William

It’s a Friday, and when I finally peel my eyes open in the twin bed of my apartment, I’m not hit with a feeling of end of the week elation. I just don’t want to go into work, plain and simple. Really, I don’t want to climb out of my bed, so I don’t for another two hours. It’s almost 12:30 by the time I get myself up to get showered for work, and I hope that by the time I’m out and dressed it’ll be too late for me to even consider calling out anymore.

The shower is half the wake up I need it to be, and at least I feel better for it. When it comes to getting dressed after, I’m slow to actually put my uniform on. I’m dragging my feet on dawning the formalwear and I decide to put on my bow tie and vest at the casino; it can wait. It is in fact too late to call out by the time I move to get dressed, so I throw on my uniform and get my bag together before I go. I take a few minutes to clean up after and give some love to my cats before I wait for my bus, which is thankfully across the street from my apartment. It drops me off just outside my work as well, so it’s a painless commute when SEPTA isn’t being its dysfunctional self.

Before I make my way into the building I go to grab a Dunkin. I do in fact run on it, and I get the same large caramel iced coffee nearly every day. Cream, no sugar. I grab a breakfast sandwich too and head into my work 45 minutes before my 3 o’clock shift. 

My work friends who’ve moved to the morning shift, who I miss dearly despite seeing them nearly every day, have an end of shift break and have some time to chat, so I eat my afternoon brunch with them and hash out plans for the weekend. We’ve got an idea to go out clubbing Saturday, but they’re going out to do something else when they leave at 3 too. One of my friends is taking a half day for it, and it sounds tempting to do the same even if I’m not going out with them. I eat my sandwich and have a smoke and eventually I’ve got to make my way to the tables to deal some cards.

The tables are easy, the games are good, the players are actually behaving themselves. It’s not a bad shift. These days I mostly deal blackjack, so when the occasion comes up to play another game I enjoy it. I get a few sessions of baccarat in with my usual dealings and shuffles. I’m only on the floor for an hour before I’m handed a break, and I debate with my friend on whether to use some of my time to leave early. I drink a Yoo-hoo from the vending machine about it, and decide to escape early, get dinner, and do something productive with the remaining time.

I’m back at the tables for another hour and a half before another generous break, with one more table before I abscond early. Once out, I get stuck waiting for a delayed bus to take me back out to west philly, where I then take a short walk to my dinner spot of choice, Terakawa. 

Terakawa is a favorite and a frequent thing for me. The ladies there welcome me in and let me run to my favorite counter seat every time. I don’t even have to say my order to them, they know me and my usual by heart. It always makes my day. Not just the slamming bowl of miso ramen and takoyaki, but the little love that comes with being a semi-regular customer. I throw on a YouTube video and get my grub on, eventually finishing my meal and heading out to my next stop.

Before I head back to my apartment, I walk to the liquor store and get two bottles for the upcoming nights out and parties I have planned leading to Halloween. I don’t have a real budget for drinks this trip, so I get the budget drinks. New Amsterdam 100 and a Pink Whit. With the BYOBs acquired, I walk my way home, stopping to grab a Gatorade and a red bull on the way.

I get back to my apartment around 9 and feed my cats their dinner before going to my room. As I tend to do, I veg in my bed for a bit before I remember that I wanted to be productive with my freed up hours. I’m still getting paid, so I take some of the time to complete work training that I’d been putting off. I get through them with relative ease and some boredom, pouring myself a vodka red bull midway. After another drink and a smoke, it’s lights out for the night for me. I spend a little more time doom scrolling, and I’m off to sleep before the weekend.