$2000 Date Night - LGW

The Flying Saucer Beer Garden, 6:05 pm AEST;

The waiter is moving like a butterfly on performance enhancing drugs. My fork is wearing this jalapeno like a necklace, I can tell by the swift way the waiter is pouring my drink that he has an above average passion for the hydration of others.

MINUTES LATER.

Our Uber driver says on his day off that he gets in his car with his wife and drives an hour north to Oklahoma to the casino. They used to go almost every Tuesday, so much so that the people who work there called them the 'Tuesday Couple', they don't go on Tuesdays anymore they go on Mondays now (changing work schedule, compromise, extending weekend etc) but they don't get called the 'Monday Couple', still the 'Tuesday Couple'. They started to get free meals. They park their car near the bank and withdraw $2000, $1000 each, he leaves his wallet in his car, making sure to keep temptation out of harms way.

They play a lot of table games but their favourites by far are 3 card poker and Texas hold'em. I think he's going the wrong way, he missed our exit. I'm watching an old photo of him and his wife printed on plastic, hanging from the rearview mirror, it dances to the rhythm of the Dallas highway potholes.

he used to be very handsome,  holding his wife's face as if he loves her very much. She is his treasure, he gambles for her. He looks in her eyes and crinkles his smile as cherries and dollar signs twinkle, reflecting back in her eyes, she is so happy.

They hold hands and pull the slot machines together, its a $2000 date night.

A MINUTE LATER.

A messenger notification interrupts my fantasy, from Dadda

"The kangaroos are the Hardenburgia to the roots"

I have no idea what he is saying, I send him a kiss face emoji.

GREYHOUND BUS

To know I'm getting on the 11:00 am greyhound bus tomorrow morning, I'm at the communal table of the avenue clubroom, I have homework to do but I forgot my adapter, heart achingly formulaic country music plays just slightly louder than enjoyable.

I have little to no opinions surrounding country music. Oh, they've turned it down now. I've concluded my opinion on the genre based on the relieving exhale that came out of my body when Cheryl lowered the volume.

Most people are well and specifically groomed here in Dallas, so I believe the people in the clubroom office may think I'm homeless. I would really like for my dad to come and bring my adapter, they need to understand I'm a lost bohemian-vagabond-daughter-of-a-pilot. I fiddle and avoid eye contact with the girl with two foot blonde hair, a neo cowgirl Rapunzel, her suspicion grows.

My hair is unbrushed and I'm seeing a more vivid intensity to the stains on my yoga pants through her eyes.

Fuck my disintegrating cosplay.

The singer just rhymed 'exhausted' with 'Austin' 

Really good effort.

"Midnight in Austin, damn I'm exhausted" 

It works actually.

There's tricks of the eye here that add to its alienness, it is alien. I keep subconsciously searching in the right seat of cars for the driver and am met with an empty space. My unconscious scanning on the open freeway by the estate creates a flickering reel of thousands of driverless cars, alien.

The streets of Dallas city are mostly empty, beside a wealthy cowboy holding his MacBook in midair outside the Adolphus, and an overeager valet boy, he remains on the verge of speech the entire time I pass him, despite my lack of motor vehicle.

I'm sorry I have no task for you.

I have smoked a total of 1.4 cigarettes since my arrival, as my mum scans the bridal section of the department store I light up the 0.6th I have left. There is a sweet and meek solidarity between the security guard and I as we smoke on the combed pavement. We raise our brows with humorous acceptance. We are slaves to our vices, yes, we fall victim to dirty coping mechanisms, but right now, an inhale tastes of pure freedom, American freedom. I reach for his hand.