Page 58 of Picture Us

“Cop out.” Drew winked. “Air hockey?”

It was the first game she saw when they came in, and basic enough that she stood a chance at winning.

With a nod, she started walking toward the long, blue table. “I’m in.”

Drew swiped their card at the table’s built-in reader, and the puck unlocked. Placing it on the table, Drew grabbed the black striker closest to their goal.

As Rose lowered her hand to the table, she felt the light rush of air coming from the tiny vents. It tickled her wrist slightly, sending a shiver up her arm. She needed to focus. Losing to Drew’s pompous ass would be far too embarrassing.

She leaned down, letting her elbows rest against the rough plastic. With a loud bell, the game started, and a vicious competition ensued. Carefully eyeing the puck, Rose geared up for Drew’s first attack. They sent the puck over the center, light enough for Rose to block it from her goal. Pushing it back to Rose with more force, Drew raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not playing around.” Rose winked.

It was all Drew needed to hear. Once the puck found itself back on their side, they whacked it back at Rose, effortlessly sliding it into the goal. It was all downhill from there, and after a tough battle, Rose had no choice but to admit defeat.

“Get wrecked.” Drew winked across the table. “Wanna go again?”

Rose shook her head. “God no, you rigged it.” Her eyes scanned for a game she was confident about. A devious smile took over her face as she spotted something sheknewshe was good at.

“Follow me.” She demanded, grabbing Drew’s hand as she led them toward her game of choice.

Drew’s face scrunched up with confusion as they realized what Rose had in mind. “Basketball?”

“Yep.” Rose licked her teeth as Drew swiped their card.

With a scoff, Drew shook their head. “You have no idea what you’re getting into here.”

Rose shrugged as she grabbed the nearest ball. The timer began and without hesitation Rose fired off a barrage of perfect shots. One after another, the balls slipped through the small net and rolled back down to her for another shot.

“What the fuck.” Drew laughed as they tried to keep up, their balls bouncing wildly off the rim.

She couldn’t help but gloat. “You doubted me, you bastard.”

Frantically grabbing balls as soon as they rolled down the slope, Drew’s head flicked between Rose’s perfect form and their own basket. “You tricked me, woman! How are you so good at this?”

“High school basketball. I was a guard.” Rose couldn’t stop herself from laughing at Drew’s shattered confidence. In a lot of ways, they had proven Rose wrong about their attitude problem. But Rose loved putting them in their place anyway.

Drew shook their head. “Silly me, shouldn’t have assumed the femme wasn’t a sports sapphic.”

Rose winked. “You’re goddamn right about that.”

Before they knew it, the timer rang, and the game was over. Rose had absolutely demolished Drew. It wasn’t even close.

Resting her arm on the metal bar that held the nets up, Rose lifted an eyebrow. “You should be able to get yourself a pretty prize with all those tickets, sweetheart.”

“Oh, so youarean asshole.” Drew laughed, stepping closer to her. As their eyes wandered to her lips, their face was lit up in flashing neon lights: purple, then blue, then green, then red. It took Rose back to the darkroom. That first day when she could hardly keep her hands to herself.

She put her hand behind Drew’s head, pulling their lips toward hers. An action game explosion sounded behind them as their mouths met. Rose laughed in Drew’s mouth.

“A little on the nose,” she teased.

But when she pulled away, Drew was just looking at her. A sweet smile, one Rose had just become familiar with, played at Drew’s lips.

Clearing her throat, Rose tucked a hair behind her ear. “Next?”

Drew nodded. “You’re screwed now.” They rushed over to another game, swiping their card before Rose could even get set up.

They continued like that for a couple hours. Rose had no idea how much money they had spent chasing each other across the arcade. Both of them kept trying to find a game they could win. In the end, they had no choice but to call it a draw.

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