Lola's Salon

Unless yer a competent "card-counter" yer never gonna win at that one, Boss--and if ya are, the house will probably spot it and toss ya out . . . here, lemme show ya the fine points of hosiery . . . i mean, of poker, yeah, that's it . . . poker . . .

As long as it´s not red and hot Setanta.

Ooooo . . . look at her . . . yes, i'd say . . .

Ahem . . . of course, my heart belongs to Lovey, so this is purely a casual, academic interest . . .

But of course,Sir.

Peace&Love turns in her chair and waves at Hebba and Setanta as they leave the jazz bar.

As she is turning back to the table, PaL notices a smiling couple sitting at the next table. They are an older couple, probably in their 60's. The woman is small, but strong. Her grey hair is tied back in a practical knotted twist and held with a silver barrette. PaL has the impression that the woman spent many hours choosing just the perfect barrette to wear in her hair. Her light blue dress has little silver buttons all the way down the front. The barrette and the buttons almost match. The woman is obviously exuberantly happy. She looks like a school kid on her first field trip. Her little round cheeks are bursting with joy.

The woman was looking up at the bright lights, and, when she looked down, her eyes met PaL's eyes. The two women smiled broadly at each other.

The woman said to PaL, "My! Would you look at these lights! All these little colored lights! Why, it looks just like Christmas!"

PaL immediately felt a kindred spirit with this woman. "Oh, I know just what you mean! I keep expecting to see tinsel hanging from tree limbs!"

The woman laughed and reached out to touch PaL's arm. "Oh, I guess it's pretty obvious that we're just a bunch of tourists here! My husband, Eddie....."

At the mention of his name, Eddie bowed his head at PaL. He was sitting up straight in his chair with both arms resting on the table, a tall neck bottle of beer between is hands. He was wearing one of those wide ribbon-type ties and a western-cut long black coat that reminded PaL of an old western movie. A quick glance down revealed that he wore shiny black cowboy boots with pointed toes. A black stetson lay on the table.

PaL gave Eddie a tiny little wave and said, "hi".

The woman beamed at her husband. "Eddie is here for the conference. The yodeling conference. He is representing the entire State of Georgia."

PaL gave Eddie a 'thumbs up' and a smile and a nod.

PaL asked, "Is the conference here in this hotel?" She was wondering how many yodelers were in the hotel.

The jazz band ended a song and everyone turned their attention to the stage to applaud. PaL glanced over towards the corner table to see if Lola had noticed that the song had ended. Diane was chatting with everyone at their table and applauding the music.

PaL looked back to the couple at the next table. PaL imagined that they probably lived in an old farmhouse in a lush green valley in Georgia. They had probably known each other all their lives. Perhaps the woman had a small flock of chickens that pecked for seeds around the barn. PaL imagined apple pies on the kitchen window sill. She could see the woman wiping her hands on her white apron as she came outside to call her husband in for lunch.

The flash of a camera brought PaL out of her daydream. The woman was taking a picture of the jazz band, using one of those throw-away Kodak cameras.

"Come on, Eddie, let's go see if we can find the place where they have that lion."

Eddie downed the rest of his beer and the couple left the bar. They both waved at PaL as they were leaving.

Meanwhile, Lola is engaged in a deep conversation with her man in the corner. So she didn't notice that the music had stopped or that P&L talked to the waiter or the couple from Georgia. Had she known the contents of the young waiter's mind she would have told him that it seemed to her that his mother was a much more appropriate donor for his father's kidney. After all, the waiter is young and has his whole life ahead of him. He's much more likely to need his kidneys, especially since kidney disease may be a genetically inherited trait in his family. His mother on the other hand is the same age (approximately) as her husband, so she even has a kidney that is the right age. It will likely be better all the way around this way. Lola would have encouraged the young man to go out and get what he wants in his life, have lots and lots of pleasure, and not to spend too much time feelings ashamed or guilty about who he is.

But Lola doesn't notice. She and Trevor are engaged in an intense and obviously pleasurable conversation. :wink:

Edited for a couple of verb tense corrections

And the guys are playing cards and feeling up the women in the casino.

I never laid a hand on her . . . i swear . . .

Yeah, yeah, Setanta, you just wanted to help that gal practice her yodeling for the competition.

jes thinks about yodeling as the band starts playing "Birdland".

Setanta,

Your virtual hand prints are all over that girl's legs and look at her, she's definately smiling. Did you give her a good tip?

Setanta goes have a tendency to become all hands after a few chocolate martinis but I think it's just innocent pinching. That woman who was running, screaming from the casino I think discovered that her teeth had dropped into her drink.

Well, Lola, i tried, but the place was just too public . . . Oh, maybe that's not what you meant . . .

Thanks fer the recommendation, LW . . .

Recommendation? What have I done? Actually, we should shoot on over to Laughlin and enjoy ferrying along the river between casinos.

(edited for ill-considered content)

As Trevor's hand reached for his glass of wine, the candle on the table flickered briefly, and Lola's eyes, for an instant, seemed as if they were abaze. His hand touched hers before they got to the glass.

She smiled as he sipped his wine. "You dare,sir" she said, "to touch my hand?"

"Oh yes," Trevor smiled back, setting his glass near the white candle, "I do indeed."

"It is very bold of you, this intimacy, and lasted, I'm certain, a full second, though surely not two." Lola watched for the telltale twinkle, for the invisible marshalling of some cadre behind his blue eyes. He was not a large man, nor particularly attractive in any classical sense, and yet...once again...Lola found herself oddly suspended in time as she did whenever she was with him. She didn't understand this, and had stopped caring. Nor did she understand why the touch of his hands was more agreeable than anyone she'd know.

"Was it truly so brief?" Trevor always looked into Lola's unusual eyes when he talked to her. How could he not. The hints of gold and purples mesmerized him. He knew even Lorca's words would be lumbering beasts in describing these eyes. "Perhaps," he said, smiling back at her, "yet in that brief space...you'll admit this must be so... a hundred thousand lives ended, and even more begun, at least a dozen wealthy Swiss investment bankers fell to their knees understanding clearly that they were without love, twenty-five children within one mile from here snuck candy from under their pillows, and a million rusting Chevrolets were crushed by men with burly arms who will go home later to make love. But a second? Then," Trevor said, reaching his hand to hers, "I should like another such meager instant."

and hebba just loses thousands of dollars.

And littlek loses hundreds (she doesn't have thousands to lose)

Neither did hebba,which is why he´s hiding from that very dodgy loan shark.

<giggle>