attention.
"You ever get Jerry over at the Palace, Graham?"
"A couple of times. It wasn't his kind of club, though. He likes sympathy. And I think Jeff played it well tonight. Just be stone with him and he'll come round."
"You're a hard man. Them and us, eh?"
"It's them or us."
The dealer snorted a laugh. Something wet appeared on his top lip before he wiped it away. "Old school."
"If that's old school, what's the new school?" I looked at Jacqui. "Did I miss a meeting or something?"
She smiled. "You're supposed to be providing a service, Graham. Did nobody tell you?"
"Oh, I see. We're customer service operators now, are we?"
She turned the smile to the pile of money in front of her. "That's correct."
"Thought as much." I nodded. "Just means we have to smile as we steal."
The new dealer laughed again. It was starting to grate.
Jacqui put a pile of twenties next to me. "Now you're just being cynical."
"That is my factory setting, right enough."
It was Jacqui's turn to laugh now. I was keeping everyone in stitches, it looked like. I wondered if there was a lack of oxygen in the room. That, or they were patronising me for some reason.
We carried on the count like that, having an odd, gentle laugh and a joke around. And it began to feel warm in the count room, especially when Jacqui's hand brushed mine over the money. Later, when the Spaniel had tagged the sacks and we let the floor staff go and get changed, I caught Jacqui watching me.
"What?"
"You've loosened up a bit."
"That so?"
"Yeah."
I smiled at her. "I didn't mean to."
She wagged a finger back at me. "Watch yourself, Graham. You might actually enjoy yourself one of these days."
"Heaven forfend."
"I think so. I think you might actually be getting more comfortable here. What do you think?"
I couldn't exactly tell her the truth, but she did have a point – I no longer cared what people here thought of me, and there was a part of me that no longer cared if the casino made any money. So if that came across as me looking settled and comfortable, then so be it. "I'm no longer as uptight as I once was, no."
"The Palace was a stressful place to work, was it?"
"The place? No. The people ..."
"You're talking about Dave Randall."
"How did you know?" I smiled. "It's nothing, really. He's just incompetent and untrustworthy."
"Is that so?"
"Why do you think I'm here?"
"I needed cover. I asked around, and Dave said you'd had—"
"A bad night at the tables? Listen, I've had worse before, and I dare say I will again. These things happen. Dave's just looking after Dave, and he's not afraid to let someone else take the fall for his poor management."
She cocked her head, looked at me with narrowed eyes. "You know something? I'm not quite sure what to make of you, Graham Ellis."
"I'm sure you'll come up with something."
"I'm sure I will." She put a hand on my arm. "Listen, I'm glad you're here, Graham. Really. You've been a godsend. And I want you to know that you're a valued member of staff. Properly. And nobody's going to put you in harm's way here."
I laughed. I couldn't help myself. It sounded funny.
"What's—"
"No, it's not you." I shook my head. "Really. Thank you. It's a relief thing, that's all. I've just – you're right, I haven't been comfortable here for a long time and now I feel like I'm fitting in a bit more, you know? I'm glad to be here, too. And thank you. You've made the transition a lot easier."
We went out into the corridor. We were alone. The other staff must have been waiting out by the restaurant. The count room door closed behind us.
"So ..."
"So." I looked around. "I should probably go and get my coat. Do you have yours?"
"It's in my office."
"Okay, then."
I started up the corridor, wondering what I'd just missed, because it felt like I missed something there. A pause, perhaps, where I should have said something I didn't, or done something that I had no clue what it was. I shook it off and pushed into the locker room, but
"You ever get Jerry over at the Palace, Graham?"
"A couple of times. It wasn't his kind of club, though. He likes sympathy. And I think Jeff played it well tonight. Just be stone with him and he'll come round."
"You're a hard man. Them and us, eh?"
"It's them or us."
The dealer snorted a laugh. Something wet appeared on his top lip before he wiped it away. "Old school."
"If that's old school, what's the new school?" I looked at Jacqui. "Did I miss a meeting or something?"
She smiled. "You're supposed to be providing a service, Graham. Did nobody tell you?"
"Oh, I see. We're customer service operators now, are we?"
She turned the smile to the pile of money in front of her. "That's correct."
"Thought as much." I nodded. "Just means we have to smile as we steal."
The new dealer laughed again. It was starting to grate.
Jacqui put a pile of twenties next to me. "Now you're just being cynical."
"That is my factory setting, right enough."
It was Jacqui's turn to laugh now. I was keeping everyone in stitches, it looked like. I wondered if there was a lack of oxygen in the room. That, or they were patronising me for some reason.
We carried on the count like that, having an odd, gentle laugh and a joke around. And it began to feel warm in the count room, especially when Jacqui's hand brushed mine over the money. Later, when the Spaniel had tagged the sacks and we let the floor staff go and get changed, I caught Jacqui watching me.
"What?"
"You've loosened up a bit."
"That so?"
"Yeah."
I smiled at her. "I didn't mean to."
She wagged a finger back at me. "Watch yourself, Graham. You might actually enjoy yourself one of these days."
"Heaven forfend."
"I think so. I think you might actually be getting more comfortable here. What do you think?"
I couldn't exactly tell her the truth, but she did have a point – I no longer cared what people here thought of me, and there was a part of me that no longer cared if the casino made any money. So if that came across as me looking settled and comfortable, then so be it. "I'm no longer as uptight as I once was, no."
"The Palace was a stressful place to work, was it?"
"The place? No. The people ..."
"You're talking about Dave Randall."
"How did you know?" I smiled. "It's nothing, really. He's just incompetent and untrustworthy."
"Is that so?"
"Why do you think I'm here?"
"I needed cover. I asked around, and Dave said you'd had—"
"A bad night at the tables? Listen, I've had worse before, and I dare say I will again. These things happen. Dave's just looking after Dave, and he's not afraid to let someone else take the fall for his poor management."
She cocked her head, looked at me with narrowed eyes. "You know something? I'm not quite sure what to make of you, Graham Ellis."
"I'm sure you'll come up with something."
"I'm sure I will." She put a hand on my arm. "Listen, I'm glad you're here, Graham. Really. You've been a godsend. And I want you to know that you're a valued member of staff. Properly. And nobody's going to put you in harm's way here."
I laughed. I couldn't help myself. It sounded funny.
"What's—"
"No, it's not you." I shook my head. "Really. Thank you. It's a relief thing, that's all. I've just – you're right, I haven't been comfortable here for a long time and now I feel like I'm fitting in a bit more, you know? I'm glad to be here, too. And thank you. You've made the transition a lot easier."
We went out into the corridor. We were alone. The other staff must have been waiting out by the restaurant. The count room door closed behind us.
"So ..."
"So." I looked around. "I should probably go and get my coat. Do you have yours?"
"It's in my office."
"Okay, then."
I started up the corridor, wondering what I'd just missed, because it felt like I missed something there. A pause, perhaps, where I should have said something I didn't, or done something that I had no clue what it was. I shook it off and pushed into the locker room, but
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