El and the Count

Only his mother still calls him Lester. He'd been "El" since his first live performance fifteen years ago. One Tuesday night, he walked onto the stage at the Tiki Idol. He changed into his jumpsuit in the manager's office among the cheap torches and fake palm fronds.

The tricks started out simple then. Mostly card tricks. Nothing special. That's not true. The absurdity of Fat Elvis made it special.

-OK, little mama, pick a card, any card. Don't show it to me. Show it to the people out there.

The tipsy woman from Jacksonville showed the audience the three of clubs with a wide sweep and then placed it back in the battered deck of cards. Shuffle, shuffle, shuffle.

-Is this your card, little momma? The seven of diamonds?

-Um. No?

-Hold on there, baby. Look in your right front pocket.

-Oh shit!

She produced the 3 of clubs from her jeans to the amusement of the 28 people in the club that night. And right on cue,

-Thank you. Thank you very much.

He entered the club as Lester and left as Elvis Presto, the world's first and only Elvis impersonator/magician.

The oldest guy in the club was El's grandfather Lester Senior. Nobody called him that either. Magic ran in the family. His stage name was Count Tobias Sharpe. But everyone just called him "The Count." The Count thought this was the funniest show that he'd seen in a long time. The magic was lousy. All shit that an 8 year old with a Christmas present magic set could do, but if the Elvis gimmick didn't push it over the top. Goddamn, Elvis makes magic funny. Who knew?

El and the Count had really bonded over the new act.

-Great show, El. Ninety percent Elvis, ten percent magic.

-Thanks, Gramps. I couldn't have done it without your help. Barkeep, Mic for the old man and Red Stripe for me.

-Hey, you're a magician now, El. Call me "The Count."

-You got it, Count. I'm glad you talked me out of "Elvis Prestidigitation"

-Shit, that doesn't fit on a marquee. It's common fucking sense. I gotta teach you some more tricks. One day, you'll be more magic than Elvis.

Back in the office on Wednesday, the legend of Elvis Presto spread through the entire staff.