The Pick-up Artist Page #5

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again, one among billions

and billions of other galaxies

expanding without restraint

in a universe 20 billion years old.

The stars, planets and galaxies

hurtle themselves recklessly outward -

colliding, dying,

regenerating themselves

as new forms of matter

whose only law is constant...

Wait. I'll be right back.

Boundless darkness,

blinding light, eerie silence,

deafening noise, violent eruptions,

harmonious peace.

Hey! Slow down! Slow down!

Randy!

- Hey, Jack.

- I can't believe I'm doing this. I need $25,418.

- What?

- This girl and her boyfriend need $25,418

for these gangsters by tomorrow.

- That's not your problem.

- It is.

Why do you need that kind of money

for somebody else's girlfriend?

This is crazy, Jack. Come in.

Will you please move your leg?

Hey, wait. Wait, baby. Where are you going?

Come on back here. Come on.

- Hi.

- Hi.

You move your purse so a guy can sit down

and he thinks you're inviting him to Hawaii.

Do you believe that creep? Look.

He thinks I'm playing hard to get.

Boy, men are pretty dumb, aren't they?

Are you going to Atlantic City?

- Sugarless mint?

- Thanks.

- Jack.

- Yeah.

You've never said anything like this before.

I'm touched. I'm moved.

- I wish I could sell my joint to get you...

- I don't want you to do that.

Where is she? We gotta find her now.

You can't lose this girl. You've got

lightning in a bottle. I'm going with you.

- No, I gotta go alone.

- No. I'll give you all the support you need.

Have you got any idea what kind of a guy

this boyfriend of hers is?

No. He's a lot older than she is.

You can't jump to conclusions about her

cos she got involved

with a guy who's not right for her.

The point is she's right for you.

Come on. Tell me where she is.

What's your pleasure? Johnnie Black?

Johnnie Walker Red?

Flash, come on, please, OK?

This is really important.

Try to remember.

Atlantic City, right? Where in Atlantic City?

- Tell me your name one more time.

- Jack.

- How old is she in this picture?

- Flash.

The time we took her to Monte Carlo?

- Flash?

- 12, 13, maybe.

You took this girl to Monte Carlo

at the age of 13?

- What hotel? You know where it is?

- It's got some of the...

Jack, please. Move to Mars

before you follow this girl one more inch.

- And this was Harry?

- Steve.

- Your second husband?

- Second boyfriend.

Ed was my second husband.

Harry was my first boyfriend. This was Steve.

- So what did you do?

- I broke his nose.

- And that was the last time you saw him?

- Are you kidding?

You kept seeing him and he did it again?

Of course.

- How soon?

- Oh, I've no idea.

Probably with the nurse who fixed his nose.

It may sound naive, but have you considered

not getting involved with these men?

- Which men?

- All of them.

Come on, now.

- Men can be a lot of fun.

- Well, fine, fine.

Good, take the fun, but why get all involved?

Why depend on them? Why trust them?

So they can let you down just when you

thought that you could count on them?

Do you live with a guy?

I'll need to see some ID.

Look at what just walked into the casino.

Keep an eye on her.

- How would you like your chips?

- Five hundreds and a 25.

Have a nice evening.

This is Patsy Cappalluso.

Is Alonzo Scalera there?

Break. Player loses.

- Double.

- Double down.

10 makes 21. Dealer has 20.

Player wins. $400.

- Does Randy gamble regularly?

- Does she gamble? Are we there?

- No. We're at a gas station. We need gas.

- Randy is a mystery. Jimmy, to be honest...

- Regular, please. My name's Jack.

- Whatever.

Do me a favor, turn the car around.

Come on. It's not too late.

She won't want us to be there.

What are we doing? Let's get out of here.

I feel like getting loaded.

- Sounds good to me.

- Player wins. $1200.

You want a drink?

All bets down, please.

Are we lepers?

You don't talk to your friends any more?

- Good to see you.

- This is Mr. Portacarrero.

Mr. Portacarrero,

anything you want, let me know.

500 on each hand.

Blackjack. Blackjack.

Player wins. $750 on each hand.

Pay $1500.

Hey, Alonzo. She's over there.

Gambling and winning.

Oh, yeah? Play the slot machines, Lulu.

Wait here, Frank.

Fernando.

Forget it. I'm running a business here, Jerry,

not a charity ball. Understand?

Hold on a minute.

- Gino, this is Fernando Portacarrero.

- I heard about you.

- She's in the blackjack area.

- I'll be at the tables.

I'll find you. I'll be over here.

Card here?

Dealer gets 15. Dealer breaks.

Player wins. 500 here. 500 here. 1,000.

Pull up over here. This is where she'll be.

I can almost guarantee it.

Careful.

Bets, please.

13,000.

You want to bet the $13,000 on one hand?

Uh-huh.

Wait right here.

She always plays blackjack. Right over here.

A special area in the back.

- Come on, let's go.

- Flash. Flash.

- Long time. How you been?

- Hey, Patsy!

I'm in and out. You're looking great.

Hey, I try my best. I do whatever I have to do.

- This is my friend Jimmy.

- Jack.

- And Paul.

- Phil.

- You know the boys, don't you?

- I sure do. How's life, fellas?

1979. Remember? The man could not lose

a bet. For 21 straight weeks, he was a winner.

- Am I right or am I right?

- I was a legend, wasn't I?

- I won a half a million dollars.

- It's not what you win, it's what you keep.

Ain't that true.

The girl is Randy Jensen.

She's ahead $13,000.

She wants to bet it all

on one hand of blackjack.

Yeah, OK.

- Hey, Gino. Excuse me. You can't do that.

- I just did.

- You know what I'd love to do?

- No, what?

Turn back the clock.

What are you gonna do

now that Randy's grown up?

What will you do when she's

out on a date with one of her boyfriends?

I get real confused about that.

That's OK, Flash. With a daughter like Randy,

I'd be confused too.

- Let's have a drink.

- I got booze upstairs.

Did you hear that?

It's not her boyfriend. It's her father.

Come on. I got everything you need.

That's not her boyfriend.

Watch Flash. I gotta find Randy.

- Have you seen Randy around here?

- Randy? Sure. She went down here.

- Here?

- Yeah, sure.

Get lost.

Right in here.

Sit down.

- It's OK. Go ahead and deal.

- All right.

12. Want a card?

Take your time.

You want another card?

You'll stand on that?

Ten.

The dealer has 21.

- Jack! They got him.

- Who?

Flash. They stuck the pistol in my ribs.

- Where'd they take him?

- I don't know. Somewhere in the hotel.

You bear a striking resemblance to a young

lady who ditched me at the planetarium.

You haven't seen her

in the casinos, have you?

I thought that we were

getting into something exceptional.

I don't believe it. I just can't believe it.

Everything I did in there was right -

doubling up, standing, taking hits.

I came here with $500 and in one hour I have

$13,000 cash. You know how hard that is?

Do you have any idea? Wait a minute.

Where am I going? I don't believe this.

Oh, I could have killed that dealer.

Did you see his face?

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