Read Online Wisdom Spring by Andrew Cunningham - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Andrew Cunningham
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got out as the attendant approached and handed me my slip. He opened the door for Jess, and then took a step back. What he encountered was a small woman with her right hand contorted and frozen in place in front of her chest. Her head hung to the left as if she were looking for coins between the seats. The hat covered much of her head, so the attendant couldn’t see her face. If he could, he would have seen her eyes closed, her mouth fixed open, and some drool dripping down her lip. I was proud of the job she was doing.
I opened the trunk and pulled out our luggage and her wheelchair, and wheeled it up to the passenger door. I reached in and gently picked up Jess and set her down in the chair. She remained in character the whole time.
I had hidden the extra ammunition in the wheel well with the spare tire, but the gun and all the cash were in a small carry-on that I held onto. I let the bellman take the rest of the luggage. I tipped the valet and wheeled Jess into the hotel.
The check-in clerk took one look at Jess and insisted that if we needed anything, anything at all, to call them and it would be provided. I thanked her, not feeling the least bit guilty for duping her with the charade.
We were on the twentieth floor of the West Tower. As we took the elevator up, Jess still hadn’t said a word. The bellman was polite and tried to make small talk, but his discomfort was evident as he was trying a bit too hard. At one point Jess let out a small groan, then made a slurping sound. I thought the bellman was going to heave all over the elevator. He couldn’t wait to get to our destination floor and open the doors.
We finally made it to our room and I gave the bellman an extra-large tip for the agony our act had caused him. He went away happy and I closed the door, looked through the peephole and told Jess it was all clear.
“Ugh,” she said. “I have to go wash my face. I’ve got drool all over it.” She stood up and was suddenly transformed into the beautiful woman I was beginning to fall for.
It was a nice room, a little larger than most in order to accommodate the wheelchair. As expected, there were two beds. I went over to one and pulled the covers down and messed up the sheet so I wouldn’t forget in the morning. It would look a bit strange to a housekeeper with our situation if only one bed had been used.
We didn’t unpack, as a quick getaway might be needed.
“Sorry you’re going to be stuck in the room,” I said. “At some point I’ll bring you out, but I don’t want to overdo the exposure.”
“That’s okay. I’ll watch CNN and learn some things about myself.” She walked over and put her arms around me. “I really need a shower, too. Would you like to join me?”
There was no way I was declining that offer.
Forty-five minutes later I was dressing for my foray into the casino in search of a Wolf Run . I looked at my watch. It was four o’clock. I promised to be back by six and we’d order room service. We kissed and I headed out on my mission.
I entered into the noise and excitement and chaos that is a casino. Immediately I realized that I should have waited until after to take my shower. Although the ventilation system was better than some casinos I’d been in, it was still smoky.
As hard as it is to do in a casino, I set up a grid system in my head and started to check out every one of their 1500 slot machines (or so their brochure said). I was right about its popularity. I counted twenty-six Wolf Run slots, with denominations ranging from one to ten cents. I figured I’d need to try them all, so I allotted five minutes per machine. In the two hours, I was able to play fifteen of them. Some had players entrenched in front of them, with obviously no intention of moving anytime soon, and on two of the machines, I spent a lot longer than expected. I was winning on both of them, and you just don’t leave a hot machine. By the time I returned to the room, I reeked of smoke, was $800
I opened the trunk and pulled out our luggage and her wheelchair, and wheeled it up to the passenger door. I reached in and gently picked up Jess and set her down in the chair. She remained in character the whole time.
I had hidden the extra ammunition in the wheel well with the spare tire, but the gun and all the cash were in a small carry-on that I held onto. I let the bellman take the rest of the luggage. I tipped the valet and wheeled Jess into the hotel.
The check-in clerk took one look at Jess and insisted that if we needed anything, anything at all, to call them and it would be provided. I thanked her, not feeling the least bit guilty for duping her with the charade.
We were on the twentieth floor of the West Tower. As we took the elevator up, Jess still hadn’t said a word. The bellman was polite and tried to make small talk, but his discomfort was evident as he was trying a bit too hard. At one point Jess let out a small groan, then made a slurping sound. I thought the bellman was going to heave all over the elevator. He couldn’t wait to get to our destination floor and open the doors.
We finally made it to our room and I gave the bellman an extra-large tip for the agony our act had caused him. He went away happy and I closed the door, looked through the peephole and told Jess it was all clear.
“Ugh,” she said. “I have to go wash my face. I’ve got drool all over it.” She stood up and was suddenly transformed into the beautiful woman I was beginning to fall for.
It was a nice room, a little larger than most in order to accommodate the wheelchair. As expected, there were two beds. I went over to one and pulled the covers down and messed up the sheet so I wouldn’t forget in the morning. It would look a bit strange to a housekeeper with our situation if only one bed had been used.
We didn’t unpack, as a quick getaway might be needed.
“Sorry you’re going to be stuck in the room,” I said. “At some point I’ll bring you out, but I don’t want to overdo the exposure.”
“That’s okay. I’ll watch CNN and learn some things about myself.” She walked over and put her arms around me. “I really need a shower, too. Would you like to join me?”
There was no way I was declining that offer.
Forty-five minutes later I was dressing for my foray into the casino in search of a Wolf Run . I looked at my watch. It was four o’clock. I promised to be back by six and we’d order room service. We kissed and I headed out on my mission.
I entered into the noise and excitement and chaos that is a casino. Immediately I realized that I should have waited until after to take my shower. Although the ventilation system was better than some casinos I’d been in, it was still smoky.
As hard as it is to do in a casino, I set up a grid system in my head and started to check out every one of their 1500 slot machines (or so their brochure said). I was right about its popularity. I counted twenty-six Wolf Run slots, with denominations ranging from one to ten cents. I figured I’d need to try them all, so I allotted five minutes per machine. In the two hours, I was able to play fifteen of them. Some had players entrenched in front of them, with obviously no intention of moving anytime soon, and on two of the machines, I spent a lot longer than expected. I was winning on both of them, and you just don’t leave a hot machine. By the time I returned to the room, I reeked of smoke, was $800
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