Actually, I Bought Five

My dentist fixed four fillings today—actually five—but said he wouldn’t charge for the fifth, because . . . I can’t remember why, because in the 25 years I’ve been under his care, I don’t recall him giving me anything more than a toothbrush.
     My second shock came with the bill: $649.
     “You should buy a lottery ticket,” said Barbara. “The 6/49 draw is tonight.”
     And so, wondering if the responsibility for booking appointments mightn’t give her some heightened sense of future events, I decided to try my luck. One in 13,983,816, precisely a fart’s chance in a windstorm.