Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 97199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
I wasn’t surprised when I arrived at her bar to find a standard issue Turquoise Crown game board set up for us. Opal quickly explained that she thought I might prefer to keep the special edition untouched because she anticipates its worth will continue to grow year by year.
It’s a solid suggestion, but it’s going to remain in my possession until the day I die because as I told her already, it’s the best gift I’ve ever received.
“Do you want a refill, William?” She gestures toward the empty glass tumbler next to my play money. “Being a little tipsy will help numb the pain of the humiliating loss you’re about to experience.”
I laugh. “Jesus, Opal. I had no idea you were so cutthroat.”
Her eyes shimmer in the light emanating from the fixture above the table we’re sitting at. “I love this game. I’ve never met anyone who could beat me.”
I believe her.
I’ve been trying my best to conquer this game tonight, but I admit that my focus hasn’t solely been on each move I’ve made. It’s damn hard to concentrate on every roll of the dice and each draw of a ‘royal card’ from the pile in the middle of the board.
Strategy is generally one of my strong suits, but tonight, that’s buried beneath my fascination with her. I’ve been hanging on every word she says, and I’ve gotten lost in the sound of her laughter more than once.
If Percy Haines hadn’t hired me to help him gain a fighting chance with her, I would have kissed her by now.
I want to kiss her.
I toss my head back and close my eyes, willing that thought to fuck right off. I can’t kiss her. I can’t even contemplate the idea of what it might be like to kiss her.
Percy paid me to help him get into a position that will make her want to kiss him.
I almost curse out loud when a mental image of that pops into my mind.
“You look a little pissed off.” Opal laughs. “You’re not used to losing, are you?”
She has no idea how much I hate losing, be it when I’m playing a board game or when I want a woman.
I always find a way to come out on top, yet tonight, I’m on the cusp of losing it all.
“I haven’t lost yet.” I finish rolling my sleeves. “I’m just hitting my stride.”
Resting both elbows on the table, she tilts her head slightly. Her cheeks have taken on a rosy hue since she started sipping on her drink. I doubt she’s a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, but she’s obviously enjoying a slight buzz. It stands to reason that she’s finally letting her guard down around me.
She wasn’t like this when I first arrived, and we shared the Italian feast I’d picked up at Calvetti’s on my way over. The New York staple is my go-to restaurant for a comforting meal, so I told the owner, Marti, to pack me up a few different things. I didn’t have to specify any particular dishes because everything on the menu always hits the right spot.
So far tonight, I’ve learned that Opal is a huge fan of calamari and the spaghetti and meatballs from Calvetti’s.
In terms of the job I was hired to do, that’s good news because, at some point soon, I need to report back to Percy with some inside information on Opal.
Figuring out what type of gifts she likes can be considered research, so I reach for my suit jacket, which is slung over the back of the vacant chair next to me. I rummage in the inner pocket and pull out a small square box wrapped in paper.
“What’s that?” Opal asks quickly. “Did you bring your own lucky crown? If you did, you should have started using it before your first roll of the dice.”
She has no idea that when I played this game as a kid with my brother I did indeed have a lucky crown game piece. Each player gets to use one of the colored metal crowns that come with the game. Bauer always got his hands on the blue one I wanted, so I settled for green. That worked until one day after school, I took one of Scout’s markers to the blue crown and adorned it with black dots that I called power gems. Bauer blew up at me, but the blue one was mine from that day forward.
I bite the corner of my bottom lip to hold in a hearty chuckle. “That’s brutal. You’re showing me no mercy here, Opal.”
“I’ll show you some mercy.” She presses both palms together as if she’s about to pray. “Since you didn’t answer my question about a refill, I’ll get you one. You’re going to need it when I win.”
“If you win,” I correct her as she pushes to stand.