Black Card: Now you see it, now you don't

When I was 23, I was a VIP bottle cocktail server at a new club in Vegas. The EASIEST job in the whole world, do not let anyone ever say they work hard at a nightclub- it's just not true. I take that back, the bar backs work hard lugging beer and bottles and dirty glass wear all night, but they are equally compensated for the work they do.
The first AMEX Black card I saw was in this club. The owner racked up a $9,000 bill on tequila and vodka (this is so ridiculous to me... but the more money people spent, the better for me). I always think that if people are so good with their finances to make that much money, why would they be so stupid in the way they spend it... I digress. We ALWAYS get a credit card from the customer on the first bottle they order. When the guy handed me the card, I wasn't even sure it was real; it was heavier and thicker than a regular credit card. And since the only other food and beverage job I had before this was at Outback, I had never had someone pay me with a Black Card.
After being laughed at by co-workers when I asked if this card was real, I was lectured on the importance of this mans worth and bla bla bla. I literally guarded the card with my life after that. I kept periodically checking on it like it was my baby to make sure it was still in our credit card books. I got more and more excited as the night went on and the man kept ordering bottle after bottle. I saw little dollar signs dancing in my head with each bottle of Patron he ordered.
At the end of the night, he asked for his bill - the moment of truth for a cocktail server in a club! Will he be drunk enough to leave you a great tip, but not to drunk that he can't add let alone write on the tiny tip line. I charge his card the $9,000 (who are these people with money to blow like this???) and walk through the dance floor to present him his bill. My stomach has butterflies, I'm giddy with excitement because I know tonight is going to pay my mortgage for the month. As I open the presenter book to check one last time at the bill before I give it to him I see, to my HORROR: THE BLACK CARD IS GONE! NOOOOOO!!! What have I done??? My baby is missing! This guy is going to KILL me! There goes my 20%tip (20% on 9k) - there goes my tip all together!!!
I recruit Big John, our dance floor security to help me find this card, this treasure, the life line to my income - and the owners life line to his income! I retrace my steps: drool over the bill in the back club by register (not there), walk happily through red room (not there, either), the only other place to check- the dance floor, the last obstacle to VIP and the keeper of my tip for the night. So there I found myself with Big John, crouched on the packed dance floor, crying while drunk sweaty tourists danced the night away on my hands as I crawled desperately trying to find this card.

Well, I did find the card. And the guy was drunk enough to tip well, but not too drunk to sign his name to his $10,700 total.

This is the night that I realized that money comes and money goes.... but If you loose someones Black Card - BIG money comes and goes!

But I'm Just a Waitress... What do I know?