Collide

Gold Token

It was in the middle of June when our department luckily got Myrtle Williams as the next model of a very large clothing company in Canada. Honestly, I didn't know her. I never saw her on a commercial or something. But her acceptance to the proposed project made Mr. Morgan squeal in delight. Maybe she's really that famous.

A distinct cough gained everyone's attention from a busy working hour. "Everyone, I would like you to congratulate yourself for our latest accepted proposal." He said feeling proudly. A loud cheer erupted and Megan clapped her hands, all of her teeth showing because of the smile. I felt happy too. I was the one who drafted the proposal for Ms. Williams after all.

"So listen up. Tonight we're having a party at Stan's!" He shouted so anyone could hear. Stan's? Whoa. Even our hang out place levelled up this time.

"Mr. Davidson gave each one of us a pass for the elite club for a congratulatory. So pack up guys! We'll all have a long night!" Another cheer erupted. Well, this may be good. I hope I would lose some nerves and stress in that club.

I stood beside the one of the bars dumb-founded. I never thought that this elite club would this be elite! There were chandeliers everywhere. Poker tables, a big bar with a huge collection of drinks from champagne to Jack Daniel's.

Megan and my other office workers found their way through the club. Obviously it was their first time too. I stood awkwardly beside the bar, and I realised that it would become more awkward if I remained standing. I wander around, looking for familiar faces. No one caught my eyes. Suddenly a girl in a red blazer, black slacks and high ponytail caught my attention. Wait, her outfit was really the same as my beloved friend, Jill. I recalled her way back when she was at my apartment for a slumber party and that was her outfit when she came home from work. She must be working here. I roamed around, I was a few steps away from an overlarge poker table with high stools, when cold hands grabbed my neck.

Thankfully I was not a ticklish person, and there was only one person that would grab my nape in the whole world. I turned to face Jill, and she was already beaming at me.

"Veronica!" She grinned, trying to make her voice louder so could hear her despite of the loud music. She was a beautiful girl, in a simple way. Bright blue eyes with a jet black hair done into a high ponytail. She wore the same dress that a girl was wearing a while ago.

"You're working here, Jill?" I asked her while placing a loosen hair behind her ear. I missed this girl.

"Yeah, I was just transferred here last week. Oh God, Ron what the hell happened to you?" She asked, frowning. She held my shoulders in an arm's length and studied me from head to foot. Isn't it obvious? I thought to myself. Well, I don't want to talk about it right now. I just frowned and stare to my feet. Jill lightly shook me and as I looked up to her, I can see friendly concern in those huge blue baby eyes. Instead of interviewing me in the middle of the floor, she gently tugged me into a corner with fewer people. I realised it was a bar. Again. How many bars does this place have?

I sat on one of the high stools while Jill ordered us something to drink. A threw a quick glance at the surrounding. There were a lot of people chatting to each other, each was sell dressed in tux and in cocktail dresses. I definitely wore the wrong attire. Jill pushed something cold to my cheeks and I gave her a small, sad smile. She frowned. "Hey, what's the matter?" She asked softly. I turned my gaze down to my knotted finger, trying to blink away the tears that threaten to roll down my cheeks.

"Bryan broke up with me." I said quietly, and I heard Jill gasped. I looked at her and I can see disappointment in her eyes too.

"He knocked up Mickey." I continued when she didn't respond.

"That bastard. I knew it!"

She knew? What does that mean? I heard Jill took a deep breath. "You know what, Ron, I really had this feeling in my gut," she said while motioning her hand down to her intestine, and it made me smile. "That Mickey was really up to something. And there! She was bitchin' up with your boyfriend!" She sounded more offended than me right now.

"They've been together for a year." I said a matter-of-factly.

Her eyes widened. Yeah, yeah, that was the same reaction I had. "f**k that b***h and asshole!" She shouted. I giggled. That's one of the thing that I love about Jill. We have the same mental flows. She tapped my shoulder and planted her hands on her hips. "Hey there missy, don't you dare laugh at me! I'm angry right now." I could see it, Jill. I just shrugged my shoulders.

"It has been done and I have accepted it." I said then bit my lip and lowered my gaze.

"Ha-ha. It doesn't look like that to me, Ron."

She handled me a glass of water-like substance, but I was sure it wasn't water. It smelled weird. "Drink it up. You don't deserve that kind of douche, Ron. You have to get him out of your system."

I rolled my eyes at her. I'm trying, I said to myself.

"I'm moving on." I lied. Well, I was really a bad liar. Jill doesn't seem convinced, but she just shrugged. Thank God she didn't pushed the subject anymore. She averted her attention to the tall guy at the bar, then he handed her a bottle of beer.

"You're not drinking something heavy?" I asked.

"Nope. I'm at work in a couple of minutes, but I want to grieve with you." We both laugh at her statement. This girl was really funny. I was very much lucky to have her.

I raised my glass and she raised hers. "For your broken heart and the new soon-to-be parents." We both said then we laughed again. We have chatted for a few couple of minutes, until Jill checked on her watch. It was already my 3rd glass of this foul smelling liquid but ridiculously taste good, but Jill stick to her one bottle rule. She suddenly grabbed me and we made our way through the crowd. My head was already spinning and I felt already hot. Whew, I was really not a good drinker.

We stopped at a big, high table with several bar stools around it, from what it looked, it was some kind of poker table thing. "Here, sit right here and stay quiet, okay?" she motioned the bar stool in the left end of the table, but handed me one gold token, then she sat down on the other stool near me. Whew, this cost a thousand bucks, I thought. "Were playing poker?" I asked her, my eyes slightly unfocused. Ugh.

"No sweetheart, we're playing more than that. Keep that token. It may come handy later." She said and winked at me.

After a few seconds, there were already a bunch of men and women surrounding the table. I saw a blonde, obviously a fake blonde, flashes her cleavage to an old man, while batting her eyelids. What the hell? Didn't she have any taste, at all?

I looked around the table, and more men surrounded us. There was a commotion at my back, and I can hear women squalling and swooning. I didn't bother looking behind. Nonsense. I kept my focus on what Jill was doing. She was scribbling the dies in one hand and she was playing a deck of card with the other. Whoa. She looked amazing! I never thought she could do that. I noticed her gaze looked past through me, then she smiled and nodded her head.

"Okay ladies and gentlemen, I can see that one of our greatest player, joined us today. So I assume that we can start the game now." Jill said in a polite and professional voice. This Jill was really cool. The crowd around the table threw cheers and the girls whispered to one another. Hmm, weird.

The game started and I still didn't understand how it was played, but I enjoy looking at the cards and I observed how people threw huge number of tokens in the table. There were green, red, blue, and gold tokens all over the table. How did Jill manage to know who was the winner?

"It seems that someone is a sure winner tonight." Jill announced and everyone murmured to each other. I followed her gaze and I saw the bearded old man I saw earlier, but with two blonde girls hooked in both of his arms. Gold digging hoes. As I looked closely to the bearded, I realised he was familiar. I scorched my brows trying to remember him. I was sure I saw him in one of those commercials and... Ah! He was the owner of USA's most famous tobacco and cigarettes! So this club was packed of CEO's and founders and stuff! I looked around the table, and I recognised more people. Oh God, there were already a lot of rich people around and I knew nothing.

The bearded man dropped 3 golden token on the table and everyone gasped. That token cost a thousand! My, my. This guy was really rich. That's why there were lot of gold diggers digging their nails at him.

"Three gold tokens from Mr. Maynard." Jill announced. She looked around the table then set two cards on the table. A heart and a king. Uh, I don't know what that meant, but Mr. Beard shook his head in disapproval. So the cards meant loose. Jill put another card on the table. A spade. Mr. Beard shook his head again and took two gold token on the table. Looked like he's afraid of losing his wealth.

"One gold token left. No more bets, ladies? Gentlemen?" Jill asked and looked around. I also looked around, expecting someone to throw their wealth on the table.