Lucky?

I was deep into the newest book of my favorite series when a loud pounding at the door yanked me out of it. One minute I’m in a dark forest wondering what shadows I’ll encounter next, then I’m back in the real world sat next to a cup of cold coffee and dealing with a new dilemma about whether to answer the door or burrow further into my blanket and pretend that I’m not home.

The pounding came again, but this time accompanied by a voice. “Open up, Emma! I know you are in there, probably reading and snuggled up in some kind of hideously cozy bunny pajamas. I can see it now.”

I sighed and dropped my head back against the back of my recliner. It was Alex. I’d been in love with Alex, with no signs of it stopping or letting up, for most of my life now. This didn’t make my dilemma about answering the door any easier. . . It didn’t help that he was right about my pajamas.

Another knock and then, “I got you something for your birthday.”

I pulled myself up out of the chair and pulled the hood of my pajamas up to showcase their artfully crafted bunny ears and I opened the door.
He blinked in surprise like he really didn’t expect to see me and then took in my appearance and his eyes settled on my pajama’s ears and he grew a crooked grin. It made him look stupidly, annoyingly handsome.

I shook my head to clear it and stepped aside to allow him in.

“Do you remember,” he said, “when we were sixteen, what you said you wanted to do on your 21st birthday?”

I really, really didn’t.

“Well, I do! You wanted to go play blackjack and sip on a martini and tonight, it’s going to happen!” He pulled something out of his pocket with a flourish.

It looked like a mummified claw. “What is that?” I asked.

“What do you think? It’s a rabbit’s foot. Tuck this baby in your purse and we’ll be millionaires by morning.”

I started at him and at it, “That thing looks cursed.”

He laughed. “Yeah, all the real ones do. Now, come on, get dressed.”

I looked longingly toward my chair and the book and even at my cold coffee. But he remembered some random crap I’d said when I was sixteen and apparently planned because of it. Of course, I was going to go with him.

------

There was one casino in town. It had only two blackjack tables and one had two players. We joined them and Alex bought me in with a hundred dollars worth of chips and fifty for himself. When the waitress stopped over, he ordered me that martini.

Rabbit’s foot in purse, we began to play.

Probably in history there have been two people that did worse at playing blackjack but I think we’d be hard-pressed to find that example. Even the dealer seemed impressed at the streak of bust cards Alex and I were producing.

I turned to him and patted my purse and leaned over to whisper in his ear, “I told you this thing was cursed.”

He laughed and conceded my point.

It turned out that I did like martinis though and Alex ordered me a second towards the end of the night.

The dealer packed up her cards and told us we could stay at the table so I could finish my drink and the other two players slinked off, richer than they were when they sat down. Lucky them.

Alex asked me how my drink was and I offered him a sip. He watched me over the rim while he took his drink. He carefully set it down but kept his eyes on me.

He took a deep breath and for lack of a better word, lunged at me.

------

It wasn’t a long kiss, or a particularly good kiss, but it definitely wasn’t just a friend kiss either.

I must have been rather wide-eyed and shocked because he was immediately sheepish. He looked down and rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand, a nervous gesture he’s had as long as I’ve known him.

He finally said, “I’ve been wanting to do that for years.”

“Why didn’t you?”

He glanced back up at me and waved a hand, “You know, the usual. Didn’t want to ruin our friendship.” He paused, brow furrowed. “I’m not sure why I even risked it now.”

“Well,” I hesitated but it was my birthday and why not, “I’m glad you did.”

“Yeah?” he asked with a reappearance of that stupidly charming half-grin.

I smiled back because I couldn’t help it. “Yes.”

You know, maybe there was some luck in this old rabbit’s foot after all.


Prompt ▼

21 is the name of an ancient card game, with its most modern variant (more commonly known as Blackjack) played in casinos all over the world.

For this prompt, write a STORY or POEM about someone getting lucky while playing Blackjack at a casino table on their 21st birthday. The twist - they do NOT get lucky winning Blackjack, but in some other way.

You must choose Experience as one of your genres.