wasn’t that fond of playing Scrabble, so it gave her something else to do besides think up new words.
I had a strategy of my own. I let Nick come home to roost after winning every round, boosting his confidence so he felt invincible. But then I turn ed the tables, winning the last round.
“I never heard of the word ‘tazza’ – what does that mean? Is it even a word?” Sarah moaned as I placed my three tiles next to her ‘ta’ with the ‘z’ on the triple score square.
“It means cup in Italian, but it's a genuine scrabble word. That’s a score of 69, thanks to triple score plus ‘zill’ on the way down, which adds another 39 points. That gives me a total of 108 – and all my tiles are finished!” I turned my tile holder over to prove it.
“What?” Nick roared in mock disgust. “You beat me? How is it even possible to make a word with double ‘z’ and on triple scores?”
“Genius, that’s what,” Olivia said, scrunching her nose.
“Anyway, what does ‘zill’ mean? Is it short for windowsill? Never heard of it.” Sarah reached for the dictionary. “Zill: small metallic cymbals worn on the thumb and middle finger; used in belly dancing in rhythm with the dance,” she read.
Olivia held her stomach as she laughed out loud. “Oh, Mom, those belly dancing classes paid off after all.”
“You did belly dance classes?” Nick looked at me with admiration, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “You will have to show me some time.”
I grinned sheepishly. “It was a long time ago. A group of friends and I thought it would be fun. Turned out I was the one who had the ample hips and bosom to be the queen of belly dancing.” I laughed. Trust Olivia to tell them about those silly classes.
“Hmm, sounds like something I’d like to see,” Nick teased . “You are full of surprises.”
“She even has the full outfit,” Olivia added. “In red. With those little coins that jingle when she sways her hips.”
I rolled my eyes. “Too much information, Olivia.”
“I can just imagine you in your belly dancing outfit,” Nick mused, his eyes blazing.
“Well, Dad thought she was very sexy…” Olivia realized what she had just said and clapped her hand over her mouth.
“Did he now?” Nick growled ; his eyebrows knit closer together and a tick jumped at his jaw.
“It was a very long time ago. Olivia was only ten then. Anyway, let’s get back to the game, shall we?” I tried desperately to avert their attention away from me and belly dancing…and Gabriel. “What’s the final score, Olivia?”
“I need a calculator to check my addition because, believe it or not, Mom actually won the whole game!”
“What? That’s not possible. Uncle Nick won four rounds and Natalie only one. Let me check your math.” Sarah grabbed the pad from Olivia and added the scores.
“I do believe we have a new Queen of Scrabble .” Sarah laughed. “Such a clever strategy, Natalie – congratulations. Letting Uncle Nick win four games in a row but only marginally and then coming in the last round and annihilating everyone with that fantastic big score – way to go!” She held her hand up to high-five me.
“Don’t tell me I've been outsmarted by a beautiful woman?” Nick held his hand over his heart as if he had been wounded. “Well, I’ll take it like a man and be a good loser – your breakfast will be served in bed tomorrow morning, ma’am.”
“Thanks – I look forward to that.” I smiled.
Winning certainly had its perks.
Chapter Seventeen
Nick rose from the carpet and held out a hand to pull me up. “Time for us to prepare dinner.” He pulled me into his arms. “And let me congratulate you on your win too,” he said as he leaned down to kiss me gently. It was over all too soon. He tugged me toward the kitchen. “Pasta. From scratch. Delicious, quick and easy.”
“What do you mean from scratch?” I ventured.
“We make and roll our own pasta. It's so fresh. Haven’t you
I had a strategy of my own. I let Nick come home to roost after winning every round, boosting his confidence so he felt invincible. But then I turn ed the tables, winning the last round.
“I never heard of the word ‘tazza’ – what does that mean? Is it even a word?” Sarah moaned as I placed my three tiles next to her ‘ta’ with the ‘z’ on the triple score square.
“It means cup in Italian, but it's a genuine scrabble word. That’s a score of 69, thanks to triple score plus ‘zill’ on the way down, which adds another 39 points. That gives me a total of 108 – and all my tiles are finished!” I turned my tile holder over to prove it.
“What?” Nick roared in mock disgust. “You beat me? How is it even possible to make a word with double ‘z’ and on triple scores?”
“Genius, that’s what,” Olivia said, scrunching her nose.
“Anyway, what does ‘zill’ mean? Is it short for windowsill? Never heard of it.” Sarah reached for the dictionary. “Zill: small metallic cymbals worn on the thumb and middle finger; used in belly dancing in rhythm with the dance,” she read.
Olivia held her stomach as she laughed out loud. “Oh, Mom, those belly dancing classes paid off after all.”
“You did belly dance classes?” Nick looked at me with admiration, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “You will have to show me some time.”
I grinned sheepishly. “It was a long time ago. A group of friends and I thought it would be fun. Turned out I was the one who had the ample hips and bosom to be the queen of belly dancing.” I laughed. Trust Olivia to tell them about those silly classes.
“Hmm, sounds like something I’d like to see,” Nick teased . “You are full of surprises.”
“She even has the full outfit,” Olivia added. “In red. With those little coins that jingle when she sways her hips.”
I rolled my eyes. “Too much information, Olivia.”
“I can just imagine you in your belly dancing outfit,” Nick mused, his eyes blazing.
“Well, Dad thought she was very sexy…” Olivia realized what she had just said and clapped her hand over her mouth.
“Did he now?” Nick growled ; his eyebrows knit closer together and a tick jumped at his jaw.
“It was a very long time ago. Olivia was only ten then. Anyway, let’s get back to the game, shall we?” I tried desperately to avert their attention away from me and belly dancing…and Gabriel. “What’s the final score, Olivia?”
“I need a calculator to check my addition because, believe it or not, Mom actually won the whole game!”
“What? That’s not possible. Uncle Nick won four rounds and Natalie only one. Let me check your math.” Sarah grabbed the pad from Olivia and added the scores.
“I do believe we have a new Queen of Scrabble .” Sarah laughed. “Such a clever strategy, Natalie – congratulations. Letting Uncle Nick win four games in a row but only marginally and then coming in the last round and annihilating everyone with that fantastic big score – way to go!” She held her hand up to high-five me.
“Don’t tell me I've been outsmarted by a beautiful woman?” Nick held his hand over his heart as if he had been wounded. “Well, I’ll take it like a man and be a good loser – your breakfast will be served in bed tomorrow morning, ma’am.”
“Thanks – I look forward to that.” I smiled.
Winning certainly had its perks.
Chapter Seventeen
Nick rose from the carpet and held out a hand to pull me up. “Time for us to prepare dinner.” He pulled me into his arms. “And let me congratulate you on your win too,” he said as he leaned down to kiss me gently. It was over all too soon. He tugged me toward the kitchen. “Pasta. From scratch. Delicious, quick and easy.”
“What do you mean from scratch?” I ventured.
“We make and roll our own pasta. It's so fresh. Haven’t you
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