Half a World Away
This could be the saddest dusk I've ever seen
Turn to a miracle - High alive
My mind is racing, as it always will
My hand is tired, my heart aches
I'm half a world away.
R.E.M. – Half A World Away
Chapter 1
Jane eventually returned to the life he had known so well. He couldn't fight the pull any longer, even though he knew it was a suicidal-like action. So one night, he dressed up, shortly doubting whether the go for a three- or a two-piece suit. Deciding on the latter, he brushed his hair back with his hand and straightened the blue jacket covering his crisp white shirt. He stacked his inside pockets with cash and walked outside straight to the casino opposite to his current hotel without so much as blinking. Inside he seemed to relax even more by the sound of exited chatter, ringing bells, coins falling, beeps from the machines, the clicking of stacks of chips being placed. He took the liberty to walk around the casino for a while. He didn't feel guilty or stressed, as he had slightly expected. He felt good.
He ordered himself a scotch at the bar and leaned back to enjoy the view of people winning and losing around him. He almost got sentimental. Scotch in hand, he decided to walk over towards the side where they undoubtedly let the whales play undisturbed. He went to change his cash for chips and casually asked if he could get into a more serious game. The man in the bulletproof booth didn't seem too impressed.
"I'm sorry sir. We have a room reserved for no limit games, but the past week it has been booked full every night, so now we have to maintain a waiting schedule. Can I put your name on the list for later this week?" he rattled off the story.
"Sure" he said, a little taken aback by the unconventional fact that there apparently wasn't enough room for every big spender in town in this casino. "The name's James."
"That would be for Thursday, four days from now" the man informed him.
Jane raised his eyebrows. "Oh-kay" he said slowly. "Sir, can I ask why there are so many people interested in joining in these games?"
The man looked at him for the first time.
"Don't know" he said and looked past his shoulder to signal that this conversation was over.
Jane smiled and walked over, glancing over to the closed door that kept the secret of the hottest games in town, so to speak. Just for a second his old investigative side resurfaced, but he hid it back down quickly. He hadn't been investigating money launderers, drug lords or people traffickers in years and he didn't have a team to back him up. He was here to have fun. But still, going around, pushing coins into a machine wasn't the reason why he came here tonight and this secret had sidetracked his plans. So he decided to hang around for just a little bit longer, hoping to gather more information or find a way to get in tonight.
As he nursed his drink, a man slightly younger than him approached. By the looks of it, he was pretty wasted.
"Aahhh, a new guy..!" he slurred loudly.
Jane smiled friendly and a little awkwardly.
The man went to stand beside him and stared in front of him when he spoke up again.
"So you've heard of her and came to see her for yourself. God, news travels fast these days. Before long, every guy with some money hangs around here to catch a glimpse of her. They might scare her away even..!" he ended and seemed somewhat panicky, but quickly managed to comfort himself.
"Nah, she's not the type to be scared away. She can handle everything… Besides, I think the casino hired her to attract clients."
Jane listened to the man's story and tried to make out what he was talking about.
"So, you're saying there's a waiting list because of a woman playing poker in there?" he asked a little incredulous and confused.
"Not just any woman!" the guy responded indignantly. "No one knows who she is or what she does. She has the wisdom and calm confidence of someone who has seen it all, but the looks of a girl barely in her thirties…." He seemed lost in thoughts for a second, but shook himself out of his reverie. "It's hard to describe her precisely, I won't do her justice. You really have to see her for yourself to understand it, she's one of a kind."
Jane shortly thought back to the woman he knew years ago. "Trust me, I know the type" he said and tried not to sound bitter or sad.
"She's really not a type" the guy responded. "Are you playing tonight? You'll see for yourself."
"No" Jane answered. "Apparently, I'm scheduled for Thursday."
The guy nodded. "Might be for the best too, better just stay away from her. She will clean you right out. She's done it to others too. She never takes everything though. Could have, if she wanted to, but never does" he pondered.
Jane let out a short laugh. "Well, good for me I don't let women get to me anymore. I'm here to win, and I couldn't care less for whatever the lady does, as long as she plays fair."
It was the other guy's turn to laugh. He looked at him with a fatherly look in his eyes.
"That's what everybody said before they saw her. But anyway, she might not even be there Thursday, so you might get lucky. No one knows when she'll be there or when she won't. She just comes and goes as she pleases."
"Not that I would care" Jane started lightly "But wouldn't the cashiers know when she'll be there, since there now happens to be a waiting list."
The guy laughed again. "No! No, no. She can come whenever she wants. As I said, she has lured more big whales to this table in a week than normally come by in six months. That's why I think she works for the casino. Keeps things exciting."
Jane shrugged and figured the guy was probably right and that it wouldn't be the craziest or stupidest idea if the manager hired a girl to attract whales. Though the fact that it apparently actually worked, was special, overall he wasn't too impressed by this woman.
He had known his visit to the casino would bring out the worst in him, but thankfully he was still at his best being bad. He impressed himself by managing to sneak a peek at the names of tonight's players, deciding which one was most likely to cheat and setting him up to be banned from the casino by the manager himself – all within two hours. The manager, with whom he now had formed a strong bond of course, couldn't thank him enough for helping him get rid of a fraud. Mr. James just so happened to have a suggestion that would show the manager's appreciation and filled the empty seat at the big table at such a short notice…
Shortly after, Jane found himself sitting at the poker table. The familiar feeling of his fingers playing unconsciously with the poker chips made an ease settle in him he hadn't felt in years. It was something like a spiritual sensation, if he even believed in such a thing, and it almost blocked out the drunken babbling coming from the person next to him.
"I lllitterrralllly can-not believe you managed to get in, tonight..!"
Jane sighed contently, while he waited for the much anticipated woman to arrive. If nothing else, at least tonight would be entertaining. The door opened once more and Jane could almost hear the other guys in the room holding their breath. He shook his head a little bit and smiled to himself. Although he could appreciate a good con, Jane felt it was going to be a good night for him and if that meant destroying the little myth she had created for herself, then so be it.
He heard her enter through the doors behind him and noticed that all the eyes in the room were fixed upon her. She was wearing a bracelet with charms, as he could hear from the tingling. The clicking on the hardwood floor came from her heels, probably stiletto's.
She paused in her steps. Jane wanted to roll his head at her for stalling even more than she already had by being fifteen minutes late. God, she must be loving the attention.
One of the suckers spoke up.
"Good evening, miss…"
Jane decided to intervene.
"Are we here to exchange pleasantries or play poker?" he said with a smile.
He could have sworn he heard her inhale sharply, as if his words had shocked her.
"Alright…" she said and his head shot up. He'd recognize that voice anywhere. His eyes followed her incredulously while she went to sit down opposite to him.
"So let's play."
