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“Such an old person game.” Scarlett chuckled and added, “I gotta go, Dad. Rachelle is waiting outside and I don’t wanna miss the beginning of the movie.” Her voice was low when she said the last.

“Letty, it’s fine. You go, have fun,” Gage told her.

She smiled, rose, came around the table and gave her dad a huge hug and kiss on his cheek. “Batting cages this weekend?”

“You’re on.” He smiled at her and watched his daughter walk out of the coffee shop and into the passenger side of Rachelle’s car. She was a good kid. She had her moments, but deep down she had a heart of gold.

His attention was quickly averted to the cup that was placed on the table. “Thank you,” he said to the waitress.

She slowly slid a napkin his way, and the closer it got, Gage noticed it had writing on it. Her name and phone number. “Anytime,” she whispered seductively before walking away.

His eyes drifted from the napkin to the thick silver band on his ring finger. It didn’t matter anymore that your finger was encased in any kind of metal symbolizing that you were off the market, vowing to be faithful and love another for the rest of your life. In today’s world, that token of devotion meant nothing. He took a swig of the hot coffee and tapped the screen on his phone. Bringing up Friendly Words, he saw that Tilly played a word worth fifty-eight points. “Fuck.” He grumbled.

Then he raised his head and apologized to the older couple sitting next to him. The woman smiled and sat up straighter to get a look at his phone on the table. “Friendly Words, I get it.” She chuckled.

He smiled at her as they were getting ready to leave. He added, “This one woman is kicking my ass.”

“Happens all the time,” the man chimed in, pointing to his wife with a smile on his face.

“Have a good night,” he told them.

The woman looked to him. “Thank you, you do the same and good luck.”

“Thanks.”

Gage watched them walk out the door. As soon as her husband let the door go, he reached for her hand. He wondered how long they had been married. He also wondered if he and Heather would have that when they were their age. They had it once, but somewhere along the way they lost it. So, thinking they might in the future had him shaking the thought from his head that his daughter left there about his marriage failing.

He looked at his phone, saw that Tilly F wasn’t active, but that he had three notifications from others challenging him. He clicked on Tilly’s game first and studied his letters and the board for ten minutes before he added a word that gave him fifty-two points. He accepted the other challenges where he played a word on each board, but he sat there hoping Tilly F’s green dot would light up just so he could kick her ass. It wasn’t long before his phone alerted him that she had played him back. He smiled as he tossed the last bite of cupcake in his mouth and opened the app.

_______________

Tilly finished the bottle of wine. Her feet were up on the folding table she had once used to paint with the kids. Every color in the rainbow covered the gray vinyl top, and a few colors not in the rainbow but hand blended by Justin.

Luke hadn’t said good night; he hadn’t even followed her out of the kitchen. She knew he wouldn’t. Knew he was thinking she was being a nag. If concern for him missing out on his own children growing up made her a nag, then so be it.

She glanced around the room. It was the catch all room. It had a little bit of everything, but the kids were getting older. A lot of the stuff she could donate. Maybe she should turn it into an office. Having a place to escape would be nice, particularly after an evening like the one she’d just had. Her heart ached; they didn’t have much time where they could be together, so losing one of those nights was hard, but what surprised her was the realization that it didn’t bother her as much as it should.

Reaching for her phone, she checked her email; there was one from Tammy. The cupcakes all sold, the money going toward new choir shirts. Did her husband even know his daughter was going on a trip with the choir this year? No. She hadn’t told him yet, but he hadn’t asked either. Seemed like it should be a two-way street.

She closed out of her email, opened Friendly Words and saw that Gage had responded with a word worth fifty-two points. She grinned at her phone. “Nice job, Gage.” He was still losing, but not by much. Resting her head back on the chair, the letters moved through her head as she tried to find a word to up his. The challenge was fun, but so was taking her mind off of what had brought her into that room. The simple joy of a game with a stranger, with nothing more pressing than finding a word that racked up the points for her. She spent ten minutes thinking, and in the end, came up with a word worth forty-six points. She didn’t close out the app because there was a green dot next to Gage’s name. Instead, she grabbed the empty bottle and her glass and moved to the kitchen. Pouring herself a glass of water, she retrieved one of the few cupcakes she’d reserved for her private stash. Sitting at the island, she ate the chocolatey goodness and waited for Gage’s next word.

Gage chuckled to his phone when he opened and saw the word ‘lonely’ butted up against another word to make forty-six points. It was ironic. Because he was lonely on his forty-sixth birthday. He looked to the small bubble icon in the upper right corner. With a finger hovering over it, he tapped it and typed out a message, even though it was unlike him to chat with a random stranger.

Nice to meet you, Tilly F. Although, you are kicking my ass, I’m enjoying the game.

He kind of lied, because Gage didn’t really like to lose. Playing a word off her L only gave him twenty-eight points. He grumbled under his breath before taking a gulp of coffee. Glancing to the time on his cell, he read ten twenty-two. Grabbing all the stuff on the table, he placed his phone in his pocket and walked to the trash, throwing out the napkins and cup. Then he went to sit in his truck in the parking lot only because he didn’t want to sit in the coffee shop alone anymore.

Tilly saw a notification pop up on her phone. Opening it, she read the message from her opponent. He was enjoying getting his ass kicked? She grinned, suspected that wasn’t entirely true because who enjoyed losing? She wasn’t sure why she hesitated to reply, but she stared at his message for a while before she typed back.

It’s nice meeting you. I have to confess, I’m new to this game. I didn’t think it would be as fun as it is, but it really does suck you in. I’m enjoying the game, too, though I am kicking your ass. ; )

Gage had the radio on, music playing loudly. But when he read her message, the drum solo coming from the speakers mixed with his laughter. He took two things from her first message: she liked to talk, and she liked to tease. So did he.

I’m new to the game, too. Though, my daughter informed me tonight it was a game for old people. Lol. It does suck you in, many times today I went to reach for my cell to play but got called away. As for kicking my ass, it is my birthday today, can’t you at least let me win? ;)

Tilly read his message twice. He had a daughter, and it was his birthday. She couldn’t help but wonder why he was playing a game with a stranger and not spending his birthday with his daughter. Her heart went out to him because in his shoes, she’d feel...well, lonely. She studied their game, thought of a word worth seventy points, but she instead chose a word worth only thirty.

Happy birthday! I’m suddenly out of words. ; ) Old people game? I think I take offense. Thirty-eight isn’t old, though my kids would suggest otherwise. I was in the baking aisle of the market earlier when I thought of a word. I pulled out my phone right then and there. Got a few looks...kids today so attached to their phones. Of course, my critics were all silver-haired, bussed in from the nursing home to do their weekend shopping.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com