I blame the pokies for what happened. Entirely their fault.
The previous evening I'd decided to eat out at one of the local bars. They had a good cook and I just couldn't be bother cooking for myself. I went out and, while my meal was being prepared, I wandered into the games room to play a few games on the pokies. I wasn't going to spend much - just have a bit of fun.
In what seemed like a very short time I was down fifty and then the machine spun up a hundred. I stuck the original fifty back in my wallet and put the fifty in a new machine. This machine spat out a hundred on the first spin, so I pocketed that and moved on. It was most definitely my night because machines kept giving me a bunch of small prizes as I moved around. By the time I was paged for my meal I was ahead by about nine hundred. I had my meal and went home, having no desire to lose all that nice money.
The next day was a Saturday and a very pleasant day. I got out into the front yard a little before lunch time, wanting to cut the grass before lunch as the day was starting to heat up and there was no way I was going to be out there once the temperature moved from nicely-hot to way-too-hot.
I'd just finished the mowing and edging and was starting to pack it in when along came Deanne. A very nice young woman was Deanne. She lived somewhere further up the street, not exactly sure where. I didn't know her marital status or if she had a boyfriend; I just knew that I found her very attractive. She stopped to comment on my garden, which was understandable as the flower beds were currently in full bloom and looking good.
Previous times when Deanne had stopped to chat for a few moments I'd always tried to flirt a little, slightly irritated to observe my best efforts sail past her, completely unnoticed. Not that this was going to stop me trying again. Deanne was currently dressed for the coming heat, wearing shorts (very short) and a cropped top (even if it wasn't cropped enough).
"Garden's looking good, Dave," she observed. "Nice to see it in full bloom."
"Thank you," I said. "I have to return the compliment."
She looked a trifle confused and I smiled.
"You're looking good and it's nice to see you in full bloom."
She gave me an 'oh you' look and ignored my comment. Seeing she was about to move on I added another comment. (As long as you're talking they won't move away. Unless you're being excessively rude.)
"I like the outfit you're almost wearing."
She bridled slightly at that.
"What do you mean, almost wearing? There's nothing wrong with this outfit."
"I didn't say there was," I pointed out. "I distinctly remember saying I liked it. Mind you, I'd pay good money to see you without it."
"Well, really," she said, sounding as though she was in a bit of a huff.
"Yes, really," I assured her. "Ah, fifty, if you were wondering."
She blinked. She might not have been wondering but she was now. After all, fifty is fifty, when all is said and done.
"I wasn't wondering," she said coldly. Maybe not, but she was also still standing there instead of leaving indignantly.
"Just saying," I said. "You really are remarkably pretty. It would be money well spent in my opinion."
She was looking around, deliberately not looking at me.
"Oh, I know what you're thinking," I said. "Stupid of me not to realise. You suspect that I might try to touch you once you're naked. I wouldn't do that. It would be an insult and you're much too nice to be insulted that way. No, the fifty is purely to look at you, cash in advance."
