Page 48 of Game Changer

“Who says?”

I tap my hand in the center of my chest. “Me. A thank you gift for my thank you gift isn’t necessary.”

“Well, I think it is.” She crouches down far enough that she disappears from my view.

I finish the last of the water in my glass before she pops back up, holding a chocolate bar and a bottle of root beer. Laughter bursts out of me as I toss my head back. “That’s too fucking good.”

Opal cracks open the lid of the bottle before she slides it and the chocolate across the bar toward me. “I guessed that you’d be a fan of milk chocolate, and that brand of root beer is the best according to the guy who runs the bodega at the end of the block.”

I snatch the bottle up, bring it to my lips, and take my first taste of the cold soda. I’m immediately flooded with memories of summers when I was a kid, including the heat of the sun on my back and the smell of freshly cut grass.

A satisfying groan escapes me. “Jesus, that’s good stuff.”

Opal grins. “I’m glad you like it.”

I offer the bottle to her. “Taste it.”

She shakes her head, signaling with her hand that she can’t take it. “That’s your gift. I got it all for you.”

“I’d share anything with you,” I tell her, and I mean it. “Taste it, Opal.”

She brings the bottle to her lips before taking a small sip. Her eyes close as she does. “Oh, that is good.”

I use the fact that she’s distracted to slide off the stool and round the bar.

When she opens her eyes, they’re glued to my face. “Thank you for sharing that with me. It’s delicious.”

“You’re delicious,” I whisper as I reach to bunch her hair in my fist, tilting her head to just the right angle so I can satisfy the intense craving within me to kiss her again.

Her eyelids flutter shut as I lean down and taste the root beer on her lips. This is a moment that will live in my memory forever. An unexpected reminder of some of the best days of my past and the promise of what could be my future if I open myself up to the possibility of it.

28

Opal

“I think that’s Chuck,”I whisper to William when I hear a faint knock at the door of the bar.

Nodding, he plants a row of soft kisses over my jawline. “I need to buy one of those do not disturb signs they have in hotels.”

I try not to laugh, but I can’t contain it. “What? Why?”

“The next time I come here to kiss you, I’m going to hang a sign on the doorknob that says do not disturb, or better yet, go to hell, because I’m never going to make it beyond first base at this rate.”

“Were you going to try for second base before he knocked?”

Another knock at the door accentuates my question.

Stepping back, William looks me over from head to toe. “What do you think?”

I smile. “I think we need a go to hell sign now.”

Chuckling, he makes his way to the door. “Something tells me that Chuck comes bearing more board games, so let’s make an exception.”

I can’t help but notice that William is already pulling a few bills out of the front pocket of his pants. From what I’ve witnessed, the man’s generosity knows no limits.

He swings open the door just as Chuck raises his fist to knock again. “I was beginning to think I’d need to circle back around right before I called it a day.”

I know he’s not required to do that if the recipient isn’t around to accept the delivery, but Chuck looks out for the people on his route. I’ve heard that from many people running the businesses along this block.

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