in a garage near Times Square. Sure, it was a little clichéd and touristy but the guys were tourists. Plus, even at their age, it was still pretty fucking cool to take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the city.
As they walked down Broadway, Walker was eyeing some really reasonably-priced Rolexes when Dylan literally stopped and turned as four tall, European-looking models walked by. Dylan nudged Noah and soon the guys were admiring the view of these incredible babes walking by. Deep down, the other three felt comforted that there were still women in the world who were out of even the mighty Dylan’s league.
As they turned up 40th Street, Pike noticed a crowd gathered around a folding table and suggested they check it out. It was a handsome young African-American gentleman dealing three-card monte.
“Keep your eye on the lady,” he preached, showing the crowd the queen of hearts amid two black aces. Then he started tossing the cards back and forth, slowly enough so that any idiot could keep track of the queen. He practically sang, “Round and round, there she goes, where she lands, nobody knows.” He stopped the deal and looked up at the black guy in front of him with a fist full of money.
Pike whispered to Noah, “In the middle.”
The dealer overheard Pike and said, “Good eye, good eye. But is he right?”
The man with the cash glanced back at Pike and must have been impressed with his powers of observation because he said, “I think he’s right. Twenty bucks in the middle.”
He laid down a twenty and the dealer flipped over the middle card. It was the queen.
“Damn, you’re good,” the dealer complimented Pike. He paid out twenty dollars to his celebrating shill and added convincingly, “You’re gonna bankrupt me, man.”
The dealer started up the routine again, showing the queen and two aces to the crowd like before. “Round and round, there she goes, where she lands, nobody knows.”
The queen was obviously on the left this time but the shill apparently still needed Pike’s help because he turned to him and asked, “Which one, man?”
“On the left,” Pike whispered confidently.
“You heard him,” the shill gloated. “Twenty on the left.”
Sure enough, that was the queen. The dealer pretended to curse his bad luck and paid the shill, now pretending to be ecstatic. The shill flashed his wad of cash in the other guy’s face. “Pleasure doin’ business with you,” the shill bragged. “Now I’ve got some business to attend to with a t-bone at Sizzler.”
He laughed and headed down 40th Street.
Pike had that look in his eye. The guys had seen it far too many times, like right before he jumped off Sarah’s roof onto a trampoline floating in her swimming pool. It was a surprisingly intense stare, given that Pike was still high. And it meant that he was about to do something stupid.
“Who’s next? Who’s next?” the dealer called out like a carnival barker. “Step right up.” Then he turned to Pike. “How about it, Eagle Eyes? You want to take a shot?”
“I’ll play,” Pike said as he reached for his wallet.
Noah grabbed his arm, and whispered, “Dude, are you serious? It’s a scam.”
“That guy just won,” Pike reasoned. “I can beat him.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Walker seconded.
“Pike—” Dylan thirded.
But Pike could not be talked down, so Noah shook his head and let him go.
“Let’s do this.”
The dealer smiled and began his routine, showing the queen, throwing the cards around slowly enough that you could easily follow it, and singing his little “round and round” song. He stopped and Pike smiled. The queen was obviously in the middle.
“What’cha say, my man?” the dealer said charismatically.
Pike laid down a twenty and stated confidently, “It’s in the middle.”
The dealer flipped over an ace and scooped up Pike’s money quick as lightning.
Pike couldn’t believe it. The queen was there! “But I saw it—”
“Sorry,
As they walked down Broadway, Walker was eyeing some really reasonably-priced Rolexes when Dylan literally stopped and turned as four tall, European-looking models walked by. Dylan nudged Noah and soon the guys were admiring the view of these incredible babes walking by. Deep down, the other three felt comforted that there were still women in the world who were out of even the mighty Dylan’s league.
As they turned up 40th Street, Pike noticed a crowd gathered around a folding table and suggested they check it out. It was a handsome young African-American gentleman dealing three-card monte.
“Keep your eye on the lady,” he preached, showing the crowd the queen of hearts amid two black aces. Then he started tossing the cards back and forth, slowly enough so that any idiot could keep track of the queen. He practically sang, “Round and round, there she goes, where she lands, nobody knows.” He stopped the deal and looked up at the black guy in front of him with a fist full of money.
Pike whispered to Noah, “In the middle.”
The dealer overheard Pike and said, “Good eye, good eye. But is he right?”
The man with the cash glanced back at Pike and must have been impressed with his powers of observation because he said, “I think he’s right. Twenty bucks in the middle.”
He laid down a twenty and the dealer flipped over the middle card. It was the queen.
“Damn, you’re good,” the dealer complimented Pike. He paid out twenty dollars to his celebrating shill and added convincingly, “You’re gonna bankrupt me, man.”
The dealer started up the routine again, showing the queen and two aces to the crowd like before. “Round and round, there she goes, where she lands, nobody knows.”
The queen was obviously on the left this time but the shill apparently still needed Pike’s help because he turned to him and asked, “Which one, man?”
“On the left,” Pike whispered confidently.
“You heard him,” the shill gloated. “Twenty on the left.”
Sure enough, that was the queen. The dealer pretended to curse his bad luck and paid the shill, now pretending to be ecstatic. The shill flashed his wad of cash in the other guy’s face. “Pleasure doin’ business with you,” the shill bragged. “Now I’ve got some business to attend to with a t-bone at Sizzler.”
He laughed and headed down 40th Street.
Pike had that look in his eye. The guys had seen it far too many times, like right before he jumped off Sarah’s roof onto a trampoline floating in her swimming pool. It was a surprisingly intense stare, given that Pike was still high. And it meant that he was about to do something stupid.
“Who’s next? Who’s next?” the dealer called out like a carnival barker. “Step right up.” Then he turned to Pike. “How about it, Eagle Eyes? You want to take a shot?”
“I’ll play,” Pike said as he reached for his wallet.
Noah grabbed his arm, and whispered, “Dude, are you serious? It’s a scam.”
“That guy just won,” Pike reasoned. “I can beat him.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Walker seconded.
“Pike—” Dylan thirded.
But Pike could not be talked down, so Noah shook his head and let him go.
“Let’s do this.”
The dealer smiled and began his routine, showing the queen, throwing the cards around slowly enough that you could easily follow it, and singing his little “round and round” song. He stopped and Pike smiled. The queen was obviously in the middle.
“What’cha say, my man?” the dealer said charismatically.
Pike laid down a twenty and stated confidently, “It’s in the middle.”
The dealer flipped over an ace and scooped up Pike’s money quick as lightning.
Pike couldn’t believe it. The queen was there! “But I saw it—”
“Sorry,
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