O+F

in October. He crossed the Hudson on the Tappan Zee Bridge, bypassing New York, glad to be movin

d out of sight along the beach. It was warmer and more humid than in Maine. Lazy waves collapsed on the sand. Beach-goers and gamblers of all ages strolled back and forth-studs with oiled glisten

front of rows of flashing slot machines. The women pulled long levers mechanically; win

rounded by players leaning over the action. Dice rolled, bounced, and t

te wheels. At the far end of the casino, behind bars, cashiers exchanged chips for money or v

hesitated. "Hundreds, twe

ar chip," Oliver said, "t

leave some

The cashier issued him a plas

he pit boss whe

ary dollars," Oliver sa

arred room within the main room. "Promot

the fake coins. He flicked his wrist and thumb. Oliver's chips fell on the cou

r chip to the pile without changing expression. Oliver put them in his pocket and walked toward the crap tables

at he was directly in front of Oliver. He was expensively dressed, medium sized with wide shoulders and a dark angular face. He stared at Oliver. I see you, he was telling Oliver. You aren't like the rest of them. I'm watching. He was

, snake eyes. Most of the players groaned. Oliver's chip was raked in. He bet again to pass. The next player threw a six. There was a flurry of bets. A four. Another flurry of bets. The player reached down with one hand and arranged the pair of dice so that threes showed on top. He was overweight, red faced with a closely trimmed white beard. He tossed the dice gently up into the air s

he wheel. Their hair was long and lustrous, elaborately wound and held by jade. Light disappeared into the blackness of their hair and re-emerged at different points as they tilted their heads toward each ot

he steel ball whirred around the rim and bounced down into a red numbered slot. Eve

the casino and found a coffee shop where he ate a

h stockings asked if he wanted a drink. "Diet Pepsi, please." She came back a

ick M.D." He was pale and sweating lightly. His fingers drummed on a stack of black $100 chips, twenty at least. He placed four chip

k in his pocket and won again. He put two more chips in his other pocket and lost the rest on the nex

he roulette wheel. He lost the first three times he bet on red. He doubled his bet again, eight $10 chips, his largest bet so far. The ball went around and around and hopped into the double zero slot. Neither red nor black. The house won all bets. Oliver swallowed. What were the odds that he would lose an almost even bet, fi

total of one chip. If he had lost, he would have had to bet $320 on the next spin to have a net win of one chip. And then $640. The

ed to roulette. This time he won on the second spin. He went back to cra

ight?" A young blond

too

ouple for me? You kn

said, "but I'm too s

lp with tha

shrugged and moved on. Oliver went up to

mahogany raft floating in the darkness. Old men held on to its edges, playing quietly and grimly. Oliver put himself in their place. Why go to bed? Save themselves for what? They clung to a different kind of life raft t

as Bally's. He returned to the hotel and checked out. Before he left, he placed a fifty dollar bet on pass. He would leave seventy dollars ahead or a hundred and seventy dollars ahead, a winner e

und a curve on a gravel driveway. Stones crunched under his wheels as he stopped in front of a white c

looking at his suit and

have w

, coming close. Her arm

, and his hands found

d, "I'll bet y

u w

'm going to show off. I've b

um

, maybe go out later . . . I'll

ice house. That T-shirt isn't

't mean I'm a traitor," she said, leading h

alf full of oil. "I thought I might get into a big deal all-or-nothing scene, a go-down-in-flames kind of thing. I brought all my money." He to

l. The drops sizzled and danced. "You're safe now. There's a

he wine and poured two glasses. "To us," Jacky said

ust have gotte

se," she said, lowering c

licious. "What's your

er. Drinking with Jacky usually made Oliver softer and more open. Today, he began to feel f

. . I could use some of your special attention." She led him through a comfort

bolt,"

ok out a large bolt. "I thought maybe you could help me with this. Maybe t

off his shoes, took three steps, and pulled her to him. "Aren't we strong, today," she teased. He turned

iver realized. Talk wasn't going to do it. A co

nd took a fistful of hair. He pulled her head down, immobilizing it, and rubbed slowly with his right hand.

lled sideways without letting go of her hair. He pulled her panties down, and she bent her k

increased the pressure on her hair and went on fucking her silently and slowly. "Oliver?" He didn't trust himself to speak. He was afraid to speak. She would reg

her hair. "Baby," she said. "Fuck me." She began to writhe beneath him, meeting him, trying t

drummed on his back. I-am-in-control, he said to himself. "Damn you!" sh

molded to his. Her breath began to whistle on each exhale as he drove into her. She c

time. Holding her lips softly under his, he began to move faster. Her hands went to his shoulder blad

ive

f her and

He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't trust himself not to give in. She would control

nderful, Jacky. Queen of crab cakes. The greatest fuck in the western wor

. "Go!" She threw it at him. He ducked sideways and walked downstairs. She followed him, shouting "Go!" As he went out t

d and he was on