Page 105 of Playing Flirty

We’ll be in touch with Anita to arrange getting the game developed and distributed as soon as possible so you all can experience the fun we had.

Thank you for all the submissions. Each game we played had brilliance and heart, but there could only be one winner.

Keep playing.

Dudley

A chill covered my skin, sunk into my heart, and reached my eyes, bringing on a wave of unwanted tears. I inhaled a deep breath and counted to ten before exhaling. Disappointment sat heavy in my chest—aching, gnawing. When I looked up, three pairs of eyes were fixed on me.

William pulled my chair toward him and curled his arm protectively around me.

“I didn’t win,” I mumbled.

His face twisted in anguish. Neema and Shaun let out a long sigh and a string of curses.

I shook it off—emotionally—and then stood and shook it off physically as well. “No. I’m okay. It was a long shot, anyway. Let’s not let it ruin our night.” I looked at Shaun. “Come on—where’s dessert?”

Who cared about it anyway? I knew I wouldn’t win. It was a silly childhood dream. Something I should have outgrown a long time ago.

“I’m so sorry, Rose.” William’s head hung low.

“It’s okay. I said it’s okay. People lose things all the time.” I was rambling, but I couldn’t stop.

“Your game was perfect,” he continued, his voice quiet as if talking to himself. “I must have done something wrong at the presentation. It’s the best board game I’ve ever played. I even…”

“Don’t be silly,” I interrupted. “At least wait until Kaleidoscope is produced. Maybe it’s phenomenally good. Maybe it’s so good it’s going to be the game that finally makes you admit you love board games as much as video games.”

The lines of pain on William’s face, combined with the loss of the game I’d spent my entire life creating, was the last straw. It wasn’t good enough, and this competition—which meant more to me than I could ever explain—was over.

Rejection filled the hole in my heart where possibility had resided for years.

Round 35

So.” I clapped my hands together. “What’s next on the agenda?”

Their sympathy-filled eyes, minus William’s, were still locked on me. The despondency weighing on his slumped shoulders was so thick I wanted to grab it and shove it off him. I nudged him. His gaze dropped to mine with a look so far away that I feared I wouldn’t be able to find him.

“We are not going to sit around moping about this. I am sad…” I said.

William curled deeper into himself.

“… but I’ll get over it. And right now, I’m with my favorite people in the world, and I would really like some cake and some wedding chatter as a distraction.” I turned to Neema. “How many people have confirmed they’re coming?”

She smiled and unlocked her screen, the wedding website already open. “One hundred and two people.” She looked up at Shaun. “Oh, and that includes your parents.”

Shaun and William froze. It was as though the air shifted, bringing with it a heavy stillness.

“What do you mean?” Shaun scratched his head, his jaw clenched. “My mom said my dad was scheduled to presentat some medical conference in Rome or something. They declined the invite and made apologies.”

“Yeah, I know.” She nodded and read from her phone. “But your mom changed their RSVP and left a comment to say your dad made special arrangements to be here.”

Shaun and William shared a look, but neither of them said anything. Their shoulders squared and stiffened, and their frowns deepened, both ready for battle. But who were they fighting?

“Rose, do you wanna come with me to the ladies?” Neema asked, reading the same tension I’d picked up.

I hopped to my feet and followed her, but we hadn’t even made it halfway up the stairs before Shaun’s and William’s voices rose in a heated argument.

“What do you want me to do?” Shaun’s voice fluctuated between anger and disbelief. “Uninvite my own parents?”

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