walking through the doors you are engulfed with frigid air, all of your senses are instantly stimulated. your eyes darting back and forth from all the bright flashing lights and the hoards of people walking in every direction. simultaneously your ears ring with multiple arrangements of beeps, bells, whistles, music, and yelling. your nose is filled with the smell of fake recirculated oxygen, perfumed air freshener, and clouds of smoke. your blood pressure immediately rises.
One of the greatest things about a casino is the people watching. people of all ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, and personalitites. there are pros and there are amateurs and believe me you can tell the difference. if your a professional the real question to ask is what kind? are you old vegas or new vegas? personally i love the old vegas pros. older women who take everything over the top. big hair, over tanned, lots of jewelry, bright long nails, and a 4 pack a day habit that gives them an older slightly raspy voice. they know the casino like the back of their hands and i found one of the best. "i wonder where the .25 cent wheel of fortune machines are?" she heard me and replied with, "honey, go straight and then take a right at the top dollar machines then walk all the way to the back past the wizard of oz machines. you'll see some there but they're not big payers so take another right and you'll see some on the left!"
left in amazment all i could do was smile and say thanks! her name was dottie but her friends called her dot. now that's old vegas. new vegas pros are high rollers that like to show off and have the biggest suite in the hotel. all the clubs have their names on a list and lines don't exist for them. they're usually cocky and aren't very friendly to anyone without a wad of cash or a skin tight dress on.....i think i'll go sit with dottie! dottie was a mother of five, a grandmother to 9, and a widow to two. she's been coming to vegas every year for the past 23 years, but last year she came three times. "honey, when you're as old as me you realize your priorities in life, mine is the thrill of the casino! it keeps me young and gives me something to blow my money on instead of my no good kids and ungrateful grandchildren." Dottie starts to go into detail about her shitty daughters and how all they want is her jewelry and her bastard sons who want to put her in a home and take her money. at this point i am consumed and can't even be distracted with gambling. dottie orders us some drinks from the waitress and giggles as she walks away. I ask, "what's so funny?" she giggles louder, leans in, and says, "honey, when i was 30 i had better tits then that girl and i didn't have to pay for em!" i couldn't help but laugh. i quickly learned that dottie says what everyone else is thinking and can get away with it by acting like she has early onset dementia. i already love her and wish she could be my grandma dot. Dottie passes me a cigarette, i put my hand up saying thank you but i'm trying to quit. dottie laughs and replies with, "honey, we're all trying to quit something and life is too short to bother." because i just don't have the heart to say no to dottie i take it and she lights it for me with her bedazzled gold lighter. this whole time dottie hasn't missed a bet, her hands dance between the buttons of the machine, to ashing her cigarette, to taking a sip of her drink, to talking shit about people as they walk by without missing a beat. she asks me about my life. she wants to know what my parents are like, if i've ever been in love, what i want to do with my life, and what was the best sex i've ever had. nothing about dottie makes me hesitant so i have no problem telling her all about anything she wants to know. she wants to know if i have a man in my life and if the answer is no why the hell not. i tell her about my parents and that i lost my dad in february. i tell her about my older sister and how i rarely get to be the younger sibling. i give her the cliff notes on my hopes and what i'm afraid of. i tell her i've had some great sex but i hope the best is still to come. she roars with laughter saying that's the best answer she's ever heard and i've earned the honor of calling her dot. she listens patiently and as soon as i finish she glares and asks, "so, what about the man? get to the juicy stuff honey, i'm too old to have to wait for the good stuff!" i put out the second cigarette she's pushed on me, take a sip of my drink, and a deep breath." i hate to dissapoint you dot but there's nothing too juicy to tell at the moment, i've been spending time with someone but it's too early for details. "non sense sweetie, it's never too early for details!" since i can see she's not giving up i give her all the details, more details then i've given anyone else in fact. "annie" which was the first time she said my actual name. "i'm going to tell you something and you listen good. i've been around a long time and i can tell you are an old soul with a heart of gold. you've been through a lot and you'll go through a lot more. i may not know everything, but i know this, you're going to be great! my eyes start to well with tears and it takes every ounce of strength not to let them run down my cheeks. she puts her wrinkled paper like hands on mine. "whether it's this man or the next you will love and be loved because you're not capable of doing anything less. you mark my words honey. i'm never wrong about these things." trying to hold it together i look up at dot's smiling pink lips and smile back. "dot, that's the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me and i will remember it always, thank you!" she patted my hands, smiled and said, "honey, this has been great, but you're starting to distract me from the game." i laugh and get up to leave, as i start walking away dot yells out, "don't forget to thank me in your book!" all i could do was smile. dot was a lot of things to a lot of people. to me for those few short moments she was a friend, a confidant, and above all an old pro!
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