This was beyond. For fuck's sake, was this what online dating was going to be like? Rubbing my forehead, I couldn’t help but think this probably wasn’t thefunJamal had in mind for me.
ChapterSeventeen
THE BEAST
The next evening when Miranda came to see me, I had something new in mind.
“What is that?” she asked, blinking at my little setup. Her shoulders were stiff and her face was an unreadable mask. Miranda had turned stone cold again.
Because we’d broken a barrier and she came inside my cage? Because I kept taking Bob from her without much effort? Or because she was worried I would threaten to kiss her again, or worse, actually follow through with it.
Though I could see why she would find the setup in my cell strange today.
I looked at it again to make sure it wasn’t. With my hallucinations, who knew what I’d pulled up from my chambers. It had required a special delivery from Timothy.
But no, I hadn’t mistakenly laid out a banana and a pair of underwear, or something equally ludicrous from a delusion. It was a table with two chairs. On the table, a game was spread out.
“It’s Monopoly,” I said, stating the obvious.
“I know what it is. What’s it doing here?”
“Why, sweetheart,” A wicked grin slid onto my face. “You look as terrified as a lamb being led to slaughter. You aren’t afraid of a little…fun, are you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Her body stiffened further. If she tightened up anymore, the rod in her ass was in danger of breaking.
“I’m afraid I’m usually hysterical,” I countered. “But I’m deadly serious about this, sweetheart. Taken on your son’s advisement, you’d best start having fun. So we are going to fit a little game in before our sword training from now on.”
Her gaze bounced between the board game and me with abject terror. “We don’t need to do that.”
“I suppose your tin heart couldn’t handle a little game. You might be in danger of enjoying yourself, and we can’t have that, can we? You are so very busy and important that there is no time for enjoyment.”
Her lips thinned. I’d hit my mark, and my grin widened as I knew I had her now.
Miranda stomped over to the control panel and slammed her hand on the blue button, and the cage door unlocked with an audible crack.
* * *
One hourlater and neither of us were having fun. Miranda and I wore twin expressions of grim determination.
Not five, anything but a five. I can’t get a five. My little ship can go anywhere else and I can survive if I just don’t roll a five.
The dice fell from my palm, rolling across the board.
As soon as the cube settled, Miranda’s eyes lit up with a vindictive fire. “Ha! Boardwalk baby.” She pumped her fist before pointing at me. “You can’t even afford it, honey,” she said in an exaggerated tone that rankled all my chains.
A growl ripped out of my throat as I surged to my feet. The board went flying, sending her tiny hat and all the money into the air. The round table crashed on its side before rolling out of the way. Miranda jumped to her feet as well, facing off with me wearing a positively evil grin.
“How?” I yelled. “You must be cheating.”
“Maybe I’m just that good,” she countered.
Even though a part of me wanted to respond with a lascivious comment to that, I was far more aggravated about the loss. “How were you cheating? That is the only way you could have won!” I was shouting now.
“What? You can’t believe a mortal can beat a god? Get used to it, beast boy.”
“No,” I said, tugging at my hair. “You can’t have won becauseIwas cheating.”
Her victorious snarl evaporated as she stood there stunned. “Youwere cheating?”
