Gambling with Family Drama

“So, Lucky and Eight, how’d you two meet my cousin?” Betssi casually asked, sitting across from us in the carriage, which was smoothly rolling down the gold paved streets of Derbyton.

“Well, it's a bit of a complicated story, but essentially we met in ja-.”

Rollnaldo nudged me in the ribs, as he subtly shot me a glare.

I pretended to clear my throat. “I met him when he…uh… helped resolve some legal issues I was going through in Dice town.”

Betssi let out a chuckle. “My cousin always had a talent for finding loopholes in the rules. I always told him he should have become an attorney.” He turned eight next. “And what about you?”

Eight proceeded to wrap her arm around Rollnaldo. “I guess you could say, Recruit Number One and I are something of an item. It was love at first sight when we met in Blackjack Crossing.”

“Recruit Number One?” Betssi gave her a confused look.

“Oh that’s because he’s a member of my super secret domestic terr-.”

“It’s just a nickname!” Rollando interjected over her. “It’s sort of an inside joke between the three of us. You wouldn’t get it.”

“You were always the lady’s man, Rollnaldo.” Betssi shot him a grin.

Rollnaldo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right and that’s why Dieanne left me for you.”

“Come on, Rollnaldo thats…” Betssi trail off. There was a tense and awkward silence, until Betssi quickly changed the subject by pointing out the side window of the carriage. “Oh, it looks like we’re here.”

The carriage stopped in front of a set of golden gates on a tall white granite wall. Peaking over the top of the wall was the roof to an enormous white colonial style mansion. The three of us stared in awe, completely speechless.

Rollnaldo’s face completely dropped. “Figures that he’d live in a place like this?” He jealously murmured under his breath.

The golden gates swung open and our carriage, which was being steered by a gold plated slotamaton and pulled by a set of pure white stallions, rolled through into a vast courtyard. Shrubs that were cut into the shape of dice lined the driveway, leading to the home. At the very center of the estate grounds was a circular roundabout with an elaborate three tiered fountain inside of it. On the top tier of the fountain was a solid gold statue of Betssi that had water shooting from his fingertips.

I looked back at Betssi. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you manage to make so much money when, as far as I could tell, the admission for the Marcus attraction was completely free.”

“Oh, the business model is quite simple. The money isn’t in the attraction itself, it's in the licensing and merch, which in itself is free advertising.” He pulled out a stack of paper from his speedo. “Yesterday is actually a really good example. I was in a meeting with a big movie executive that pitched me this script. They want to make a Marcus action movie, starring Marcus himself. If this deal actually goes through, this is going to be huge. Marcus might even get his name on the High-Rollerwood walk of fame.”

“Matthew never got offered a movie.” Rollnaldo quietly grumbled to himself.

“Wow I have to say, you’re a heck of a business man.” I complimented him.

He bashfully waved his hands. “I wouldn't go that far. I'm just a dice from a small town that worked hard and got lucky. Never once growing up would I have thought I'd be running one of fastest growing businesses in the entire Kasino Kingdom or own the largest house in Derbyton.”

Soon the carriage rolled up to an extravagant set of giant white double doors, which two more gold slotomatons proceeded to pull open. All of us departed from the carriage, except for Rollnaldo who was still sitting in his seat with a pouty look on his face.

“Are you coming or are you just going to stay there?” I prodded him.

“Oh, sorry I was just ‘admiring’ the scenery.” He sarcastically retorted, as he finally left the carriage.

Entering into the mansion, we were greeted by a line of slotomatons standing at the ready on a set of white granite stairs that spanned up to the next floor.

“Please have the chef prepare a feast for my guests and I.” Betssi ordered one of his Slotomatons.

The robot obediently nodded and went off to do Bettsi's bidding.

“Where’s the bathroom?... All my cousin’s show boating makes me want to take a dump.” That second part Rollnaldo quietly mumbled under his breath.

“The bathroom’s just over there. I can have a slotomaton show you there.” Bettsi graciously offered.

“I can find it just fine by myself.” Rollnoldo coldly turned him down.

“Alright then…” There was a slight tinge of disappointment in Betssi’s voice. “We’ll be in the dining room just down that hallway over there.” He pointed down a side corridor. Part of me felt a bit bad for him; he seemed like he genuinely wanted to make amends with Rollnaldo.

“‘Kay.” Rollnaldo waved as he turned his back and started toward the restroom.

“I guess he’ll catch up with us in a bit…If you two will follow me, dinner should be ready soon.” He led the way, as we followed him to a room that was entirely made of windows. In the center was a long rectangular gold table that was set. Even the plates and silverware were gold.

“Hmm, this room looks awfully fragile. I doubt it could withstand a bomb.” Eight felt the need to remark as she entered the room.

Betssi let out a laugh. “I suppose you're right.” Little did he know, she wasn’t joking.

Eight and I each took one of the dozens of seats that were around the table, directly across from each other. Betssi took his spot at the head of the table, while a slotomaton in a chef's hat set a platter down in the center of it.

"What are we having today?” He asked the robot.

The slotomaton let out a series of clicks, then proceeded to spin its reels, which landed on cherry, cherry, cherry followed by it removing the lid. Underneath it there were five plates with a twenty ounce charred piece of steak sizzling in a pool of butter beside some garlic mashed potatoes and some roasted asparagus.

“This looks great. I can hardly wait to taste it.” My mouth was already watering just from the sight and smell of it.

Something suddenly caught Betssi’s attention and he turned to the slotomaton chef. “Wait a second, there’s five plates here, but only four of us.”

Suddenly a set of footsteps could be heard around the corner. “Babe, who are these people?” A woman’s voice spoke.

“O-oh, sweety I-I thought you were going to be at the derby track all night.” Betssi began to nervously stammer. “Th-these are just some friends of an associate of mine who are in town.”

Entering into the room, was a purple dice woman. Unlike the other dice people I’ve encountered so far, this one was a twelve sided die, with each of her sides having its respective numeral written out on them. Her face was on her one side, with the number one making up her nose. She was wearing heavy makeup on her face and black eyeliner around her eyes. On her head/torso was a long curly blonde wig that went down to her feet..

“I was tired so I decided Patrick could finish attending to the horses…” She shot him a suspicious glare. “You’re acting funny. I can tell you’re trying to keep something from me.”

“Listen, I just needed a little time to figure out how to expla-.”

“Dieanne!?” Rollnaldo's voice echoed across the dining room.

She turned toward Betssi with an unamused look on her face. “Why is he here!?”

Betssi held his hands up attempting to diffuse the situation. “I happened to run into him in town and thought-.”

Rollnaldo shouted over him. “I should have figured this pipping evil witch would show her face around here eventually!”

“Who is this woman, Recruit Number One?” Eight Chimed in.

“This is Dieanne. My succubus of an ex-wife.” Rollnaldo spoke with absolute disdain.

“Tch.” Eight clicked her tongue at Dieanne and stared at her with dagger eyes.

At a time like this, I felt it wasn’t my place to interject in this little soap opera. I just kicked back with my steak dinner while I watched the show play out.

“Real mature, Rollnaldo. The guy who sells bootleg junk is painting me out to be the villain.” Dieanne snapped back at him. The two of them were now standing face to face.

Aggressively pointing his finger at her, Rollnaldo became even more heated. “First of all don’t you ever call my Matthew merchandise junk and maybe I wouldn’t be so bitter if you didn’t drain me of every dime I had after the divorce and run off with my cousin/former best friend.”

“I was justly rewarded by that divorce court for all the neglect you put me through and I’m sorry that Betssi is a billion times more of a man than you.” She arrogantly sneered. “Oh and by the way, Betssi and I are now engaged.”

“Yeah well…” Rollnaldo paused hesitantly for a moment. “I just got engaged too…”

I spit out the glass of wine I was enjoying. “Wait what!?”

“Yep, I’m actually engaged to that gamblord right there.” He pointed directly at Eight.

Eight shot up from her seat and proceeded to get up into Dieanne’s face. “Listen here, wench. My sweet Recruit Number One has me now so, muck off!”

Dieanne rolled her eyes as she adjusted her wig. “Figures you’d go for a trashy chick like this.”

“Alright, let's calm down.” Finally Betssi managed to step in and get between them. “I still really want us all to reconcile after all this time. How about we all get some rest and we can discuss this in the morning.” He pointed to one of his slotomatons. “Why don’t you show them to their rooms.”

“No this isn’t-.”

I grabbed Rollnaldo by the shoulder. “I think your cousin’s right.”

He swatted my hand off of him. “Fine, but I’m not reconciling anything. Come morning we’re out of here!”

On that very tense note, we followed the Slotomaton as it let us upstairs. Rollnaldo was so angry that he looked like he was about to explode, while Eight was absolutely ecstatic at the sudden news of her and Rollnaldo’s engagement. I had no Idea what Rollnaldo was thinking, but he definitely wasn’t thinking rationally.