"Daniel Marcus - Winter Rules" - читать интересную книгу автора (Marcus Daniel)

at his hand. Fifteen. The dealer was showing a king.

тАЬYou gotta hit that,тАЭ I said.

тАЬYeah, yeah, I know.тАЭ

He hit, busted, his friend hit, busted, and the dealer flipped a seven. They both
glared at me. I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. It went on like that for a while;
me, winning slightly more often than not, the two of them getting completely hosed
almost every time. After a few more hands, they gathered up their remaining chips
and stalked off

тАЬYou from around here ?тАЭ the dealer asked me. There was a black plastic
badge clipped to her white shirt that said she was Darlene from Barstow. Something
about the way she carried herself told me that it had been a long time since Barstow,
and that she had been around the block once or twice since then.

тАЬNo, Santa Fe. IтАЩm here for the conference.тАЭ

She raised her eyebrows. тАЬYou seem sorta different.тАЭ

тАЬThanks,тАЭ I said. тАЬI guess.тАЭ

She dealt me another blackjack and paid me off.

тАЬDan?тАЭ I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around. Dave Lerner. It took
me a second to recognize him in the uniform тАФ neat haircut, Italian wool pinstripe. I
stood up and we embraced. I hadnтАЩt seen him since grad school. Last I heard he
was at Hughes Aircraft. I fingered the lapel of his suit.

тАЬJesus, you too?тАЭ I asked.

тАЬYeah, well, IтАЩm glad to see youтАЩre still flying the flag of the PeopleтАЩs
Republic of Berkeley,тАЭ he said, taking in the rumpled corduroy jacket, the beard, the
earring.

тАЬHow are things at Huge Aircrash?тАЭ

тАЬNot too bad. They made me a group leader about six months ago, so thereтАЩs
a lot of management ratshit and not enough technical work, but thatтАЩs about par for
the course.тАЭ
 тАЬSandy still at Caltech?тАЭ

тАЬOh year. Tenure trackтАФ itтАЩs like feeding time in the shark tank at the
aquarium. We have dinner together about once a week. I think she wears her hair
differently now, but IтАЩm not sure.тАЭ

I laughed. тАЬI was going to ask howтАЩs married life, but I guess I know.тАЭ

тАЬWeтАЩre doing pretty well, actually. Bought a house.тАЭ