Page 38 of So, I Met This Guy . . .

Time flew by and before she knew it, Maggie had won two hundred and fifty euros, which included her original bet. Time to quit while she was ahead.

‘Wow, you’re really good!’ congratulated Flick. She was wide awake now. Watching Maggie gambling was invigorating. She knew nothing about playing cards, but Maggie obviously did. Choosing to stick or twist with the seriousness and certainty of someone who’d played a million games of blackjack, even if it was with her dad at the kitchen table and not a fancy casino in Monte Carlo.

‘I had a good teacher,’ grinned Maggie, gathering up her chips and leaving the table. The croupier nodded in respect. As did a few other players, men that weren’t used to be being beaten by a woman, especially not one as unassuming as Maggie. ‘And by the way, it’s yours.’

‘What?’ Flick looked confused.

‘To pay you back for my flight and the dress and lunch and everything. It’s not nearly enough, but at least it’s something.’

‘No, don’t be silly. It was my stupid idea.’

‘It wasn’t stupid. It was the first time I’ve had fun in a long time. Please, take it.’

Flick hesitated. She should be sensible. Cash in the chips. Use the money to pay off some of her credit card. And yet, even though she’d never admit it, Maggie wasn’t the only one caught up in the spell of Monte Carlo. Tomorrow she’d be back home to face the music, but it wasn’t tomorrow just yet.

‘How about we gamble it all?’

‘Huh?’

Impulsively she pointed to a table with a roulette wheel. ‘What have we got to lose?’

Maggie had heard that somewhere before. She thought of her friend George. ‘Two hundred and fifty euros?’ she replied and together they both started grinning.

It was so out of character for both of them. Flick had spent her whole life being sensible, while Maggie no longer trusted herself to take any risks, but they were both drunk and in the most famous casino in the world.

‘Faites vos jeux!’

‘What does that mean?’ hissed Flick as they took their place at the roulette table.

‘Place your bets,’ whispered Maggie. ‘You must place them yourself on the green baize.’

All around them people were placing their chips on the table.

‘Do you want red or black?’

‘Can you bet on a single number?’

‘Yes, but then the odds are really against us,’ warned Maggie.

‘What’s new?’ replied Flick and they both met each other’s gaze.

‘OK, what’s your lucky number?’

‘Nineteen. It was my mum’s birthday.’

With a flick of his wrist the croupier spun the roulette wheel as Maggie slid all their chips onto number nineteen on the table. It wasn’t much, but it was everything they had.

‘If we win thousands, what are we going to spend it on?’ Flick’s nerves jangled. Too late to change their minds now.

‘Paying off our credit cards?’ suggested Maggie, her chest tightening.

‘Rien ne va plus.’

So this was it. No more bets. The moment when everyone held their breath, their eyes riveted on the roulette wheel, waiting for the ball to come to rest.

‘That’s boring. How about we use the money to catch a thief?’

And then suddenly the croupier was announcing the number and it was flashing up on the screen and people were whooping and clapping.