The inspiration for this chapter was Chapter 5 of my book Pow! Right Between The Eyes; every page of it was bathed in a grey screen just so that it stood out from the rest of the book. The original idea here was to advance the story only by using replicas of Tweets, voicemail messages and email, but I realized that the dialogue encounter between Curtis and Miranda would only make the chapter's end punch even stronger, so... Still, I dig its difference. Enjoy!
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The Spin
Chapter 6:
One Unheard Message
Please enter your password.
You have seven unheard messages and two saved messages.
First message, received today at 9:22 a.m.: “Curtis, it’s Miranda. Can you call me as soon as possible? Thanks.”
Second message, received today at 9:47 a.m.: “Hello sweetie, it’s Mom. I just got a call from Miranda looking for you. She sounded, uh, scared. Is everything all right? Please call me and Dad at home and let us know that you’re okay. If we’re not home, we’re going to brunch with the Kleins, so call Dad’s cell. Or my cell. Bye!”
Third message, received today at 9:49 a.m.: “Curtis, it’s me again. Where the hell are you? I’m at the house waiting for you.”
Fourth message, received today at 10:15 a.m.: Click.
Fifth message, received today at 10: 21 a.m.: Click.
Sixth message, received today at 10: 25 a.m.: Click.
Seventh message, received today at 10: 29 a.m.: Click.
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Pierre Rosemere (@Pirose) mentioned you on Twitter! “@CurtisStan you is some crazy mofo, but good luck with the spin. #RedorBlack #crazymofo”
Sylvia Carr (@SylviaCarr) mentioned you on Twitter! “I bet you don’t have too much life savings, or too much of a life @CurtisStan! #RedorBlack"
Joey Mitchelson @JoEem) replied to a message from Sylvia Carr (@Sylvia Carr) on Twitter! “Ain’t we pretentious! I’ll take both bets. How much YOU layin’ down?”
Bob Ansell (@BigBob) mentioned you on Twitter! “@CurtisStan remember the prophetic words of Supertramp—You know the roulette wheel’s/a crooked deal”! #RedorBlack"
Jim Hadzipetros (@JimmydaGreek) mentioned you on Twitter! “Biggest balls I’ve seen since Evel Knievel at Snake River Canyon! Go get ‘em, boy! #RedorBlack”
Maggie’s Farm (@MaggiesFarm) mentioned you on Twitter! “@CurtisStan put your faith in Jesus and not in the den of Satan. You should know and do better #bangambling"
Linda Harrison (@LindaHarrison), Rhoda Kath (@rkath), Rob Stevens (@Rstevens) and 174 others are now following you on Twitter!
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From: Patrick Singer <psinger@PetrasonWealthMgt.com>
Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2011 11:31:14 -0400
To: <cstanfield@SnowBalls.com>
Subject: We gotta talk…
Hey Curtis,
Rare is the Sunday I reach out to you for anything other than football, but I really think we need to sit down this week and discuss your financials. Miranda just called me and she said that you are about to do something rash. I don’t care about my commish buddy, it’s just that I don’t want you to piss away what we’ve worked so hard to maintain…and grow.
Cal me today or tomorrow or as soon as you can.
Thanks,
Pat
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Danny MacDonald (@DanMac) mentioned you on Twitter! “Come on @CurtisStan use ur head. Bet half on a hand of blackjack. If u win u got a nicer nest egg; If u lose u get to bet the other half. Barring this, I would show some real balls & go black 22.”
Morris St. Victor (@MstVictor) mentioned you on Twitter! “Red? Red? Don’t even think of it @CurtisStan! Don’t you know that once you go Black, you don’t go back? #RedorBlack
Joey Mitchelson (@JoEem) mentioned you on Twitter! “Guess who’s trending? Unreal! My man @CurtisStan right up there with #schoolscandal and #BieberVsBeatles. Vive #RedorBlack!”
Hiroki Iwai (@HIwai), Yosuke Innoue (@YosukeInnoue), Kamal Patel (@KPatel) , Ioan Covanescu (@IoanCovanescu), Vladimir Lefkovsky(@VladLev), Macau Hi-Roller (@MacauHi) and 2,981 others are now following you on Twitter!
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Curtis was stlll in a state of gape-mouthed awe, eyes still glued to his iPhone as he opened the door to his house. He couldn’t believe that he was the unlikely source of two-and-a-half hours of madness while cocooned by his headphones and distracted by his workout playlist at the gym.
As usual upon entry, he was met with the unbridled joy of his two dogs, who raced down the hallway and launched themselves at his midsection; their way of saying hello.
But that was the only joy he was to encounter that Sunday mid-afternoon. Looking up from the pups he saw Miranda, standing arm-crossed and brow-furrowed. She tapped her foot impatiently, like a schoolmarm about to reprimand a delinquent student.
“Hey!” Curtis said, breaking the chill.
“Are you fucking crazy?” she yelped.
Curtis stayed silent, thinking she would’ve responded with “Don’t ‘Hey’ me!” instead of immediately launching into a tirade.
“You’re joking about this, right? Risking our life savings on a roulette spin?”
Curtis tried a diversionary tactic.
“What do you mean OUR life savings?”
Bad move.
“Curtis, I’ve been with you for six years. Lived with you for three years. If you think that this doesn’t affect me, you’re stupider than I thought.”
He didn’t appreciate the way she pronounced “stupider,” a word she spat out to rhyme with “Jupiter.” She was always somewhat condescending at this time of the month, but this was meant to injure, not just embarrass.
“Chill out…relax. I didn’t say I was actually gonna do it. I just asked Joey for his advice.”
Worse move.
“Joey? Joey Mitchelson? Oh please, he’s a con man, an idiot! Look who he asks! A comic-book character in overpriced jeans. Your parents are freaking out about this! If you want a real opinion about dealing with your money, why don’t you ask Pat?”
“Screw Pat! You seem to forget that if not for Joey, I wouldn’t have this money in the first place!”
“Curtis please, this is our future. This isn’t anything to joke about, or be cavalier with.”
“Yeah, but it’s also my present. My life. I’m bored. I’m not happy any more. I need a change. And every month when you bring me home those statements, I tense up to the point of puking. I can’t handle the goddamn volatility!”
Miranda downshifted into supportive understanding. She had endured such financial panic attacks like this a few times before.
“So let’s deal with that. There are other ways. Fixed income. Safe investments. Stuff that will let you sleep at night. Come on honey, speak to Pat. Or the other three. I bet even Lisa will take time off from going to some charity ball to help you.”
That was a bit of a dig. Miranda disliked Lisa Mankoff and mocked the bubbly blonde’s social-climbing ways every chance she got…which were many. She was still a bit bothered that Curtis didn’t let Patrick and Petrason Wealth take care of his entire portfolio, but that niggling slight was far down on the hurt list at this time.
Nonetheless, Miranda’s softening had done the trick, knocking Curtis into second-guess mode. Maybe this was all a knee-jerk reaction. His path was usually one of reason, of rational thinking. Maybe ultra low-risk fixed income was indeed the way to go. Or perhaps a big honking safe filled with cash, a modern-day stuffed mattress. It was fun to free-wheel think for a bit, but really…
His soothing thoughts were interrupted by an iPhone bark. That semi-irritating attention-grabber was his ringtone of choice, a tribute to his beloved pooches. He instinctively reached out to answer.
“Curtis, leave it,” Miranda cooed, sensing his mood changing. “We’re talking. Is it your parents?”
He looked at his screen. It was a number he had never seen before, certainly not the caller ID Mom & Dad.
“No.”
“Then forget it. Talk to me. Let’s talk about your present…and our future.”
After a few more seconds, the barks subsided. Curtis let the call go directly to voicemail.
“Hmmm,” he thought. “Who do I know in the 702 area code?”
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Please enter your password.
You have one unheard message and two saved messages.
First message, received today at 1:14 p.m.: “Hey Curtis. So sorry to bother you on a Sunday. My name is Joel Fischman and I got your number by tracking down one of your friends, Joey Mitchelson. I work for Steve Wynn as the head of marketing for the Wynn and the Encore in Las Vegas and I’ve been reading a few tweets about you today. Well, more than a few, actually. If you are really serious about your red or black bet, call me. I would love you to consider one of the Wynn properties as the place to spin the wheel. I’m sure we can make it worth your while. You can get me any time at this number: (702) 871-….”
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To be continued next week...
