Half my cup was gone. Please, I thought. Just this next one. I slid a quarter in the slot and pulled the handle. I watched the pictures spin…one cherry…two cherries!....I waited. It felt like forever. Just as the last one stopped, someone spoke behind me.

“Hey. Nice one!” a guy said, in the sexiest boyish voice I’d ever heard. I nearly jumped out of the seat when I heard him, with the combined noise of the flashing lights and the coins spilling out into the tray. Did I just have an orgasm? I turned around immediately. I was met with the eyes of a most gorgeous boy. Medium height, with short styled blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and the cutest smile I had ever seen. I couldn’t help but smile shamelessly back.

“Congrats,” he said. Still smiling…oh my god. There’s no way…he can’t be gay. My life just isn’t that lucky. I could only hope.

“Thanks,” I said. “My first win all night.”

“Maybe you just needed some luck,” he said, grinning. Does he know I’m gay? How can he? Am I dressed gay? Just a polo and jeans… Then I remembered how some gay guys can just…sense homosexuality. Gay-dar.

“Maybe,” I said, with that stupid grin still on my face. Now I think I might have been getting embarrassed.

“So,” he said. “Who are you here with?”

“Uh, with a friend of mine.”

“Oh,” he said, looking rather downcast.

“My brother,” I said quickly, lying of course.

“Oh…” He seemed to lighten up. “Well, I’m kind bored, so do wanna go cash up all those coins, and then maybe…I don’t know, get something to eat?”

“Sure,” I said, hearting pumping. “I haven’t eaten all day.”

He helped me carry all my coins from the slot machine to the exchange station to get bills, and it turned out I had won $350. Not a fortune, but good enough for me.

“So…?” I started, embarrassed. What’s his name? “You’re name is…?”

“Oh, sorry. I’m Ryan.”

“Hello, Ryan. I am Alex,” I said in a mock-formal voice. He laughed. Yes!

We went to this nice Italian restaurant on the other side of the hotel. The lights were dim and there was some faint romantic accordion music in the