Tales of Ricky #4

Ricky pulled into a parking spot in the lot behind the Hollywood Casino in Columbus, Ohio. He'd been driving around the state all day and was relieved to arrive at his last stop. He had one more delivery to make.

The sodium arc lights gave the parking lot an eerie glow. Depending on how his day had gone, the glow either filled him with foreboding or made him feel wrapped in velvet, smiling at everyone, it was never neutral. Today had been a good day. He opened the trunk and grabbed the black leather duffel bag he'd picked up in Dayton just an hour or two ago. He never asked what was in these bags. It was better not to know, he figured.

Ricky walked up to the employees' entrance on the west side of the building and knocked. Regular employees had a security badge they could use to enter, but he had to wait for Rhonda. She knew he was coming, and so she answered the door immediately and shuffled him into her office three doors down the hallway on the left. It always felt slightly sinister entering a casino this way. There were no flashing lights or clanging slot machines, just fluorescent track lighting and drab walls. Like being in the underbelly of a creature plotting evil. All business.

Rhonda reached out to shake Ricky's hand as he sat opposite her in front of her desk. She had a firm handshake, firmer than you'd expect from such small hands. She couldn't have been more than 5' 1" but her aura was large and dark purple, almost black. Today she had a gleam of gold. Sitting down herself, she smiled at him and he returned it with a lopsided grin.

"Good to see you," Rhonda said. "Looks like you have something for me?"

"Same as usual. Jonesy in Dayton said to tell you that it's exactly as he promised, whatever that means."

Rhonda chuckled under her breath and said "Oh, I'm sure he did. He's a good boy."

Ricky handed the leather bag across the desk. He sat for a moment while Rhonda picked it up and looked briefly inside. She seemed satisfied, so Ricky stood to leave. "Leaving so soon," Rhonda asked.

Ricky gave her that crooked grin again and said, "I think my work here is done."

"Wait, I have something for you," Rhonda said. "Not another delivery or anything, I know you're off the clock now. It's just something I thought could give you a feeling of peace at the end of the day." She reached into her lower right hand desk drawer. Ricky tensed up. No one had ever pulled a gun on him, but it was the first thought that jumped to his mind. It wasn't a gun she came up with, though. It was simply a ziploc bag full of casino chips. "Just my way of saying thanks," she said.

Ricky took the bag. It was heavy and the chips weren't all 1's and 5's. Probably north of a thousand dollars in here, he thought. He gave Rhonda a nod and turned for the door. "Until next time," he said.

"Don't spend it all in one place," she said to the closing door as he walked out.

Ricky sat down in the driver's seat of his 2010 Avalon and looked at the bag again. He would cash in the chips tomorrow, or maybe the next day. He smiled to himself and pictured the plastic turned to green paper. The sodium arc lights fell on his face and he felt like it was a coronation. It's good to be king, whatever it pays, he thought as pulled back onto the freeway heading north, heading home.