"Get that shirt on Jacques, you've got a lady to pick up at Air Port.""Gonna be in buff by this afternoon driving this broken down cab with a heater I can't turn off. Whats her name Fred?
"You're breaking my heart Jacques. Did you ever think of opening window? Her name is Ellen Simonetti ."
"Is she a tall blonde with a great pair of legs."
"Yeah she is Jacques. How did you know."
"Saw her on TV other day Fred. She's first Flight Attendant to ever be fired for blogging."
"Whats blogging Jacques?"
"The word blog is derived from word web log. They took b from end of word web and then combined that letter b with word log. So blog is kind of a hip way to say web log."
"Whats a weblog?"
"Never mind Fred. Don't think you'll understand. Lets just say its a little something they invented a little bit past your Pony Express days."
"I'll tell her you've got great abs so you don't have to keep your shirt off."
"Okay, okay, I'm putting shirt on now Fred. Tell her I'll be there in about five minutes."
Arriving at Airport his waiting passenger asked,"are you cab driver with great abs?"
"What else did my dispatcher tell you about me,?" Jacques asked.
"Oh nothing much. He just mentioned that you slept with librarian and your school teacher just to get an A."
"Gee, I mentioned that in confidence to one person, now I suppose its all over town. Anyway how have you been Ellen Simonetti ? I've seen you on Today Show and on CNBC. I'm sorry that you were fired from your job as a Flight Attendant because of your blogging."
"Thank you Jacques. Its kind of you to say that. But I came here to forget about my troubles. My very good friend is getting married and I'm gonna be her Brides Maid. So I'm gonna just forget about Delta and TV and newspaper interviews for a few days and just be plain old Ellen Simonetti again."
"I understand Ellen. I think taking a break from it all is best thing to do. Besides New England is beautiful this time of year. How are you fixed for cash?"
"I'm okay Jacques. I'm getting unemployment benefits at last. I just hope I can finish my book before checks run out. I'm not happy about being on such a tight budget but I have no choice unless I take offer to be a centerfold."
"Oh, so they did want you do a centerfold. Figured they would. It would of sold magazines but I'm sure you made right decision."
"Just couldn't do it Jacques. Any way I wear white socks."
"White socks! I don't get it."
"Its kind of a Texas saying Jacques. Good girls wear white socks."
"Oh now I get it. Oh by way Ellen would you like to make some quick easy money?"
"Sure I would Jacques, but just keep in mind that I wear white socks."
"Sure Ellen, it just so happens that I wear white socks too."
"Yeah, great Jacques, that gives me a lot of faith in you. You just slept with librarian and your school teacher but you wear white socks. What are we talking about here? I don't deal drugs or rob banks either."
"No, no Ellen, nothing illegal. All you have to do is place a bet on a horse race. And its not on a ringer or anything like that."
"Whats a ringer Jacques?"
"A ringer is a horse disquised as another horse. Lets say you own a grey horse thats a top allowance grade horse and I own a cheap horse that runs for a low claiming tag. What we do is switch horses. The bettors think they're betting on my cheap claiming tag horse but he's really your allowance horse. Its getting harder to get away with this today because now they have more ways to identify horses but people still try it from time to time."
"So whats so special about this one horse race and why do you need me to place bet?"
"My friend is a horse trainer Ellen. He's been secretly clocking Joisey Girl in early morning before clockers show up at track. He figures that Joisey Girl is at least ten lengths better than top contenders in race. But if either one of us is spotted making a big bet on horse price will go down. Joisey Girl hasn't run in two years. She was hurt but she had surgery and my friend nursed her back to health. She figures to go off about seventy to one if no one gets wise."
"How much do you want me to bet on it Jacques?"
"I only have five hundred dollars that I saved for my rent to bet. I'll give you one hundred dollars worth of bet just for putting it in. Just walk up to five hundred dollar win window two minutes before race goes off and say one ticket on number seven."
"But what if it loses Jacques? Then how will you pay your rent?"
"Its no big deal Ellen. If Joisey Girl loses I'll just have to sleep with my land lady again. She'd much rather have me sleep with her than give her rent money any way."
"Sleep with you're land lady again! You're putting me on about your land lady. Right?"
"No, thats deal we made. She said five hundred a month or I sleep with her on rent day. But she wanted a three month security deposit, so I had to sleep with her three times because I didn't have fiveteen hundred for security deposit."
"Take off that shirt Jacques. I want to see if your abs are worth five hundred dollars a month free rent. And I'm gonna take pictures to show my friends in Texas if they are."
"Okay Ellen, I'm taking off my shirt but I don't want to see those pictures ending up in Play Girl or something. Remember, I wear white socks."
"Damn, I'm snapping. Those abs are worth a thousand a month rent. Hey take of some more Jacques. Maybe I could sell pictures to Play Girl."
"Okay Ellen stop snapping where here. Got to put my shirt back on now. Just remember to play it cool. If anyone asks you why you're betting number seven just say its your lucky number and act like you really don't care if it loses."
"Okay I'll do it Jacques. Any way seven is my lucky number. I've got ten dollars of wild money. So I'm gonna play a seven and seven daily double for my self."
"I was going to leave right after first race Ellen. After all, I am supposed to be providing a cab service. But okay, put your double in. Maybe its a winner."
"Thanks Jacques, I feel lucky today. And you're right. It is a picture perfect day today. New England is really a beautiful place."
"There she is Ellen. Joisey Girl is walking out on track now."