. She looked toward the kitchen, raised her voice and said, “Gloria, do you realize you’ve left me in here with a cheeky sort?”
“Sorry, you want to trade places?”
“No, I think I can handle it.”
“I have no doubt you can,” said Rick. “And I’m sorry I sounded like a cheeky sort.”
“No worries. Anyway I was just kidding, sort of.”
Fran and Rick both smiled this time and Rick let out an inaudible sigh of relief. He didn’t want to get on the wrong side of Gloria’s housemate, especially one who might be capable of tossing him out of the house.”
Still smiling, Fran said, “I’m going to get a beer, do you want one?”
“Yes, thanks.”
“Do you want a beer, Gloria?” Fran asked as she walked into the kitchen.
“Later.”
Fran got two bottles of beer from the refrigerator and opened them. She brought them out and set one on the coffee table in front of Rick. “Sierra Nevada,” he said, “one of my all time favorite beers.”
“Me too,” said Fran as she tilted her head and took a drink.
Gloria came out and set celery sticks and little carrots and a bowl full of dip. She put it on the coffee table and went to the refrigerator and got a beer. Then she came and sat across from Rick. “Did Fran tell you about the little excitement we had early this morning?”
“No,” said Fran, “I was saving it for you.”
Rick looked at Gloria and waited.
“Those guys you said might show up? They showed up. They parked down the street and while one tried to get in the back door, the other worked on the front. The dogs barking woke us up and we saw the guy in back through a window. He couldn’t get in so he went around the front to help the other guy. Fran got a base ball bat, and I picked up a cast iron frying pan. We went out the back and let Rocky out of his cage.”
“The chow?”
“Yeah. I put him on a long leash and we came around the corner and got behind them. Before they realized what was happening Rocky had a leg in his mouth and Fran wacked the other thug hard across his butt. I pulled Rocky off the first guy and yelled for them to sit down which they did. The guy that got bit was crying and blubbering and Rocky kept barking at both of them like he wanted to rip out their throats. I forgot how scary that dog can be.”
“Did they tell you who sent them.”
“They wouldn’t at first but then Fran started her crazy act.”
Fran said, “Last night I put on a lot of black eye makeup. By the time the jerks arrived at 4am I had two black eyes and black streaks running down my face.”
“She looked frightening,” said Gloria. “Then she started yelling for me to break some bones with the frying pans, saying it was self defense. Every time she’d yell she’d fake a swing with the bat. Then she said to give her the pan, and she’d start breaking knees. When I handed her the frying pan they started talking.”
“Don’t tell me, it was Frank Salucci.”
“The guy in a blue Cadillac with the COOLCAD plates,” said Gloria. “That Salucci had got to be crazy. Does all this criminal stuff, doesn’t give his name, but let’s everyone see his COOLCAD plates. He reminds me of Zorro, carving a Z everywhere he goes.”
“Did you tell the cops about Frank?”
“Yeah, we told them everything.”
“What happened to the would be attackers?”
“The cops took them down to the station. We might have to go down and press charges.”
“Once that’s done you want to come with me to Vegas?”
“Hummm. It sounds appealing.”
“Well, let me state the advantages.”
“Alright councilor.”
“Okay, I got a call from my cousin who wants me to tow a classic car out to Las Vegas. He said I could keep the tow truck out there for up to five days if I wanted. So the gas and one night at a hotel will be paid for. Now, as you know I just won a bundle due to my world class poker skills…”
Gloria laughed, “I imagine you’ll be on the next cover of ‘Card Player Magazine’.”
“Yeah, I’ve set an appointment with them for a photo shoot. They want to do it in Vegas. Anyway I budgeted most of the money I won in a responsible manner and set aside a few thousand for irresponsible use. My theory is if you come into a bunch of money you’ll enjoy it more if you blow a little of it.
“Also I think we’d be wise to get out of San Diego while the police investigate Frank Salucci. And since I’m towing a car to Las Vegas, which can be a pr
etty fun place, I think it would be nice if you came too.”
“That’s nice of you to ask me,” said Gloria.
“What do you think? Do you think you can go?”
“If I can get off work, which I should be able to.”
“Great.”
“I’m going in this afternoon so I’ll find out then. I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know.”
“Great,” said Rick.
When she got into work that afternoon Gloria asked about getting the days off.
“You’ve got vacation days right?” said her supervisor.
“Yes, about 15 or 18 days.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem then, have fun.”
The next morning Gloria called Rick with the news. “I’ve got the time off – when do we go?”
“Tomorrow. I’m scheduled to pick up the car in Escondido at 10;30. I can pick you up at 9:30.”
“You could, unless you’d like to spend the night.”
“Now that’s an idea!”
“Come at seven and we can have dinner together.”
“I’ll be there. Can I bring some wine?”
“That would be nice.”
At 6:55 Gloria looked out the kitchen window when she heard the tow truck rumble up to the curb. Rick cut the engine and jumped out of the truck and headed toward the house carrying a medium sized roller bag in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. He was dressed casual but nice, Gloria noticed, in a pressed shirt, green Dockers and reddish brown penny loafers.
Gloria opened the door before he could ring the bell. “Come in,” she said and closed the door behind her. She stepped back and looked at him. “You look nice.”
“Thank you. I was going for nice, but not too nice to drive a tow truck. You look gorgeous. Every time I’ve seen you Gloria, you look great, beautiful, stunning, drop dead gorgeous.”
“You haven’t seen me that many times.”
“I’ve seen enough to know that you look fantastic and probably will for at least the next 50 years.”
“Okay, I’ll take your word for it. Would you like a glass of wine before dinner?”
“Yes.”
While Gloria opened and poured the wine Rick studied the framed photos hanging on the hallway wall, just inside the front door. There was what looked like a family shot, probably a few years old, with Gloria and her parents and a younger brother and sister. Then there were single shots of each of them and group shots with others. Gloria looked like her mother who had a big smile and long hair with braids entwined with ribbons here and there.
“Come and help me set the table,” said Gloria as she draped a white linen cloth over the kitchen table. She handed Rick a glass of wine and directed him to the proper cupboards and drawers and he brought out the plates, knives, forks and spoons. Finally Gloria set out the food: pork chops, baked potatoes, snap peas and carrots.
When the food was served Rick cut a cross on top of his potato, pressed the sides and then the ends and used a knife to push in a large slab of butter. Then he took a fork full, put it in his mouth, closed his eyes, chewed and swallowed. He opened his eyes, looked at Gloria and said, “Baked potatoes are one of my all time favorite foods and this one is a great one.”
Gloria smiled and said, “I’m glad you like it. I could tell you did when you closed your eyes. I thought you might have had a spiritual experience.”
“Close,” said Rick. “As close as I’ve ever gotten from the first bite of a baked potato.”
They ate in silence for awhile and then Rick asked, “Are the pictures on the wall mostly of your family.”
“Yes. The guy and the girl that look about the same age are my brother and sister. They’re twins and they live with my dad in New York City. My dad’s the guy sitting with all his instruments and with us in the family photos. My mom’s the one with the big smile and the hippie outfits. She died of cancer three years ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I don’t think she was. She had a great attitude through it all. I hope I can do as well when it’s my time to go. On her last day she laughed and said, “It’s really not a big deal, it happens to everybody.”
“She sounds like a character.”
“She was. She was a real non-conformist but not the ‘in your face’ kind. She did a lot of crazy stuff but usually just to entertain people or herself. Like her clothes. She just liked the hippy look and style. If there was a black tie affair she had clothes that made her look like an elegant gypsy and she’d fit right in with the tuxes and gowns.
“She never touched dope, smoked weed, or did psychedelics, at least not after college. She tried some then, she told me, but that was the end of it for her. Her stance was, ‘Most drugs are bad for you and all of them are illegal, so try to find something else that’s fun and legal.’ Sometimes she’d add...’like sex!’
“She was a great mom and I loved her a lot and I miss her, but life goes on.”
“Did the rest of your family move to New York after she died?”
“Yes, six months later. My dad was from New York originally and he found a good job there. He’s a musician and the job was long term, which can be rare in the music business. The twins could have stayed with me but they went to New York, which I think was a good thing. Kids have to listen to their parents but not necessarily their older sister.
“They’re in college now. They’ve got partial scholarships and my poker money helps them. I didn’t want them to get to into student loans, with anybody but me that is, if they don’t have to.”
“Those student loans can be a bear,” said Rick, “especially the paying off part. I’ve got my college loans paid off, thanks to a lot of hours behind the wheel of a tow truck, but I still have law school loans to work on. That bad beat jack pot will put a big dent in it.”
“Good for you. I knew you were a smart guy.”
“What’s your student loan situation?” asked Rick. “If you don’t mind me asking. If you do just tell me to buzz off – I won’t mind.”
Gloria smiled. “No need to buzz off yet. It took a couple of years but I got it paid off. It’s interesting about those student loans, I think they kept me in college. A couple of times I almost dropped out but I knew if I did I’d have to start paying the loan. So I stuck it out and I’m glad I did. You want some desert?”
“Sure.”
“Aren’t you going to ask what it is?”
“I’ve got faith in you baby.”
Gloria smiled, went to the refrigerator, and returned with two Champaign glasses filled with a chocolate pudding-like substance. She set one in front of Rick and said, “It’s chocolate mousse – I hope you like it.”
“I will, it’s one of my favorites.”
“Like baked potatoes?”
“Yes, but in a different category.”
“When the twins graduate and start paying me back I’ll probably use the money to start and IRA for them. Of course they don’t know that but they do know that if they drop out of college they have to start paying back the loan so hopefully they’ll stick with it.”
“Do they like college?”
“I think so. The both get mostly A’s with a few B’s.”
“How did you do when you were in college?”
“I was a wiz kid, I got all A’s.”
“All A’s, that’s something.”
“There was one professor who was going to give me a B but one of his colleagues talked him out of it. He told him, ‘Listen, she doesn’t do B’s. You give her a B and everybody’s going to know it’s because you don’t like her, or she wasn’t interested in your sexual advances, or the list goes on. She could go to that new disciplinary board, the one with professors and students, and show them the work from your class, work that no doubt warrants an A, and tell them you gave her a B because…and she could choose any one of a dozen reasons, all of which would spell disaster for you. Believe me, you’ll rue the da
y you became the first professor to give that girl something other than an A.’ Anyway the other professor laid in on pretty heavy and the guy saw the light. “
“Was that the reason he was going to give you a B, because you wouldn’t...”
“No. I wouldn’t have if he ever asked me but he never did. The school was watching him, I found out, because he had a history of that sort of thing. He actually married one of his students, probably one he used the sex for grades formula on.”
“I guess she didn’t mind,” said Rick.
“Apparently not, but he’ll be in a compromised position for as long as he’s teaching. Any female student can tell the disciplinary board that he tried to use grades to get sex and they’d most likely believe her, and then the professor would have more time to spend with his young wife because he’d be fired.”
“Do you think he’s still running the same scheme?”
“No. His overseers are watching him like spies in the cold war and his wife is probably keeping him on a tight leash. From what I understand she’s quite the hottie and likely to stay that way for a while. He’s got a hot wife, a cushy job – why risk it?
“That makes sense. But why did he want to give you a B?”
“I corrected him in class. He said something that was wrong and I pointed it out. I think when I did he suspected I was right but instead of just admitting it and moving on he said real sarcastically, ‘I guess we’ll have to look that up, Ms. Hesselgrave.’
“So then Greg Wheeler, this redheaded guy I think had the hots for me – I kind of liked him too – pulled up the answer on his laptop and read it to the class. If the professor had been the King of England he probably would have had both of us beheaded immediately.
“What if he had given you the B, what would you have done?”
“Nothing. It wouldn’t have made a difference to me. The reason I got all A’s was because I was interested in the classes and I applied myself. I enjoyed the work, the grades were just a byproduct. Now you tell me, what were your grades like?”
“B’s and C’s. Actually I should say C’s and B’s – more C’s then B’s. I think I got two A’s in the four years I was there, and one D which was a bummer because I had to take the class over.”
“If you had to do it over again would you do it differently?”
“Well, I wouldn’t have gotten a D in that course. I’d like to say I would study harder but I probably wouldn’t. I’ve heard the theory that corporations and businesses use college as a screening process. They figure if someone got through college they have enough brains and stick-to-itiveness for them to take a chance on. When the recruiters came around toward the end of our senior year they hired a number of people, some with really high grades and some with okay grades. As far as I know they all started at the same pay scale.
“How about you, would you do anything differently?”
“I think I would have partied a little more, had some more fun, and got a few B’s.”
“Getting all A’s for four years is quite and an accomplishment though. Impressive.”
“You’re the only person I’ve told that to since I graduated.”
“Really? Why?”
“Nobody wants to know. Why would they? Besides me who was the last person you talked to about your grade point average since you graduated from college?”
“I think I had to show my transcripts when I applied for law school.”
“And they let you in right?”
“I wasn’t applying to Harvard Law but, yeah, they let me in. And you’re right, besides filling out law school applications I’ve never told anyone since I graduated from college.”
* * *
Chapter 5