Part 95 (1/2)
An hour and a half into the game, Becca drops her meagre collection of property cards on the table.
”I suck at this!” she complains. ”You two have all the cards. Don't they, Jase?”
”You can share mine,” he replies. ”We'll play together if that's okay?”
”No problem.” Even together, they won't beat me; Nate's my only rival.
The game continues and Becca switches to flirting with Jason, touching his arm and moving progressively closer as she ”helps” him with the game. At one point, Nate makes a soft amused sound and we exchange a small, knowing smile at the humour in their will she, won't she behaviour. The atmosphere between Nate and me swaps between serious compet.i.tion to teasing jokes over trips to jail, as we triumphantly take money from each other.
Nate s.n.a.t.c.hes a Community Chest card from my hand before I have a chance to read. ”Ha. You won second prize in a beauty contest!” I brace myself for the oncoming sarcasm, but instead, he taps the card against his chin. ”Kinda see why. Should've been first prize.”
”Smooth!” laughs Jason and hands me the prize money from the bank.
The whisky gla.s.s besides Nate's several empty beer gla.s.ses increases his volume and humour as the game progresses, and I avoid making this worse by not responding to his dig at me. I pa.s.s the dice to Jason.
”A rock star tells her she's beautiful, and she ignores him!” Nate throws his hands up in mock despair, and Becca grins at me.
Oh, G.o.d.
”Thank you, Nate,” I mutter.
”And?”
”And what?”
”And I'm a s.e.xy f.u.c.ker too, right?”
”You need me to tell you that? Open the internet, Nate, plenty of girls on there will confirm your statement.”
He snorts and drains his gla.s.s. ”Whatever. Another?” He gestures at the empty gla.s.ses on the table.
The couple lapse into silence when Nate walks back to the bar. I neaten my pile of money, irritated that Nate has returned to his usual behaviour around me. Jason excuses himself and heads to the bathrooms.
”You and him?” I ask, inclining my head in Jason's direction. ”What's happening?”
Becca's cheeks flush. ”Nothing.”
”Liar! Have you kissed him yet?”
”Once. Years ago.”
”I think he wants to kiss you again, and more.”
”Do you?”
I laugh. ”It's obvious.” Becca's pretty in an understated way, pet.i.te and curvy, and Jason frequently stares at these curves when she's unaware. ”Maybe he saw your star-struck looks at Nate and decided he'd better lift his game.”
Becca shakes her head. ”Nate's a nice guy.”
I just about choke on my vodka tonic. ”Really?”
”Really helpful with Val and George, he dug a path halfway out the front without anybody asking him.” She pauses. ”And he hasn't hit on me. Jase needn't worry about that.”
Which of those statements surprise me the most? ”I'm happy to hear he hasn't.”
”Nate wouldn't with you here.”
”Oh, I'm inclined to say he's more likely to with me here.”
Becca sips her drink. ”You two are hard to figure out. You've hardly spoken since you arrived; but every time you're together, there's this... thing. I don't know how to explain it. Now you're being nice to each other maybe that'll change things between you too?”
”We've known each other a while; we don't get along very well.”
”A love to hate him thing, huh?” She grins. ”You know that you can't hate someone pa.s.sionately unless part of you loves them too.”
I smile at her internet meme sentiments and don't reply.
Nate returns and pulls the stool closer to me, as he half-drops the refilled whisky gla.s.s onto the table. He indicates Jason's cards. ”These two are nearly out of cash. Down to me and you, Riley.”
”I'm winning,” I tell him.
”Oh, yeah?”
”Yeah.”
Nate's eyes crinkle at the corners as he smiles. ”You win, you get the bed.”
”Who says I wasn't going to take the bed anyway?”
”I can't sleep on the f.u.c.king sofa again!”
”I'm sure I'll be in bed before you finish your night of drinking; you won't have any choice.”
”Try me,” he says in a low voice. ”Because I'll get in with you.”
”You will not!”
”Then it's your choice. I don't care if you're in the bed; I just want a decent sleep. Bed's big enough. I won't touch you. If it offends you, Smiley, sleep somewhere else.”
I swallow down the retort he's waiting for and roll the dice, aware of the silent discomfort of the other players at the table.
”I think I'm done now, actually,” says Jason. ”Becca's bored.” She frowns at him. ”Want to watch some TV?”
Becca's frown switches to a coy smile. ”Sure.”
As they walk away, Nate calls, ”Make sure you're out of there by eleven. Riley goes to bed early and she'll need the sofa.”
Calming breaths.
Deep calming breaths.