Chapter 46: | behind closed doors, waiting room IV-1

Behind the guarded French doors is a private casino, filled with loud, laughing, drinking gamblers. The room is surrounded with dark tinted windows, there are people outside on the deck dancing, drinking and talking. Some even attempt to catch a glimpse of what's going on in this room, but the tint is too dark. I look up at the ceiling to see a giant, golden compass. The wooden floor we're standing on mirrors the design of this oversized compass. It's exquisite. Starting at a single, tiny point in the middle of the floor, chocolate, sand and tan wooden planks are arranged shooting out from that point, forming a large compass-like circle. The room looks rich. "Is this casino legal?" Phoenix squints his eyes giving me a "hush" look. A staffer in a white tuxedo approaches as we enter the room. "Can I help you, Sir?" "How much to play?" he asks casually. "Games start at $1000 and go up from there." Phoenix whips a roll of bills out of his off-white linen pants. "Here, put me down for thirty." He says it with such nonchalance, it's a little off-putting. I look at the side of his face. Who is this guy? I know I should come to expect it at this point, but it just keeps coming. I've never seen anyone remotely like him in real life. The staffer takes the cash and comes back with a stack of chips. "Here you go, Sir. Good luck and enjoy." Phoenix tips him a whole chip. That's $1000! Mind. Blown. "We don't need luck. Thank you." My posture straightens as I survey the room, feeling like I can conquer the world. "I'm gonna follow your lead, Ari. I got a good feeling about you." He stands behind me. Out the side of my mouth, I whisper, "You're the big risk-taker. I've never gambled before." I look around at all the other gamers. He rests his hands on my waist as he whispers into my ear, "Perfect. You'll have beginners' luck, then." "We don't need luck, remember?" "Right. Well then, win or lose, we always win. Cause we're in this together." Smiling into my ear, he prompts me. "Where to?" "There." I confidently point to a table. "Win or lose, right?" "Ah! You wanna play craps? Believe it or not, that's my game. You're already off to a good start." We walk over to the table and break through the crowd to get to the front. Phoenix looks at the dealer. "I want in on the next roll." The dealer nods. An older gentleman rolls the dice and everyone at the table collectively sighs. He looks at the dealer and runs his hand across his throat, signaling to cut him off. He takes his remaining chips and walks away, leaving an empty space at the head of the table, which Phoenix and I quickly fill. He pulls me in front of him. The dealer yells, "New shooter." All eyes are on us, I feel the pressure of the moment. Phoenix hands me the dice. "We're coming out strong. Try for seven or eleven." He places a few chips on the Pass line. I'm not sure what that means. I blow on the dice and picture a seven on my roll. I throw the dice against the back of the green table. The dealer yells, "Seven, winner!" Then he gives Phoenix several chips. The crowd around the table claps and people begin placing their own bets. "It's on!" Phoenix's eyes light up. "OK. What should I throw now?" I ask eagerly. "Keep the sevens and elevens coming!" I blow on the dice, imagining three and four dots. I throw the dice hard against the wall of the table. Sure enough, a three and four appear. You're in the flow. The crowd erupts into a cheer. The dealer yells, "Seven, again! Winner!" He hands Phoenix more chips. He uses his hook to pull the dice from the other end of the table and stops them in front of me. Phoenix takes the winnings plus more chips and places his bet. "Go ahead. Roll a seven or eleven again. You can do it." "I can do this." I picture the number seven, without any particular breakdown. I roll the dice. Maybe you should've specified it. The dice bounce off the opposite end of the table. Six is the first one I see. I need a one, please let the other one be a one. Please. Please. Please. Please. "Seven, again!" The dealer exclaims. The crowd cheers loudly. I let out a huge sigh. I rinse and repeat not one, not two, but three more times. What are the chances? Each time Phoenix increases his bet, winning more and more chips. I'm hot right now. My heart does cartwheels. The stakes are getting higher. This next roll, I want to change things up a bit. I have to. I honestly don't think I can roll another seven in a row. I hope this won't take me out of my flow, but I picture five and six dots. I blow on the dice, imagining eleven, again. Then I let go and throw the die. I close my eyes on this one. Phoenix placed seventy-five chips on the Pass line. Sweat beads on my forehead. The crowd around the table explodes in a raucous cheer. Whew! I open my eyes to Phoenix shaking me and jumping up and down. I've never seen him lose his composure like this, he's usually cool and relaxed about everything. His enthusiasm is infectious. I find myself celebrating right along with him.