“Footsie!” Robinson shrieks.
“Can we also get a tray of the traditional English sandwiches too, but swap the salmon spread for extra egg salad?” I ask our server.
She nods and slips away.
Addie’s still chuckling, but she straightens and looks at me. “You remembered.”
“Of course I remembered. Remember why too.”
She hates salmon.
Had the canned version too many times in salmon patties as a kid.
She’s smiling at me, but it’s a softer smile. Athank yousmile. AnI like yousmile.
And the grumbles going up at the tables around us tell me I’m not the only one noticing.
She shakes her head. “Game time,” she announces. “And anyone who only targets Duncan’s creatures is getting extra treadmill time for a week.”
We both know we’ll have to set up a special island for all of us to play on. But I suspect at least one of the Fireballs—or their significant others—know it, and I’m not surprised when someone calls out the code for us to get to the island to join them.
Nor am I surprised when I’ve been gifted poison, a splinter-handled axe, and a kitten of death within the first three minutes of my character arriving on the group island.
“I said, be nice to Duncan,” Addie says loudly as she stares at her phone.
Snickers go up around the room.
“It’s okay, I know where their lockers are,” I whisper to her. I don’t tell her I know someone who got a 3D printer who’s been stockpiling 3D-printed thrusting Thrusties in case we ever need them for a prank, because that’s need to know and she doesn’t need to know.
Yet.
And in the next moment, she’s squealing with joy. “You got them to make Doc Rover’s evil twin!”
Doc Rover is the keeper of all islands.
He usually plays dumb and is horrified to hear the creatures have died.
But today, Sock Grover is in the house, offering “better tools” from inside his trench coat.
“Better tools” are not, in fact, better.
They’re worse.
Which, for the purposes of the game,isbetter.
“Congratulations,” I tell Addie. “You’ve found surprise number one.”
“How many more surprises are there?”
“Can’t tell you. That would ruin the surprise.”
“A flying squid?” Diego shrieks. “That wasn’t there yesterday!”
“Your kids are ruining the surprises,” I tell her.
She cracks up and bends over her phone again. “Then I better play faster. You stay right there, Sock Grover. I’ll be back for you later.”
I bend over my phone and get back to work trying to plant boobytraps for the Fireballs while saving my favorite murder weapons to gift to Addie.
