Page 12 of Naughty Nicky

His cheeks turn a light shade of pink. “It was a picture of me. Not the same thing.”

“Whatever you say.”

He sighs and then walks into the kitchen. I can hear him pouring a glass of whiskey and then soon he is walking back out with the bottle in hand.

“So…”

I set the book back down on the coffee table and turn to face him, crossing my legs over each other. “So…”

“We can watch a movie if you want.”

I shake my head. “I don’t really want to watch one. This is already awkward enough.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?”

“Have any board games?”

He sets his glass down on the coffee table and stands. “I actually think I might. Let me check the closet.”

I can’t take my eyes off him as he walks away again. His firm ass clutching the fabric of those sweatpants. Shit, I am introuble. I know it. And alcohol isn’t going to help much at all in this predicament.

I tear my eyes away from him and stare out the window instead, watching the snow fall get heavier and heavier.

He walks back into the living room a couple minutes later with a game of Scrabble, Uno, and playing cards.

“Not much, but it should help us pass the time. I can also throw a pizza in the oven if you’re hungry. Or I can make us something to eat instead.”

“Pizza is fine with me.”

He nods and sets the games on the coffee table. “I’ll be right back.”

I place the card games to the side and open the Scrabble box and begin to set up the game. I am no whiz at Scrabble, and I am one hundred percent positive I am going to lose this game. Because Nick just seems scholarly. I know he went to school for photography, but he went to NYU. He is smart and sophisticated. Wise for his years. I am just some girl who is ready for her next vacation, hopefully somewhere on a beach. Like Bali or Vietnam. I am not someone who spent years in school learning big words, but I might as well give it my best shot. Besides, it’s the best way to waste time now because who knows how long we are going to be walled up in this cabin.

Nick comes back out a few minutes later and takes a seat on the floor in front of the couch.

“Scrabble it is, I see.”

I look up at him. “You are probably going to win. I am not very good.”

“I don’t know about that. This is kind of a luck of the draw game. Sometimes you get good letters and sometimes you get shit.”

“Well let’s hope we both get a good draw.”

We each grab seven tiles and line them up on our stands. I sigh as I look at my letters. X, M, O, U, I, L, Y. Well then, I guess I know what direction this game is going in.

I start laughing as I try to organize my letters into some sort of order.

“What’s so funny?” he asks me.

“I mean, you said it’s luck of the draw, and I definitely didn’t have luck on my side.”

He smirks at me. “I’m not sure I grabbed any better letters than you.”

“Oh, I don’t think anyone could have gotten worse letters than me.”

“We will see about that. Ladies first?” he asks with a hand gesture.

I suck my bottom lip into my mouth as I try to come up with some better word than MY, but that is literally all I can come up with.

---