Jack and Susan in 1953 Read Online Free Page B

ladder men perched on their platforms like overfed penguin lifeguards.
    â€œThese aren’t Rodolfo’s friends ,” said Susan. “Rodolfo just knows them. Rodolfo likes to gamble—all Cubans do, I’m told. He told me his entire Harvard education was paid for by his mother on a winning lottery ticket—you know, the Havana lottery.”
    â€œI don’t remember him from Harvard,” said Jack. “And since we seem to be about the same age, we would have been there about the same time. Are you certain—”
    â€œNeither Rodolfo nor I can be responsible for your memory, Jack, any more than we can be responsible for your extraordinarily peculiar taste in female companions. Libby has one of the most—”
    Susan left off abruptly, and for a woman who never blushed, she came very near it at that moment. Jack turned to see what had interrupted her, and found Rodolfo standing directly behind him. Jack wondered for a moment how long the Cuban had been there, but if he’d heard any of the conversation, he gave no indication. He said, “Mr. Beaumont, I think you’d better see to Miss Mather. She’s…”
    Jack immediately moved away from the bar to a position that gave him a clear view of the roulette wheel. But even before he could see Libby, he heard her voice, strident as only Libby’s could be: “That’s the fourth time in a row! That doesn’t—”
    Jack moved toward Libby and, glancing back over his shoulder, saw Rodolfo and Susan conferring. In seconds, Jack reached the roulette table. As before, perhaps a dozen persons were gathered around. The ball was spinning, but not a single bet had been placed on the board.
    Libby spoke loudly. “I’m not betting. And I’d advise everybody else here not to bet.”
    â€œMake yer bets,” said the croupier. “Make yer bets, please, ladies an’ gen’men.”
    â€œDon’t,” Libby advised the company airily. “That’s four times in a row that the zeros have come up. Four times .”
    Jack reached her side. “Libby,” he said quietly, “what’s the matter? I could hear you all the way across the room.”
    â€œThen you know what the matter is,” she said. “The matter is that I’ve only got two damn chips left because this wheel has landed on zero or double zero four times in a row, and it’s fine for me because that was mad money for my possible elopement and nobody’s made any proposals of marriage yet tonight, but these other people are losing lots more money than I am—”
    â€œLady,” said a harsh masculine voice. “Lady, why don’tcha shut up? Why don’tcha take yer goddamn two chips and stick ’em where the sunlight won’t fade ’em? Wouldja do that for everybody?”
    Libby was about to retort, but just at that moment, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the tiny white ball bounce down onto the wheel. Grimly she turned and watched. “It’s going to do it again. I know it is. You wait, Jack. Here it comes…”
    The fuss Libby had created had attracted gamblers from the other tables, and they gathered around now, watching with bated breath as the ball came to rest…
    At double zero.
    â€œI told you!” cried Libby triumphantly, as the red-faced croupier raked in all the chips. No one had bet on double zero, so the house cleared the table. “Five times now! I’m sure that’s never happened before—anywhere. It would never happen in Monte Carlo, because in Monte Carlo,” she explained for those around the table who just might not be apprised of the fact, “gambling is legal. It’s government-controlled. The tables in Monte Carlo are honest .”
    â€œLibby—” Jack began, with a strong note of caution in his voice. He glanced around and saw that Rodolfo and Susan were now standing a few feet away.