“Can’t say I’ve ever had this large of an audience.” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.
“I guess there’s a first time for everything.” She laughs, letting her hand drag down my chest.
I want to be her first, her last, her everything.
EIGHT
Penny
What areyou supposed to bring to a tabletop game night? I spent a good three hours on Google, watching every single video I could find about etiquette and falling down multiple rabbit holes.Dammit, Shae.
None of the videos or comments could come to a consensus. Snacks? Drinks? Baked goods? So, I brought a mixture. Three layers of plastic food containers filled with cookies, some savory trail mix concoction I found on Pinterest with a D&D theme and some bite-sized meats and cheeses.
Oh gods, what if someone is vegan? Asher would have said something. Wouldn’t he? Surely he would have given me a list of potential food allergies, right? If he assumed I would bring food. Now I’m overthinking everything and ready to limp back across the street to put these containers into our fridge.
The door swings open, and his smile falls immediately, causing my heart to lurch forward.
“Penny.” He grabs the leaning tower of snacks out of my hands and moves out of the way, “You were supposed to tell mewhen you were coming. I didn’t want you waiting here with your bad ankle.”
“It’s really fine. Only a sprain.” I raise my pant leg in a manner which would be considered scandalous in the early 1900s to show the stretchy brace peeking out from under my sock.
It’s been a few days since we went ice skating, and the brace is a precaution because of my weak ankles, it’s still sweet he’s so concerned. I’m sure I’ll be brace-free and ready to dance by Christmas Eve. Though I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from the kiss following my injury and the slight spectacle in between. I’m sure there were a few phones trained on Asher as he rushed across the ice, carrying me like I weighed no more than a sack of potatoes.
No one has ever done that for me. I’m a middle child, so I was told to stand up and dust myself off. Never did I expect Prince Charming to rush to my side.
The Prince Charming in question raises a brow, smirking, “Come in. I’ll put this up and introduce you to everyone.”
Oh, right. Everyone.
Something about this feels ominous. What if everyone hates me? What if I have suddenly become so abhorrent, a social outcast, and these people who are incredibly important to Asher decide I am not worthy to breathe his air?
Asher disappears into the house, I close the door behind me and follow after him, my high-top Converse squeaking against the polished wood flooring and reminding me how different we are.
This is where he comes from. Our family is comfortable. My father worked hard to make sure my siblings and I grew up wanting nothing, but we aren’t ‘townhouse in the middle of the city’ comfortable.
The dining room table comes into view. Tonight, it has been transformed from what I assume is its standard state to a small forested wonderland.
Spread out across the wooden surface are three different interconnecting maps, generic to the point I can’t place any of the landmarks, but still I feel I could walk these paths and find adventure. I kind of want to.
“Penny, this is Clark, Elsie and her girlfriend Summer.” Asher says with a sweeping gesture across the table. “This is Penny.”
I recognize Clark from Dragon’s Lair, it’s hard to miss his black hair and thick black frames that make him look a little like Clark Kent. Beside him is Elsie, who seems to be my age with bright green hair, and sitting next to her is Summer, who resembles her namesake in her light flower-print dress.
“You work at that bookstore downtown, Plot Twist, right?” Clark asks, lifting his soda in my direction.
“Yeah, how did you know?” I ask.
“It was just a hunch.” He lowers his voice and nudges Elsie, “You owe me twenty bucks.”
Elsie shushes him and gives me a warm smile, “We’re so happy you could join us tonight.”
“Have you played Dungeon Raider before?” Summer asks.
“Oh,” I turn and look for Asher, but he’s gone to put away my snack offerings, “no, I haven’t.” I hold up my hands, “I’m really just here to observe and cheer from the sidelines.”
“No, you’re playing.” Asher calls out from the other room, he adds, “If you want, I mean.”
The assertive tone sends a bit of a spark down my spine, “Don’t I need a character?”
