AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I know. You're too good, Ryan. I don't deserve you."
"You're right. You deserve better." I gently pull Em off me, putting her and myself back together, making us presentable. "Now come on, if we don't get out of this car, we'll spoil the rest of the date I have planned."
When we reach street level, I take Em's hand in mine, pulling her close to my side. The street is busy with couples and groups of friends mulling around enjoying the April weather and the lingering daylight now that the days are getting longer.
"Snakes and Lattes!" Em laughs, looking at the storefront. "I've heard about this place. Holly and I have always wanted to come here!"
I may have run this idea by Holly. Snakes and Lattes is a cafe and game boutique. It's a date night favourite for couples, so I asked Holly, Luke, Tyra, and Taylor to meet us here. Playing board games is never as fun with two people as it is with a group of friends.
Holly waves and spots us right away as I lead Em through the door. Em's smile widens when she sees our small group of friends at a wooden table against a wall in the back. The interior of the cafe is simplistic yet stylish. It's a long room with dark floors and black bookcases that run along the walls and are stocked with board games. Several tables are full of patrons playing games like Monopoly, Jenga, Battleship, and Connect Four.
There are literally hundreds of games to choose from; new, old and nostalgic, and people can pick from an online catalogue.
I pay the admission fee for our table at the cafe bar. They have an assortment of food to go along with the games. Fancy coffee and, obviously, lattes as well as milkshakes, smoothies, sandwiches, and sweet stuff.
"Finally," Holly calls out from our table. "What took you so long? We've been waiting here for at least half an hour."
My lips turn up in a smile as Luke nudges Holly, shooting her a knowing look. Tyra and Taylor chuckle and Em's face heats with embarrassment.
"Car trouble," I say. "We couldn't get out of it."
Everyone laughs when Em slaps my chest and shoots me a look. We sit down, order drinks, and start debating which game to play.
Luke suggests Monopoly while Taylor opts for Clue, the Bridgerton version. Tyra wants to play The Game of Life and Holly wants to play something called Dream Phone.
"What the hell is Dream Phone?" Luke asks.
"Oh my god! You don't know what Dream Phone is?" Holly shrieks. "It was this ridiculous girly game from the nineties. There was this awesome, massive pink cordless phone and a hexagon-shaped, neon-coloured board with boys in each square. You'd dial the phone, and one of the guys would answer to give you a clue about who your date was. Do you remember, Avery?"
"Yes!" she laughs. "Every guy had a 555 number, and you'd get so mad when one of the cuter guys was eliminated."
"Why would Ryan or I know what that game is?" Luke stares at Holly incredulously. "And why the hell would we want to play it?"
Holly stops for a second realizing the logistics of what she just suggested before bursting into laughter.
"And no offence, Holly," Tyra adds sardonically. "But that doesn't sound like a game Taylor and I would enjoy."
"Sometimes, I swear you misplace your brain," Em laughs.
After another few minutes of debate, we settle on Clue. We all choose game pieces, create the "Confidential File," and deal the cards.
About ten minutes into the game, I notice a group of kids staring at us. I nudge Luke, who smiles and puts down his cards. We wave the kids over, who come eagerly, pens and paper in hand. One is a tall, red-headed boy whose limbs are growing too fast for the rest of his body. His friend is shorter, with a gap between his teeth, a broad smile, and a mop of dark hair. They can't be more than twelve years old.
I hadn't noticed her before, but behind them is a shy young girl with blonde curls and light brown eyes, maybe six or seven.
"Are you Luke Valentine and Ryan Gunner?" the red-headed boy squeaks. Puberty is definitely hitting this kid's voice hard.
"We are."
"Can we have your autographs?"
"Sure," Luke chuckles, taking the pieces of paper from their hands and scrawling his signature across the paper before handing them to me.
"What about you, sweetheart?" I lean towards the little girl, who smiles wide when she realizes I've noticed her. She's missing her two front teeth.
"I think you're going to win the Cup," she grins big.
"We sure hope so," Luke laughs.
