over the past week
or so.
She shrugs off her purse once she gets to the
kitchen and loops it over the back of a chair. “Thirsty?” I ask. “I
have Fanta and beer.”
She laughs, that beautiful, musical laugh. “I
can never turn down a Fanta.”
I hand her a drink, and we move down to the
living room. Rhiannon walks over to the entertainment center and
stoops to examine the various electronics housed on each of its
glass shelves. “Is this yours?” she asks, pointing to the
PlayStation on the second shelf.
“Adam plays, too, but yes, technically it
belongs to me,” I reply.
“What do you play?”
I shrug. “I mostly play shooter games. I
think Fallout is in right now. Adam likes role playing games like
Skyrim and Final Fantasy.” She nods, chewing it over as she reaches
her right hand around the left side of her neck and scratches at
the smooth, pale skin at the back of her shoulder. It’s amazing how
such a simple gesture, coming from her, can appear so goddamn alluring .
She turns to face me as I come down the steps
to join her. “Can I watch you play?” she asks.
“Really? Why?” I watch her face fall a little
and hurry to smooth over my rough question. “I mean – Sure, but
wouldn’t that be kinda boring for you?”
“Maybe, maybe not,” she replies. “I’ve never
really been around anyone who played video games. I wanna know what
they’re like.”
I smile and reach around her to power on the
console. “Okay,” I say. “Are you sure you don’t want to play,
too?”
“Not right now,” she replies.
“All right, but tell me if you get
bored.”
She flops down on the couch directly across
from the TV, and I take the seat next to her and pick up the
controller off the end table. I try to explain a little to Rhiannon
about the game’s story line as I play, and she asks me questions
about how I do certain things, which buttons I’m pressing to change
weapons and so on.
Sometime later, I hear a key turning in the
front door. Shit, Adam is home . I hunker down, leaning over
on my knees, resolved to stay focused on the game – maybe if I
ignore him I can avoid getting the third degree in front of
Rhiannon.
I hear him toss his keys on the kitchen table
followed by the crinkling of plastic bags – sounds like he went
grocery shopping. “Hi, Adam,” says Rhiannon.
He chuckles as he walks over to the edge of
the steps; I can see his hulking form in the edge of my peripheral
vision. “Wow, dude, I should nominate you for host of the year.
What, did you just offer her a drink and then sit her down to watch
you play video games?”
Rhiannon laughs as she answers for me.
“Actually I requested this. I haven’t really been around video
games before, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”
“Really?” he asks. I can hear him prying the
cap off a beer, and I pray for him not to join us as he comes down
the steps and drops onto the loveseat. Fuckin’ A .
Abruptly I stop playing and press the button
to pause the game. I turn to look back at Rhiannon, who seems
perfectly content curled up next to the armrest. “Have you seen
enough?” I ask, silently pleading with her to say yes so we can
escape somewhere else. “We could do something else.”
“Actually, could I try?” she asks.
I smile in spite of myself. “Yeah of course,
you can try.” I hand her the controller and wait while she
positions her hands. She stretches her thumbs out and moves them in
circles before placing them on the buttons.
“Okay, all warmed up,” she says. I chuckle as
I scoot over next to her and begin explaining what each button is
used for. Eventually she bats my hand away, claiming to have it
down.
I turn back to face Adam and try to keep the
irritation from my voice as I say, “You gonna stick around,
man?”
Adam takes a sip of his beer then says, “This
is her first time playing? Hell yeah, I can’t wait to see
this.”
Rhiannon gives him an indignant look, and I
inwardly smile
or so.
She shrugs off her purse once she gets to the
kitchen and loops it over the back of a chair. “Thirsty?” I ask. “I
have Fanta and beer.”
She laughs, that beautiful, musical laugh. “I
can never turn down a Fanta.”
I hand her a drink, and we move down to the
living room. Rhiannon walks over to the entertainment center and
stoops to examine the various electronics housed on each of its
glass shelves. “Is this yours?” she asks, pointing to the
PlayStation on the second shelf.
“Adam plays, too, but yes, technically it
belongs to me,” I reply.
“What do you play?”
I shrug. “I mostly play shooter games. I
think Fallout is in right now. Adam likes role playing games like
Skyrim and Final Fantasy.” She nods, chewing it over as she reaches
her right hand around the left side of her neck and scratches at
the smooth, pale skin at the back of her shoulder. It’s amazing how
such a simple gesture, coming from her, can appear so goddamn alluring .
She turns to face me as I come down the steps
to join her. “Can I watch you play?” she asks.
“Really? Why?” I watch her face fall a little
and hurry to smooth over my rough question. “I mean – Sure, but
wouldn’t that be kinda boring for you?”
“Maybe, maybe not,” she replies. “I’ve never
really been around anyone who played video games. I wanna know what
they’re like.”
I smile and reach around her to power on the
console. “Okay,” I say. “Are you sure you don’t want to play,
too?”
“Not right now,” she replies.
“All right, but tell me if you get
bored.”
She flops down on the couch directly across
from the TV, and I take the seat next to her and pick up the
controller off the end table. I try to explain a little to Rhiannon
about the game’s story line as I play, and she asks me questions
about how I do certain things, which buttons I’m pressing to change
weapons and so on.
Sometime later, I hear a key turning in the
front door. Shit, Adam is home . I hunker down, leaning over
on my knees, resolved to stay focused on the game – maybe if I
ignore him I can avoid getting the third degree in front of
Rhiannon.
I hear him toss his keys on the kitchen table
followed by the crinkling of plastic bags – sounds like he went
grocery shopping. “Hi, Adam,” says Rhiannon.
He chuckles as he walks over to the edge of
the steps; I can see his hulking form in the edge of my peripheral
vision. “Wow, dude, I should nominate you for host of the year.
What, did you just offer her a drink and then sit her down to watch
you play video games?”
Rhiannon laughs as she answers for me.
“Actually I requested this. I haven’t really been around video
games before, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”
“Really?” he asks. I can hear him prying the
cap off a beer, and I pray for him not to join us as he comes down
the steps and drops onto the loveseat. Fuckin’ A .
Abruptly I stop playing and press the button
to pause the game. I turn to look back at Rhiannon, who seems
perfectly content curled up next to the armrest. “Have you seen
enough?” I ask, silently pleading with her to say yes so we can
escape somewhere else. “We could do something else.”
“Actually, could I try?” she asks.
I smile in spite of myself. “Yeah of course,
you can try.” I hand her the controller and wait while she
positions her hands. She stretches her thumbs out and moves them in
circles before placing them on the buttons.
“Okay, all warmed up,” she says. I chuckle as
I scoot over next to her and begin explaining what each button is
used for. Eventually she bats my hand away, claiming to have it
down.
I turn back to face Adam and try to keep the
irritation from my voice as I say, “You gonna stick around,
man?”
Adam takes a sip of his beer then says, “This
is her first time playing? Hell yeah, I can’t wait to see
this.”
Rhiannon gives him an indignant look, and I
inwardly smile
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