Page 92 of Shadow

They found a couch near the back of the room, and sat together, with Olivia laying her head on his shoulder.

“It’s so stupid. She’s married, I’m in a relationship. A crush is harmless. I should not be this nervous.”

Ripley chuckled. “I mean Peter and Carrie play with Darci and Bradley all the time from what I hear.”

Olivia lifted an eyebrow. “Are you saying you want to proposition Lance and Marissa?”

He laughed. “Not necessarily. I’m just saying I know you’re bisexual.”

Olivia shrugged. “I’m happy with you. Just because I’m bi doesn’t mean I have to sleep with multiple people. We’re committed to each other, right?”

Ripley frowned. “I would think that’s obvious. I’m fucking this all up. What I’m trying to say is that if an opportunity arises for casual fun and we both agree, I’m good with that. We’re not going to have an open relationship or be poly or anything, but we can explore if you want to.”

Olivia grinned. “Flirting with a woman is half the fun anyway. I’ve flirted a lot in my life, and I can honestly say women are the most fun.”

Ripley kissed the top of her head. “I agree completely.”

With a giggle, she sat up. “We should get back and see what’s next on the agenda. D&D could go for hours, but I know Gage has other plans in mind, so I think we stopped at a good point. Can you believe the toys he bought?”

Ripley could absolutely believe it. He had no clue where Gage’s money came from, but the man had more of it than he knew what to do with, and he had no problem spending it on epic toys.

Back in the Library, Gage was already talking about his plans for a Nerf war.

“What are we waiting for, then?” Ripley asked as he stepped into the room with Olivia. “Let’s get this party started.”

Fifteen minutes later, the group of eighteen players was gathered in the outdoor play area. Gage stood in front of a table of at least forty Nerf guns and more darts than Ripley had ever seen.

“Let’s go over the rules,” Gage said in a booming voice so everyone could hear.

“It’s a simple game. Doms against the subs. Switches, I’m sorry, but you have to pick a side. This is clothing optional, so we’re going to wear colored armbands to identify the team you’re on.

“No weapons other than the Nerf guns and darts. Absolutely no touching a person with your hands, feet, mouths, etc. without consent. By playing this game, you’re all consenting to get hit with Nerf darts and that’s it. Anything else should be negotiated separately. No going outside the play area—which does include a portion of the woods, but we’ve set up a perimeter out there that is clearly marked.

“Scoring is simple. If you get hit, you go to the graveyard with your hands in the air so others know you’re dead for our official scorekeeper—thanks Adara—to mark the hit then you can return to your team’s base or go back out into the battlefield. We’ll play for one hour. The team with the most hits at the end of the hour is the winner.

“Teams will have five minutes to select their weapons and ammo and ten minutes to go to their respective bases and come up with a plan.”

Gage paused and looked around.

“Any questions so far?”

Marissa raised her hand. “You say no weapons beyond the Nerf guns, but what about tools that won’t be used as a weapon? Things that will aid in our defense, for example.”

Gage frowned. “I don’t follow. The only thing I’m trying to prevent is someone picking up a rock and throwing it.”

Marissa grinned. “So, using certain skill sets we have to avoid getting hit wouldn’t be off limits?”

Gage shrugged. “I suppose not.”

He fielded a few more questions, then looked at his watch. “Let’s get started folks. Remember this is just for fun. If you end up fucking someone against a tree instead of pelting them with Nerf darts, more power to you. Just make sure it’s consensual.”

Ripley leaned in and whispered to Olivia. “What if I want to fuck you against a tree and pelt you with darts?”

Olivia smirked. “You’ll have to catch me first.”

At the table, the two groups began selecting weapons and ammo.

Olivia picked up a toy gun and popped a dart into the chamber as she stared at Ripley.

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