Russian Roulette

Russian Roulette
Mark glanced at the rear view mirror, saw nothing and slowed down the car to toy with the idea that had suddenly occurred to him. Paradise!

An hour back he was at his home, checking email and noticed the mail by some Sweet Lynda, with the subject line ‘Wanna have a good time?’

He would have deleted the mail with out opening as he immediately sensed that it was some sort of spam mail. Home alone and bored he casually clicked on it and in the mail were links to numerous porn sites. He clicked on one link and then another. For the next hour he surfed through various porn sites and the explicit images aroused him to the limit. He was amazed at the various tastes and choices that these sites catered to.

He drove to a bar and had two tequilas to clear his head. On the way, back to home, the idea occurred to him suddenly. He went to Paradise, the trendy nightclub, ages ago when he was still a bachelor. The images of nude dancers flashed in his memory and he knew that the nightclub, which is a mile away, would be open now and on the dance floor would be many a dancer teasing the customers with provocative movements. As he approached Paradise, the urge to visit the nightclub became stronger and stronger.

He swung the car into the nightclub's parking lot and paid the $25 entry fee. There were eight dancers on the floor and he liked the tall slender blonde. She looked gorgeous with large, luminous eyes and delicate lips. He had a quick word with the waiter who served the drink and was told that it would cost him $50 for a twenty-minute, private, semi-nude dance with her in one of the inner rooms. Just the panties would be on.

Moments later he was dancing with her, his hand around her waist. She was young, probably in early twenties and it was quite some time that he played with a young body. Twenty minutes came to an end in no time and he was more aroused. He hesitantly asked what her plans were for the night.

She quickly saw where he was going and said gently. "You know, I'm a student and dancing is all I do. Nothing more."

"Its ok." he sighed

Taking pity on him, she said, "If the money is right Jessica may go for it."

“Jessica?”

"Wait here," she said and disappeared.

He waited in the closed curtains.

**********

Beads of sweat appeared on Shane's forehead as he sat numb at the poker table. He just lost 36 thousand dollars in one night. All the hard earned money he and his wife diligently saved for their daughter's college education.

He stood up helplessly. His shoulders sagged and his step was unsteady.

"Wait," said Skip, the eccentric millionaire.

Shane stopped.

"I'll give you one chance to win back everything you lost," he heard Skip say.

He looked over his shoulder at Skip.

“You know what thrills me? Not money. Not any longer. There is something else.

If you can perform an act of bravery I'd give back all you lost."

"What is that?" asked Shane.

"Follow me," ordered Skip.

***************

Jessica appeared with a huge and attractive smile.

She was blonde, about thirty and her body was ripe. Her breasts were full and her front teeth, perfect.

"Jessica," she said extending her hand.

"Hi, Mark," he replied reaching her hand.

"It would cost you a hundred and fifty bucks for a couple of hours." She said straight away getting to the point and business like.

"Here?"

"No, my place. Would take twenty minutes to drive and it is safe." She said and then continued, "I always take the money in advance."

"Well money isn’t a problem but I'm carrying a card,” said Mark

"Which one?"

"American Express."

"Not a problem. Happens all the time .I know all the ATMs on the way to my place. Go and wait in your car. I'd join in a few minutes, “she said squeezing his hand.

As Mark sat in the car and waited he got into a dilemma. While on one hand, the overpowering desire was prompting him to have fun, on the other hand, his conscience started to trouble him. Before he could think it through Jessica joined him and he started the car.

*************

They entered a dim light room though a wooden door.

“It is drama in real life that gives me more kick than all the money in the world," said Skip.

"What do I need to do?" asked Shane still unsure.

"Play Russian roulette."

"What?"

Skip took out a colt revolver. "It is empty," he said and slipped his hand into the coat pocket to take out a shining bullet.

He slipped it into the revolver's chamber and twirled it. The chamber rotated smoothly before it quickly came to a halt. Skip placed the revolver on the edge of the teak wood table.

“You take one shot on your temple and if you are still standing, you win back all you lost," he said and looked at Shane.

*************

Jessica opened the door and said, “Come on in honey."

Mark stood at the half open door his mind racing wildly. To go or not to go?

The feeling that he was cheating his spouse filled him with guilty. He stood there unable to either to go in or get out.

*************

"Just one shot and all the money is yours," said Skip.

Shane was still undecided. If something goes wrong his entire family would be devastated but they would be despondent anyway that he had lost all the hard earned money in a reckless way. If he can win it back? It was very appealing. He stood there watching the revolver.

************

"Hey, come on in. “Its ok, “said Jessica in a husky voice. Mark looked at her. She had already dropped her coat and removed her skirt. As she unhooked her bra she ran her tongue on her upper lip and said, "Come on honey, let me kiss you with these sweet lips every where. I mean everywhere."

Mark's knees gave away. Instincts overpowered emotions. He walked in and the door closed behind him.

*************

"Go for it" said Skip his eyes gleaming.

Shane looked at him, looked at the revolver, took it into his hands and placing the cold barrel against his temple, pulled the trigger.

*************

After that night, for several days, Mark felt guilty. He was repentant and seriously considered confessing to Jennifer but resisted the idea. He vowed to never repeat his mistake and loved his family even more. He stood by his vow. As days passed he forgot about the whole thing. He never knew that his fate has changed forever.

************

After that night, for several months, Shane evaluated the risk he took and if the reward was worth the risk. He thanked god and vowed to never gamble again. He stood by his vow.

**************

Twelve years later.

Shane was watching a TV show. The host, through video conferencing, introduced a creature on a hospital bed, which resembled a human skeleton.

The camera zeroed in.

The creature gathered all the efforts to subdue the cough and started to speak with great difficulty, “My name is Mark. I erred once in my life. Just Once. I lost my true love, my wife Jennifer, three months back. I am directly responsible for her illness and her death.. She wanted me to talk about it and tell the world. Tell the world, with a hope, that someone can learn something from my life. It all started twelve years earlier when I opened a mail that was titled -Wanna have a good time?”

He stopped as a fresh bout of cough disrupted him.

Shane’s wife who just walked into the room was horrified at what she saw on the TV screen.

“What is it about?” she asked.

“About someone who took a terrible chance. The poor thing,” said Shane.

“What do you mean?” asked his wife surprised why his voice sounded unusual.

Shane replied, “Russian roulette”.

Confused, his wife watched the TV for a few seconds and said,” AIDS huh?”

“He might not have been as lucky as I were but he was as blind as me,” thought Shane.

****** END *****