Page 32 of Play to Win

“I like pepp and mush too.Also ham and pineapple.”

“Fuck no.Pineapple does not belong on pizza.”

“How about chicken?”

“Nah.No chicken on pizza.”

She laughs.“That, I agree with.Okay, your turn.”

I grunt.I have no clue what to ask.After a moment, I say, “Would you rather have sex in a hot tub or on the beach?”

Her peal of laughter delights my ears.“Ha!You surprise me.I’m impressed.Okay, hmmm.”She taps her chin.“I think in a hot tub.I’ve heard sand in, uh, intimate places can be kind of unpleasant.”

“No doubt.”

“My turn.Would you rather”—she pauses—“have an animal best friend—it could be any animal you choose and it would be intelligent and speak to you.And you could ride on it, if it’s big enough, like a bear or a ...a buffalo.Or would you rather be married to someone with a hot body?”

“Jesus Christ.”I rub my chin.

She laughs.

“That’s fucking crazy.”

“It’s just a game.Come on.Lighten up.It’s not like world peace depends on your answers.”

I replay the question as I change lanes to pass a truck.“All right then, an animal best friend I could talk to would be cool.”

“What kind of animal?”

I run through choices in my head.I’ve heard elephants are smart.And dolphins.Dolphins are cool.But they live in the water.

Jesus.I’m actually analyzing this like it matters.

“A chimpanzee,” I blurt out.

“Oh, good answer!I’d love to have a chimpanzee friend!”

I can’t stop the smile that pulls at my lips, shaking my head.

We continue on with the game until Lacey gets bored.Her feet go back up on the dashboard.“Climax in ten miles.”

My head snaps around to look at her.“What?”My mind immediately goes into the gutter, imagining what this could mean ...

“The sign.We just passed it.There’s a town called Climax and it’s coming up.”She pulls out her phone and starts swiping and tapping.“Oh!We have to stop there.It’s a ghost town.”

“We’re not stopping.”

“What?Why not?We need a break.”

“We’ll be stopping for gas in a while.We can’t throw off my plans.”

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“I am most definitely not kidding.”

“But it will be fun!Come on!A ghost town!And there’s a trading post.”

“A trading post?”

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