The lovely people at Write Anything have a weekly challenge on a Friday, funnily enough called Fiction Friday. They set a theme or a phrase and you have to write for 5 minutes on the said topic. This week, the theme is:

During her first trip to Las Vegas, a woman experiences the luckiest night of her life. (It’s not from gambling).

So here I go:

Lucky lady

It was only just past two o’clock in the afternoon, but Julie couldn’t have told you if it was day or night outside the casino. She had been sitting at the slots since breakfast time, telling herself she was agonisingly close to hitting that million dollar payout. Her bucket of dollar coins had been refilled more times than she can remember, but the next time was going to be the payout – it has to be.

“Ain’t you had enough there?”

Julie’s best friend Donna had appeared at her shoulder and she hadn’t even noticed.

“I’m so close, I am so close, I can feel it!”

“You’ve been feeling it for the last five years. Every time come, you sit here morning ’till night, and you say you are so close. I’m getting fed up wandering this town on my own, why don’t you take a break at least and come out with me to look at the shops at least. I saw this beautiful dress that I want, but I need a second opinion.”

Julie didn’t take her eyes off the spinning wheels on the slot machine, hitting nudges and holds almost instinctively.

“But I’m so close, this is the big one, I really know this is it.”

Donna let out a long sigh. “Ok, Jules, but if you don’t come out with me to see this dress, I’m never coming back here with you again. You know Bill won’t let you come on your own, so your little fun at the slots will be over, done, for ever. You hear me?”

Without looking up, Julie rattled her cup of dollars. “Okay girl, you win. As soon as this cup is done, I’ll come see your dress. What do you need a dress for anyway? You got loads of dresses.”

She fed the machine with another ten coins and hit the buttons.

Donna stood silently behind her, knowing that conversation was pointless until Julie’s money ran out. She was hoping that it would be sooner rather than later.

Another ten coins were swallowed greedily by the machine as Julie played on like an automaton.

Five minutes later, her last dollar went the same way as the previous hundred. The wheels spun and came to a stop. Nothing matched. Julie sat in silence, staring disbelieveingly at the oranges and lemons.

“Okay, that’s it, you’re done here for a while at least.” Donna held Julie’s arm as she slid off the stool. Having not moved for hours, her legs had gone to sleep and Donna had to hold her up for a moment or two until the feeling came back.

Julie took a deep breath as though she was trying to relax. “Where are we going?”

“Just to the mall next door, not far. You’ll be able to walk it.”

“Are you sure? I didn’t come to Vegas to walk.”

“Relax, you don’t even have to go outside, it’s part of the complex.” Donna gently led her away from the stool in the direction of the lobby.

Julie began to protest. “I’m not dressed to go shopping. Look at me!”

She stood in front of one of the gigantic mirrors that lined the room, her reflection showing her beige leisure suit, training shoes that had never been trained in, and hair that proved she had come straight out of bed and downstairs to the machines without a hairbrush getting close enough to frighten it in to some sort of style.

“You look fine.” Donna pulled her away from the mirror and led her forcefully out of the gaming hall.

They turned in to the black and white art-deco marble lined lobby only to be stopped in their tracks by a rope strung across the entrance. The lobby was packed full of people, cameras, lightstands, and everything else that goes in to shooting a movie.

“Wow,” said Julie. “Take a look at this, a real live movie set. I just love the movies.”

Donna seemed less than impressed. “Come on Julie, we see these all the time in New York.” She moved to turn away to find another way to the mall.

Julie grabbed her arm this time. “Hold on, hold on. Let’s see if there’s anyone famous.”

She moved right up to the rope beside a harassed looking young man who was just on the movie side of the rope. He was looking at everyone who had come to see what was going on.

Julie nudged Donna, nodded her head towards the young man and whispered in her ear, “Must be someone famous if they have this much security.”

“Don’t be silly, they always have security.”

The young man was now staring at Julie. She could feel her face redden, thinking that she had made too much noise.

“Sorry” she mouthed, almost making no sound.

The young man smiled at her. “Sorry for what?”

“For making too much noise.”

He smiled at her. “You weren’t making too much noise, don’t worry. Are you a guest here?”

Julie was melting in front of him. His blue eyes twinkling straight at her. “Yes.”

“Hmm, have you ever been in a movie? You look familiar?”

“That’s the oldest pick up line in the book, ” said Donna. Julie blushed even more.

“No, I’m not trying to pick you up. You see, one of the actresses has taken really sick just in the last few minutes. We’re all set up here and we need to find someone to do a walk on and a one liner. Someone who happens to be dressed just like you, that ’straight out of bed look’.”

Julie didn’t know where to look or what to say. She eventually spluttered, “You want me to be in your movie?”

Handsome boy gave her his best Hollywood smile, “Well only if you want to. We’ll pay you for it.”

The mention of money seemed to bring Julie to her senses. “It sounds interesting, what do I have to do and how much will I get paid?”

“My name’s Alan? What’s yours?” he asked as he lifted the rope and beckoned Julie to come under it.

“Julie,” she replied, glancing quickly back at Donna who stood there with her mouth open in astonishment.

“Well Julie, here’s what it is. This scene is where the main character is checking in to the resort, and you come through the lobby having just got out of bed, kind of like you look now. You recognise the main character, whose name is Sean, run up to him at the desk, grab him by the shoulders, plant a kiss on him and say “Sean, thank you for a wonderful night.” Then you continue out through the front door, and disappear. Simple.”

Julie was still trying to take it all in.  She decided to play hardball. ”Sounds simple enough. But you didn’t say how much!”.

Alan took a two-way radio from his his belt, turned his back and spoke in to the handset. He looked over his shoulder a couple of times at Julie, smiling. The conversation finished and he turned back to her.

“Okay, I just spoke to the producer. Since we are all set up here and it would cost us a fortune if we  have to pack up and not shoot, he is willing to offer you ten thousand dollars.”

Julie tried not to look shocked. That would cover her holiday, slot money and still have enough over to come back next year.

“One last question,” she said. “Who is it that I have to kiss?”

Alan pointed towards a group huddled together. “Him.”

Just as he pointed, George Clooney stood up and smiled in Alan’s direction. Julie’s knees almost buckled under her. She looked back at Donna who was staring at Clooney, totally starstruck.

“So are we doing this?” said Alan.

“Only if we can do at least fifteen takes,” Julie smiled, grabbed Alan’s arm and dragged him in the direction of her  new co-star.

Donna shook her head. “Some gals have all the luck.”