.
~Two Hearts Beating Wildly~
He'd been dealing for a good solid two hours with no breaks, grinning as hapless little gamblers bet their quest savings on the simple turn of the cards. Once in awhile, there'd be a whoop as a blackjack would slip its way in front of his favorite customer (damn but she was lucky!), and he'd feel his neck start to prickle: his supervisor didn't like to see the house lose, but the patron was a good tipper. He gave an almost relieved sigh as a hand came to rest on his shoulder, indicating he was being replaced.
"Well, folks, it was a pleasure," he chuckled, shuffling the deck, laying it out in front of him and clearing his hands**. The lucky guest slid a 1000g tip to him, then got up and left. As Russel started to head towards the employee area for his break, he nearly ran into Lex, who was also taking the opportunity to go hide out.
"Hey there!" Lex grinned, eyeing the wad of money in Russel's hand. "Looks like BatNeko was having a good night, eh?"
Russel scratched the back of his head, blushing. "Y-yeah.." he replied. "She'd said something about needing a break from harrasing Liam, and wanted to blow off some steam."
Lex nodded, keeping in step with the shy dealer as they reached the break area. He got them both some coffee, grabbing some creamers and sugar. He took his coffee black, but he knew his friend loved his with five sugars and two creams. Ever since Lex had begun working at Gold Mountain as a floor runner, Russel had been one of his own regulars, and he's always taken the time to mix Russel's coffee for him, even now that the man was a high-stakes dealer at the Blackjack tables.
They sat at their usual corner table, Lex with their coffee and Russel with a couple sandwiches off the food bar. They sat and drank, Russel talking about how his evening was going. Lex liked spending his breaks with Russel. He'd watch how his eyes crinkle at the corners when Russel smiled, and nearly swoon when Russel's hand came near his as he reached for his sandwich.
After a few minutes, the door to the break room opened, and Becky came in, grabbing a soda can and plopping in the remaining chair at the table, and Lex tried not to shoot her a nasty look. Becky could've sat at one of the other tables, but she always insisted that since the room was empty, why sit by yourself? She was weird that way, and Lex had long ago given up on breaking her of the habit.
"Uuh, Becky..." Russel started nervously. He was almost glad she'd come in: he liked being alone with Lex, but he'd almost run out of things to talk about, and was on the verge of rambling into a corner.
"Nngh, I need caffeine," she grunted, popping the can open and drinking fast.
Lex chuckled, shifting in his chair. "We see that, Beck. Lots of sales tonight?"
"I wish!" she groaned, grinning now that the soda was kicking in. "Twenty ties, five uniform shirts, and a lousy u_u Glasses. That's all I sold today. How am I gonna make my quota this month?"
"Tried flirting?" Lex offered.
"Nngh, why bother? Everyone that's come in tonight are either married, stupid, or stoned."
Russel laughed. "Let me guess, the stoned ones bought the ties." He'd noticed a couple people wandering the casino floor that had not looked all there in the head, and that they'd headed towards the P&J. Something about stoned people and ties seemed to tickle him.
Becky stuck her tongue out at him. "At least they're selling. You know how many crates of them we have, and how long those damned crowns have been in there collecting dust? I've dusted those damned things so much, I can make 1000 dust grunnies!"
Lex couldn't take any more. He stood up suddenly. "I gotta get some air. I'll be out the back door if anyone needs me." He stalked out the door, leaving a stunned Becky. Russel followed him, wondering why his friend was so upset. He closed the back entrance door behind him, leaning against the wall next to Lex, who was muttering to himself.
"What's wrong, man?" Russel probed, concern on his face.
Lex looked up at him, his face flushed. "Why does she always complain about those damned crowns? Not everyone that comes in can afford them. I swear, if I hear about dust grunnies again I'll..."
Russel laid one hand on Lex's shoulder, looking him square in the face. "Let it go, man. She's just blowing off some steam. I bet you that once she finishes her drink, she'll be fine and dandy."
Lex blinked, his face reddening a little more. Russel was being very forward, more so than he'd ever known him to be. He looked him in the eye, holding his breath, not wanting to spoil the moment by talking. Instead, he grabbed the dealer's tie, pulling him in for a fierce kiss. Russel was stunned only for a moment, before he wrapped his arms around his friend. They held the kiss for a few moments before breaking off, both men breathing hard and flushed.
"W-well, it's about time," Russel said first, fingers on his lips. "I'd wanted to do that longer than you know."
Lex grinned. "You didn't have to wait, y'know. Mmm, you taste nice, too."
Russel winked. "My own special lip balm. I'll bring an extra stick for you tomorrow."
Lex laughed. "All right, let's head back in." He took Russel's hand and walked back towards the entrance.
The two men nearly ran over Becky, who'd come to check on them. She looked back and forth between them, wondering why they were holding hands, but they just walked right on past, laughing like nothing had happened. Becky watched the door close behind them, then grinned to herself. "It's about time," she whispered to herself.
~End~
**a move I learned while working at Osage Million Dollar Elm. To show that there is nothing in your hands, i.e. hidden money, chips, or cards, you hold your hands out palms-down, then quickly flip them palms-up. This is standard practice for all casino employees, not just cash cage and dealers.
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