Page 71 of The One I Need
“Wow,” I say. “I don’t know whether to ask for a cut on the winnings or wonder what y’all thought I was getting into?”
“My guess was that you got into a relationship with a dominatrix and she had you tied in a sex dungeon,” Simon says.
“I thought you had my guess that I proposed?”
“That was my second guess. I couldn’t decide so I bet twice.”
“Well, both are wrong,” I say. “Technically.”
Simon’s eyes go wide. “What do you mean technically?”
“I’ll explain later,” I say as I turn to Wes. “What was yours?”
“That you had long since been a closet gambler and had lost your money in an underground poker game. You were going to Vegas with a hit woman to settle your debt.”
“Really? My practical, logical, friend is going to go with that?”
“I didn’t want to be boring,” Wes says. “I had fun with it. I even let the kids help.”
“But their ideas were more PG-rated,” Betsy adds on. “We took it up a notch.”
“Clearly.” I look over to Amelia. “What about you?”
“I played it safe with you having a girlfriend and being cautious. This was you changing ways of the past and making sure she was here to stay before introducing her to us.”
“As always, Amelia proving that she’s the most level-headed of all of us.”
Her eyes get big with excitement. “Did I get it right?”
“No. But close.”
She lets out a sigh as I look over to Shane, who because of his earlier arrival is the only one who actually knows the secret. “What was yours?”
“Pay up.”
Everyone starts talking over each other as Shane and I stare each other down. This man would be the one to get it right.
“Whoa! Everyone calm down,” Wes says, standing up and looking between the two of us. “Shane, what do you know that we don’t?”
“Take it out of your pocket,” Shane says. “And then everyone pay up. And none of that Venmo shit. I want cash. Because our little Oliver went and got himself married.”
Shane sits back on the couch, signaling for me to pull the ring out of my jeans pocket. “One of these days I’m going to be able to keep a secret from you.”
I take the ring out and show it off before slipping it back on my finger. The room is quiet for at least ten seconds before pure chaos ensues.
“What the hell?”
“Holy shit!”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I knew it was the right decision to come and leave the kids at your moms.”
“You told me it wasn’t thirty-four!”
“Is everyone done?” I ask, sitting back down.
“Depends,” Wes asks. “Are you finally going to tell us everything that’s been going on?”
