Luckey Quarter is the fourteenth and final short story in Everything's Eventual, and was originally published in the 30 June/2 July 1995 issue of USA Weekend. It follows a hotel maid after she finds an unusual tip in one of her rooms.
Plot Summary[]
Darlene Pullen, a turn-down maid at the Rancher's Hotel in Carson City, Nevada, is cleaning Room 322. She finds the tip envelope, or "honeypot," and discovers a quarter. She begins to laugh, and facetiously fantasizes about the braces she can get her daughter Patsy, and the video game system she can get her son Paul, thanks to 322's "generosity."
She notices a note accompanying the quarter: "This is a luckey quarter! Its true! Luckey you!" This gives her another chuckle before she moves on to her next room.
As she is leaving the hotel to go to lunch, she feels the quarter in her pocket and, on a lark, drops it into the slot machine in the lobby. To her surprise, she hits the jackpot. That evening, as she is walking home, she turns into the Silver City Casino and begins to play roulette with her winnings. After several successful bets, she places her now-$576 on the 2nd triple, drawing the pit boss's attention. The ball hits 13, yeilding $1728. Darlene attempts to put this on 25, but is limited by the pit boss to a bet of $800. Before the ball can land, however, she opens her eyes in room 322 and pushes the fantasy - note, slot machine, roulette, and all - from her mind.
That evening, Patsy and Paul meet her at the hotel. Darlene gives Paul the quarter, and tells Patsy she has a magazine for her. As they go to get it, however, they hear the sound of Paul putting the quarter in the slot machine and pulling the lever. Soon enough, they also hear the jingle of coins as he hits the jackpot...