Chapter Two
Mason Lavigne likedto play games.
Well, some games, like actual board games. Other types of games like those involving women and dating and love, not so much. And while the love game could involve strategy, this wasn’t the type of strategy he was good at. His preference were games that had clear, up-front rules, rather than ones that require the skill of bluffing—another thing he wasn’t very good at.
But every once in a while, Mason came across a person who made him want to try the love game again, like the woman who worked at Pony Expresso. A woman so gorgeous, he stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw her behind the counter. His father, Daniel, had to pull him into line after his morning thoughts had been completely hijacked by her.
Natalie was about average height with an athletic frame. When her black T-shirt rode up her arms, her biceps looked strong and firm, revealing more of her light brown skin, giving him the balmy, glowy impression of summer in cold, gray November. Her dark, glossy hair was haphazardly pulled in a half bun, half ponytail thing. There were strands making their escape, but the majority remained away from her face. Even so, it was clear the hair was beautiful and thick and probably soft and nice-smelling. Things that smelled nice were his favorite, like when jasmine first started blooming in the greenhouse or the first honey harvest of the season.
When those dark brown eyes had turned their focus onto him, he stopped functioning altogether. Her gaze stunned him, like discovering the richest, deepest velvet.
Again his dad had to rescue him from this potential manmade disaster of epic proportions as his heart panicked, trying to come up with anything witty or intelligent or at least something resembling a drink order. Not only was he unfamiliar with this particular coffee shop’s offerings, (he had only come because his father invited him to the meeting with his friend, Enrique), but it was as though he’d become unfamiliar with the concept of coffee itself.
In one great attempt to impress her at the end of the transaction, he’d attempted to say something amazing. But as he lacked the necessary caffeine to make anything resembling a coherent sentence, what came out was,Greanks. If he was being generous with himself, he was probably either trying to saygreatorthanksbut it sort of merged together in a Frankenstein mess of a word that was neither impressive nor amazing. He thought he blew his opportunity for sure, especially when he nearly tripped over his own feet and almost knocked the tip jar from the counter.
Wow. What a disaster.
Thankfully, he got another chance to speak with her, one which he was a little more prepared for. Mason could use all the chances he could get. He left the coffee shop that morning like he had a lottery ticket in his hand potentially worth millions and—
“Hey. Mase. Stop daydreaming and looking at your phone. Why the hell are you so distracted tonight? It’s your turn.”
“Sorry,” he said, apologizing to Gemma before grabbing the dice and rolling.
The pretty Black woman with curly hair and glasses rolled her eyes, muttering, “You’re the one who picked this game and now your head just isn’t in it. What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing.” He took a resource card before handing two more cards to Damon and one to Isaac. Isaac was a Latino man with expressive eyebrows. His husband, Damon, rarely said much at all, allowing him to almost disappear within the group, but this might have been his gameplay strategy as he won most of the time.
Isaac laughed. “You know he picked this game because it’s the only one he wins at. He cheats.”
“No, I picked this game because it’s my favorite and, because Jay isn’t here, we actually have the proper number of players for it. And how do you cheat at Settlers of Catan? Do you think I’m hiding resource cards in my sleeve or something?”
“Or something,” Isaac said while reorganizing the cards in his hand.
“What do you want to do? It’s still your turn,” Gemma said.
“Oh. Let’s see.” Mason studied his cards. “Isaac, do you want to trade one lumber for a grain?”
The man crossed his arms. “Uh, no. Nope. I’m not helping you.”
“Are you joking? You do this every time. You can’t hoard your resources like Gollum over there. And then you get upset when someone rolls a seven. This is why you always lose.”
“It’s called strategy.”
“I’ll do that trade,” Damon piped in.
“Thank you,” he said pointedly while swapping cards with him. “And I’m going to build another road.” Mason placed a road game piece on the board. “That gives me the longest road, so I’ll take that victory card. And I’ll play a knight card, moving the robber here, and will take one of your cards anyway, Isaac.”
Gemma barked a laugh as though she couldn’t believe Mason’s audacity but there was a reason Settlers of Catan was his favorite board game.
“He cheats,” Isaac stage-whispered behind his hand to Damon.
“I know, baby,” his husband murmured back.
Board game night had been a regular thing for the last few years, and usually fell on a Thursday. Mason had gone to school with Gemma and Isaac. After high school, they all separated, focusing on their individual education and careers. Except Mason, who continued working for his parents at Motherlode Nursery and Poinsettia Paradise tree farm, located amid the natural beauty of Apple Hill. There were times he wondered if he was missing out on something, for not going off as his other friends had, but the truth was he couldn’t imagine himself anywhere else. Mason wasn’t the type of person who liked having his days ruled by a strict schedule or spent in an office.
Gemma got her teaching license and came back to become a high school math teacher. While Isaac became a dentist and had the sparkling perfect teeth to prove it. He eventually met and married Damon who worked in IT. The three of them met up as adults at a bar called Gold Rush Bar & Grill in downtown Placerville where they’d all gone to participate in a Pop Culture Trivia Night. Their friendship re-sparked and board game night was born.
“Where’s Handsome Jay tonight?” Mason asked, inquiring after Gemma’s husband who was, in fact, more handsome than any human had a right to be.
