The Walking Wolves of Tahoe: Slaughter

Chapter 3

          It's New Year's Eve. It's one of the busiest days in the casino: next to St. Patrick's Day, Chinese New Year, and the Fourth of July. People love to come to the casino, get trashed, and start the New Year off right...broke and hung-over. Not my idea of a good time...but what the Hell do I know.

I arrived at work at 6:00pm. It's semi-formal/formal dress tonight for all supervisors, but uniformed staff must stay in their uniform. A perk of being a supervisor...a once a year perk, big deal.

I've been wearing the same New Year's Eve outfit for years because, honestly, I really couldn't wear it any other day of the year...well, except maybe Halloween. This is the holiday I wear my pink tuxedo jacket. It's not only pink, but short-waisted with tails and I absolutely love it.

I found it used. Some poor, unfortunate man got married in it and his pain and misfortune was my extreme delight. I love pink...but I would never force a man to wear a pink tuxedo. That's just freaking mean.

I have a coordinating vest and bowtie and a matching pink short skirt. Those parts of my pink tux I had to buy new but since I wear this outfit once a year for many years now, it wasn't a bad investment. Besides, it's fun to wear.

People do look at you funny though.

I look very appropriate for New Year's Eve, but always feel like I'm missing my ears and bunny tail every time I wear it. I am, by no means, sexy enough to be a Playboy Bunny...but it's nice to feel like you are once a year.

I wore my hair up, but that's my norm and stuck with my usual routine of very little make-up.

All in all, tonight I'm the Ring Master of my circus, my world...my crazy-ass Mini-bac pit and all of its animal inhabitants. It's a holiday evening, therefore the all animals are in rare form tonight.

Regardless, holiday or not, this is the Mini-bac pit and this is my usual home, or assignment. I was hired mainly for this pit because I can speak the language of the main body of guests that like to play this game. It's not every day you'll find an almost six-foot blonde in a pink tux with tails that speaks Vietnamese, but my guests are getting used to this 'white girl' that can speak their language.

When I started here at the Rise, I don't think my guests knew what to think of me. Cautious, suspicious, mind-blown: I think that would pretty much sum it up, but since then I've earned their respect.

Many players own businesses and have spread the word to their friends that also own businesses that there is someone at the Rise casino in Tahoe that can communicate with them. I can get them rooms and comp'd food and drinks. These things are the perks we offer gamblers to continue gambling here. It's hard to offer those things when you can't communicate with the players...but I can.

Surveillance has also told me that since I've started working here, there has been less fights, less cheating, less problems that required security or surveillance's attention. That's because I understand what's being said between players and I can either smooth out issues or prevent them.

My co-workers don't like working in the Mini-bac pit. They don't like working with the Asian guests like I do. They have a huge language barrier but they also have a huge cultural barrier as well. I've learned through the years what offends them, what they value and what it takes to earn my guest's respect.

My co-workers, don't want to nor do they have any interest in learning about the guests they monitor...and that's why other supervisors have difficulties watching the Mini-bac pit.

"Loo-la..."

I turned to face the high-pitched voice mispronouncing my name. To my Asian guests, they call me Loo-la. To everyone else, I'm called Lola.