Page 35 of Game Changer

“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.

“When I win,” she counters as she walks toward the bar to retrieve the bottle of scotch. “If I roll a five next, you’re toast. It’s officially game over.”

“What the hell?” I mutter. “That can’t be right.”

“Oh, it is.” She pours two fingers’ worth of scotch into the tumbler. “Let’s toast to your downfall.”

“Let’s not.” I shake my head and point toward the small box I yanked out of my jacket pocket. “Open your gift first.”

Her brows pinch together. “What? You got me a gift? Why?”

I’ll answer the last question because it’s the only one that matters. “It’s a small token of appreciation for your gift.”

“I didn’t give you the special edition because I expected a gift in return.”

I stand, too, so we’re on even ground. “I know you didn’t. I found this and thought you might like it.”

Correction: I know she will like it.

I know that because I found something that is rare and beautiful. It only cost me a few dollars, but I hope Opal will view it as priceless.

She leans forward a touch. “What is it?”

I asked the clerk at the second-hand shop where I bought the gift to wrap it for me. She did that with a piece of pink paper and a gold ribbon that she twisted around her fingers a few times to create a stunning bow. I was so impressed by her skill that I took a picture of the gift. It’s not as though I’ll try and recreate the wrapping job myself, but I will show it to Lola since she considers herself a stellar gift wrapper, and she may find some inspiration in it.

“Open it and see,” I encourage as I tap the corner of the gift.

She eyes me for a moment, her gaze sweeping over my face until it reaches my lips. “Okay.”

I can tell she’s hesitant. I don’t know if it’s because she’s wary of what’s inside the box or if she’s concerned that I’m expecting something from her in return. I guess I am, but it’s only a smile.

Since I’ve started spending time with her, I’ve realized that her face, when it lights up with a smile, is truly a sight to behold. The word ‘beautiful’doesn’t capture what I see when I look at her. I don’t know that there’s a word in existence that does.

She picks up the box and tugs on one end of the ribbon, releasing it. The rest of the ribbon unfurls, falling into a puddle of gold on the table. Her breath hitches slightly as she slides a fingernail under a corner of the wrapping paper to loosen it.

As soon as that’s on the table, too, she looks up at me. “Thank you, William.”

“You haven’t seen what’s in the box yet, Opal.”

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