Dave and Busters: Innocent Fun for Some an Addiction for Others

The room is at all times crammed with laughter, tinkling bells and loud music on the native Dave and Busters. This place is like grown-up Chuck E. Cheese – meals, alcohol and video games – what extra may you ask for? The room was crammed with the odor of meals being cooked within the kitchen, it was smoky and the lights had been dimmed to make the video games’ lights shine brighter – engaging passers-by to gamble and win tickets.

There have been males and ladies strolling round with tickets overflowing from their pockets and hugging one another with smiles that stretched from ear to ear. Their D&B ticket cups had been stuffed to the brim with yellow paper tickets. “Do you assume we’ve sufficient tickets for the Household Man Monopoly sport?” one of many guys requested as he and his buddy ran to the prize counter to rely their tickets. “I do not know, but when we do not, I do not wish to waste my tickets on some silly prize, I wish to wait till I’ve sufficient for the sport. I have been ready ceaselessly to get this sport! It took me greater than 3 times to come back right here to get sufficient tickets,” his buddy mentioned. A value that might usually be $20 at your native Walmart can value lots of of {dollars} right here, however nobody pays consideration on the prize when he is having a lot enjoyable.

There was a giant crowd across the Jeopardy sport. 4 individuals sat on stools in entrance of a big display screen and competed to see who may get the questions proper and get probably the most tickets. The sport is about up the identical because the present you’ll be able to watch at residence, whoever is available in first with the right reply will get probably the most tickets. Folks round them shouted solutions left and proper, making an attempt to assist the 4 gamers; the music being as loud because it was made it tough for the gamers to know what everybody was saying to them. A lady with lengthy blonde hair began screaming, “OMG I do not know the reply! Is it George Clooney or Brad Pitt?!” To her dismay, the reply to the query was Brad Pitt. She misplaced the sport and the ticket jackpot; Many of the tickets went to a tall man with auburn hair and darkish brown eyes.

This man with darkish brown eyes and auburn hair is the point of interest round which our story revolves. His title is Derek Foster. Derek does not appear to be your typical arcade junkie, however I can guarantee you he’s. He seemed like he walked into the bar tonight straight out of the southern males’s version of GQ journal. His hair is slicked again, he has some stubble on his face, and he is sporting Wrangler denims and a plaid button-down shirt. He is sporting tan work boots and has a John Deer belt round his waist. He lets out a “Yea!” for each appropriate reply within the Jeopardy sport. His voice is deep and has the faintest trace of a southern trait.

“I am hooked on Dave and Busters,” Derek mentioned as he took a fast sip of his beer. “I am right here each week…typically two or 3 times. It is a good and fast escape from actuality. After I get off work on the lumber yard, I like to come back down right here and blow off some steam — , play whack -a-mole and strive my hand at Jeopardy.”

The gaming ground is crowded with individuals taking part in their video games. As I observe Derek to his subsequent sport, I can not assist however odor the combination of alcohol, sweat, and meals circulating in every single place. The odor of the alcohol is powerful; primarily because of the many individuals spilling their cup of boos on the ground whereas being pushed round on the play ground.

We make it to one in all Derek’s favourite video games, the wheel of fortune. “That is how the sport works,” he mentioned, eyes intense. “First you push the lever on the proper all the way in which down, now it’s a must to be sure to push it onerous, in any other case the wheel will not spin. After you push the lever down, you simply have to attend and see what quantity that’s is arrow winds up. That is the simplest sport and you get probably the most tickets.” Derek put his hand on the lever and pushed down as onerous as he may, the wheel should have spun at the least six instances earlier than lastly stopping at quantity 50. Tickets began pouring out of the machine however Derek did not take his tickets, as an alternative he performed over and over once more till he had over 500 tickets. Then he neatly folded all of the tickets and put them in his Dave & Busters mug.

“My purpose is to get this big purple and black stuffed gorilla for my little sister… it is 10,000 tickets. I am nearly half carried out! Hopefully I am going to have sufficient tickets earlier than her birthday which is 4 weeks from now,” Derek mentioned as he stared up on the big monkey.

It is nearly midnight and individuals are pouring out of the constructing one after the other. The room grows quieter with every individual leaving. Some rush to the value counter to redeem their tickets and get their prizes earlier than they need to go residence, whereas others maintain their tickets to allow them to get a greater value subsequent time. Derek is a type of individuals. He makes positive all his tickets are stowed securely in his D&B mug, slips on his jacket and heads to his automobile within the freezing chilly evening. “Possibly subsequent time I am going to have sufficient for that gorilla, however not at this time.”