Curious Wine by Katherine V. Forrest

the chips. “How very strange. Let me buy you a drink. Or would you prefer to play more?”
    “A drink would be fine.”
    They paused at the cabaret area, its stage curtained between shows. “I think there’s a cover charge if we sit in there,” Diana said.
    “It looks comfortable,” Lane said firmly.
    “You have the makings of a gambler,” Diana told Lane as their drinks arrived. She touched her glass to hers in salute.
    “Do you think so,” Lane said, smiling, playing with her chips, piling them in two stacks beside her vodka and tonic. “You seem to be very good at it.” She added, “Very courageous.”
    “I was more or less compelled to learn. Actually, I get pretty bored after a couple of days. Tonight was fun. I can entertain myself just watching the people. Like that woman at our table. How can anyone be so indifferent to money?”
    “She didn’t have a piece of jewelry on her, not even a ring.”
    “Isn’t that odd. I see men bet sums like she did, but not many women. A few years ago I saw a woman betting five hundred dollars a hand, playing three hands. It was in the wee small hours and she was at a table by herself with quite a group watching. She looked like an old maid school teacher. She had about forty thousand dollars in front of her, she looked cool as a cucumber - except for one foot tapping like a drumbeat. I saw her the next day betting two dollars. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”
    Lane, arms crossed on the table, was leaning toward her, smiling, listening with lively interest. “What a strange and different world.”
    “Yes.” Diana was enjoying her attention. “The people fascinate me. Don’t you wonder about that woman tonight? Where does she get that money? Why did she bet like that? Was it an act, a show? Or were those four hundred dollar bets like two dollars for us?”“I don’t think it was a show.”
    “I don’t either, somehow. A woman betting like that, a fifty dollar tip for the dealer—it did my heart good. I felt proud of her.”
    Lane smiled. “I know exactly what you mean. That man next to her, he lost a lot of money—for him.”
    “Did he ever. He was betting ten dollars before she sat down. I always notice what people bet. I imagine he lost a good part of his gambling money trying to impress a woman who couldn’t have cared less.”
    “Gambling seems to have its own special kind of insanity.”
    “It can. It depends on—”
    The waitress arrived with two more drinks. “From the two gentlemen over there at the corner table.”
    “We don’t want this, do we?” Lane asked without a glance where the waitress indicated.
    “Absolutely not.”
    Lane took two five dollar chips off her stack and placed them on the waitress’s tray. “Please take them back. Could you see to it that we’re not disturbed?”
    “I know just how to take care of it,” the waitress said.
    “Are you always such a big spender or have you been taking lessons?” Diana teased.
    “Natural talent,” Lane said with a grin.
    There was an awkward silence. Diana looked at the table, and then away as she saw Lane’s fingers begin to brush frost from her glass.
    “Is everything okay with you, Diana?” Lane’s voice was quiet.
    Diana nodded, and with effort, met her eyes. “How about you?”
    “Yes, okay. I’m fine.”
    “It was. a very emotional night.”
    “Yes, I’ve been concerned about you. You seemed upset at dinner. I want to be sure you feel okay about… everything.”
    “I appreciate that. You’re an unusual person,” Diana said with feeling.
    “So are you. You’re a very special person—” Lane started as the stage curtain rose to a blare of sound. “This won’t do,” she said. “Unless you want to stay?”
    “No.”
    “Good.” Lane smiled. “I have a weak head. Noise makes it ache.”
    “We’d better hurry then,” Diana said to a thunder of drumbeats.
    As they made their way through the tables Diana heard a man say to his male companion,