Gambler // Steve Harris

i. quid pro quo

January, 1977

"20 went to 200 quid!" Toby burst through the front door, unaware of both Dave and their friend Adrian Smith within arms length of the open door. Adrian jumped in surprise with a swear and multiple cans clattered all over the floor. Dave, halfway used to the loud and unannounced entrances from his sister disregarded her until his cigarette was lit.

"What kind of man did she bring home this time?" He asked.

Adrian cocked his head in confusion.

Toby hung her bag up as she spoke. "Kind of gaunt to be honest. The woman might have been desperate tonight. The baby was wonderful once again though."

"Weren't we betting on someone bigger this time?"

"Wait!" Adrian burst out. "Are you two betting on a single mother?"

"No!" The twins burst out at the same time.

"We're betting on the men she brings home when her husband isn't!" Toby exclaimed a little too proudly.

Adrian stared back at Toby blankly before replying, "and who is winning this bet?"

"Me with the hush money," Toby bent down to pick up the cans that Adrian had dropped. "I guess you're suddenly rich when your husband is RAF."

"That's even worse!" he grumbled and steered himself back towards the kitchen. He followed Toby as she discarded the beer cans. 

"Dinner and Cart and Horse's?" Dave invited aloud, swiftly changing the subject. "I could stand to have the Indian we had last weekend."

Adrian and Toby glanced at each other and nodded before turning back to Dave. "I'll have the same as last time, you two can figure out what Adrian wants while I rinse up."

Toby began to march towards her room before being interrupted. 

"Can you pick it up this time? I hate driving in the snow!" Dave called after her. 

"Fine!"

--

The short drive to pick up dinner was no less daunting than she remembered from attempting to drive to work the day before, but alas, Toby took it slow. She didn't understand why others couldn't grasp the concept of doing so. Snow didn't bother her one bit, but ice certainly did, so she wanted to be as attentive to the detail of driving in hazardous conditions. Dave was more likely to overthink the entire situation and slide around. He was never a fan of cold weather either, opting to stay inside as much as possible. 

 It made her an angry and impatient driver when she was honked at to speed up. On the fifth honk of the horn on the way home, she shouted aloud and stuck her middle finger into the rearview before yanking the steering wheel into the car park of their building. 

Dinner was delicious and short lived, as Toby became desperate to crack into the miscount of money she had earned. Dave and Adrian were certainly not going to say no to more free alcohol. Monday night at the pub was quieter, as the loudest of crowds always arrived for the loudest of acts towards the weekend. This gave Toby, Dave, and Adrian room to spread out in the back corner of the building with a table full of glasses, and a few shot glasses. Toby found herself sitting on one leg and swaying to the Aerosmith song playing over the speakers and turntable as she began to feel a buzz.

"Dance for me, Steven Tyler!"

Toby gaped at Dave's deadpan expression and comment, his feet now propped up agains the table. Adrian shrugged and smirked, taking a long drag of his cigarette. 

"Yeah, Stevie." 

Toby huffed and stood up from the table and circled to the front of it. She turned away from the boys before bending backwards, craning until she could see both of them upside down. 

"Doesn't he do something like that, yeah?"

Dave shrugged. Toby swung her arms back and reached around so she could situate herself in a full back bend, kicking her legs up so she was in a handstand. "I'd like to see him try this!"

He chortled at the act as she started walking around on her hands, slightly stumbling from her tipsy head of mind. Adrian stole her thunder for a moment, though.  "You're not dancing."

"The gall! Fuck off and dance for the broad staring at you since we got here!" Toby slammed her feet back down and stood up straight. 

Adrian and Dave's eyes snapped up to the other side of the pub, where a group of girls was staring and giggling at their table, more than likely amused at Toby's antics for Dave and Adrian's entertainment. 

"Yeah, that one" Toby pointed very obviously and waved at her, causing the redhead to flush crimson out of embarrassment before she turned back to her own table. 

Adrian made a noise of disappointment. "Goddamnit Tobe! I could have talked to her then!" 

Dave and Toby gave Adrian the same stare. One eyebrow raised, and lips pursed in a thin, unamused smile. Adrian's shoulder's sank. "Don't give me that shit."

"You'll get there, honey." Toby sat back down next to Dave and took another swig of her pint. 

The three did not last long after that exchange, as they all had to be awake in the morning for their respective jobs. The twins made sure Adrian was home safely to his own flat before making their way home in the freezing night. Once they were behind their front door and home again themselves, they trudged away shivering to their rooms with a simple 'goodnight, love you.'

Toby settled under her covers soundly after a second shower, simply to warm up. With thoughts of how work at the department store would go the next morning, the traveling sound of Dave picking at his acoustic guitar aimlessly, and the feel of the night's alcohol coursing though her bloodstream warmly, she thanked somebody above that she was here another day and could live another night under the same roof as her brother. She loved her new optimistic outlook on life since moving into the new flat. It gave her a sense of hope for herself and for Dave, as he bounced from being in limbo between bands and worked his own full-time job. The new year meant new opportunities, who cared if January were to start out icy?