“If I can’t win, no one will,” was her philosophy.
It was an entirely different side of my grandmother – one that I hadn’t even known existed – but to be honest, having a villain in the game (for lack of a better term) tended to make things more exciting. Tonight was no exception as Indigo quickly launched a victory-or-death style of play that kept us all on our toes. On this particular occasion, however, an alliance with me led to my mother winning the game not just once, but twice. Flush with victory after her two consecutive wins, Mom let out an excited whoop and began high-fiving everyone. She then turned to Indigo (who always sat next to her at the gaming table where we played) and blew a raspberry at her.
“That’s it,” Indigo declared, feigning disgust as she smacked her hand on the table. “We’re playing again.”
“No, we’re not,” Gramps said with conviction as he came to his feet. “You’ll play all night if we let you, Indigo, but I’m an old man and I need my beauty sleep.”
“You’re not that old,” my grandmother replied with a mischievous look in her eye.
“Oh, jeez,” I muttered as I detected a noticeable uptick in the mental chatter between my grandparents. “Please leave – both of you. We’ll put the game away. Just…go.”
Laughing, my grandparents bid us goodnight and left.
Myshtal turned to my mother. “If you wish to leave as well, please do. I’ll help Jim put everything away.”
My mother didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she gave me an inquisitive look.
“It’s fine,” I assured her. “Plus, you have a deadline to meet.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Mom said.
My statement was a reference to the fact that my mother was a midlist author of superhero romance novels. She had a deadline that was approaching, and with everything going on lately – from my grandmother’s return to the upcoming gala – it would be a minor miracle if she wasn’t behind.
“Frankly speaking, I can use all the time I can get,” Mom continued. “So, if you’re sure…”
She trailed off, giving me one last chance to change my mind.
“It’s no big deal, Mom,” I stressed. “It’s just game pieces and a game board, not rocket science. But if it makes you feel better…”
Rather than finish my statement, I let my actions speak for me. Shifting into super speed, I put away all the pieces of the game and then placed it back in the cabinet where it was normally kept before dashing back to my place at the table – all in less than a second. Thankfully, the room wasn’t exceptionally large, so there was barely any wind following in the wake of my burst of speed.
“Well, that works for me,” Mom said. She turned and headed for the door, shouting over her shoulder, “I’ll be in my office if you need me.”
That left me and Myshtal alone in the parlor, something that managed to fill me with both delight and dread. On the one hand, I found her fascinating; she was bright, had a ready wit, and we never seemed to lack for things to talk about. Plainly speaking, we had developed a strong bond almost from the moment we met.
That said, I was admittedly wild about my girlfriend Electra, and I worried immensely over how a growing friendship with Myshtal might affect our relationship. (It certainly didn’t help that, technically, Myshtal and I were affianced.)
“Are you going to bed as well?” Myshtal asked, interrupting my thoughts.
“No,” I replied, glancing at my watch. “Contrary to what my grandfather said, it’s not that late, and I don’t feel particularly tired.”
All of that was true, but what I failed to mention was that I was actually feeling restless. Dinner and time with my family had been a welcome distraction, but now my thoughts were turning back to my earlier performance during the mission. Even if I had been ready to turn in, it would be a night of fitful sleep with those images in my head. (I also hadn’t talked to Electra yet, which was one of the last things I did every night, but I tried to avoid bringing up my girlfriend in Myshtal’s presence – and vice versa).
“I think I may just watch a movie or something,” I added.
“Would you mind if I joined you?”
“Not at all,” I said, practically beaming – and then immediately feeling guilty about it.
Chapter 9
We ended up in the theater room – a windowless, soundproof chamber on the second floor. Rectangular in shape, the room had originally consisted of three identical, outdated couches lined up one behind the other and all facing a projector screen that covered an entire wall. The second and third couch had sat on risers, thereby allowing anyone sitting on either row to see over the heads of those in front of them. The walls had been covered with posters from classic films and autographed pictures of iconic movie stars from years past. Finally, a reel-to-reel projector had been used to show films on the screen.
Fast-forward to the present, and the couches had all been replaced with powered recliners – two to a row, with a hand-carved snack table between each pair. The reel-to-reel and original screen were gone as well, replaced by a state-of-the-art home theater system that included an upscale, high-definition projector, surround sound, and a one-hundred-twenty-inch projector screen. Last but not least, there was a red-and-white retro-style popcorn maker in a back corner, along with a mini fridge. About the only thing remaining of the original décor was the artwork on the walls.
The
