Round 34

O ur gossip was interrupted when a knock on the door jolted us upright.

Neema stumbled to the door, red-cheeked from all the laughter, and found the events coordinator.

“The area’s been prepared for you as per your fiancé’s request,” the woman said with a beautiful smile. “If you’re ready, I can take you down there now.”

We followed her outside to a flat, green, and very well-maintained lawn where the ceremony would take place. Stretched behind it was the villa itself, which served as a stunning backdrop.

Rows of white chairs were assembled on either side of a long aisle leading to a white arch decorated in pink flowers. Lining the courtyard were flowering dogwood trees, scattering white across the green. We were assured everything would be lit by fairy lights. The goal was “magical,” so that last point was nonnegotiable.

Giddy with excitement, the skip in Neema’s step returned, and the thought-nado, as my mother called them, in my head slowed the moment my eyes found William. It was like a part of me slotted into place when he arrived.

And I realized I needed to tell him that. I wanted to tell him that.

“Williaaaam,” Neema called, a playful smile on her face. “You made it!”

My stomach pulled tight. What if Neema accidentally exposed us in front of Shaun? While her intentions were always good, she occasionally ran her mouth a little.

“Come and pretend to be my dad,” she begged. “Please walk me down the aisle?”

William sighed and glanced at me. I tried to avoid his gaze, needing more time to figure out what my next move would be and what his intentions were, but he caught my gaze and his eyes initiated a game. And all I wanted was to play with him.

“Some grooms walk down the aisle too,” I whispered to Shaun.

“I haven’t decided what I’d like to do.” He stood next to me as Neema dragged William down the aisle.

“You know the answer to this question,” I joked.

“Ask Neema?”

I laid my first finger over the tip of my nose with a grin. “Bingo!”

Laughing, he called out to her. “Love, should I walk down the aisle on the day?”

“Try it out. See how you feel,” she called back.

Shaun offered me his elbow, and I hooked my arm through, looking up at him as we walked together. My best friend was marrying my other best friend. Aside from the crazy life I was currently leading, that was enough to keep me happy.

“You two need to practice.” Neema pointed at William and me. “You’re both stiff as hell. One time at least.”

I should have known Neema would do something like this. William offered me his elbow, and I weaved my arm through his. This time when I looked up at my escort, shivers ran down my body.

William was ridiculously handsome. The bright sun turned his tan skin golden and lit up his angled features. His dark brows were a shade darker, and the jaw I’d spent so many moments kissing was stubbled with fresh growth. I bit down on my lip, remembering how his straight nose brushed against mine when our mouths met.

“I’m glad you’re back,” I confessed.

Smiling, William gazed down at me, and my heart fluttered in the most absurd way.

“You’re hiding something from me,” he said, reading me like an open book.

If he only knew.

“I could say the same about you.” I gave his arm a gentle squeeze, hoping to relay my thoughts before I found the courage to say them. “When are you going to tell me all these horrible secrets?”

His mouth kicked upward again. Then he bit down on his bottom lip. “They’re not all bad. Some are good, hopefully—really good. I’ll explain everything. I promise.”

“If secret-keeping were a game, you’d win.”

He threw his head back and laughed, almost carelessly. The pressure in my chest grew with each laugh of his I was privileged to hear, as though my body were storing them.

We reached the end of the aisle, and Neema hooked her arm into mine before whispering, “You look good together.”

“You’re not really helping to keep me away from him.”

I tried to pull her away, but Shaun ran up to us.

“I have a surprise. Follow me,” he said and turned on his heel.

Neema dragged me back to create distance between us and them. “I thought I’d discourage it. It’s a really, really bad idea. A terrible idea, but…” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “But then I saw the way you smiled at him.”

My cheeks flushed hot.

“I can’t believe Shaun hasn’t figured it out. It’s so obvious. You practically drool while looking at William.”

“I do not,” I said, knowing full well I absolutely did.

“You do, and he has his tongue wagging every time you walk by. Maybe you two need to release that tension.” She pursed her lips upward in thought. “Clear your minds. I think it’s the only way to figure out if you want to get back together with Patrick or not.”

“I want to, but I don’t think I can. Does that make sense?”

Even though I’d tried to initiate it, I knew that I’d regret it immediately after.

“Because of how much it’ll mean to you?” she asked.

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

Neema squeezed my hand as we went down another flight of stairs, this time in silence.

With the lights dimmed low and the room filled with bulky furniture that must have been older than my great-grandparents, the basement had a dungeon-y feel. If I squinted my eyes, I could imagine prisoners and dark smears of blood.

William and Shaun were already seated at a large table decked with roast lamb and vegetables, freshly baked bread, cubes of cheese, and an assortment of drinks.

Shaun pulled out Neema’s D&D set. “Dinner and Dungeons & Dragons. D&D&D.”

She slipped the cape he’d brought along over her shoulders and beamed up at him with a sureness I could feel in my heart. The certainty terrified me. I hazarded a glance at William, who was already focused on me with the very same look in his eyes.

Or was it simply a reflection of mine?

Neema confiscated our phones in preparation for the game. She let loose a loud whistle, and it was officially time to begin.

The game went on for hours, longer than usual since we paused to eat and drink and burst into fits of wedding excitement. Beside me, William stroked my thigh under the table. I lifted my left leg and draped it across his right leg, allowing his hand to wander dangerously higher.

I could barely enjoy my meal. Everything was dulled in comparison to the way he made me feel, and he didn’t even know.

I glanced at him throughout the game, aware of how my body lit up each time he looked my way. I wondered what unattached sex would be like and whether I could keep my heart out of it.

Would that finish the game? Was that the final round?

Would we pack it up and never return?

No.

No part of me wanted to accept that. There was no way that, after we finished it, we’d squeeze all these feelings and memories into a little box on the shelf that we’d forget about. I wanted to play this game over and over. I wanted to play it forever. And I wanted to play it with him.

I only hoped he felt the same way.

When the D&D session eventually ended, Neema handed back everyone’s phones, and I checked my emails while she checked her wedding website—which she’d checked obsessively since the minute it was up and running.

One of my unread emails was from Fun&Games. I dropped my phone on the table, and everyone’s focus snapped up from their own screens.

“Final results,” I managed.

Beside me, William stiffened.

“Do you want me to read it?” Shaun reached for my phone.

I shook my head and pulled it out of his reach. Then I leaned back in the chair and brought my knees to my chest. “I want to read it this time.”

They all nodded.

Dear all,

It is our pleasure to announce the winning board game is… (drumroll, please)…

Kaleidoscope, submitted by Anita Peterson!

We’ll be in touch with Anita to arrange getting the game developed and distributed as soon as possible so you all can experience the fun we had.

Thank you for all the submissions. Each game we played had brilliance and heart, but there could only be one winner.

Keep playing.

Dudley

A chill covered my skin, sunk into my heart, and reached my eyes, bringing on a wave of unwanted tears. I inhaled a deep breath and counted to ten before exhaling. Disappointment sat heavy in my chest—aching, gnawing. When I looked up, three pairs of eyes were fixed on me.

William pulled my chair toward him and curled his arm protectively around me.

“I didn’t win,” I mumbled.

His face twisted in anguish. Neema and Shaun let out a long sigh and a string of curses.

I shook it off—emotionally—and then stood and shook it off physically as well. “No. I’m okay. It was a long shot, anyway. Let’s not let it ruin our night.” I looked at Shaun. “Come on—where’s dessert?”

Who cared about it anyway? I knew I wouldn’t win. It was a silly childhood dream. Something I should have outgrown a long time ago.

“I’m so sorry, Rose.” William’s head hung low.

“It’s okay. I said it’s okay. People lose things all the time.” I was rambling, but I couldn’t stop.

“Your game was perfect,” he continued, his voice quiet as if talking to himself. “I must have done something wrong at the presentation. It’s the best board game I’ve ever played. I even…”

“Don’t be silly,” I interrupted. “At least wait until Kaleidoscope is produced. Maybe it’s phenomenally good. Maybe it’s so good it’s going to be the game that finally makes you admit you love board games as much as video games.”

The lines of pain on William’s face, combined with the loss of the game I’d spent my entire life creating, was the last straw. It wasn’t good enough, and this competition—which meant more to me than I could ever explain—was over.

Rejection filled the hole in my heart where possibility had resided for years.