Reflections of Reno Chapter 3
High Class, Low Stash
By Christina Bruno
"A face in the crowd,
Unsung against the mold,
Without a doubt,
Singled out The only way I know."
- Green Day, Minority
After passing through a few bars and then some Reno had stumbled his way over to
the more prestigious part of Corel where the hookers were escorts, the strippers
were showgirls, bars were more than taverns, and casinos were nothing less than
architectural works of art. The wind pushed up against his back here, instead of
blowing in his face. The immaculate road was paved in asphalt and there was a
trashcan on every-other corner. He took in this section of the city, for he had
tapped every Casino in the West. Now it was time for him to hit the East.
Eastern Corel's streets were not as bear as the West's. There were many women occupying the strip as he walked by. They were entirely of the same breed. Their hair was cast a different color each day. Each one carried at least three shopping bags. And who could forget those sweet smelling, fat free mocachinos? Reno turned his head to glance at the store windows as he walked. The dresses were so ornate. The glimmers of the gowns' beads almost made his head spin, or were that just from what he had drank moments ago?
The women who did not have their eyes masked by their designer sunglasses looked upon him with disgust. Their nostrils flared, and their eyes quickly scanned him from head to toe. Many of them huffed. They scurried past him abruptly, instead of walking casually with their asses sky high. It was more than obvious that he was not of their caliber.
Reno laughed slightly to himself as one scurrying snobs making her way past, had abruptly bumped into him and almost tripped on her stilettos. He turned around to glance at her. She was crossed at the ankles, her nose reaching her toes. Her bottom was pointed towards the heaven; it wasn't the most slender thing he had even seen. Of course the damn thing was clad in a mini skirt that went with her cream suit jacket. His instincts were telling him to grab it and run, but that was out of his character. Although he wanted to smack the bitch, he just commented bluntly.
"Guess it's a full moon tonight."
The woman turned to look at him, and at the same time lost her balance. She landed right on the rather rotund thing. She woman was flustered with embarrassment, as the judgmental eyes of the same sex fell upon her in his stead. She huffed picking herself up; there was not a spot on her skirt. Yet she looked as if she had just been pushed face first into a puddle of mud. He was satisfied with her shame, as he turned at the corner.
He looked down at his feet as he continued to walk. He remembered that he was passing through the slums one fine day after Section 7 had been destroyed, courtesy of Shinra. A woman with a white bonnet atop her head had said to him, "I'm just gonna keep on looking down, I'm too afraid to look up. It's safer this way." He wondered if it was true. If he kept looking down, he would stop the path of destruction before it was forged?
Reno stopped in his tracks and looked up. He had reached a dead end, but it was one that he loved to reach. He peered through the spinning the doors of the casino/hotel: The Paramount. It was the biggest casino in all of Corel. He had heard of it, but the ex-Turk turned high roller had never made his way here. He was mesmerized by the gleams of the money machines. (A shine that had the opposite effect of the gaudy dresses…)
His face lit up, as he made his way in. It was the plushest carpet he had ever placed his feet upon, he noted as he took in more of his surroundings. There was a slew of slot machines, and throng playing tables. He was in his glory. There weren't many gamblers, but the ones that were there surpassed Reno in class by a long shot. Reno decided to show these pretty boys what a real gambler was made of.
He made his way to one of the Black Jack tables and sat down, a man clad in an expensive suit raised a brow at him and shrugged. The dealer was rather attractive woman with bleach blonde hair (he'd been seeing that color a lot lately...). She had a on a white button down shirt and a black vest. Each dealer was dressed exactly the same. He glanced at her nametag, which read "LaRiena" beneath the Paramount's logo.
"Place your wager." She looked at each of the men.
Reno grinned, placing down 1,000 gil on the table. They didn't use chips in Corel. It was cash, straight up.
The other man let out a soft laugh and proceeded to place 100,000 gil on the table. Reno thought him to be a fool, and the feeling was mutual. The man scoffed at Reno's pathetic wager, as the dealer handed them two cards each keeping her own. Reno glanced at his card, the 6 of spades that was on its right side up. He peeked at the other card that was face down, which was a 7 of hearts. He glanced to his side, the man beside him at received a Jack of Clubs, and the dealer had received a 7 of hearts.
The dealer decided to leave her cars as they were, and she looked to Reno.
"Hit me." Those pools of aqua looked up at the woman. She looked like a single mother, or an easy lay. Perhaps both.
The affluent asshole that stood beside him decided to leave his cards as they were.
The dealer nodded and the three turned their cards over. She had 17. The man beside him, flipped over his cards. He had gotten a perfect 21. Reno looked down at his cards and noticed that he had received the Queen of Hearts, deeming him the loser. He could feel the greed and rage creep up his spine and flush his face with anger. He suppressed it. He wore the stoic for most of his life and there was no reason to change his exterior. He took in a deep breath, tapping his fingers on the table. He shrugged his shoulders, the richer man looked for a reaction except Reno had none.
He simply backed away from the table exiting the back way and bidding the plush carpet and all that it was worth behind.
Outside Reno feasted his eyes on a strikingly looking restaurant La Cucina. He looked through the windows, all of the seats seemed unoccupied although the restaurant looked fairly expensive and high class. He shrugged his shoulders making his way down the street and his eyes fell upon another wonder: Corneo's Car & Limo. A name he thought he would never see again.