2020

The Horse: Part II

        "All right!  Let's keep it going!"  The manager yelled over the line's collective chatter.  "Be prepared with your ID!"

        "So, what are you doing tonight?"  Enoch asked.

        "I don't know."  Naor shrugged, "Maybe I'll visit The Store again."

        "First of all, you shouldn't be going there.  I don't trust what they sell."

        "Oh, right.  Of course, Mom."

        "And secondly, yah egoist," Enoch continued, "I was talking to Vida."  Vida turned.

        "I'm sorry.  Were you saying something?"

        Naor laughed.  Enoch blushed a bit.  

        "I was just asking, out of curiosity, what you were planning on doing tonight."

        Vida smiled and nudged Enoch.

        "I know, I was just messing with you."  Vida paused for a second.  "I was thinking about visiting The Gardens tonight."

        Naor pushed Enoch aside and interjected, "Oh, I'm sorry, tiger, but I was going to ask Vida to accompany me to The Store tonight."

        Vida smiled awkwardly at him and politely stated, "No thanks.  I don't drink."

        "I know."  Naor sighed, "Alright," he shrugged.  "Two against one.  We'll meet at The Gardens."

        Enoch, Naor and Vida smiled.  It had been a while since they all had a night out together.

        "Next!"  the manager shouted from five feet away.

        Enoch stepped up to the scanner in front of the man sitting in the booth with glass walls on top.  He rolled up his sleeve to reveal an intricate pattern on his wrist and waved it under the green scanning light.  It beeped.

        "Year Three," the man read, "Gemini - 104."

        "Yep."  Enoch replied rolling down his sleeve.

        "Lucky you."  He stated rather emotionalessly.  "Gemini did well today.  600 units.  Coin or bank?"

        Enoch paused and looked down a second to listen to the woman behind him and to make it look like he was thinking hard about the question.

        "Half Coin, half bank."  The lady said to a different manager.

        Enoch lifted his head.  "All Coin this time."

        "Hmm," the manager pushed a button.  "Don't spend it all in one place."

        A gold painted coin clinked into the collection dish.  A silver painted coin clinked into the collection dish.  Enoch reached in and grabed his money.

        "Next!"

        Naor walked up, rolled down his sleeve to reveal a symbol similar to Enoch's.  He scanned his arm.  It beeped.

        "Year Three,"  the man read, "Gemini - 051."

        "That's me."  Naor sighed.  "I'd like it all in Coin."

        Caught off guard the manager paused for a moment and then pressed a button.  A Gold and a Silver clinked into the collection dish.

        "Thank you, kindly."  Naor bowed flamboyantly and strode to Enoch.

        "Next!"

        Vida had already rolled up her sleeve.  She scanned her arm.  It beeped.

        "Year Five,"  the man read, "Virgo - 013."

        "That is me.  How did we do today?"  she inquired sheepishly.  Suddenly, thought Enoch and Naor, she looked like a completely different person.  Instead of holding her head high she bent it over and held her arms close to her body.

        "I'm sorry,"  the man stated with a hint of expression,  "Virgo only made 270 units today.  What would you like, sweetheart?"

        "Umm..."  she paused, "well..."  The two guys had to cover their mouths and look away to keep from laughing.  She shot a quick angry glance at them.  "I think I would like 100 units to go to the bank and the rest in Coin."

        The two guys stopped snickering and stared at her with surprise.

        The man pressed the button.  A Silver and Two Greys clinked into the collection dish.  She grabbed them and thanked the manager.